380 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN August 20, 1915. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). House coal:— Best ................. Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) Medium................ Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) Kitchen............... Do. (f.o.b. Garston,net) Screened forge coal..... Best scrnd. steam coal f.o.b. Best slack ............. Secondary slack ........ Common do............... Current prices. 20/9 22/ -23/ 19/ 20/ 16/9-17/ 18/6-19/ 16/ -17/ 18/ -19/ 14/ 12/6 10/ L’st week’s Last year's prices. prices. 20/9 17/ 22/ -23/ 16/6-16/9 19/ 15/3 20/ 14/6-15/ 16/9-17/ 13/ 18/6-19/ 13/3-13/9 16/ -17/ 11/6-12/ 18/ -19/ 12/6-13/3 14/ 9/9 12/6 9/ , 10/ 8/ - 8/6 South Lancashire and Cheshire. COAL. There was a moderate attendance on the Manchester Coal Exchange on Tuesday. The various “ wakes ” in different towns are now on, and naturally affect the consumption of fuel. House coal is not in much demand, but steam coal and shipping coal are fairly brisk. Slack is on the slow side. Prices generally are as below:— Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). House coal:— Best ............... Medium.............. Common.............. Furnace coal.......... Bunker (f.o.b. Partington) Best slack ........... Common slack ......... Current prices. 21/ -22/ 19/9-20/3 17/ -17/3 16/ -17/ 19/ -21/ 14/ 11/ -12/ L’st week's prices. 21/ -22/ 19/9-20/3 17/ -17/3 16/ -17/ 19/ -21/ 14/ 11/ -12/ Last year's prices. 17/3-18/ 16/ —16/9 13/3-14/ 12/6 14/ 9/6-10/ 8/6- 9/ IRON. There is nothing new to mention in the way of business. Those engaged on munitions, directly or indirectly, are very busy, and the majority of people are so engaged. Good foundry iron remains at about 74s. to 75s., haematite 110s., but the foundries engaged in the ordinary trade are still slack. Forge iron is procurable at about 73s., and the forges are busy on bars nominally at <£11 10s., but actually at £12 or thereabouts. The associated price for hoops remains at £13 2s. 6d., but a premium is obtainable for prompt delivery. The steelworks are very actively engaged, and billets are not quoted under £10 per ton, with bars at £11 15s. to £12. Engineers are mostly monopolised by the Government, and a large amount of orders for foreign and home trade are hung up. Wagon works are very busy. Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Leeds. COAL. The Yorkshire Coal Exchange, on Tuesday, bore rather a holiday aspect so far as attendance was concerned, but business may be described as satisfactory. With full time working of the pits, there has been an improvement in the regularity of the miners, though absenteeism from work is still a serious matter for the collieries. The granting of licences for the export of coal is taking place more freely than in the last few weeks, especially in regard to coal required by France, but the difficulty of doing business with Scandinavian countries is interfering with the ship- ments of gas coal and the lower grade steam coal from the Humber ports. Reports from London indicate a fair retail trade, but not a great deal of stocking at the depots is now being done, and, except where special prices are quoted, little beyond contract tonnage is being taken. Relatively little house coal of the best West Yorkshire qualities is being offered for the London district, however, in view of the limited output and the prices realised in the near markets. As to the coastwise trade, south coast merchants are buying spot parcels of medium quality house coal at about 18s. 6d. f.o.b. Goole, and several cargoes of Silkstone best house coal are reported to have been sold for the Thames wharves at 20s. 9d. f.o.b. Hull. Freights are very firm, suitable boats of from 400 to 600 tons being scarce. In the West Riding merchants are quiet, although stocking at the depots is still taking place. The public demand runs mainly on the cheaper qualities. Current pit prices:— Haigh Moor selected, 21s. to 22s.; Silkstone best, 20s. to 21s.; Silkstone house, 19s. to 20s. Very few new contracts for gas coal are being arranged, although one or Current pit prices. House coal:— Current L’st week’s Last year's Prices at pit (London) : prices. prices. prices. Haigh Moor selected ... 19/ -20/ 19/ -20/ 14/ Wallsend & London best 18/ -19/ 18/ -19/ 13/ -14/ Silkstone best 18/ -19/ 18/ -19/ 13/ -14/ Do. house 17/ -18/ 17/ -18/ 12/ -12/6 House nuts 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ 11/ -12/ Prices f.o.b. Hull:— Haigh Moor best 22/ -23/ 22/ -23/ 16/6-17/6 Silkstone best 21/ -22/ 21/ -22/ 15/6-16/6 Do. house 19/ -20/6 19/ -20/6 13/6-14/6 Other qualities 18/ -19/ 18/ -19/ 13/ -14/ Gas coal:— Prices at pit: Screened gas coal 15/6-16/6 15/6-16/6 11/ -12/ Gas nuts 14/6-15/6 14/6-15/6 10/ -11/ Unscreened gas coal ... 13/6-14/6 13/6-14/6 9/6-10/6 Other sorts:— Prices at pit: Washed nuts 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ 11/ -12/ Large double-screened engine nuts 14/6-15/6 14/6-15/6 9/6-10/6 Small nuts 13/6-14/6 13/6-14/6 9/ - 9/9 Rough unscreened engine coal 13/6-14/6 13/6-14/6 9/6-10/ Best rough slacks 12/6-13/6 12/6-13/6 7/ - 8/ Small do. 11/6-12/6 11/6-12/6 6/3- 7/ Coking smalls 11/6-12/6 11/6-12/6 6/6- 7/ Coke:— Price at ovens: Furnace coke 20/ -21/ 21/ -23/ 10/6-11/6 two are reported, at 4s. 9d. advance on the terms of the expiring contracts. The requirements of inland gas works are, generally speaking, confined to contract deliveries, but the collieries are free of stocks, as the demand from France is still strong and sufficient to absorb all surplus tonnage. A sale of several cargoes of screened gas coal for Italian ports is reported at 18s. lOd. per ton f.o.b. Hull. Gas nuts are scarce, as so many are being used for steam raising, by firms engaged in Government work. Nor is there any surplus of manufacturing fuel, in fact, the output is barely adequate to meet the needs of consumers. In the industrial centres of the West Riding, particularly Bradford, Leeds, the heavy woollen districts, and the Spen and Colne valleys, the consumption is very heavy. The best qualities of slack are in keen demand, but coking smalls are more plentiful. Washed furnace coke is a shade weaker, although the output of the ovens moves oft* readily, and there are no stocks to speak of. The business passing is mostly for current supplies in the open market, as there is a marked disposition on the part of buyers to defer contracting, in the expectation of lower prices in the future. Barnsley. COAL. There was evidence of the holiday season by the reduced attendance at the usual market on Wednesday. Generally speaking there is little new business in circulation, which is largely due to the fact that only a very small proportion of the output remains to be dealt with. Contract supplies are of a heavy nature, and apparently buyers of all descriptions of fuel have taken the precaution to cover their requirements as far as possible by contract arrange- ments. Although business continues to be of a steady character, there is yet some little indecision on the part of buyers, pending a settlement of several questions which have arisen in consequence of the recent legislation. Sellers, however, are not unduly pushing business, having in hand in most cases more orders than they are able to supply at the present time. The influence of the annual feast holidays in the mining villages is also felt, whilst a serious accident to the machinery at the Houghton Main Colliery has stopped operations for nearly a week. A similar occurrence recently happened at the Hickleton Main Colliery, and during the present period, when the demand is in so much excess of the supply, the stoppage of produc- tion, even in the case of a single colliery, is a very serious matter. The demand on export account continues fairly good, and it is not anticipated that the recent requirements in regard to licences will affect business with France, which of late has been of very active description. The position of large steams remains fairly firm, the home demand for best hards being of a vigorous character. Secondary sorts are more largely taken for shipment and the output is readily cleared, and full deliveries under contract are still unavail- able. The position in respect to steam nuts is in no way altered, collieries having more demand upon them than they can readily supply, and values retain their firmness. Gas coal collieries continue to find it possible to dispose of the whole of their production, although there is not so much buying on current account, but the contract deliveries are weekly growing of a more extensive character. Stoppages for holidays in some of the manufacturing districts has relieved to some extent the demand for slacks and small steam fuel. Some collieries have rather more surplus to offer, which is causing prices to slightly weaken, but on the whole the full output is required to satisfy the orders on the books, and, generally speaking, quotations are maintained. The strong position in regard to house coal continues to be experienced, the deliveries which merchants are taking for all practical purposes clearing off the daily production. In fact, there are complaints of the difficulty of obtaining ready supplies of the best grade of this kind of fuel. Colliery representa- tives report no difficulty in maintaining the latest list of quotations. With regard to coke there are indications that the demand is slowly improving, but up to the present there has been no improvement in prices, which remain about as last quoted. Prices at pit. Current L’st week’s Last year’s House coals:— prices. prices. prices. Best Silkstone 20/ -22/ 18/ -19/ 16/6-17/6 20/ -22/ 15/ -15/6 Best Barnsley softs 18/ -19/ 15/ Secondary do 16/6-17/6 12/ -13/ Best house nuts 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ 12/9-13/ Secondary do 15/6-16/ 15/6-16/ 10/9-11/ Steam coals:— Best hard coals 16/6-17/6 16/6-17/6 11/6 Secondary do 15/6-16/ 15/6-16/ 10/6-11/ Best washed nuts 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ 15/ -15/6 10/9-11/ Secondary do 15/ -15/6 9/9-10/ Best slack 13/ -13/6 13/ -13/6 6/9 Rough do 12/ -12/6 12/ -12/6 5/6- 6/ Gas coals:— Screened gas coals 15/6-16/ 15/6-16/ 10/6-11/ Unscreened do 14/6-15/ 14/6-15/ 10/ Gas nuts 15/ -16/ 15/ -16/ 10/ -10/6 Furnace coke 21/ -22/ 21/ -22/ 10/6-11/ Hull. COAL. There is very little change to report in the condition of the Humber coal export market. Licences are now required to ship to France, which has been a very considerable customer for South Yorkshire coal for the past eight or nine months, and other allies in common with neutrals ; and although a fair number of licences has come to hand since the beginning of the week, the formalities to be observed naturally constitute a handicap on trade. The official note issued from Paris stating that an amicable arrangement has been come to with the War Department Committee, promising that France's demands shall be fully met, has had a steadying influence on the market, but the impression, nevertheless, seems to obtain that exports will decrease rather than increase in volume, inasmuch as foreign demands will not be permitted to be satisfied until home requirements have been met. Plenty of large steam coal is available for export, but the same does not apply to secondary sorts of Yorkshire coal, of which supplies are not sufficient to meet the combined foreign and home demand. Last week’s values are about maintained, best South York- shire steams to-day being quoted 19s. 6d. to 19s. 9d., and more for prime brands, for prompt shipment. Washed doubles scarce and firm at 18s. 6d. to 19s. 6d., ditto singles 18s. to 18s. 6d., and small coal and rough slack not so steady at 14s. to 15s. There is little doing in Derbyshire steams for export, the nominal value being 18s. 6d. to 19s. for shipment at Grimsby or Immingham. West Yorkshire Hartleys are about unchanged at 17s. 6d. to 18s., and screened gas coal 18s. to 20s., according to quality. Ship- ments at the docks are not quite so heavy as they have been. In the freight market there is less available shipping tonnage, and rates are somewhat higher, 15s. to 15s. 6d. being asked for Hull to Rouen, and 24s. 6d. Hull to Genoa. Chesterfield. COAL. Steadiness may be said to characterise the coal trade of North Derbyshire. The pits of the district are working full time, and orders for all qualities of coal are plentiful. There is no great pressure for coal for manufacturing purposes, from which it may be inferred that supplies are coming forward more freely. The same remarks apply to slack for boiler firing, and also to steam coal for locomotive use. With regard to the export trade, there is a brisk demand for large nuts and small cobbles for France, and a large business continues to be done in this class of fuel. Up to now no difficulty is experienced in obtaining licences from the War Trade Committee. For neutral countries there is still considerable difficulty in securing licences, and shipments are on a much reduced scale. There is no prospect of any immediate improvement in this respect. Prices of steam coal are unchanged at 19s. to 19s. 6d. f.o.b. Hull. There is continued weakness in the coke market, and prices are several shillings lower than they were a few weeks ago, with indications of further depreciation of values. Prices at pit. Current L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. prices. Best house coals 17/ 17/ Secondary do 16 6 16/6 — Cobbles 16/ 16/ Nuts 15/ 15/ Slack 12/6 12/6 — IRON. No improvement can be reported in respect of pig iron, for which the demand is very sluggish. Bar iron orders are plentiful, and the works of the district are all extremely busy. Nottingham. COAL. The easier tone continues, and the absence of pressure for certain qualities of fuel is giving collieries an oppor- tunity to put a little into stock. With regard to prices, some slight modifications have had to be made to comply with recent legislation. Business in the domestic fuel branch is on the quiet side so far as local merchants and land sale depots are concerned, but merchants in the country districts are taking good supplies on contract account. This decline is considered to be of a temporary character, and an improvement is anticipated towards the end of the month. There is a fair amount of business in the steam coal branch, and a slight improvement has been noticeable in regard to exports. Still, the demand is less than it was some time ago, though a good tonnage is leaving the county on home account for manufacturing purposes. Slacks just now are not in quite so keen request, especially common qualities. Nevertheless, collieries have practically little stock on hand, and the bulk of the daily output is practi- cally absorbed. An easier tendency has manifested itself in prices. Coke is in rather quieter demand, with values tending in a downward direction. Prices at pithead. Current L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. prices. Hand-picked brights 17/6-18/6 18/ -19/ — Good house coals 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ — Secondary do 15/ -16/ 15/ -16/ — Best hard coals 16/ -16/6 17/ -18/ — Secondary do 15/ -15/6 15/ -16/ — Slacks (best hards) 12/ -12/6 12/ -13/ — Do. (second) 10/6-11/6 10/ -11/6 — Do. (soft) 10/6—11/6 10/ -11/6 — Leicestershire. COAL. The revision of prices in order fully to comply with the provisions of the Price of Coal (Limitation) Act is pro- ceeding in a very satisfactory way as a whole, but the complications of the Act are proving most troublesome. It will take some period of time in order to get a com- plete understanding as to the full scope of the Act, and as to the contracts to which it applies and those to which it does not. In the meantime, colliery agents are acting on a policy of caution and safety as to the limitations of the legislative enactment and as to the basis of prices. In practice it is not quite so easy and simple as the framers of the Act apparently thought to fix the exact prices for the different descriptions of coal for the year ending June of 1914. In order that there may be no misunderstanding, in some cases agents are asking firms under contracts to confirm the rates upon which the present prices have to be based. The penalties for infringment are so severe that it only natural that there is a little hesitation shown in some cases, especially when new business is concerned. The Act is having a sobering influence generally, but in spite of this there is a heavy influx of business and continuous urgency in regard to deliveries. The demand is far in excess of the supply, and it is evident that there are still heavy accumulations of stocks going on generally in order to ensure supplies during the coming winter. There are no stocks of any kind at the pits. The demand for manu- facturing fuel continues to be extremely heavy, and users are falling back more and more on cobbles and large nuts to increase their deliveries. It is difficult to state how this will affect the quantity of household coal available when the cold weather arrives, but it is evident that, with the ever-increasing number of firms engaged on vital Govern- ment work, the total quantity of fuel for manufacturing