1336 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. June 25!, 1915. prospect of relief. There is a fair enquiry for gas coal and house nuts for France. The coke market is in a strong position. The whole of the production is readily disposed of, and prices are firmly maintained. Fuel suitable for coking is scarce and dear Prices at pit. Current L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. prices. Best house coals V7/ 18/ 13/6 Secondary do 16/6 17/ 12 Cobbles 16/ 17/ 11/ Nuts . 15/6 16/6 9/6 Slack 12/9 12/9 . 7/6 IRON. There is no change in the condition of the pig iron trade. Buyers are less inclined to buy for forward delivery. The finished iron department is in a satisfactory position. There is no scarcity of orders, and all the works are employed to their full capacity. —:----------------________ South Staffordshire, North Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Birmingham. COAL. The collieries are full of trade, and are, if possible, in a worse position than ever. The prospect of a rise, in prices t in July has sent householders on to. the market, manufac- turing fuel of many sorts is urgently wanted, and the output is restricted by shortage of labour and by the fact that the men are not putting in full time. The Birmingham Chamber of Commerce has been taking advice regarding the action of certain colliery companies in demanding an increased price for coal contracted for owing to Hie war bonus, and have informed their members that unless the terms of the contract are of an unus,ual character the demand cannot be enforced at law. But after all it is not so much a question of legality as of expediency. The following still remain the general quotations of the district, but next week may see a change. Prices at pit. THE WELSH COAL AND IRON TRADES. Thursday, June 24. _____________________________________________________ North Wales. Wrexham. COAL. There is really nothing new to report this week with reference to .the coal trade of this area. All the collieries are working full time, getting a fair supply of empty wagons, and orders for all classes of fuel are fairly plentiful. Quotations remain unchanged and are as follow :— Nottingham. GOAL. Activity continues to characterise .the coal trade in Nottinghamshire, though the pressure is less than for some weeks past, and collieries are able to carry out orders with more promptitude. In the domestic fuel section, business is keeping up extremely well, notwithstanding the prevalence of warm weather. This has certainly had a detrimental effect on the sales at landsale depots, but merchants are taking advantage of the fact that there has been no increase in prices since the war bonus was granted to miners, and are getting in supplies expecting that an advance will come into operation in the early autumn. So far as the steam coal section is concerned, there is little change from a week ago, the demand for nearly all classes of hards being about equal to the output, and in the present state of affairs pits are working as much time as is permissible. For best quality hards there is a very keen demand. Bailway companies are taking full supplies of locomotive fuel, and are putting some coal into stock. Slacks are continuing in good request with practically no change in prices, and very few cheap lots are obtainable. Gas coal is going out of hands freely on contract account. Coke is in fair demand. Prices at pithead. Staffordshire (including Cannock Chase)’:— Current L’st week’s Last year’s prices. • prices. prices. 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 16/6 12/9 Best hard 16/6 14/6 Forge coal 14/ 14/ 10/6 Slack Warwickshire:— 10/ 10/ 7/ House coal, best Ryder.. Do. hand-picked 19/6 19/6 15/6 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/ Prices at pit f.o.r.: — Best house coal ...... Secondary do.......... Steam coal............ Gas coal.............. Bunkers............... Nuts __...........<____ Slack ................ Gas coke (at works)... Prices landsaler Best house coal ...... Seconds .............. Slack ................ Current prices.. 20/6-22/6 19/ —20/ 18/9-20/. 18/9-20/ 17/6-18/6 17/ -18/ 10/ -12/6 13/4-16/8 26/8—30/ 22/6—26/8 13/4—14/2 L’st week’s prices. 20/ -22/6 19/ -20/ 18/9-20/ 18/9-20/ 17/6-18/6 17/ -18/ 10/ -12/6 13/4-16/8 26/8-30/ 22/6-26/8 13/4—14/2 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/ 18/6-21/ 16/6-18/ 12/6-14/ n/ -12/ 11/ -12/ L’st week’s prices. 18/6-20/ 16/6—17/6 15/ -16/ 18/6-21/ 17/ 12/6-14/ 11/ -12/ 11/ -12/ Last year’s prices. 13/ -14/ U/ "12/ 10/ -11/ 10/6-10/9 9/6-10/ 6/3- 6/9 5/6- 6/ 5/6- 6/ __________________ Leicestershire. COAL. The whole of the output continues to be absorbed day by day, while many demands of a rather urgent character cannot be met. The outstanding feature for the present is the enormous demand for small nuts for mechanical stokers, and it is most important that every effort should be made to deal with it promptly in those cases where the users are engaged on vital contracts for the Army and Navy. In order to ensure deliveries, consumers in certain districts are offering Is. to Is. 6d. per ton premium over the current values, so that they may not fall short, and be able to increase their stocks in the event of any emergency. A good many contracts of this character have been booked at advances of 7s. to 7s. 6d. per ton over last year’s quotations instead of the general rise of 5s. 6d. to 6s. 6d. per ton. The demand for manufacturing fuel is very great, and consumers are compelled to fall back upon cobbles and the more expensive classes of nuts in steadily increasing quantities. It becomes more and more evident that there will be a very great strain on the resources of the collieries to meet these requirements when the cold weather sets in. Already there has been some re-adjustment of prices in an upward direction, including coal dust, for which as much as 6s. 6d. per ton is paid. The demand for all classes of coal, in fact, is quite exceptional, and there is a general desire to get in stocks as far as possible during the warm weather. This pressure is, of course, largely due to the great reduction in the volume of contracts insisted upon by colliery proprietors. The difficulty of obtaining adequate supplies of railway-owned empty wagons is extremely acute, and there are no signs of any relief, as the require- ments of the Government are still increasing. With no stocks of any kind at the pits, the collieries are working five days to five and three-quarter days per week, but full time is only possible where the collieries own a good deal of rolling stock. Collieries who are dependent upon rail- way owned wagons and the rolling stock of coal merchants can only work five days. per week. The following are the quotations, subject to special modifications, which are now generally in force at the collieries in this district:— Prices at pit. ________ IRON. There was an average attendance on ’Change, and the market maintained its strong tone. A good deal of interest is naturally manifested in this district in the announcement that war profits are to be taxed, and details are anxiously waited. That subject, however, was a matter of conversation, not of business. In no department is there any sign of slackening of demand, and the cooler weather having enabled the operatives to put in fuller time, output has been increased. Prices were not materially higher than a week ago. Best pig iron, used for best bars and mill and forge castings, went up in sympathy with marked bars, and now stands at 155s. a ton. It is made chiefly in Shropshire and South Staffordshire. Makers of the ordinary brands in the large supply districts of Northamptonshire and Derbyshire have a large amount of tonnage on the books, and there is an extra demand for foundry iron for war purposes. Prices are ■ as follow :— Northamptonshire forge 70s. to 71s., Derbyshire 72s. 6d., Staffordshire part mine 72s. 6d., and common 66s. 6d. In the bar trade activity prevails, and difficulty is ex- perienced by customers in" obtaining delivery. Branded bars command the new price of £12, common bars <£11 to £11 5s., puddled bars £7 15s. to £8, and nut and bolt iron in the neighbourhood of £10 10s. For f iron rounds of good Staffordshire quality as much as £12 5s. was obtained, and steel rounds work out at £1 to £1 10s. a ton extra, according to gauge. Very little business was done in galvanised sheets. Quotations run from £22 to £23 a ton. Spelter is falling, and small supplies are available after Government requirements are met. Black corrugated sheets are sold to some extent in substitution for the galvanised material, and when painted fetch from £12 to £13 10s. Gas strip makers are busy, and command a market, level of about £11, while steel hoops and strip are in active demand at £12. Makers find difficulty in getting supplies of billets. Steel is firm in all departments, and increasing supplies of American billets are arriving, at about £7 7s. 6d. delivered. Freightage is the primary factor in preventing supplies of cheap American steel. No English billets are obtainable under £7 15s., a minimum which has held for some time. ________________ Forest of Dean. Lydney. COAL. The past week has provided nothing that is new to report in connection with the house coal trade of this coalfield. A fairly healthy condition of things continues to be the report from all the collieries, and sufficient orders are arriving daily to clear the output as raised. The pits are working full time. Slack coals are in good demand, and all produced is easily placed. Consumers are still experiencing great difficulty in procuring adequate supplies of steam coal owing to the lessened output. Last year’s prices. 14/9-15/9 13/6-14/6 12/3-13/ 12/3—13/ 12/ —12/6 11/3—12/3 6/ - 7/6 13/4-15/ 18/4-20/ 16/8-17/6 10/ -12/6 _______ _______ Monmouthshire, South Wales, &c. Newport. COAL. The steam coal market continues trending towards easier values, supplies now available being considerably in excess of exports. For some days shipments have been fairly brisk, the relaxation of authorities in granting licences for export tending to help this, but the position still leaves much to be desired for facilitating business. Some collieries are only just keeping going, the difficulty of finding outlet for their production being great, and for immediate ship- ment favourable terms are given by these. The best class coals are much stronger, and show no disposition to relax their quotations. Smalls, with supplies now accumulating, are easier, patent fuel inclining the same way. The house coal trade rules dull, there being little business transacted. Nominally quotations remain unchanged, but offers have been put forward at shillings below the quoted figures without effecting business. The official quotations for house coal in an idle market are thus to-day misleading. Pitwood supplies have arrived in rather better quantities, and now good wood can be had around 29s. ex ship, the first time for many months for the price to fall below 30s. In the freight market there is ample tonnage offering, rates inclining to be easier, but with owners preferring to hold back rather than rush in and smash the market. Prices f.o.b. cash 30 days. Current L’st week’s Last year’s Steam coals:— prices. prices. prices. Best Black Vein large... 28/ -29/ 31/ -32/ 17/3-17/6 Western-valleys, ordin’y 24/ —26/ 26/ -28/ 16/ -16/6 Best Eastern-valleys ... 23/ -24/ 24/ -26/ 15/6-16/ Secondary do. 21/ -23/ 22/ -23/ 15/ —15/3 Best small coals 18/6-19/ 19/ -19/6 8/ - 8/3 Secondary do 17/ —18/ 18/ -18/6 7/6- 7/9 Inferior do 16/6-17/ 17/ -17/6 6/9— 7/ Screenings 19/ 19/6 8/3 Through coals 19/ -21/ 20/ -21/ 12/ -12/6 Best washed nuts 20/ -20/6 20/ -21/ 12/ -12/3 Other sorts:— Best house coal 28/ -29/ 28/ -29/ 18/ -19/ Secondary do. 26/ -27/ 26/ -27/ 16/6-17/6 Patent fuel 34/ -36/ 34/ -36/ 19/ —20/ Furnace coke 33/ -34/ 33/ -34/ 17/6-18/6 Foundry coke 38/ -40/ 38/ -40/ • 20/ —25/ 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 prices. 18/6-19/6 17/6—18/6 16/6-17/6 16/ -17/ 15/6-16/ 14/’ -14/6 14/6-15/ 12/3-13/3 5/6- 6/6 15/9-16/9 15/6—16/6 14/6-15/ 15/9-16/9 13/9-15/ jL’stweek’s I prices. 18/6-19/6 17/6-18/6 16/6-17/6 16/ -17/. 15/6-16/ 14/ -14/6 14/ -14/6 11/9-12/6 5/ - 5/6 | 15/9-16/9 I 15/ -16/ 14/ -15/ 15/9-16/9 13/6-14/6 Prices at pithead. Current L’st week’s Last year’s House coals:— prices. 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 Steam coal:— 15/ 15/ 6/6 "Large 21/ -22/ 21/ -22/ 12/6-13/ Small 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ 8/ - 8/6 Prices Is. 9d. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. _____________________________ Aiderman John Atcherley Jebb, of The Watton Mount, Brecon, managing director of the Crynant Colliery Com- pany Limited, who died on February 11 last, aged 78 years, left estate of the gross value of £30,413, of which the net personalty has been sworn at £28,582. Mr. R. J. Plummer, of Messrs. B. J. Plummer and Company, of Barnsley, has received a commission in his Majesty’s Army in the West Biding Field Artillery, but during his absence the business will be carried on as usual by his travellers and staff. IRON. There is again very little change to be reported in local conditions of the iron and steel trades, only a small amount of fresh business is passing, enquiry is moderate, and output normal. Tin-plate bars maintain last values of £7 10s. to £7 15s. for both Bessemer and Siemens, but with well-filled order books for a considerable period ahead makers are not showing any inclination to make any move to meet users for forward requirements. Steel rails are steady and unaltered at last values. Welsh haematite continues in fair demand, with values firm around 110s. Iron ore is nominally unaltered. There is no change to record in tin-plates on the week.' Makers are still dis- inclined to commit themselves further ahead, and whilst nominally 19s. 3d. to 19s. 6d. is asked fcr 14 x 20s’, and 38s. 6d. for 21 x 20’s, works are not offering plates at these figures. Cardiff. COAL. The refusal of the Government to grant licences is still the all-absorbing topic 'on ’Change, and the result of the drastic policy which the Committee have up to the present been following is that the market for all descriptions of coal is considerably restricted. Prices have suffered in consequence. This, of course, only applies to qualities which are not at the present time taken by the Admiralty for their own use and that of the Allied fleets. A point which is considerably discussed on ’Change is the incon- sistency between the views held by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Advisory Committee as to the great importance of keeping up our exports to the highest possible level in order that the imports into this country, more particularly from South America, whence we obtain at present a very large quantity of grain and meat, should be paid for in hind and not in coin. It would almost appear that the different departments of the Government are working in what may be termed water- tight departments, each department acting on its own responsibility, without any regard for the interests of the other. In this particular instance we have the case of the Chancellor laying great stress upon the importance of our export trade, and in the other instance the Export Licensing Committee restricting shipments as far as possible. To reconcile these two divergent views . appears to be quite impossible. There is no doubt that a large number of collieries, particularly in the North of England, are working from hand to mouth, and there is every reason to expect that in the near future there will be a stoppage of work, in which case it will be an object lesson to the