THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN ________________________________________________________________________________ 178 July 23, 1915. little difference between the prices delivered at Alexandria c.i.f., but the American coal on arrival there is reported to be much inferior to Welsh coal delivered at the same price. This is a question which has been already tested, and there is no doubt that given equal terms the Egyptian market is one that can be easily held by South Wales coal. For washed coals there is still a big demand for France, and prices are fully maintained. For bituminous coals there is little call, and no improvement is expected until the commencement of the winter season. The shortage of labour is having a telling effect on production, and colliery owners complain that they cannot obtain the same results as they did six months or a year ago. With regard to coke there has been a big falling off in supply owing to the lack of production, and. not only have a number of ovens been shut down, but the same vigorous proceeding has had to be adopted in the case of the fuel works which are entirely dependent upon the supply of small coal. Prices, however, are unchanged, and full quotations are being demanded for Welsh coke, although patent fuel is still priced at 35s. to 37s. 6d. per ton. Pitwood has been in rather excessive supply, and is quoted at 25s. to 26s. per ton. Shipments last week amounted to 375,470 tons, com- pared with 569,060 tons in the corresponding period of last year, leaving a deficiency of 153,590 tons. From Cardiff alone there were shipped 235,037 tons, compared with 371,564 tons, or a decrease of 136,507 tons. From Newport there was a decrease of 82,390 tons; from Swansea, a decrease of 31,396 tons ; and from Port Talbot, a falling off of 17,448 tons. Of course, these figures are altogether outside Government shipments, which are not given in the official returns. In patent fuel, the returns show an export of many thousands of tons, of which the Crown Company shipped 10,629 tons. IRON. The result of the Government restrictions has meant a considerable curtailment of shipments of tin-plates, and exports during the last week only amounted to 48,070 boxes, compared with 81,222 boxes received from works, thus leaving in stocks, warehouses and vans 324,613 boxes. Business generally is exceedingly quiet, and works which possess the necessary facilities are already engaged in the manufacture of sheets and other munitions. The men are taking exceedingly to the new work, and, from the reports which have already come to hand, it is probable that they will work at least 16 hours per day rather than let the authorities be short of a weapon of warfare which is most needed at the present crisis. Tinplates are not any dearer, and Bessemer standard cokes are quoted at 15s. 3d. per box, for oil sizes 15s. 9d. to 16s., and 27s. 6d. respectively is being asked. But owing to the number of enlistments it is probable that these quotations will be shaded in certain instances. The galvanised sheet trade is dull, and no new business is coming forward. For 24-gauge corrugateds £22 10s. is still being asked, and there is no probability of any reduction until the price of spelter is on a more reasonable basis. For steel rails <£8 9s. to <£9 is still being quoted, and recent business for the Colonies has been done on this figure. Scrap metals are rather firm. Steel scrap is 75s., heavy wrought 70s., double-headed steel rails 80s. to 82s. 6d., iron ditto 77s. 6d. to 80s., mixed sections 72s. 6d., light wrought 40s., cast 62s. 6d., and new steel crop ends 90s. per ton. In the iron ore market there is very little change, best Rubio being 23s. 6d. to 24s., seconds 21s. to 21s. 6d., Almeria 23s. l|d. (Garston), and Welsh pig iron 105s. to 107s. 6d. delivered. Other departments were exceedingly quiet, except that £7 10s. was the ruling price for any quantity shipped from South Wales. Swansea. COAL. The trade of the port displayed no activity last week, both the coal and patent fuel trades were much below the average; the shipments together amounted to 80,677 tons. Owing to the strike by the miners, there was no business done on ’Change to-day. Prices were purely nominal. Prices f.o.b. (cash in 30 days). Current L’st week’s Last year’s Anthracite:— Best malting large prices. prices. prices. (hand picked) (net)... 23/ -25/ 23/ -25/ 21/ -23/ Secondary do. Big Vein large (less 2| 22/ -23/6 22/6-23/6 17/ -18/ per cent.) 21/6-23/6 21/6-23/ 16/6-17/6 Red Vein large do. ... Machine-made cobbles 18/6-19/6 18/6-19/ 12/6-13/6 (net) 31/6-34/ 30/ -32/ 21/ -22/6 Paris nuts (net) — — — French do. do 34/ -35/6 32/6-34/ 21/9-23/9 Stove do. do 30/6-32/6 30/6-32/ 21/9-23/9 Beans (net) Machine - made large 24/3-25/3 24/3-25/3 16/6-17/9 peas (net) 18/ -18/9 18/ -18/9 11/ -12/ Do. fine peas (net) — — — Rubbly culm (less 2| p.c.) 11/ -11/6 10/6-11/ 5/9- 6/3 Duff (net) Steam coals:— 6/ - 6/6 6/ - 6/3 3/ - 3/9 Best large (less 2|p.c.) 24/6-25/ 24/6-25/ 18/6-20/ Seconds do. 22/ -24/ 22/ -24/ 13/6-15/6 Bunkers (net) 16/6-18/3 16/6-18/3 10/6-11/6 Small (less 2| p.c.) Bituminous coals:— No. 3 Rhondda— 13/ -15/ 13/ -15/ 8/6- 9/6 Large (less 2| p.c.) ... Through-and-through (less 2| p.c.) 24/6-25/ 24/6-25/ 17/ -18/ — — Small (less 2| p.c.) ... 1 19/6-20/6 19/6-20/6 11/ -12/ Patent fuel do 30/ -32/6 30/ -32/6 17/ -18/ IRON. Trade throughout the district was unchanged during the past week. Many of the works, however, will have to close down, if there is not an immediate settlement of the coal strike. There was a heavy yield of pig iron at the blast- furnaces, and trade proved brisk at the steel works. There was not sufficient business to keep many of the tin-plate mills going, so men were sharing turns. All the sheet mills were still idle. The foundries and engineering shops were busy, whilst there was an abundance of work at the Mannesmann Tube Works. The shipments of tin-plates were 48,070 boxes, receipts from works 81,222 boxes, and stocks in the dock warehouses and vans 324,013 boxes. Llanelly. COAL. The ruling market conditions are very similar to last week, but, seeing that a large quantity of stock has been cleared, prices will not be so liable to fall any further. Nearly .all the anthracite kinds have a good demand, especially machine-made kinds, and prices are being maintained. Steam and bituminous sorts are in better demand, and the manufacturing works are now short of fuel. Smalls have a good enquiry, and there is a rush for gas coals for the steel works. Prices f.o.b. Current Anthracite :— ; prices. Best malting large....' 24/ -26/ Secondary do........ 22/ -24/ Big Vein large........ 21/6-23/6 Red Vein do.........! 18/ -20/ ......... Machine-made cobbles... 36/ -32/ German nuts......... 30/ —33/6 French do............. 32/ -35/ Paris do........... 32/ -33/6 Machine-made beans ... 24/6-2516 Do. peas____ 18/ -19/ Culm ...............; 10/6-11/ ................. Duff..................i 6/ - 6/6 Other sorts :— I Large steam coal...... 24/ -26/ Through-and-through... 17/ -19/ Small ............... 14/ -16/ Bituminous small coal... 18/ -20/ L’st week’s Last year’s prices. 24/ -26/ 22/ -25/ 21/6-23/6 18/ -20/ : 30/ -32/ : 30/ -33/6 i 32/ -35/ ' 32/ -33/6 ’ 24/6-25/6 ; 18/ -19/6 j 10/6-11/ ' 6/3- 6/9 ' 24/ -26/ ! 16/6-18/6 14/ -16/ 19/ -21/ prices. 21/ -21/6 18/ -19/ 16/ -17/ 12/9-13/6 21/ -22/ 21/6-23/ 21/ -23/6 21/ -23/ 16/ -18/ 12/6-13/6 5/9- 6/3 3/6- 5/3 16/ -17/ 10/9-11/3 8/6- 9/6 10/6-11/ ____________________________________ THE BY-PRODUCTS TRADE. Tar Products.—The market for the most part is steady, and prices are firm, and in the case of crude carbolic and tar there have been slight advances. On the other hand, solvent naphtha is the turn easier, though there is no alteration in crude. Other products are unchanged in price or position. Nearest values are:— Rise( + )or fall (-) on the week. Benzols, 90’s /Ill-1/ ... — ,, 90’s North /10F-/11 ... — ,, 50’e ,, Toluol 1/3—1/4 ... — 2/4 — Carbolic acid, crude (60 per cent.)... 3/6 + /1 ,, crystals (40 per cent.) Solvent naphtha, south (90% at 1/4—1/6 ... — 190 degs.), as in quality and package Solvent naphtha, north (90% at 2/-2/1 ... -/I 190 degs.), as in quality and package Crude naphtha, north (in bulk) Creosote (for ordinary qualities) 2/-2/1 ... -/I /6-/61 ... — /3-/3| ... — Pitch (f.o.b. east coast) 22/—23/ ... — ,, (f.a.s. west coast) Tar (per ton ex works) 20/—23/6 ... — 21/5—23/6 ... + /3 [Benzols, toluol, creosote, solvent naphtha, carbolic acids, usually casks included unless otherwise stated, free on rails at maker's works or usual United Kingdom ports, net. Pitch f.o.b. net.} Sulphate of Ammonia.—The market is very firm, and prices continue to advance. The forward position also is very strong, and £15 5s. is wanted for July/December delivery. Statistically the position also is good and pro- mising. Short make is the rule at gas works, and in Scot- land the fortnight’s stoppage for the July holidays will tend to further reduce production. Closing prompt prices are :— Rise (+) or fall (-) on the week. London (ordinary makes) .... Beckton (25 per cent.) ...... Liverpool ................ Hull ..................... Middlesbrough ............ Scotch ports ............... Wales ................... Nitrate of soda (ord.) per cwt. £14/17/6 £14/5 £14/17/6 £14/12/6 £14/12/6 £15—£15/10 £14/12/6 12/3 +2/6 + 5/ [Sulphate of ammonia, f.o.b. in bags, less 2| per cent, discount; 24 per cent, ammonia, good grey quality; allowance for refraction, nothing for excess.} _______ Trade Notes. As was foreshadowed last week, the export returns for sulphate of ammonia last month were very satisfactory. The total increase was 3,000 tons, and in value £52,500. This total would have been even better were it not for the con- tinually anomalous state of the Japanese market, which wras so slack as to account for a falling-off to the extent of 6,750 tons—an item which takes some making up. The ability to show a gross increase is owing to the betterment in the exports to Spain and the Canaries, and more especially to the Dutch East Indies, w+ich accounted for no less than 5,000 ton® extra, while Spain took nearly 2,000 tons extra. Though as yet the shipments to France remain relatively small, still they increased nearly fourfold. Italy shows a slight shrinkage, but that amounts to less than 150 tons. The same applies to America, the total being small in itself, and the decline only 100 tons less than for the same month last year, when trade was fairly normal and the war a nonentity. The British West Indies kept at a constant level, and, in fact, showed a slight increase. The item that finally turned the balance on the favourable side was that steadily swelling and generic heading of “ Other countries,” w+ich put about 3,000 tons on to the grand total. Apparently the U.S.A, market will right itself in due course, but it would be reassuring to learn that the central organisation, which has charge of the future of sulphate of ammonia, was doing something definite in the direction of cultivating the Japanese market. For some months past this trade has been falling away seriously, and during the last three or four months this has reached as much as 4,000 to 6,000 tons per month. Tar product exports also are interesting, and by no means disconcerting. Aniline oil and toluidine afford the sensa- tional element by a jump from 28,000 to 434,000 lb., yielding an increased revenue of over £15,300. There has virtually been no change in anthracene. Benzols and toluol improved by about 200,000 gals., carbolic acid by 8,000 cwd., and naphthalene by about 2,700 cwt. The declines have been in pitch, by about 12,000 cwt. crude and refined tar 1,600 gals., tar oil by 871,000 gals., and naphtha some 15,000 gals. As regards the total revenue from coal products other than dyes, there is, however, a gain of £38,600. If the Society of Chemical Industry does not take to heart and turn to account the paper read by Prof. Armstrong at the recent general meeting, it will deserve the strictures passed upon its policy in the earlier days of the wTar. Also the paper contributed by Dr. M. 0. Forster was pregnant with sound insight and constructive criticism. It should be read care- fully by every manufacturer of coal tar products. Obviously the “ Altna ” Chemical Company referred to last week was the Aetna Company, as the mention of the Rittman process made evident. Once or twice reference has been made in these notes to supplies of cotton reaching Germany. The Government seems to still -maintain