938 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. November 5, 1915. the prompt market, being able to ship any surplus to France, where the need for gas coal is increasingly urgent. This busi- ness offers higher prices than rule for inland sales. In regard to manufacturing fuel, firms in the Bradford district are seriously taxed to get sufficient coal to ensure con- tinuous running. In order to keep works engaged on Government contracts supplied, influence has been brought to bear from high quarters on some of the pits, and other works are in consequence adversely affected. In the open market scarcely a truck of washed singles or doubles is obtainable. Coking smalls are distinctly dearer on the week, in sympathy with the marked change in the position of washed furnace coke, which has taken a sharp upward turn, as a result of the urgency of the needs of French works. On account of the freedom for export to France, many of the local iron and steel works have been short of supplies, and prices are considerably higher. Sales of average samples of washed furnace coke are now effected in the neighbourhood of 20s. at the ovens, compared with 15s. a month ago, and for export quotations may be noted this week as high as 26s. f.o.b. Hull, Barnsley. COAL. There has been no material change in the position during the week and collieries are working at high tension to supply the contract deliveries, whilst the question of new business is almost negligible. The continued activity in regard to recruiting has been seriously felt in the colliery districts, and whilst coal owners are anxious to appreciate the spirit of loyalty which the mining classes are showing, they are seriously apprehensive as to what the result may be in regard to the carrying on of business. Quite a con- siderable number have left to join the services during the week, and is a serious addition to the already largely- reduced number of workers, owing to previous enlistment which exists at many collieries. It is thought that perhaps some decision may be given at headquarters to prevent further recruiting amongst the miners, having regard to the fact that Government orders and supplies are needed -in other directions to assist in the country’s service. At many collieries the precaution has been taken to include a clause in contracts that the supplies will be reduced in proportion as the output may be affected, but this does not greatly assist consumers in their present difficulty, owing to the fact that there is practically no surplus fuel to be obtained on the market. To facilitate matters, many collieries have also requested their customers to only send the required number of wagons, in accordance with the reduced tonnage available as notified to them. For the moment, possibly the supply of house coal is more materially affected, and, of course, it is not difficult to foresee what trouble will ensue in the event of the more severe weather that may be experienced. In regard to all qualities of steam fuel, the home demand appears to be growing even more stronger, and so far as the export trade is concerned this is not so material a feature as was the case a short time ago. The enquiry on behalf of France continues to be fairly brisk, but in other respects business is not unduly pushed. The railway companies continue to take very heavy deliveries on contract account, and are still seeking to obtain as much tonnage in satisfaction of their contract arrangements as they possibly can. Values are, of course, unaltered and remain firm. A heavy demand for steam nuts for home purposes still prevails, and the arranged deliveries for this class of fuel cannot easily be given. The more active enquiry for slacks is well maintained, best qualities being more scarce than a week ago, whilst secondary descriptions are more largely required for the production of coke. Con- sumers of gas coal are also finding a difficulty in obtaining the deliveries arranged for, and stocks at some of the works are below the average, and a good deal of anxiety is pre- vailing lest the arranged deliveries do not come regularly to hand. With respect to house coal, although there has been no material alteration in the demand, new business is still only accepted subject to delayed deliveries, and prices remain as quoted last week. The expected improvement in regard to coke has been experienced, and there still continues to be a keen enquiry for prompt deliveries and also to fix up contracts. Values have now advanced something like 20s. per ton, and makers still prefer to rely upon the open market rather than commit themselves for considerable periods forward. Prices at pit. Current L’st week’slLast year’s House coals:— prices. prices. ’ prices. Best Silkstone 20/ -22/ 18/6 16/6-17/6 20/ -22/ . 16/6 Best Barnsley softs 18/6 ' 16/ • Secondary do 16/6-17/6 13/ -14/6 Best house nuts 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ 12/9-13/ Secondary do. Steam coals:— 15/6-16/ 15/6-16/ 10/9-11/ Best hard coals. 17/6 17/ -17/6 11/3-11/6 Secondary do 16/6 16/ -16/3 i10/3-10/6 Best washed nuts 16/3-16/6 16/ -16/6 10/6 Secondary do 15/9-16/ 15/6-15/9 9/6- 9/9 Best slack 12/6-13/ 12/6-13/ 6/9 Secondary do Gas coals:— | 10/6 10/6 i 5/6- 5/9 Screened gas coals 16/6-17/ 16/6-17/ 10/6-11/ Unscreened do 15/6-16/ 15/6-16/6 10/ Gas nuts 16/ -16/6 16/ -16/6 10/ -10/6 Furnace coke 19/ -20/ 17/6-18/ 10/6-11/3 Hull. COAL. There is little of interest to report in the Humber coal trade this week. The export demand on spot is only slight, and is being satisfied by local contractors, collieries having no surplus to offer for prompt or nearly prompt shipment. The steady home demand for steam coal give firmness to the market, and values are pretty much the same as a week ago, best South Yorkshire hards commanding 19s. 6d. to 20s., with Is. to Is. 6d. more for prime brands. Nuts are scarce, and are quoted:—Washed doubles 18s. 6d. to 19s. 6d., washed singles 18s. to 18s. 6d., washed smalls 13s. 6d. to 14s. West Riding Hartleys are unchanged at 18s. to 18s. 6d., rough slack steady at 13s. 6d. to 14s. and less, and house screened sorts 19s. to 20s., according to quality. Derbyshire steam hards are lifeless so far as export is concerned, and are quoted nominally 19s. to 19s. 6d. at Grimsby or Imming- ham. During the past few days shipments at the docks have been greatly interfered with by fog preventing arrival of steamers, but there is now some improvement. Shipping tonnage is, however, scarce, and owners are now asking 20s. for handy-sized steamers for Rouen, and 19s. other French ports. Steamers are hard to get for the Mediterranean, for which trade several are needed, and about 48s. Hull to Genoa is the nominal figure. Chesterfield. COAL. A large business continues to be done in every class of coal, for which the demand is undoubtedly greater than ever. Orders for house coal arrive in considerable numbers, and much delay in the execution of these is inevitable, owing to the shortage of coal. Fuel for munition works is urgently wanted, and the best efforts of all collieries are made in the direction of keeping such concerns fully supplied. There is a great call for cobbles and nuts for gas producers in connection with steelmaking. A strong demand is experienced for slack for boiler firing, but it is impossible to satisfy with anything like promptitude the requirements of the market generally. Railway companies are pressing for increased supplies of steam coal for loco- motive use, but they experience much difficulty in obtaining all the coal which they require. The export trade remains in a quiet condition, owing to the difficulty in obtaining the necessary licences from the War Trade Committee. Matters are made worse by the great increase in the rates of freight and the scarcity of shipping tonnage. Prices are, however, maintaining their firmness, and 19s. per ton delivered at Grimsby is readily obtainable for the best brands of Derbyshire Top Hards, but buyers find it increasingly difficult to secure supplies. There is a strong demand for washed nuts for inland consumption, as well as for shipment. Large nuts are also enquired for, and some good shipments of this class of fuel are made to France. There is a marked improvement in the coke industry, both in respect of demand and prices. The tone of the market is more hopeful than it has been for some time past. Coking fuel continues scarce. Prices at pit. Current L’st week’s Last year’s prices. i prices. prices. Best house coals 17/ ! 17/ Secondary do 16/6 16/6 — Cobbles 16/ ! 16/ — Nuts 15/ 15/ - - Slack 12/6 | I2/6 — IRON. There is no improvement to be recorded in respect of pig iron, for which the demand is on a small scale, and prices are weak. Finished iron, however, is in great requisition, and orders are abundant. The whole of the plant of the district is working up to its full capacity. Nottingham. COAL. There is marked activity in the coal trade of Nottingham- shire. The colder weather has had a stimulating effect in nearly every branch, and, with most collieries having been cleared of any surplus stock, the output is barely sufficient to meet all requirements, with the result that in some cases there is delay in delivery. So far as the house fuel branch is concerned, every quality is meeting with a ready sale, but the sorts most in request are bests and good seconds. Fog during the past week hampered the railways somewhat in the transit of coal, but the situation was relieved to some extent by merchants having previously secured good supplies. At local landsale depots a good business is being done. In the steam fuel section the tone is brisk. The home demand is being maintained at a very satisfactory level, and the same may be said in regard to the export trade, considering the restrictions imposed thereon. Prices in this branch are firm. The improvement noted in the slack market a week ago has been more than maintained, and the reserve supplies are already being drawn upon, Gas coal is in good request, and coke is selling better than for some time past. Prices at pithead. Hand-picked brights Good house coals Secondary do Best hard coals Secondary do Slacks (best hards) Do. (second) Do. (soft) Current (L’stweek’s prices. prices. 18/ -19/ 18/ -19/ 16/6-17/ 16/6-17/ 15/6-16/ 15/6—16/ 16/6-17/6 16/6-17/6 15/ -16/ 15/ -16/ 11/9-12/6 j 11/9-12/6 10/9-11/ j 10/9-11/ 11/ 1 11/ Last year’s prices. Leicestershire. COAL. It is a most remarkable circumstance, without precedent in the coal trade, that at a period of intense activity, when the demand is far in excess of the available supplies, and when there are no stocks of any kind at the pits, that prices should be reduced all round. From the 1st of this Best household coal .... Second, hand picked .... Deep screened cobbles ... Deep large nuts ........ Bakers’ nuts............ Small nuts.............. Deep breeze ............ Peas ................... Small dust ............. Main nuts for London Current prices. 16/6-17/6 15/6—16/6 14/6-15/ 14/ -15/ 13/6-14/ 12/6-13/ 13/ —13/6 11/ -12/ 5/ ~ 6/ L’st week’s prices. 17/6-18/6 16/6-17/6 15/6-16/ 15/ -16/ 14/6-15/ 13/ -13/6 13/6-14/ 11/3-12/3 5/ - 6/ Last year's prices. 13/6-14/6 12/6-13/6 12/3-13/3 12/ -12/9 11/6-12/6 10/ -10/6 9/ - 9/3 7/9- 8/6 1/6- 1/9 13/9-14/9 14/ -15/ 12/6-13/6 13/9-14/9 12/6-13/6 14/9-15/9 14/6-15/6 13/ -14/ 14/9—15/9 13/ -14/ kitcheners............. Steams, best hand picked Steams, seconds ......... Main cobbles for kitcheners Main breeze.............. 9/ -10/6 8/6- 9/3 10/ -10/6 8/ - 8/6 month the quotations for all household coals have been reduced by Is. per ton, and other varieties from 6d. to Is. per ton at the pits in this district. This is in accordance with the provisions of the Price of Coal (Limitation) Act. The reduction, however, is most welcome to coal merchants, as it will enable them to meet the heavy expenses incurred in the distribution and delivery of coal when labour is very scarce and the cost of horse keep is exceptionally dear. Another factor in the complicated problem is the fact that the percentage in the cost of haulage is increased when the suspension of deliveries from the pits involves one or two days’ idleness per week for both men and horses. There is a great influx of orders for all classes of coal, and the strain in dealing with them is very great on account of the depleted staffs available at the collieries. The difficulties have been increased by the prevalence of very dense fogs, which have greatly hindered the transport on the railways. The full wagons have taken longer periods to deliver, clear and return to the colliery sidings. This has interfered with the supply of empty railway-owned wagons, with the result that coal merchants who are dependent upon this source of supply have been placed at a great disadvantage. On the other hand, coal merchants who own rolling stock have been placed in a more favoured position than ever. These privately-owned wagons have also enabled the collieries to continue working when otherwise the pits would have to suspend working. The whole of the output is absorbed day by day, and it is most satisfactory to state that the aggregate output is maintained at a comparatively high level. The demand for manufacturing fuel has never been so great, and in order to meet the pressure to secure supplies for highly important requirements large quantities of cobbles and large nuts have to be transferred from their ordinary channels. The quotations given at foot of previous column are subject to special modifications, which are now generally in force at the collieries in this district. South Staffordshire, North Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Birmingham. COAL. It was hoped that by the beginning of November con- ditions in the coal trade would have so adjusted themselves that it would have been possible to give a list of prices. So far, however, price lists have not been issued, except in one or two isolated cases, and no reliable quotations are obtainable. They are subject to the conditions prevailing at the moment. Meantime production appears to be far below the general requirements, and to this has to be added the difficulties occasioned by delays on the railways, trans- port and insufficient staffs. The first touch of frost brought a lot of people into the market—“ the thoughtless ones,” one merchant described them, who neglected to lay in stocks in September. The demand is certainly not so great as it was then, but most people have more to do than they can comfort- ably overtake. Similarly, for works fuel, every ton is rapidly taken up, and some few lots have recently found their way into this district from Monmouthshire. Now that electric and other works are using larger quantities, slacks have gone scarce, and altogether the position in the coal trade is one of great anxiety. IRON. The market developed a strong tone, reports from practi- cally all quarters disclosing a continuance of unabated activity in the iron and steel industries of the district. There is more work on hand than can be executed this year, and bookings are in progress which will run through next quarter. With the bulk of the establishments under Government control, ordinary customers can only obtain supplies by consent, and are buying where they can. For the moment interest centres largely in steel. Makers continue to add a large accumulation of Government orders, and the requirements of the British and French Governments for shell steel are such that in this district, as in other parts of the country, there is little output over. The great difficulty is to obtain supplies of bars and billets. Quota- tions all round have recently been sharply advanced, and the range is unusually wide, being for billets anything from <£8 15s. to <£9 10s. Some odd lots of American billets are obtainable at prices pretty much the same as those for English material. The official quotations for sections and joists are unaltered, but, of course, substantial premiums are demanded. Spiegel has risen by 10s. a ton to .£8. In , the bar iron section conditions remain substantially the same as last week. While the <£12 10s. standard for marked iron is maintained, most makers are able to get a premium on that figure ; for unmarked qualities <£11 17s. 6d. is the general level, the cases being rare where <£11 15s. is accepted; nut and bolt iron is <£11 2s. 6d. and <£11 5s. respectively, delivered Darlas ton and Wednesbury ; and three-eighths iron rounds are about <£12 7s. 6d. The galvanised sheet branch continues better. Leading houses hold out for <£20 a ton, but supplies can be obtained at about £1 less. Black corrugated sheets are quoted <£12 5s. to <£12 10s. Several sheet mills have recently been put out of production by reason of the shortage of labour, coupled with the difficulty of obtaining material and fuel. Pig iron shows more activity, and consumers offer contracts for longer periods than recently. Makers are able to command better terms. Northamptonshire forge runs from 65s. 6d. to 68s. 6d. for best sorts, Derbyshire 71s. at stations, Staffordshire common 66s., and part-mine 68s. to 70s. Copper sheets are now <£107 a ton, representing a rise of £4 on the week. There are few export orders about, and little business outside Government requirements. forest of Dean. Lydney. COAL. The house coal trade of this district is manifesting a stronger tone as the winter season approaches. Already the collieries have more business on hand than they can accommodate; full time is worked by each pit, and there are no stocks of any description to be noticed—excepting slacks, which show a tendency to hang just now. Good shipments have been made since last writing, whilst orders from the inland buyers are very plentiful. Steam qualities are in better request, and all the collieries are fully engaged ; there are no stocks.