786 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN- October 15, 1915. maintained. Large, especially Red Vein, is scarce, whilst the machine-made kinds are easily disposed of at good figures. The steam coal market is in a very bad state, and many pits are idle half time. Prices are so very low that it is doubtful whether collieries are paying their way. Bunkers have been sold at prices which were ruling previous to the war. This week’s quotations approximately are:— Prices f.o.b. Anthracite:— Best malting large... Secondary do......... Big Vein large....... Red Vein do.......... Machine-made cobbles... German nuts.......... French do............ Paris do............. Machine-made beans ... Do. peas......... Culm ................ Duff................. Other sorts:— Large steam coal..... Through-and-through... Small ............... Bituminous small coal... Current L’st week’s; Last year’s prices. ! prices. I prices. 32/6-34/ 1 32/ -34/ ■ 21/ -23/ 31/ -33/ 30/ -32/ I 19/ -21/ 33/ -35/ : 32/ -34/ i 17/ -19/ 26/ -28/ 25/ -27/ j 13/6-14/ 40/ -42/ 40/ -42/ / 20/ -22/ 41/ -43/ 40/ -42/ < 22/ -23/ 42/6-45/ 43/ -46/ i 22/ -24/ 40/ —42/ 40/ -42/ ' 22/ -24/ 30/ -32/ 30/ -32/ , 20/6-22/6' 18/ -19/6 18/6-19/6 1 13/6-14/6 8/6-11/6 8/6-11/6 ! 5/ - 5/6 3/6- 4/6 ' 4/6- 5/ i 3/9- 5/6 22/ -24/ ! 26/ -28/ ! 16/ -18/ 14/ -16/ 14/ -16/ I 10/ -10/6 8/ -10/ 9/6-11/6 8/6— 9/6 16/ -18/ 18/ -20/ 11/ -11/6 Swansea. COAL. There was no improvement in the trade of the port last week. The coal and patent fuel trades were inactive, the shipments together amounting to 79,786 tons. A capital attendance assembled on ’Change, and the anthracite coal market displayed a very firm tone. Swansea Valley and Red Vein large are in excellent request, with last values fully upheld. Machine-made nuts and cobbles are also very strongly held, but rubbly culm and duff remain very weak. In the steam coal market there is no improvement, this department closing easy. Prices are all net f.o.b. (cash in 30 days). Current L’st week’s Last year’s Anthracite:— prices. prices. prices. Best malting large (hand picked) 34/6-35/ 34/6-35/ 21/6-24/6 Secondary do. 32/ -34/ 32/ -34/ 17/6-19/6 Big Vein large 34/6-35/6 33/6-35/ 18/6-19/6 Red Vein large 27/6-28/6 26/6-27/6 12/6-14/6 Machine-made cobbles 41/ -43/ 40/6-43/6 20/ -23/ Paris nuts . French do 43/ -45/ 42/6-45/6 21/6-24/6 Stove do 41/ -44/ 41/ -44/ 22/ -23/6 Beans 31/ -33/6 30/ -32/6 18/6-19/6 Machine - made large peas 18/6-19/6 18/6-19/6 12/ -13/ Do. fine peas — — — Rubbly culm 9/ -10/ 10/ -10/6 4/ - 4/6 Duff 3/6- 4/ 4/6- 5/ 3/ - 3/6 Steam coals:— Best large 21/6-24/6 : 25/ -27/6 18/9-21/6 Seconds 17/ -19/ i22/ -23/ 14/9-15/6 Bunkers 14/ -15/6 ‘15/ -17/ 10/3-11/ Small 7/ - 9/ 9/ -11/6 __________________________ 5/6- 8/6 Bituminous coals:— No. 3 Rhondda— Large 23/ -26/ 23/ -26/6 17/6-18/6 Thro’-and-thro’ Small 16/ -17/ 17/ -18/ 10/6-10/9 Patent fuel 27/ -28/ 28/ -29/ 16/ -16/6 IRON. At the blast furnaces the production for the week was heavier, activity being the feature at the steelworks. The tin-plate works were more actively engaged than in the previous weeks. The shipments of tin-plates were 85,467 boxes, receipts from works 61,156 boxes, and stocks in the dock warehouses and vans 307,028 boxes. There was no material alteration in the state of the steel trade, all works were running smoothly, and there was a splendid call for bars. The metal extraction works showed slight altera- tion, the iron and brass foundries, engineering and fitting shops all working overtime. _____________________________ THE TIM-PLATE TRADE. Liverpool. Prices ®re firmer on the week. There has been more enquiry for both home and export, and most works are now booked up comfortably for the rest of this year; 17s. 6d. and 17s. 7|d. has been freely paid for the basis size, and 18s. for odd sizes. The further increase in cost of production has forced makers to stand firmly to their quotations, which may now be called :—Coke tins : IC 14 x 20 (112 sh. 1081b.), 17s. 9d. to 17s. 10|d. per box; I C 28 X 20 (112 sh. 2161b.), 35s. fid. to 35s. 9d.; IC 14 x 18f (124 sh. 1101b.), 18s. to 18s. 3d.; IC 20 x 10 (225 sh. 1561b.), 25s. 9d. to 26s. 3d.; I C squares and odd sizes, 18s. to 18s. 3d. basis for approved specifications. Charcoals are in quiet demand, and are quoted 19s. 9d. for basis box and upwards according to tinning, f.o.b. Wales. Coke wasters are meeting with a better enquiry all round. Quotations : C W 14 x 20, 16s. 6d. to 16s. 9d. per box; CW 28 x 20, 33s. 9d. to 34s.; CW 30 x 21, 39s. 6d. to 39s. 9d.; CW 20 x 10, 23s. 9d. to 24s. 3d.; CW 14 x 18f, 17s. 3d. to 17s. fid.; all f.o.b. Wales, less 4 per cent. _________________________________ The Panama Canal has once more been closed owing to serious landslides, and ol. Goethals announces that the canal will not be reopened until a permanent channel has been cut through the slide zone, even if the work requires the remainder of the year. Partnerships Dissolved.—The London Gazette announces the dissolution of the following partnerships :—S. C. Birks, J. Yates, and L. A. Whitham, iron and brass founders, Livesey-street Foundry, Padiham, Lancaster, under the style of Yates, Whitham, and Birks, so far as regards S. C. Birks; A. Jennings and T. E. B. Chalmers, engineers, motor car and cycle car manufacturers and dealers, at Albert Works, Scholefield-street, Birmingham, under the style of the Jennings-Chalmers Light Car Company. THE LONDON COAL TRADE. Thursday, October 14. ______________ _________ The London coal trade for the past week has been very brisk, especially in the wholesale market. The depots report a quieter delivery trade, primarily owing to the warmer weather, but the merchants generally show no symptoms of lessening their eagerness to buy up whatever coal is available for prompt delivery. The back orders are getting clear, and with the small amount of free coal offer- ing there is a strong demand to replenish the stock when- ever it has been depleted. The pressure for Derby brights continues, notwithstanding the advance of last week. The difficulty of securing sufficient horses and men for the delivery of the coal is still very pronounced, and in many cases stations are congested with loaded wagons, not because of any great falling off in the demand, but from their inability to find labour sufficient to unload the wagons promptly, and return them. This is most acute at barging stations, where the limited number of barges and craft generally on the river has completely blocked the dock sidings for many weeks past, and the railway companies are only allowing consignments to come forward as they are assured of the barges being in readiness to receive the contents of the trucks. The deputation from the Coal Merchants’ Society is waiting upon the President of the Board of Trade this week to confirm the advance in the public prices settled last week. The difficulty is that all winter contract rates advanced from 6d. to Is. per ton on October 1 in the pit prices, and until last week summer delivery prices were in force. With the advent of October 29, the three months provided by the new Bill will elapse, and in nearly every case a reduction will be made to the coal merchants by the various colliery companies, so the main point for discussion at the Board of Trade offices is the position in which mer- chants stand as regards the public prices from November 1. All the principal merchants are agreed that the cost for delivery has been materially increased during the past few months, and the scarcity of labour makes it all the more pointed now the winter is approaching. The seaborne market is quiet, and the enquiry is only moderate. So little, however, is available for the open market that no quota- tions are given; 27 contract cargoes entered the Thames for Monday’s market, and 8 for Wednesday. Manufactur- ing qualities are firm, but the supply is short. Yorkshire best hards have been quoted rather more freely, but the price is still 16s. 6d. to 17s. 6d. per ton at pit. Cardiff enquiries have been very quiet. The best Admiralties are still absorbed by the Government, but second qualities are offering at 20s. 6d. to 21s. per ton f.o.b. The Humber coal exports for last month show a very irregular distribution. Hull and Goole are particularly satisfactory, but the others show a considerable falling off, particularly in the case of Imtningham. The London and coast shipments in September for all the Humber ports amounted to 113,439 tons, as against 174,144 tons in September 1914. Goole sent 59,685 tons, and Hull 44,213 tons. The freight market continues to move upward, and all the ports are doing a fair business at very firm rates. Newcastle reports a fixture for London at 9s. 4|d., and from Goole at 9s. 9d. The market is reported steady, but business is very irregular. The bulk of the fixtures have been for Northern France ports, and range from 16s. 6d. to 16s. 9d., with 17s. to 18s. for Rouen. From Messrs. Dinham, Fawcus and Co.’s Report. Friday, October 8.—There was a fair amount of enquiry for seaborne house coal at to-day’s market, but no cargoes were on offer. Cargoes, 32. Monday, October 11.—There was a good enquiry for sea- borne house coal at to-day’s market, but no cargoes pressing for sale. Cargoes, 27. Wednesday, October 13.—The seaborne house coal market was steady, with no available cargoes offering. Cargoes, 8. __________________ THE BY-PRODUCTS TRADE. Tar Products.—There are signs of weakness in the market as far as pitch and tar are concerned, but otherwise there is little change to note. The other side of the market is repre- sented by benzol, which is slightly dearer in the North for 50/90’s. Nearest values are:— Rise(+)or fall (-)on the week. Benzols, 90’s ..................... 1/OJ—1/1 ... — ,, 90’s North ............... /11J—1/ ... +/04 ............... ,, , 50’s ,, .............. 1/4 ... — Toluol ............................ 272—2/4 ... — Carbolic acid, crude (60 per cent.)... 3/5—3/6 ... — ,, crystals (40 per cent.) 1/4—1/6 ... — Solvent naphtha, south (90% at 190 degs.), as in quality and package... 2/1—2/2 ... — Solvent naphtha, north (90% at 190 degs.), as in quality and package... 2/1—2/2 ... — Crude naphtha, north (in bulk) .... /6—/6| ... — Creosote (for ordinary qualities) .... /3 ... — Pitch (f.o.b. east coast) .......... 20/—21/ ... —1/ ,, (f.a.s. west coast) .......... 19/—20/ ... —1/ Tar (per ton ex works) ............. 20/3—24/3 ... —1/ [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 satisfactory, and everything points to firmer prices in the autumn. Strenuous efforts are being made by the would-be buyers to depreciate the market, but the statistical position and foreign demand are too strong to be materially affected by any such flash in the pan methods. Spot values in some cases are higher than week. Closing prompt London (ordinary makes) .... Beckton (25 per cent.) ...... Liverpool .................. Hull ....................... Middlesbrough ............. Scotch ports ................ W ales ..................... Nitrate of soda (ord.) per cwt. are :— Rise ( + ) or fall (—) on the week. £14/17/6 ... — J613/15 ... — £14/12/6—£14/15 ... +2/6 £14/10 ... +2/6 £14/12/6 ... — 14/17/6—£15 ... — £14/10 ... -2/6 13/6 ... +/11 [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. A deal in sulphate of ammonia which is of considerable interest has recently been recorded. Messrs. Brunner, Mond and Company Limited, of Northwich, require sulphate of ammonia for products they are supplying to the Govern- ment. The Gas Committee of the Salford Corporation have agreed to sell their make of sulphate of ammonia to Brunner Mond as long as they require it for these particular manu- factured products. The terms are these. The average price of single bagged sulphate f.o.b. Liverpool is to be taken as the basis of prices, this average to be determined by the certificate of a leading firm of sulphate of ammonia brokers in Liverpool, subject to the usual 2J per cent, discount. In addition to this there is to be a further adjustment of prices to the extent of 8s. per ton on the monthly deliveries, based on the, average monthly value for each particular month. This sounds rather involved, and it will be very interesting to see what the difference will be between the average weekly price and the average for the month. Seeing that a limitation to 8s. per ton is specified, presumably it is expected that this sum will cover the variations, or else the idea is to “ hedge ” against wider differences. Bacterised peat has again been to the fore, as it was the subject of an address by Prof. W. B. Bottomley at the Royal Botanical Gardens, when samples of produce grown with the aid of the latest fertiliser were exhibited. Though there was doubtless cause for the strictures passed upon the criticisms of an evening contemporary concerning the shipment of fuming sulphuric acid from America, still, in the long run the official reply of the Committee of Supply for Munitions does not answer the real casus belli. What is more unsatisfactory still, is the answers given to questions in Parliament. In the absence of a denial, it is difficult to avoid the assumption that there has been a serious and avoidable waste of public money through the ignorance or laxity of some responsible parties, which it is desired to hush up. If the Government preach economy, it ought to be able to give definite answers to questions concerning the expenditure of the public money that the public is coerced to find by enforced economies. In the Swansea district, vitriol plants are said to be in full swing, and Government needs are having priority. Is this for oleum (or fuming sulphuric acid), are not we still going to the United States for supplies? It is interesting to learn that extensive deposits of phos- phate of lime have been proved in the Canadian Far West, near Banff. The area and nature of the deposits are to be worked out by the Canadian Mine Department. According to a recent report on the Chilean nitrate industry, Germany used to take 70 per cent, of the total output. In the districts of Antofagasta and Atacama there are at present 29 German vessels, with a tonnage of 64,220 tons, held up in the harbours, and forbidden to move. The returns for the week have been :—Pitch, 210 tons and £1,070. Tar, 32,200 gals., 20 tons, and £2,312. Sulphate of ammonia, 5,550 tons, which is an improvement, but this amount does not include a single shipment to the United States. ____________________________________________________________ THE IRISH COAL TRADE. Thursday, October 14. Dublin. The tendency is still towards improvement in the coal trade, and there is no further change in prices, which are as follow :—Best Orrell coal, 35s. per ton; Yorkshire brights, 34s.; best Wigan, 33s.; best Whitehaven, 33s.; best kitchen, 31s.; best Scotch steam coal, 30s.; all less Is. per ton discount for cash; best gas coke, 34s. per ton. Pit mouth prices of Irish coal at Wolf hill Collieries, Queen’s County, are :—Best large coal, 30s. per ton; best household coal, 28s. 4d. per ton; culm, all prices from 3s. 4d. per ton. Pit prices for Kilkenny (Castlecomer) coal, outside of con- tract prices, are as follow :—Best small coal, 23s. 4d. per ton; best large, 21s. 8d.; second quality, 20s.; bottom coal, 16s. 8d.; breakage, 11s. 8d.; culm, 5s. to 8s. 6d. There is a good import trade, the coal vessels arriving in this port during the past week amounting to 59, as compared with 48 the week previously, chiefly from Ardrossan, Partington, Liverpool, Swansea, Troon, Ayr, Garston, Newport, Point of Aire, Preston, Cardiff, Whitehaven, Glasgow, Llanelly, and. Irvine. The total quantity of coal discharged upon the quays was 24,190 tons, as against 20,000 tons the previous week. Belfast. There is not much change so far in the port, and coals have not yet been advanced in price. Locally there has been a rather better demand, but country business is some- what slow, consequently good stocks are still held in the inland districts. Prices of household coals are as follow :— Best Arley house coal, 36s. per ton; Orrell nuts, 35s.; Scotch house coal, 32s.; Orrell slack, 32s. per ton delivered. Prices of steam coals are subject to alteration from day to day. The following are the approximate quotations for steam coals and coke :—Ordinary Scotch steam coal, 24s. to 25s. per ton; Scotch navigation, 26s. to 27s. per ton; best Welsh steam, 38s. to 40s.; best gas coke, 30s. to 32s. per ton; best foundry coke, 40s. to 42s. 6d. per ton. From September 19 to October 2 the total number of coal laden vessels entering the harbour was 105. Colliers arriving during the past week were chiefly from Girvan, Troon, Ayr, Glasgow, Garston, Ellesmere Port, Ardrossan, Partington, Irvine, Preston, Maryport, Birkenhead, Workington, Silloth, Briton Ferry, Cardiff, and Neath Abbey. ___________________________ Railway Wagon Pooling Proposal.—An important meeting of the Coal Mining Organisation Committee was held on Thursday at the Home Office, under the presidency of Sir Richard Redmayne. Much of the discussion revolved around a proposal for pooling all railway goods trucks, Although it is generally assumed that the railways are under Government control, the fact is that transport of merchandise and minerals for private persons is a matter for each individual company. It is admitted that considerable time -is wasted in goods shunting, particularly when coal wagons belonging to perhaps half-a-dozen merchants have to be dealt with, but nevertheless much opposition has been shown to the proposal for pooling. It is suggested by the sup- porters of the proposal that its adoption would not only result in the saving of labour, but that goods transportation would be facilitated, and the cost of carriage proportionately reduced. So strongly did this view -appeal to the Coal Organisation Committee yesterday that the meeting was adjourned in order, it is understood, that an opportunity should be afforded for meeting the railway managers and placing the scheme before them.