October 1, 1915. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN 681 waiting policy. A contract has been placed for 20,000 tons of secondary gas coals, shipment October to December at 16s. 6d., f.o.b. Tenders for supplying the Norwegian State Railways with about 70,000 tons of steam coal from October to March are being sent in. Good enquiries for foundry coke for export are circulating and there is every likelihood of a good business developing in this com- modity. Prices f.o.b. Sunderland. Current L’st week’s Last year’s Gas coals:— prices. prices. prices. Special Wear gas coals 19/6-19/9 20/ — Secondary do. House coals:— 16/6 16/6-16/9 — Best house coals 20/ 19/ — Ordinary do Other sorts:— 17/6 17/ — Lambton screened 20/ 20/ — South Hetton do 20/ 20/ — Lambton unscreened ... 16/ 15/9 — South Hetton do 15/6 15/6 — Do. treble nuts 16/6 16/6 — Coking coals unscreened 15/9 15/9 15/6 — Do. smalls 15/6 — Smithies 18/ 16/ -16/6 — Peas and nuts 19/ 18/6 — Best bunkers 16/6 16/6 — Ordinary bunkers Coke:— 15/6 15/ — Foundry coke Blast-furnace coke (did. 27/6 28/6 — Teesside furnaces) ... 25/ 25/ — Gas coke 26/ 26/6 — Outward freights are firmer consequent on the withdrawal of Greek steamers. Recent fixtures include :—London, 9s. 6d. ; Havre, 17s. ; Dunkirk, 18s. 6d. ; Rouen, 18s..; Bordeaux, 25s. ; Rochefort, 24s. ; La Pallice, 22s. ; St. Nazaire, 22s. ; Cadiz, 30s.; Gibraltar, 28s.; Oran, 30s.; Port Said, 35s.; Alexandria, 35s.; Pirseus, 37s. 6d.; Porto Ferrajo, 35s.; Las Palmas, 26s.; and the probability is that still higher rates will have to be paid to secure tonnage. Middlesbrough-on-Tees. COAL. Fuel, on the whole, is steady. Outward freights are increasing in strength, and sellers of all descriptions for export take a firm stand. Best Durham steams are put at 19s. There are continued good enquiries for gas coals, and customers show some anxiety to make arrangements for next year. Best Durham gas coals run from 19s. to 19s. 6d., seconds vary from 16s. to 17s., and special Wear coals are quoted up to 22s. Bunker coals are in good request, and ordinary Durhams are in the neighbourhood of 14s. 9d. f.o.b., best sorts round about 16s., and special 19s. to 20s. Values of household coal show marked upward tendency. Collieries are not keen to sell, with prices of coal for ship- ment good and improving. Coking coal is well taken up. Unscreened kinds are 16s. 6d., and smalls 16s. Coke is in excellent request for shipment, and best foundry kinds continue to realise 32s. 6d. to 35s. f.o.b. Gashouse coke is quoted up to 30s. Enquiry for coke for local use is only moderate. Consumers are well bought, and they are not disposed to pay the rates asked, especially as there is every reason to look for increased supply. The new plant at the Redcar Ironworks .is to be put into operation for the by-products to manufacture explosives for the Government, and as the ironworks are idle this will throw some 2,000 tons ;per week extra coke on the market. Durham blast- furnace coke of average quality is not more than 24s. delivered at Teesside works. This is the general market quotation, but, as a matter of fact, purchases have been made at a lower figure. IRON. War news has had a beneficial influence on the pig iron market. Buyers who have been holding back are now coming forward, and they show little hesitation to pay the higher prices asked. A good few sales of No. 3 g.m.b. Cleveland pig have been recorded at 64s. 9d. and 65s., and now the general quotation is 65s. 3d. No. 1, which owing to its scarcity has been comparatively dear for some time past, has not advanced. Though supply is still limited, there is more offering than there has been, and the price remains at 68s. 6d.—a figure consumers are not prepared to pay, as they consider No. 1 to be worth no more than 2s. 6d. above No. 3. Foundry 4 is 64s. 9d., forge 4 is 64s. 3d., and mottled and white iron each 63s. 9d. Better accounts are given of the east coast haematite branch of the staple industry. There is good and improving demand, both on home and foreign account. Further business has been done with Sheffield on higher terms than previous sales to customers in that district, and more substantial business with our Allies, especially Italy, is confidently anticipated. This week’s business with Sheffield is understood to have been on a basis of 97s. 6d. for mixed numbers, and most makers now ask round about that figure, but buyers declare that they can purchase from second hands at 96s. 6d. Foreign ore values are still moving upward, solely due to continued steady rise in freights. Consumers are now very anxious to make arrangements for supplies over the winter, but sellers, in view of much difficulty in fixing steamers, naturally will not commit themselves ahead to any extent. Market quotations are now based on 28s. 6d. to 29s. ex ship Tees for rubio of 50 per cent, quality. Freights Bilbao- Middlesbrough are fully 15s. Steamers have been fixed at that figure, and it would readily be paid again for suitable tonnage. In finished iron and steel a great deal of work is being turned out, mostly to order of the Government, and quotations all round are very firm. Cumberland. Maryport. COAL. The Cumberland coal trade is still in a remarkably active condition, and there has been a decided improvement in all branches since last week. In the home market orders for best house coal are now more numerous, and the demand is likely to grow stronger during the next few weeks. Business in gas coal, both on home and coastwise account, is fairly steady, and there is a strong and increasing- demand for slacks, smalls, and all kinds of fuel for manu- facturing purposes. The cross-Channel trade has been exceptionally brisk this week, and the requirements of Irish consumers have been extremely difficult to meet. There is an abnormal demand for both house coals and manufac- turing fuels for the Irish market, and the prospects of this branch for the next few weeks are very bright. All the collieries in the county are working six days a week and outputs are fairly satisfactory, but the amount raised is still insufficient to meet requirements. Prices of all sorts are firm but unchanged. Best Cumberland 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. Best steam nuts are quoted at 19s. per ton and dry small 12s. 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. Bunkers are in strong demand at from 17s. to 17s. 6d. per ton. Last week 17 vessels left Maryport for Irish ports, and the shipments amounted to 5,045 tons, an increase of 535 tons compared with the previous week. The largest cargoes were for Belfast* Dublin and Carrickfergus. The imports at Mary- port also included two cargoes of pit timber for the east coast from Tenet and Waterford. The coke trade is rather busier this week, and there is a better demand for coke, but some of the ovens in the Maryport district are still working short time. Business is very brisk in the by-products trade, and the works at Flimby, Maryport, Siddick and Workington are all well employed. At Maryport best house coal delivered is quoted at from Is. 5|d. to Is. 6d. per cwt., or 27s. 6d. to 28s. 4d. per ton, with best washed nuts at 25s. lOd. per ton, and seconds 24s. 2d. per ton. At Workington best house 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 :— Current prices. L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. Best Cumberl’nd coal at pit 23/4 23/4 19/2 Best washed nuts at pit... 21/3 21/3 17/1 Buckhill best coal „ Do. double-scrned 22/6 22/6 18/4 washed nuts at pit Oughterside best coal at 21/ 21/ 16/10 Fit Oughterside best washed 22/6 22/6 18/4 nuts at pit St. Helens (Siddick) best 21/ 21/ 16/10 coal at pit St. Helens best house nuts 22/6 22/6 18/4 at pit 21/ . 21/ 16/10 Best dry small at pit 12/ 12/ 8/6 Best steam nuts at pit ... 19/ 19/ 15/ BestCumberl'nd coal, f.o.b. 19/6 19/6 15/6 Best washed nuts, f.o.b.... 17/6 17/6 13/6 Bunkers 17/ -17/6 17/ -17/6 12/6 Best coal for gasworks ... Best washed nuts for gas- 20/ 20/ 15/ works 19/ 19/ 14/ IRON. The Cumberland haematite iron market is firmer in tone this week, business in all branches is well maintained, and the chances are that it will continue to occupy a strong and vigorous position for some months to come. Values are hardening, and this week Bessemer mixed numbers are quoted at from 106s. to 107s. per ton free on board at the usual ports, while special brands of iron are quoted at from 125s. to 130s. per ton. Cumberland haematite warrants still stand at 95s. per ton, a position they have occupied for over seven months, compared with 66s. per ton at the corre- sponding period of last year. Requirements of special iron are not only heavier, but the demand for ordinary haematite has increased considerably, and is now probably stronger than it has been for some months. There is a fair amount of forward buying, and consumers are also purchasing largely for their more immediate requirements. Whether there will be a further appreciation of values remains to be seen, but at any rate makers are not too eager to sell far ahead at present prices, and values are not difficult to maintain when a large portion of the output is going into immediate consumption, and when smelters have good order books which will ensure the present production to be fully main- tained for the greater part of the year. A furnace has been put out of blast at Cleator Moor during the week, and the number of furnaces now on-draught in the district has thus been reduced to 22, 14 in Cumberland, and eight in the Furness district. The furnaces at present in operation are Workington eight, Millom three, Distington two. Cleator Moor one, Barrow five, North Lonsdale two, and Carnforth one, and Workington and Barrow are making both for home and outside consumption, and a large proportion of the furnaces are employed in making low phosphorus iron. The bulk of the special iron is being consigned to users at Birmingham and Sheffield, while a fair amount of metal is going to Scotland and South Wales. The steel trade is fairly brisk, and there is now a much better demand for rails. Barrow is well employed on shell steel, and at Workington the production includes shell steel and railway material. The engineering shops are all exceedingly busy on Government orders. The iron ore industry is in a brisk condition, and all the mines in the district are working full time. High grade ores are in strong demand, and production is scarcely equal to requirements. Cumberland ore at the mines is quoted at from 22s. 6d. to 37s. per ton according to grade. The imports at Maryport last week included 5,500 tons of iron ore from Bilbao and Passages for the Workington Iron and Steel Company. A steamer arrived on Wednesday to take in a cargo of ferro-manganese for Sydney, Cape Breton. South-West Lancashire. COAL. The colder weather is having its natural effect upon the consumption of house coal, and there is more keenness in the demand for supplies for the inland market. There is no change in the demand for screened coal for forge and manufacturing purposes. With regard to steam coal for bunkering and foreign shipment, owing to delays in arrival of steamers and to general scarcity of tonnage, contract requirements are only moderate, and outside enquiry remains quiet. Notwithstanding restricted output, supplies are somewhat in excess of demand, and prices of Lancashire steam coals are again easier, ranging from 17s. to 17s. 6d. f.o.b. In the coastwise and cross-Channel trade shipments are somewhat heavier than they have been for the last few weeks. As regards slacks, as consumers gradually get on to a winter consumption the scarcity of this commodity becomes more marked. 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 L'st week's prices. I prices. 20/9 20/9 22/ -23/ 22/ -23/ 19/ 19/ 20/ 20/ 16/9-17/ 16/9-17/ 18/ -18/6 18/ -18/6 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ 17/6-18/ 17/6-18/6 14/ 14/ 12/6 12/6 10/ 10/ Last year's prices. 17/ 16/6-16/9 15/3 14/6-15/ 13/ 13/3-13/9 11/6-12/ 12/ -12/9 9/9 9/ , 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 good demand, and furnace coal meets with fair enquiry. Shipping coal is steady. In slack the supply is not meeting the demand. 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/ -20/3 17/ -17/3 16/ -17/ 19/ -21/ 14/ 11/ -12/ jL'st week's ; prices. ! 21/ -22/ ■ 19/ -20/3 I 17/ -17/3 ! 16/ -17/ i 19/ -21/ i 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 was a good quantity of business going through in Manchester on Tuesday last. Pig iron is decidedly weaker, with no improvement in the foundry trade. Purchases of forge iron are very small. Forges themselves are very busy, mostly on steel. American billets are coming forward at very low prices. The forges are busy rolling these down into bars and other material. The associated price of iron bars is still <£11 10s., with iron hoops at £14 2s. 6d., and steel £13 17s. 6d. The steel works are very busy, chiefly on Government work, with no alteration in prices—£11 15s. to £12 for bars, and £9 10s. for soft billets. Engineers are very busy, mostly on munitions. Works are more or less under Government control, and very little outside work is allowed to be done. Foundries are rather slack. Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Leeds. COAL. There was a fairly large attendance of traders at Tuesday's gathering on the Yorkshire Coal Exchange, which was the last market of the current quarter, and the demand for prompt parcels of house and gas coal was active. The attendance again included a fair number of Hull shippers, as well as a few representatives of the London coal trade. Continued steady work at the pits was reported by colliery representatives, with an output which, under the circumstances, must be regarded as satisfactory, but would have been much better had it not been for difficulties connected with the supply of trucks. Railway trucks in particular have been exceedingly difficult to get hold of, so many being in use for Government purposes. In addition, delays to trucks on both the outward and homeward journeys are increasing, and this threatens to be a constant difficulty all through the coming winter. London merchants have been very pressing in their demands for full deliveries of contract coal, as many of the contracts go up by Is. a ton to-morrow (Friday). Contracts are being revised in accordance with the terms of the Price of Coal (Limitatisn) Act, and in many cases the result is a reduction in the pit price equal to Is. a ton on the whole contract from November 1. There is rather more doing in the coastwise trade, as the supply of tonnage, especially at Goole, has been more regular. Freights are still high, boats of from 500 to 800 tons capacity being strongly held at about 10s. a ton, Goole to the south coast. A number of sales of Silkstone best house coal have been reported this Current pit prices. House coal:— Prices at pit (London) : I Haigh Moor selected ...l Wallsend & London best| Silkstone best .......| Do. house ..........i House nuts ........... Prices f.o.b. Hull:— ! Haigh Moor best....... Silkstone best ....... Do. house .......... Other qualities....... Gas coal:— Prices at pit: Screened gas coal.....j Gas nuts.............. Unscreened gas coal ... Other sorts:— Prices at pit: Washed nuts...........i Large double-screened! engine nuts .......... Small nuts............ Rough unscreened engine coal........... Best rough slacks...1 Small do. ............I Coking smalls ......[ Coke:— Current prices. 20/ -21/ 19/ —20/ 18/6—19/6 16/6—17/6 16/ -17/ 21/6-22/6 20/6-21/6 18/6-19/ 17/6-18/6 L st weelrs Last year's prices. 19/6-20/6 j 18/6-19/6 I 18/ "19/ 16/6-17/6 16/ -16/6 j 21/ -22/ 20/ -21/ 18/6-19/ 17/6-18/ prices. 14/6 13/6-14/ 13/ -13/6 12/ -12/6 11/ -11/6 17/ -18/ 15/6-16/6 14/ -14/6 13/ -13/6 15/ -16/ 15/ —15/6 13/6—14/6 15/ -16/ 14/6-15/6 13/ -14/ 10/6-11/ 9/6-10/3 9/3- 9/9 16/ -16/6 i 10/6-11/3 14/6-15/6 13/6-14/6 13/ -14/ 12/ -13/ 9/6-10/6 9/6-10/6 9/3- 9/9 9/ - 9/6 9/3—9/9 7/3- 8/3 6/ - 7/3 6/3- 7/6 15/6-16/ [12/6-13/6 16/ -16/6 14/6-15/6 13/6-14/6 13/ -14/ 11/9—12/6 10/ -10/6 9/6-10/6 Price at ovens: , Furnace coke ........| 15/ -16/