April 9, .1915. ____________________________ 765 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. __________________________________________________________________ obtaining supplies of steam nuts was none the less pro- nounced than a week ago, and with the large armament works running continuously through the holidays, there was a stronger demand upon collieries which hitherto had been unable to satisfy the enquiry in anything like an adequate degree. Any small lots which could be got hold of commanded particularly high figures, but as already stated, there was not a great deal of business passing. In respect to gas coal there still seems to be a strong request for odd lots of fuel, and especially nuts to supplement contract deliveries, and prices have again advanced to something like 17s. or 18s. per ton for good class fuel. The scarcity of slacks continues, in spite of the stoppage for the holidays in some of the manufacturing districts, and the demand is altogether ahead of the production and the prices were easily maintained. In regard to house coal, it has been an invariable rule to make Is. per ton reduction early in April, but this year there has been no suggestion that this is likely to accrue, and coalowners state there is no difficulty in maintaining the recent advanced prices. No doubt the indication of a reduced demand some few weeks ago has been arrested by the return of the colder weather, with the result that the collieries are again fully booked up with orders, especially for the best classes of fuel. The firmer tendency in respect to coke continues, and there is a keener desire on the part of buyers to arrange contracts. Prices at pit. Current L’st week's Last year’s House coals:— prices. prices. prices. Best Silkstone 20/ -21/ 20/ -21/ 22/ -25/ Best Barnsley softs 19/ -20/ 19/ -20/ 20/ -22/ Secondary do 17/ -18/ 17/ -18/ 18/ -20/ Best house nuts 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ 16/ -18/ Secondary do 15/ -15/6 15/ -15/6 15/ -16/ Steam coals:— Best hard coals 23/ -24/ '22/ -23/ ' 20/ -25/ Secondary do 21/ -22/ 19/ -21/ 19/ -23/ Best washed nuts 18/6—20/ 17/6-18/6 16/6-19/ Secondary do 17/ -18/ 16/6-17/6 15/ -17/ Best slack 12/ -13/6 11/6-12/6 15/ -16/ Rough do 10/6—11/ 9/6—10/6 11/ -12/ Gas coals:— Screened gas coals 15/ -16/ 15/ -16/ 20/ Unscreened do 14/ -15/ 14/ -15/ 18/ Gas nuts 15/ -16/ 15/ -16/ 19/ -20/ Furnace coke 20/ -23/ 18/ -19/ 13/ -14/ Hull. COAL. There was a good attendance on the Humber Coal Exchange to-day, and business for prompt or nearly prompt shipment fairly active, with advancing prices and a firm tone all round. Best South Yorkshire hards remain quite firm, and second holders are able to command 28s., and even slightly over that figure for handy lots. Secondary sorts are equally strong, owing to scarcity, and washed doubles are fully firm at 22s., washed singles 19s. 6d., and washed smalls for manufacturing purposes 17s. to 17s. 6d. Parkgates are a good market at 23s. 6d. to 24s., while best Derbyshire steam hards are about the same value as a week ago, 24s. 6d. to 24s. 9d. being asked for prompt ship- ment at Grimsby or Immingham, and the customary additional 3d. at Hull. A fair quantity has been fixed up for shipment this month, and higher prices (up to 30s. for best South Yorkshires) are quoted by sellers. Buyers, however, are not at all eager to negotiate, and are inclined to await the result of the contracts for the Norwegian State Railway’s supply of 50,000 tons, news of the allocation of which is expected in the course of a day or two. The view of colliery agents that the future demand will be a strong one, and that fair supplies will be available to meet it, is shared by the shipowners, who are standing out for better rates for shipping tonnage for late April and May loading. Short supplies of coal after the shortened holiday have, however, kept shippers back, and little chartering has been done. Rates are about unchanged for French ports, 13s. being the value Hull to Rouen, and 6s. 6d. to 7s. to London; while there is little doing for the Mediterranean, and not much suitable tonnage offering. Shipments at the docks have improved as the week has advanced, and more coal has come along over the rails. Chesterfield. COAL. The miners of this district responded cheerfully to the appeal that they should limit their Easter holidays to a couple of days, and they resumed operations on Easter Monday practically in a body. At a time like the present even a stoppage of two days is a serious matter, and its effect is immediately felt. There is a great shortage of coal this week, due no doubt to the reduced output. The demand for all classes of fuel continues strong, and prices are very firm. House coal orders are coming to hand in satisfactory numbers, but there is not any very great pressure at present. For manufacturing purposes, it is needless to say that the demand is very great. The requirements of the large steel- works and armament establishments are nowon a tremendous scale, and it taxes the resources of the collieries to meet the needs of these vast concerns. Railway companies are pressing for supplies of steam coal for locomotive purposes, current deliveries being insufficient to meet their consump- tion. To make up the deficiency reserve stocks are drawn upon. The export market is firm, and prices are inclined to become higher owing to the continued shortage of supplies. Steam coal is much wanted, and there is a brisk demand for all classes of nuts. Washed double screened nuts are specially scarce, and prices of these are advancing rapidly. Slack for boiler firing is scarce and dear, as much as 12s. 6d. to 13s. per ton at the pit being paid for prime brands. The coke market is strong, the demand is brisk, and prices have improved substantially. Coking fuel is in limited supply. Prices at pit. Best house coals ...... Secondary do........... Cobbles ............... Nuts ................... Slack ................. Current L’stweek’s1 Last year’s prices. prices. prices. 18/ 18/ 15/6 17/ 17/ 14/6 16/6 16/6 13/6 16/ 16/ 12/6 12/6 12/6 10/ IRON. There is a decided, and a very welcome, improvement in the pig iron market which, to the surprise of many people, remained depressed when other industries became buoyant. Buyers are now showing some eagerness to cover their requirements, and prices are advancing steadily. There is a good volume of business passing in the finished iron department, and orders are very plentiful. Prospects all round have improved considerably. ________ _______ Nottingham. COAL. In accordance with the recommendation from a joint meeting of owners'’ and men’s representatives, the miners in Nottinghamshire resumed work on Monday, the holiday being restricted to Good Friday and Saturday. Despite this brief respite, the collieries are still in the position of being unable to cope with the demand, and priority has to be given to the execution of orders in connection with Government requirements. The weather, which continues on the cold side, has helped to keep the domestic fuel section active, and although there is less pressure than recently, still some delay is being experienced by many merchants in getting supplies. There are, however, indications that a falling off in demand will follow the advent of warmer weather. Prices for all household coals are very firm. There is a very strong demand for steam fuel, best hards being difficult to obtain with anything like promptitude and for, early delivery some merchants are willing to pay as much as Is. to 2s. per ton above the ruling prices. All the other sorts are in keen request, as the output is insufficient to meet current orders, and there is practically no fuel for the open market. Slacks are becoming scarcer, with the result that prices are hardening, and contracts are fixed at higher rates than of late. Gas fuel is in very firm request, and delivery of supplies on contract account is much in arrear in some cases. Prices at pithead. Current L’stweek’s Last year’s prices. prices. prices. Hand-picked brights 19/6-21/ 19/6-21/ — Good house coals 17/6-18/6 17/6-18/6 — Secondary do 15 / -17/ 15/ -17/ Best hard coals 17/6-20/ 17/6-20/ Secondary do 16/6-17/ 16/6-17/ Slacks (best hards) 11/6-12/6 11/ -12/6 — Do. (second) 9/6-10/6 9/6-10/6 — Do. (soft) 9/ -10/ 9/ -10/ — ■ ________ ________ Leicestershire. COAL. The position shows no improvement, and there is no indication of any relief in the near future. There would be a very speedy alteration for the better if anything like a normal supply of empty railway wagons could be secured for a couple of months, but, in view of the military situa- tion, that is quite impossible, with the result that difficulties are more trying than ever. It was hoped that by working on Good Friday and Saturday some advantage would be gained; but the experience was most disappointing. At some of the collieries on Good Friday only one or two empty railway wagons reached the sidings, and on Saturday a similar state of affairs prevailed. To add to the troubles of the managers, even the full wagons were not moved away, thus producing general stagnation. Meanwhile, the orders coming to hand are still very much in excess of the output of all classes of coal. There has been a very large increase in the orders for both large nuts and for bakers’ nuts for general consumption. These classes lend them- selves best to the huge bag coal trade, and there is every sign that it will be on an exceptionally large scale during the spring and summer. There is also a very heavy demand for small nuts for mechanical stokers, which are being fully utilised on account of the shortage of labour. The output of these grades is, of course, dependent on the quantity of household coal required, and at present there is no falling away of orders for the best household qualities. As regards manufacturing fuel generally, there is quite a boom in the demand, and there is great eagerness to secure reserves of stocks to provide against any unforeseen contingencies. This feature becomes more marked every week, and is intensified by the fact that so many large firms are engaged on the most vital Government contracts. The position of coal merchants who own their railway wagons becomes more favourable to these merchants, and one of the chief reasons for this preference in price is mainly the important circumstance that on many occasions, were it not for the supply pf those wagons, the working of the collieries would have to be suspended much more frequently. On many occasions the supply of these privately-owned wagons is simply invaluable, and hence concessions of Is. to Is. 6d. per ton are continued. The following are the quotations, subject to special modifica- tions, which are now generally in force at the collieries in this district:— Prices at pit. _______________ _______ Best household coal ............... Second, hand picked .............. Deep screened cobbles ............ Deep large nuts ................... Bakers’ nuts....................... Small nuts ....................... Deep breeze ....................... Peas .............................. Small dust ....................... Main nuts for London kitcheners ... Steams, best hand picked .......... Steams, seconds ................... Main cobbles for kitcheners ........ Main breeze....................... Current L’st week’s prices. 18 6-19/6 18/6—19/6 17/6-18/6 17/6-18/6 16/6-17/6 ■ 16/6-17/6 16/ -17/ , 16/ -17/ 15/6-16/6 15/6-16/6 14/ -14/6 j 14/ -14/6 13/6-14/6 i 13/6-14/6 11 /n 1Q/n ! 11/9-12/9 3/ - 3/6 15/9-16/9 15/ —16/ 14/ -15/ 15/9-16/9 13/ —14/ 11/9-12/9 3/ - 3/6 15/9-16/9 15/ -16/ 14/ -15/ 15/9-16/9 13/ -14/ prices. South Staffordshire, North Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Birmingham. COAL. The holiday has thrown things into arrear, and reports rather suggest the men were not so prompt to return to work as was hoped. Orders have accumulated to some extent, stocks are low, and the supply is not particularly abundant. Prices remain as under : — Prices at pit. Current L’st week’s Last year’s Staffordshire (including Cannock Chase) :— prices. prices. prices. House coal, best deep ... 20/ 20/ 18/6 Do. seconds deep 19/ 19/ 16/ Do. best shallow 18/6 18/6 14/9 Do. seconds do. 17/6 17/6 16/6 14/ Best hard 16/6 15/ Forge coal 14/ 14/ 11/ Slack Warwickshire:— 10/ 10/ 7/6 House coal, best Ryder.. Do. hand-picked 19/6 19/6 16/6 cobs 17/6 17/6 14/ Best hard spires 18/ 18/ 15/ Forge (steam) 13/6 13/6 11/ D.S. nuts (steam) 14/6 14/6 11'6 10/ Small (do.) 11/6 8/3 IRON. The quarterly meeting of South Staffordshire iron trade, despite the fact that it fell to be held immediately after the Easter holiday, was well, if not largely, attended, though there were fewer visitors from South Wales and the Lancashire and Yorkshire districts, where, as elsewhere, iron and steel industries are carried on at high pressure. Business since the beginning of the year has been on a steadily progressive scale, both as regards bulk and values, and has been carried on under extreme difficulty owing to shortage of labour and irregular and inadequate supplies of fuel. In every depart- ment prices have been forced up. Marked bars, for instance, are 20s. a ton dearer than in January, unmarked qualities 30s., gas strip 30s. to 35s., pig iron 7s. 6d. to 12s. 6d., and steel sections 30s. to 35s. And the end is not yet, for the market witnessed a further advance in some branches. Discounts on all classes of tubes, for instance, have been reduced by a further per cent, owing, as the official announcement puts it, to “ the continued market advance.” A month discounts on gas, water, and steam tubes were reduced 24 per cent., galvanised water and steam tubes 5 per cent., and fittings IJper cent. Then makers ■ f tinned sheets have advanced prices by 20s.; the second time since last quarter day pig iron continues its upward march ; cold-rolled steel went up 20s., and in steel sections and demi material prices depend largely on the state of the order books. Practi- ally all the output of pig iron is going into consumption, and there are no stocks to speak of. For Northamptonshire forge, producers will look at nothing less than 67s. 6d., and higher grades are proportionately dearer. Derbyshire is 69s. to 70s., Staffordshire part-mine 67s. 6d. to 70s. Unmarked bars have moved up to =£9 5s. to =£9 10s. a ton, the same as North Staffordshire bars; Yorkshire bars are quoted at £9 15s., representing an advance of 10s., and Lancashire bars are <£9 5s. The bar trade throughout is particularly active. Gas-strip makers are busy, and prices are a shade higher, ranging from <£9 5s. to £9 10s. Hoop and steel strip is quoted £10 5s. to £10 10s., and with the advance in cold-rolled steel, the quotations are now £14 10s. hard, and £16 annealed. It has been a poor week for corrugated sheets, there being practically no enquiry, and prices remain on the basis of £14 export, Liverpool, and £14 10s. home trade. The steel market was quite as firm as recently. Fair quantities of American billets have been sold in the district for delivery during April and May at £6 17s. 6d., but prices are now 5s. higher. The minimum for English material is £7 5s., though quotations are irregular. The great difficulty is to get material from the mills, transport difficulties being still acute. ________ ________ Forest of Dean. Lydney. COAL. With the exception of the house coal branch, which is naturally somewhat less active with the advance of the season, "the coal market as a whole remains very firm. House coal merchants are not ordering such large quantities, but the supply is still inadequate to satisfy the demand promptly. Slacks are in very strong request, and the rough quality is easily realising the high figure of 12s. 6d. at pit. There is still considerable pressure for steam coals of all descriptions, and collieries as a result of the holidays are still further in arrears with their orders. Prices at pithead. House coals:— Current prices. L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. Block 21/6 21/6 17/6 Forest 20/6 20/6 16/6 Rubble 20/9 20/9 16/9 Nuts 19/ 19/ 15/ Rough slack Steam coal:— 12/6 12/6 6/6 Large 20/* 20/ 12/6-13/ Small 13/ -14/* 13/ -14/ 8/6-9/ * Outside contracts. Prices Is. 9d. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. _________________ Devon, Cornwall, and South Coast. Plymouth. COAL. Messrs. W. Wade and Son report an average demand for house and steam coal at the south coast ports and inland towns. Contract shipments of coal are still being forwarded, but these are limited in number, and the principal supplies of fuel continue to be brought by rail from Midland collieries. Some concessions in prices have been made by the latter, but considerable delay is still experienced with regard to rail coal, deliveries. In view of this it is singular that merchants generally have been relaxing their efforts to keep stock, notwithstanding the great shortage of output, the labour difficulties, and the war.