630 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. September 24, 1915. branches may be expected in the course of the next few weeks, when both home and Irish consumers will be purchasing stocks in anticipation of the greater demand which may be experienced when the cold weather sets in. Prices of all sorts are firm, but unchanged. Best Cumber- land coal at the pit is quoted at from 22s. 6d. to 23s. 4d. per ton, with best washed nuts at from 21s. to 21s. 3d. per ton, and seconds 20s. lOd. per ton. Dry small is quoted at 12s. per ton, and best steam nuts at 19s. per ton. Best Cumberland coal, free on board at Maryport, is quoted at 19s. 6d. per ton, with best washed nuts at 17s. 6d. per ton. There is a strong demand for bunkers, which are quoted at from 17s. to 17s. 6d. per ton. Last week, 14 vessels left Maryport for Irish ports, and the shipments amounted to 4,510 tons, a decrease of 705 tons compared with the previous week. The coke trade is easier, and very few of the Cumberland ovens are now working full time. The by-products trade is busy, and the works at Maryport, Siddick, Flimby and Workington are all briskly employed. At Maryport, St. Helens, Flimby and Oughterside best coal delivered is quoted at from Is. 5^d. to Is. 6d. per cwt., or from 27s. 6d. to 28s. 4d. per ton ; with best washed nuts at 25s. lOd. per ton, and seconds 24s. 2d. per ton. At Working- ton, Buckhill best coal delivered is quoted at Is. 4d. per cwt., or 25s. lOd. per ton; with best double-screened washed nuts at Is. 3d. per cwt., or 24s. 2d. per ton. Other current quotations are as follow :— Best Cumberl’nd coal at pit Best washed nuts at pit... Buckhill best coal „ Do. double-scrned washed nuts at pit Oughterside best coal at Fit Oughterside best washed nuts at pit St. Helens (Siddick) best coal at pit St. Helens best house nuts at pit Best dry small at pit Best steam nuts at pit ... Best Cumberl’nd coal, f.o.b. Best washed nuts, f.o.b. ... Bunkers Best coal for gasworks ... Best washed nuts for gas- works Current prices. 23/4 21/3 22/6 21/ 22/6 21/ 22/6 21/ 12/ 19/ 19/6 17/6 17/ -17/6 20/ 19/ L’st week’s prices. 23/4 21/3 22/6 21/ 22/6 21/ 22/6 21/ 12/ 19/ 19/6 17/6 17/ -17/6 20/ 19/ Last year’s prices. 19/2 17/1 18/4 16/10 18/4 16/10 18/4 16/10 8/6 15/ 15/6 13/6 12/6 15/ 14/ IRON. The Cumberland haematite iron trade continues in a brisk condition, and makers, who have probably as much work on hand as they can do, are maintaining as big an output of metal as possible. Prices are firm, Bessemer mixed numbers being quoted at from 105s. to 106s. per ton free on board at the usual ports, with warrants at cash at 95s. per ton. Special iron is quoted at from 125s. to 130s. per ton. Ferro- manganese is unchanged at <£20 per ton, but the amount of business done is not considerable. There is a growing demand for low phosphorus iron for the use of high-class steel makers engaged on Government work, and although the production of this metal has been increased, the present make is said to be slightly below requirements. As far as ordinary haematite iron is concerned, however, the volume of business is not large, and the demand for this class of metal is perhaps duller than it has been for some time. The pig iron in west coast storing yards, which is 450 tons less than it was a week ago, amounts to 1,938 tons, compared with 3,068 tons at the corresponding period of last year. There are 23 furnaces in operation in Cumberland and the Furness district, compared with 21 a year ago. Both Barrow and Workington are making for consumption at the steelworks, while a fair amount of metal is going to Scotland and South Wales. The bulk of the make of special iron is being consigned to the Midlands, Birmingham and Sheffield being the chief consumers. Business is brisker in the steel trade, and there is a rather better demand for rails. Barrow is well employed on shell steel, and Workington is busy on shell steel, axles, sleepers, tyres, and rails. All the engineering shops in the district are briskly employed on Government orders. The iron ore industry is as busy as ever, and the production of high-grade ore is scarcely equal to requirements. All the mines are working full time, and the output is probably as large as it can be with the present amount of labour available. The metal passing over the border only amounts to about 1,000 tons weekly, compared with 5,000 tons a few months ago. Cumberland iron ore at the mines is quoted at from 22s. 6d. to 37s. per ton, according to grade. The imports at Maryport last week included l,8C0 tons of iron ore from Castro, for the Workington Iron and Steel Company. South-West Lancashire. COAL. There is some reserve of coal being made by the con- sumer, as undoubtedly the call for house coal for inland purposes exceeds what is actually being consumed from day to day, and in some of the special grades orders are considerably in arrear. There is nothing new with regard to the position of steam coal for forges and manufacturing purposes. Normal supplies are going into consumption. The position with regard to bunker and steam coal for shipment continues about the same as last week, there being very little outside enquiry, and for the few orders there are in the market competition is keen. Prices for Lancashire screened steam coal are nominally 17s. 6d. for commoner sorts, up to 18s. f.o.b. for best descriptions, but in some instances these prices are being shaded to some extent. The shipment of household coals for the coastwise and cross-Channel trade is at the moment on the easy side so far as the actual shipments are concerned, but it is with difficulty merchants can get quotations for quantities for contract. Sellers seem to be quite as fully committed as they are wishful to be. In slacks there is no quantity lying loose, and as the winter comes on it looks as if full quantities would be more and more difficult to get hold of. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). Current L’st week’s Last year’s House coal:— prices. prices. prices. Best 20/9 20/9 17/ Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) 22/ -23/ 22/ -23/ 16/6-16/9 Medium 19/ 19/ 15/3 Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) 20/ 20/ 14/6-15/ Kitchen 16/9-17/ 16/9-17/ 13/ Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) 18/ -18/6 18/ -18/6 13/3-13/9 Screened forge coal 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ 11/6-12/ Best scrnd. steam coal f.o.b. 17/6-18/ 17/6-18/6 12/ -13/ Best slack 14/ 14/ 9/9 Secondary slack 12/6 12/6 9/ Common do 10/ 10/ 8/ - 8/6 South Lancashire and Cheshire. COAL. There was a good attendance of members on the Man- chester Coal Exchange on Tuesday. House coal is in moderate request. Furnace coal continues in good demand, and business in shipping coal keeps good. Better supplies of slack appear to be coming forward, chiefly on contract account. Prices generally are as below:— Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). Current L’st week’s Last year’s House coal:— prices. prices. prices. Best 21/ -22/ 21/ -22/ 17/3-18/ Medium 19/ -20/3 19/ -20/3 16/ -16/9 Common 17/ -17/3 17/ -17/3 13/3-14/ Furnace coal 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ 12/6 Bunker (f.o.b. Partington) 19/ -21/ 19/ -21/ 14/ Best slack 14/ 14/ 9/6-10/ Common slack 11/ -12/ 11/ -12/ 8/6- 9/ IRON. There was a fair attendance on ’Change in Manchester, but very little business doing. Pig iron, if anything, is a little easier. Blastfurnace coke is also weaker. This is brought about by the small quantity of pig iron being required in the foundry trade and in the forges. Bather than put the furnaces on short blast, the makers are closing some down. Of course, some of the furnaces have to be kept going on account of residuals. There is no alteration to report in the price of iron and steel with the exception of hoops, which have been advanced 20s. per ton. Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Leeds. COAL. There was a large attendance at the Yorkshire Coal Exchange on Tuesday, and the volume of business was quite in keeping. Not only were the shippers from the Humber ports well represented, but a number of London merchants and factors were present. While colliery repre- sentatives reported full time working of the pits, they complained both of the scarcity of empty wagons and delay in transit on the railways, the latter, no doubt, as the result of the companies being engaged in fulfilling the requirements of the Government in connection with the war. An instance was given of trucks leaving the colliery sidings on the 11th and not reaching a London depot until the 21st. As an illustration of the scarcity of empty wagons, it may be mentioned that 5s. per week is obtained for simple hire. As to the London trade the approach of October 1, when contract prices rise by Is. per ton, has naturally led to an increased demand for house coal, and reports from the depots also indicate a fairly active demand on the part of the public. The best West Yorkshire qualities are scarce and very sparingly offered, but secondary sorts are plentiful. The coastwise trade is being hampered rather seriously by the further increase in freights. As much as 10s. Goole to the south is being quoted. A number of coastwise contracts for house coal have been revised in accordance with the terms of the Price of Coal (Limitation) Act, and the effect, roughly, is a reduction in the f.o.b. price of Is. per ton. In the local market merchants are experiencing a fairly active demand, and in some cases are taking up ground stocks. Pit prices may be averaged as under :—Haigh Moor selected, 20s. to 21s.; Silkstone best, 19s. 6d. to 20s. 6d.; Silkstone house, 18s. 6d. to 19s. 6d.; secondary sorts, 16s. 6d. to 17s. 6d. In regard to gas coal, there is a very heavy demand Current pit prices. House coal:— Current L’st week’s Last year’s Prices at pit (London) : prices. prices. prices. Haigh Moor selected ... 19/6-20/6 19/ -20/ 14/ Wallsend & London best 18/6-19/6 18/ -19/ 13/ -14/ Silkstone best 18/ -19/ 18/ -19/ 13/ -13/6 Do. house 16/6-17/6 16/6-17/6 12/ -12/6 House nuts 16/ -16/6 15/6-16/6 11/ -11/6 Prices f.o.b. Hull:— Haigh Moor best 21/ -22/ 20/6-21/6 17/6-17/9 Silkstone best 20/ -21/ 20/ -21/ 15/3-16/3 Do. house 18/6-19/ 18/ -19/ 14/ -14/6 Other qualities 17/6-18/ 17/ -18/ 13/ -13/6 Gas coal:— Prices at pit : Screened gas coal 15/ -16/ 15/ -16/ 10/9-11/6 Gas nuts 14/6-15/6 14/ -15/ 9/9-10/6 Unscreened gas coal ... 13/ -14/ 13/ -14/ 9/6—10/ Other sorts:— Prices at pit: Washed nuts 16/ -16/6 15/6-16/6 10/9-11/6 Large double-screened engine nuts 14/6-15/6 14/ -15/ 9/3- 9/9 Small nuts 13/6-14/6 13/6-14/6 9/ - 9/6 Rough unscreened engine coal 13/ -14/ 13/ -14/ 9/6-10/ Best rough slacks 12/ -13/ 9/6-10/6 12/ -13/ 9/6-10/6 7/3- 8/3 Small do. 6/ - 7/3 Coking smalls 9/6-10/6 1 9/6-10/6 6/3- 7/6 Coke:— Price at ovens: Furnace coke 15/6-16/ | 16/ -17/ 12/6-13/ ex contract, and deliveries of gas nuts are in arrear. New business is a little more plentiful, as some of the large consumers are supplementing their contract supplies by open,market purchases, at about equal to contract rates. Shipments of gas coal to France are maintained, but are strictly limited to other countries. Two or three gas coal contracts have been booked at an advance over last year’s figures of 5s., inclusive of increased cost of wagon hire. All qualities of manufacturing fuel, except small slacks, are scarce. While Lancashire, having come to the end of the “ wakes,” is taking larger supplies, there is an appreciable increase in the demand all round, and in the textile districts of the West Riding the consumption of factory fuel is heavy. New contracts which are being entered into show quite 6s. increase over the prices ruling a year ago. There is no improvement in the position relating to washed furnace coke. The make of the ovens is still in excess of the needs of the market, and prices are slightly easier at 15s. 6d. to 16s. per ton at the ovens. Barnsley. COAL. There has been no material change in the position during the week, business continuing to be of a steady character. In some respects there has been a little more activity, and generally speaking collieries are still in the position of dealing more readily with the calls upon them. The margin between the orders on the books and the tonnage available is only slight, and with the greater demand which will follow in the course of a few weeks for certain classes of coal, it seems more likely that the demand will again exceed the capacity of supply. Values have shown little fluctua- tion, and are not expected to do so now that such a large tonnage has been placed under contract at prices fixed under the recent Act. There is some idea prevailing amongst the public that prices of house coal will be further advanced on the 1st prox. This is the date when the usual winter Is. per ton increase is made, and the advance is due from merchants provided under contract, but the current values in the open market have practically reached the maximum allowed by the Price of Coal (Limitation) Act, and therefore colliery quotations will not be on a higher basis. With regard to large steams the enquiry for shipment is fairly well sustained, and the same may be said of the home demand. Best brands are making from 17s. 3d. to 17s. 6d. per ton, and secondary descriptions of Barnsley bed hards from 16s. to 17s. per ton. The enquiry for steam nuts, particularly on home account, continues to be of a very brisk character, and collieries have practically no surplus fuel to offer ; in fact, some firms are yet in arrear with the deliveries. Values are easily maintained as last quoted, and pressure is felt to obtain extra supplies to build up stocks. The increased demand for gas coal is having considerable effect upon the collieries, and already there is some little difficulty in fully meeting the obligations which have been undertaken, so that there is practically no surplus fuel on offer in the market. There has been some further improvement in regard to the demand for slacks, and there are fewer lots of surplus fuel on offer on the market. In some cases prices have improved a little, and there is every indication that there will be a return of firmness in values so far as all classes of small steam coal are concerned. The experience of collieries largely con- cerned in the house coal trade is of a varying character, and indicates that generally the precaution is not being adopted by the public to lay in stocks. Some merchants have heavy supplies on hand, but collieries are able to dispose of their output and avoid stocking, which has been necessary at this period in some previous years. Values all round remain very firm, and, as already indicated, appear certain of remaining so. The depressed state of the coke trade still continues, and, although the production of the ovens is being reduced in every possible way, buyers have no difficulty in obtaining their requirements at the lower prices which have ruled of late. Prices at pit. Current L’st week’s Last year’s House coals:— prices. prices. ! prices. Best Silkstone 20/ -22/ 18/ -18/6 16/6—17/6 20/ -22/ 1 15/ -15/6 Best Barnsley softs 18/ -18/6 1 15/ Secondary do 16/6—17/6 12/6-13/6 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 17/ -17/6 16/6-17/ 11/3-11/6 Secondary do 15/6—16/ 15/ -15/6 10/6-10/9 Best washed nuts 16/ -16/6 16/ -16/6 15/ -15/6 10/9 Secondary do 15/6-15/9 9/9-10/ Best slack 12/6 12/ 6/9 Secondary do 10/6-11/ 10/6-11/ 5/9- 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 15/ -16/ 15/ -16/ 12/3-12/6 Hull. COAL. There is very little new to report in connection with the Humber trade. Large steam coal keeps a strong market, and current supplies are fairly well taken up for export and Admiralty purposes. Prices, therefore, are pretty well maintained at 19s. 6d. to 20s. for best South Yorkshire hards, about Is. more being paid for prime brands for prompt or nearly prompt shipment, little or nothing being done forward. A weaker tone has set in in manufacturing fuel, washed double nuts having declined to 17s. 6d. and washed singles to 17s., or thereabouts, with washed small coal 13s. 9d. to 14s. Derbyshire steams, owing to the difficulties in regard to Swedish trade, are still a more or less nominal market, 18s. 6d. to 19s. being about present value for shipment at Grimsby or Immingham. West Riding Hartleys are somewhot easier at 17s. fid. to 17s. 9d., and rough slack at 13s. to 13s. fid. House and gas coal continue in good demand, but prices show very little variation from those quoted last week. Shipments at the docks are moderate, and chiefly on account of France, to which country licences are granted freely. Shipping tonnage is, however, in short supply, and rates have shown an upward tendency, 18s. having been paid for a 4,000-ton steamer for Rouen. Up to 18s. 6d. is now asked, with about 17s. the value for other French ports. Coastwise a few small vessels have been taken up on the basis of London 8s. In the Mediterranean direction, however, things are very quiet, and one does not hear of any business being done. Genoa-Savona is quoted nominally 35s.