1078 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN May 21, 1915. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Chesterfield. COAL. The market shows no features of special interest. There is, however, an easier tendency in the house coal section of the trade, where the demand is much quieter. Prices remain firm, with no indication of any fall. The demand for coal for manufacturing use continues on a very high scale, and the requirements of the large steel works are exceptionally heavy. Cobbles and nuts for gas-producers are in urgent request. There is a greatly improved demand for slack for boiler-firing, and buyers experience consider- able difficulty in obtaining adequate supplies. Prices are again very firm, and show a tendency to advance. Stocks at the collieries are completely exhausted, and consumers are in many cases working from hand to mouth. Kailway companies are still requiring large supplies of steam coal for locomotive purposes, but their position is not so serious as it was a few months ago. No doubt the greater ease with which railway traffic is worked at present has improved _______ matters, enabling coal to reach its destination more _____________________ promptly. The export trade is disturbed as a result of the new rules, which have in view the restriction of shipments of coal to neutral countries, and which compel exporters to obtain licences from the War Trade Department of the Board of Trade. Many of such licences, for which applica- tion had been made by Hull exporters, have been declined, no reason having been vouchsafed for such refusal. Prices of steam coal have been affected adversely, and there is a general weakening of the tone of the market. It may be that as the machinery for the granting of licences comes into thorough working order matters will improve ; but, in the meantime, the efforts of the committee to control the exports of coal to neutral countries are causing considerable _______________________________ trouble and loss. The coke market is strong, the demand for all qualities being exceptionally good, and prices steadiy advancing. Coking fuel continues scarce and dear. _____________________ Prices at pit. Current L'st week’s Last year's Best house coals prices. . 18/ prices. 18/ prices. 13/6 Secondary do 17/ 17/ !2/ Cobbles 17/ 17/ 11/ 9/6 Nuts 16/6 16/6 Slack 12/9 12/9 7/9 IRON. There is no improvement in the demand for pig iron, and prices continue weak. The finished iron trade, however, is in a better position, as orders are plentiful, and prices are advancing. Engineers and ironfounders are all fully employed, and plenty of work in front of them. ________ ________ Nottingham. COAL. There has been no particular change in the coal trade of Nottingham during the past week, and the tone generally is one of activity, practically all the collieries, in conse- quence of the shortage of labour and the abnormal demand, making full time. Business in the domestic fuel section is keeping up very well for the time of the year, the demand being such that there is comparatively little opportunity of putting any into stock, although a better supply is now available at the landsale depots than for some time past. Values show little alteration, but there is a tendency in an edsier direction. There is at present, however, scant probability of a general reduction taking place. Steam coal Continues in brisk demand, and orders easily absorb the daily output of all descriptions of hards. In the case of contract renewals, owners are demanding an increase on previous rates. Slacks are in about as keen request as ever, and most collieries find it rather difficult to cope with the current demand, as there are practically no stocks of any kind on hand. Consequently the prices in this branch are very firm. Gas coal is going out of hand very satis- factorily on contract account, but there is not much doing in the open market, as prices are firm at late rates. Coke is in steady request. Prices at pithead. Hand-picked brights ..... Good house coals........__ Secondary do.........__ Best hard coals......__ Secondary do............__ Slacks (best hards) ......... Do. (second) ........... Do. (soft)........__..... Current prices. 18/6-20/ 16/6-17/6 15/ -16/ 18/6-20/ 17/ -18/ 12/6-13/6 11/ -12/ ' 11/ -12/ L'st week’s prices. 18/6-20/ 16/6-17/6 15/ -16/ 18/6-20/ 17/ -18/ 12/6-14/ 11/ -12/6 11/ -12/ Last year's prices. 13/6-14/ 12/ -12/6 10/6-11/ 10/6-11/6 9/6-10/3 6/6- 7/ 6/ - 6/6 6/3- 6/6 ________ ________ Leicestershire. COAL. The volume of business offering is one of the outstanding features in this coalfield, and quotations are extremely firm all round. The contracts offering are not only much more numerous, but they are for much larger quantities, and where they are accepted there is extreme urgency as regards delivery. The position of colliery proprietors, however, is so full of uncertainty that a very large percentage of the business offered has to be declined, practically the whole of the output up to the end of June having already been booked in advance. The coal merchants are exercising very great pressure to get contracts placed for 12 months forward, so that they may have a definite basis of quotations to operate upon, but generally speaking a deadlock obtains, and seems likely to continue for a considerable period until a more settled state of affairs seems probable. At some collieries, in some few cases where very old customers are concerned, there has been a renewal of contracts on the basis of an advance of from 5s. 6d. to 6s. per ton over the contract rates of last year. Although these cases are quite the exception, they nevertheless give a valuable indication of the trend of events. The chief difficulty appears to be the fear that there may be further increase in prices, on account of a change in conditions which would operate adversely on cfiliery owners. The demand for all classes of coal is surprisingly large, but the orders for manufac- turing fuel is still expanding at a great rate and is far in excess of the supplies available. The inroads on the supplies of cobbles and nuts to augment the quantity of manufacturing fuel become greater every week, and this is bound to operate very powerfully on the cheaper classes of household coal. It is also significant, too, that coaldust, which up to a short time ago had been increasing in stock, has now all been cleared off at the pits, bringing about a rise of 2s. per ton. The supplies of railway-owned rolling stock is most irregular, and threatens to be even more so in the future, as wagons are still being sent for military purposes into France. The quicker transport of full wagons is the most hopeful feature, and coal merchants owning wagons occupy a strong position which commands a very substantial premium. The collieries are now running from four and a-half to five days per week, and the utmost efforts are being made to extend the output. The following are the quotations, subject to special modifications, which are now generally in force at the collieries in this district: — Prices at pit. Best household coal .............. Secend, hand picked .............. Deep screened cobbles ............ Deep large nuts .................. Bakers’ nuts..................................... Small nuts ...................... Deep breeze ...................... Peas ............................. Small dust ...................... Main nuts for Lbndon kitcheners ... Steams, best hand picked.......... Steams, seconds .................. Main cobbles for kitcheners ........ Main breeze............................... Current ,L'st week's prices. 18/6-19/6 17/6-18/6 16/6-17/6 16/ -17/ 15/6-16/ 14/ -14/6 14/ -14/6 11/9-12/ 5/ - 5/6 15/9-16/9 15/ -16/ 14/- -15/ 15/9-16/9 13/6-14/6 prices. I 18/6-19/6 I 17/6-18/6 ; 16/6-17/6 16/ -17/ 15/6-16/ 14/ -14/6 14/ -14/6 11/9-12/6 5/ - 5/6 15/9-16/9 15/ -16/ 14/ -15/ 15/9-16/9 13/6-14/6 South Staffordshire, North Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Birmingham. COAL. The market is disorganised by labour troubles, which are tending to keep supplies very short. The men in the Old Hill district who struck on Monday over the question of a war bonus have returned to work, but now the colliery engine drivers in South Staffordshire and East Worcester- shire are threatening to come out over a similar point. Under such circumstances any giving way in price is not to be expected. The demand for house coal is normal for the time of year, and manufacturing fuel is. selling well. Quotations: — Prices at pit. Current L'st week's Last year’s Staffordshire (including prices. prices. prices. Cannock Chase) :— House coal, best deep ... 20/ 20/ • 17/6 Do. seconds deep 19/ 19/ 15/ Do. best shallow 18/6 18/6 13/6 Do. seconds do. 17/6 17/6 12/9 Best hard 16/6 16/6 14/6 Forge coal 14/ 14/ 10/6 Slack 1°/ 1°/ 7/ Warwickshire:— House coal, best Ryder.. 19/6 19/6 15/6 Do. hand-picked cobs 17/6 17/6 13/ Best hard spires 18/ 18/ 14/6 Forge (steam) 13/6 13/6 10/6 D.S. nuts (steam) 14/6 14/6 9/6 Small (do.) 11/6 11/6 8/ IRON. The market was quiet in most branches, and the attendance was below the average, due to some extent to the proximity of Whitsuntide. In ordinary times this is the quiet season, as buying for the third quarter of the year does not begin till about the second week in June, and naturally with prices abnormal and conditions generally very difficult, there is no inclination to anticipate matters, especially as at the moment labour troubles are causing a great deal of anxiety. Makers of pig iron in the supply districts of Northamptonshire and Derbyshire report some pressure, due, however, to reduced output. Most of the furnaces are working slack blast owing to general shortage of labour and material, and practically no stocks are being accumulated except in a few cases where producers are holding out for higher for higher values. The minimum for Northamptonshire forge is 68s. 6d. at works, rising to 70s.; Derbyshire iron is 71s. 6d. to 72s. 6d., and Staffordshire part-mine 70s. to 72s. 6d. The continued increase in cost of production has compelled marked bar makers to add another 10s. to their basis price, making it £11, the highest figure reached for 15 years. Producers of unmarked bars have promptly followed suit, and are now quoting <£10 5s. minimum. Naturally, people are unwilling to pay higher prices unless absolutely short of supplies, but millowners have a good deal of business on hand at lower rates. Puddled bars are being sold at £7 5s. to £7 7s. 6d., but makers, who are fairly independent, decline less than £7 10s. Three-eighths rounds have reached the abnormal figure of £11 7s. 6d. For galvanised sheets, still a stagnant branch, the minimum quotation is £17 f.o.b. Liverpool, and quotations for black sheets are on the basis of £10 15s. for hard doubles. In steel, the tendency is towards higher prices. Makers have to pay the unprecedented sum of £20 a ton for ferro, a rise of £3 a ton having been declared. Demi-products are coming from America with fair regularity, and some are also from South Wales, but material from that district is coming through in a finished state to a greater extent than in normal times. Lydney. _______________ Forest of Dean. COAL. No change of importance has occurred in the house coal trade here since last writing. The demand keeps steady and the collieries are maintaining full work without putting any of the output into stock. There are no arrear orders on the books and all commands are now given prompt despatch. The shipping department of the trade is still very satisfactory and a good number of vessels have been loaded during the week. There is a fair enquiry from the inland merchants. Steam coals of every description are eagerly sought after and the collieries are quite unable to deal with all the orders received. Prices at pithead. House coals:— Current prices. L'st week's'Last year's prices. prices. Block 21/6 21/6 16/6 Forest 20/6 20/6 15/6 Rubble 20/9 20/9 15/9 Nuts 19/ 19/ 14/ Rough slack 14/ 14/ 6/6 Steam coal:— Large ’. 20/ -21/ 21/ -22/ 12/6-13/ Small 15/6-16/6 15/6-16/6 8/ - 8/6 Prices Is. 9d. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. Devon, Cornwall, and South Coast. Plymouth. COAL. Messrs. W. Wade and Son report a normal demand for house and steam coal. Buyers show some degree of hesita- tion in view of the unsettled state of prices and freights, there having been a very considerable reduction in steam freights during the past fortnight. Prices of coal are still high at most coal loading ports, but rail quotations are a good deal lower, and this form of supply is largely in vogue at present. OBITUARY. Mr. David Cleasby, formerly under-manager at Auck- land Park Colliery, died last week at South Church, at the age of 84 years. Mr. W. Barrow, chief engineer to the Seaton Burn Coal Company, died suddenly at his residence, Brookside, Seaton Burn, last week, succumbing to heart disease. Mr. Barrow, who was 55 years of age, had been in poor health for two years past. A native of Cramlington, he was for many years engineer to the Broomhill Coal Company. He was held in much respect by both employers and workmen at Seaton Burn, and his popularity was shown by the fact that for six years he was a member of the local Council, and held the position of chairman for some time. He is survived by a widow’, a son, and a daughter. Second-Lieut. FI. S. Severne, 6th Sherwood Foresters, has been shot through the heart by a sniper. Death was instantaneous. Lieut. Severne was a mining engineer. Mr. Kichard Cox, -who for some years has been under- manager at Thornley Colliery, No. 2 pit, died on Sunday last, aged 41 years. Mr. Cox was a member of the Thornley Parish Council, and secretary of the local branch of the Colliery Under-Managers’ and Officials’ Association. Among the officers killed in the fierce battle of Ypres was Capt. B. O. Gardner, of the 3rd Monmouthshire Regiment, the only son of Mr. R. Gardner, J.P., Broomhill, Wood- thorpe, Notts, of the Bestwood Colliery Company. Capt. Gardner, who served his apprenticeship at Blaina and Best- wood collieries, was manager at Askern Main for four years, and had recently been appointed manager of the Llay Main Colliery. Col. Steel, the commanding officer of the Monmouths, has written of the deceased officer: “We feel proud that in the hour of danger he revealed the heroism which conforms with the highest traditions of our race.” Lieut.-Col. Charles Lucena Robinson, commanding the 1st Monmouthshire Regiment (T.F.), who was killed in action on May 9, was a son of the late Mr. Robert Robinson, of Howlish Hall, Bishop Auckland, mining agent for Messrs. Bolckow, Vaughan and Company. Lieut.-Col. Robinson, when the war broke out, was Chief Inspector of Mines for Scotland, and previously was a mines inspector in South Wales. He had also acted as mine manager for Messrs. Bolckow, Vaughan and Company. He was an expert in the use of explosives. He was born in January 1863, and was unmarried. A fine story of the bravery and calm discipline of the 1st Battalion of the Monmouthshire Regiment in the recent severe fighting is told in a letter Mr. Alfred Williams, J.P., of The Mount, Caerleon, has just received from his son, Capt. Oswald Williams, who is one of the few officers who survived. Capt. Williams, in the course of his letter, says : Col. Robinson was last seen by Evill (Major Evil! now in command) smoking a cigarette and smiling, and surveying the position on the left of the battalion. He ordered a slow retirement, man by man, to a position at right angles to our original line, in order to face the enemy, and was leading this movement when he was shot dead through the head. I can’t express to you our admiration for him. From the very beginning he has shown always the very highest courage, coolness, and cheeriness, and was the finest example any officer could have.” ^econd-Lieut. F. T. Knight, 1st East Lancashire .Regiment, who was killed at Ypres on the 13th inst., was the second son of Col. A. H. Knight, of Oxton, Birkenhead. He was 23 years of age, and was educated at Mostyn House School and Clifton College, and subsequently studied for the career of a mining engineer and metallurgist at the Freiburg School of Mines in Saxony. When the war broke out he was going through a special course at Aachen (Aix- la-Chapelle). The death has occurred at Coseley Hall, South Stafford- shire, in his 69th year, of Mr. Richard Clayton, managing director of the Cannon Iron Foundry Limited, Bflston. The death has occurred of Mr. George Jones, coal mer- chant, Denbigh, who for many years was a partner in the well-known firm of Jones and Wynne, coal merchants, Denbigh. He was aged 76 years, and had been in business for about half-a-century. He leaves a wife, three sons, and four daughters. “ In all the ghastly company, not one spark of precious life remained.” This graphic sentence, from a contem- porary chronicler of the Hartley Colliery disaster in 1862, whereby over 200 men and boys were killed, is recalled by the death, which occurred this week at Fonteland, of Mr. John Cuthbertson, the last of the workers in the mine to ascend the shaft prior to the accident. Mr. Cuthbertson and his brother Thomas had just come up in the cage, when the beam of the pumping engine broke, and blocked the shaft, cutting off all means of escape. Mr. Cuthbertson, who spent 60 years of his life in the pits, retired at the age of 70, and has died aged 87 years.