/December 10, 1915. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN 1193 were available. Export needs are on the increase, and Irish merchants, who are said to be running short of coal, are practically taking all the supplies they can secure. At present there is an extraordinary demand, both for manu- facturing and house coal, from Belfast, Cork and other Irish ports, and any amount of coal could be shipped, but, as things are, consumers cannot possibly obtain the supplies they need owing to the scarcity of tonnage. All the collieries in the county are working on an average of six days a week. Quotations for export coal and coal at the pit are unaltered, but there has been a slight reduction in gas coal on contract, and a reduction of 2d. per ton on landsale in those districts which are affected by the Price of Coal (Limitation) Act. Best sorts at the pit are quoted at 23s. 4d. per ton, and best Cumberland coal, free on board at Maryport, is quoted at 19s. 6d. per ton. Bunkers are in very strong demand at from 17s. to 17s. 6d. per ton. During the week 13 vessels have sailed from Maryport with coals all for Irish ports, and the shipments have amounted to 3,675 tons, an increase of 600 tons compared with the previous week. The tonnage for November has amounted to 14,765 tons, compared with 20,890 tons for October. Coke makers are very busy, and the whole of the production is going to the local blastfurnaces. At Maryport, best house 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 Workington, best Buckhill 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 19/3 18/3 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 12/6-13/ 15/ 14/ IRON. There is continued firmness in the haematite iron trade, and values are again higher. Makers are exceedingly busy in every branch of the industry, and the production, more particularly of low-phosphorus iron, is now very large, but when the important developments which are at present in progress at Barrow and Workington are completed, the output of both iron and steel will be much larger. Require- ments of special brands of iron for the use of high-class steel makers are still on the increase, and the demand for both ordinary and special iron is now very much in excess of the supply. Much of the business now offering cannot be accepted. Prices of both ordinary and special iron are very high, and it is not at all improbable that these may be further improved upon in the very near future. Bessemer mixed numbers are quoted at 132s. 6d. per ton f.o.b. at the usual ports, with warrants at cash at 115s. per ton. Throughout the district there are 26 furnaces in blast, two are on ferro-manganese, and the remainder are on special and ordinary iron. There is rather a better demand for rails. Light rails are quoted <£10 15s. to £11 5s. per ton, with heavy sections from £10 5s. to £10 10s. per ton. The iron ore industry in the Cleator Moor and Millom district is in a most flourishing condition. Iron ore is in firm request, and the whole of the mines are briskly employed. Outputs are increasing, but the amount raised is still insufficient to satisfy all requirements. Best ores at the Cumberland mines are quoted at 40s. per ton, and average qualities are from 26s. to 30s. per ton. Spanish ores are quoted at from 26s. to 30s. per ton delivered. South-West Lancashire. COAL. In the inland household trade, although the actual consumption is not above a winter average, there still remains the inability to meet it, owing to the lessened output, and no headway, so far as can be seen, is made with regard to clearing the arrears on the books. Forges and users of screened round coal for manufacturing purposes are clamouring daily for supplies, and it is not easy to meet their full demands. In the coastwise and cross-Channel trade for household coal, more could be shipped if more was available. Then there is the difficulty of finding freightage for it. There is rather more enquiry for bunkering pur- poses, and supplies, if anything are less readily obtainable, though the shortage is minimised through delays and general scarcity of tonnage. Prices continue to harden, and for Lancashire steam coals are anything in the neigh- bourhood of 19s. 6d. to 20s. f.o.b. for the limited quantities 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 22/6-23/ 19/ 20/ 16/9-17/ 19/ 17/ 19/6-20/ 14/6 13/ 12/ L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. 20/9 17/ 22/6-23/ 16/6-16/9 19/ 15/3 20/ -21/ 14/6-15/ 16/9-17/ 13/ 19/ 13/ -13/6 16/ -17/ 11/6-12/ 18/9-19/6 12/ -12/9 14/6 9/3- 9/6 12/6 8/6- 8/9 11/ -11/6 8/ - 8/3 available. The question of finding an adequacy of slack gets more acute each week, and in a number of cases it has been necessary to augment the usual supply with unscreened coal or generally larger-sized fuel to get out the tonnage necessary. South Lancashire and Cheshire. COAL. There was a good attendance on the Manchester Coal Exchange on Tuesday. The position of the markets gene- rally is the same as last week. The demand for house coal is very active as well as furnace coal, and shipping coal continues to meet with good enquiry. With regard to slack there is great pressure for the supplies which are offering, as they are not sufficient to meet the requirements. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). House coal:— Best .............. Medium............. Common............. Furnace coal......... Bunker (f.o.b. Partington) Best slack .......... Common slack ........ Current L’st week’s prices. . prices. 21/ -22/ ; 21/ -22/ 19/ -20/3 ! 19/ -20/3 17/ -17/3 ! 17/ -17/3 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ 19/ -21/ I 19/ -21/ 14/6 i 14/ 12/ -12/6 11/ -12/ Last year’s prices. 17/3-18/ 16/ -16/9 13/3-14/ 12/ 13/ -14/ 9/6-10/ 8/ - 9/ IRON. There was a fair attendance on ’Change. Pig iron No. 3 varied from 77s. 6d. upwards. Everybody is very busy, but it is more or less on war work. Associated makers are now asking £13 for iron bars, and £15 2s. 6d. for hoops, with steel hoops £14 17s. 6d., and are full of work. Steel works’ output is for the Government. There is no fixed price for billets. Wagon works are very busy on repairs, but few orders for new wagons are coming forward. Heavy engineers are busily engaged. Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Leeds. COAL. The market on Tuesday was attended by a large gathering, representative of all sections. The pressure for supplies is unrelieved ; if anything, it is accentuated. It is quite impossible for the collieries to do more, as the entire output is despatched every day. The production is kept below the maximum, however, by the scarcity of trucks, in consequence of which many pits in West Yorkshire have lost time. This week about five full days will have been worked on the .average. At some of the iron and steel works the position in regard to supplies of fuel has reached a serious stage. The London house coal trade is adversely affected by the railway blocks, especially on the Great Eastern Railway. Fortunately the milder weather has brought a little comparative ease to the retail trade, but the outlook for the next few weeks is by no means assuring. Yorkshire best sorts of house coal are still held off the open market, being fully absorbed by contract requirements. In order to cope with the demand, some of the London merchants are purchasing steam coal as substitutes for the lower grades of kitchen coal. With regard to coastwise trade there is an entire absence of fresh business, not because there are no enquiries, but because the collieries, being fully sold, have nothing to offer. Freights continue very high, as much as 14s. per ton, Goole to London. Supplies going coastwise are quite insufficient, and merchants on the south-west coast are having to take supplies of both house and gas coal by rail. Local merchants on the West Riding have full order books, but cannot get sufficient coal, besides being hampered by carting difficulties. Pit prices are unchanged, but more or less nominal:—Haigh Moor selected, 21s. to 22s.; Silkstone best, 19s. to 20s.; Silkstone house, 17s. to 18s.; secondary sorts, 16s. to 17s. The output of the gas coal pits is not equal to the consumption now on the heavy winter scale, and some of the works where exhaustion of reserve stocks is threatened have made representations to the authorities, with the result that official efforts are being made to secure extra supplies in cases of special urgency. As for manufacturing fuel, large consumers, especially in the Bradford and heavy woollen districts and the Spen and Colne valleys are so short that very high prices couldbe got for prompt supplies, except for the operations of the Limitation Act. The earmarking of nuts for works engaged on Government service is increasingly hampering works doing ordinary trade. There is a keen demand for every ounce of washed furnace coke that can be produced ; in fact, the position is almost that of a famine. Current pit prices. House coal:— Current L’st week’s Last year’s Prices at pit (London) : prices. prices. prices. Haigh Moor selected ... 20/ -21/ 20/ -21/ 15/ Wallsend & London best 19/ -20/ 19/ -20/ 14/6-15/ Silkstone best 19/ -20/ 19/ -20/ 13/6-14/6 Do. house 17/ -18/ 17/ -18/ 12/6-13/6 12/ -12/6 House nuts 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ Prices f.o.b. Hull:— Haigh Moor best 21/6-22/6 21/6-22/6 17/6-18/ i 16/ -17/ i 14/ -14/6 Silkstone best 20/6-21/6 18/6-19/6 20/6-21/6 Do. house 18/6-19/6 Other qualities 18/ -19/ 18/ -19/ 13/6-14/ Gas coal:— Prices at pit: Screened gas coal 15/ -16/ 15/ -16/ 10/6-11/ Gas nuts 15/ -15/6 15/ -15/6 9/6-10/3 9/ - 9/6 Unscreened gas coal ... 13/6-14/6 13/6-14/6 Other sorts:— Prices at pit: Washed nuts 16/ -16/6 16/ -16/6 10/6-11/ 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/ - 9/6 Rough unscreened engine coal 13/6-14/6 i 13/6-14/6 9/ - 9/6 Best rough slacks 12/6-13/6 i 12/6-13/6 7/3- 7/9 6/3- 6/6 6/ - 6/6 Small do. 10/6-11/6 j 10/6-11/6 Coking smalls 11/ -12/ 1 11/ -12/ Coke:— Price at ovens: Furnace coke 23/ -24/ 23/ -24/ 10/6-11/ Barnsley. COAL. Business continues to be of a very active description, and in many respects buyers are still realising the impossibility of placing new orders to cover the near future. Collieries find themselves very hard pressed to fulfil the contract requirements which are already existing, although it is generally admitted there has been some little improve- ment of late in regard to output. The policy gener- ally adopted has been to reduce the tonnage hitherto accepted under contract to proportions more in equality with the shorter production, and this, of course, is leading to a larger number of enquiries on the part of buyers. The arrangements in regard to the railway companies’ contracts are being completed, and it should be pointed out that the 16s. per ton to be paid for best hards is really an increase of about 4s. per ton—as provided for by the Price of Coal (Limitation) Act—upon the average price prevailing during the year 1913-14. It transpires that some of the companies have also paid from 15s. to 15s. 6d. per ton for supplies of Parkgate bed fuel, a large tonnage of which is taken from the district. Some progress has also been made in regard to the contracts of the Grimsby steam trawler companies. Owing to the reduced number of vessels now engaged in the industry, the tonnage enquired for is understood to be considerably lower than was the case in previous years, but even so buyers are finding a good deal of difficulty in obtaining satisfactory replies to their request in regard to the tonnage which can be given. Last year some of the steam trawler companies were late in the market, and, although they arranged some contracts at about Ils. 6d. per ton for hards, they had to buy a considerable tonnage in the open market to supplement their requirements. The trawler companies on this occasion appeared to be more anxious to make contract arrangements, and of course the price of the coal used for these purposes is not governed by the Price of Coal (Limitation) Act. Collieries do not appear to be acting in a combined form in regard to this business, and it is reported that arrangements havealready been concluded to pay 17s. 6d. per ton for a substantial quantity of best hards, whilst 16s. 6d. per ton has been agreed upon in regard to secondary descriptions. Although these prices are an indication as to the ideas now prevailing in respect to values for next year, some collieries do not appear unduly anxious to obtain the business. So far as the current trade is concerned there has been very little change in the position of affairs com- pared with a week ago. Export business continues to be fairly brisk, and supplies are rather short, but coal in second hands at Hull is being realised at substantially higher prices than those paid in the open market. Best hards are making about 17s. 6d. per ton for home purposes, and secondary sorts up to 16s. 6d. per ton, but prompt supplies are very difficult to obtain. In respect to steam nuts, collieries continue to make very big efforts to give adequate supplies to the armament firms, and surplus lots of any dimensions are practically unknown. All classes of small fuel suitable for steam purposes also continue to be scarce, and higher prices which are offered do not succeed in satis- fying buyers’ requirements. Gas coal collieries are employed up to the maximum in endeavouring to maintain contract supplies, whilst the demand for France still continues to be of very large dimensions ; any lots which may be available for this class of trade are easily commanding higher quota- tions. The demand for house coal continues to be vigorous, and collieries are apparently in no better position to supply than before. The better qualities of fuel are keenly enquired for, but orders are only accepted subject to delayed delivery. In regard to coke the demand both for abroad and home purposes continues to be of a very active character. Nothing has been heard locally of the possi- bility of licences for shipment being restricted; home business continues to be done at late values, and contracts are being arranged on the basis of about these prices. Prices at pit. Current L’st week’s Last year’s House coals:— prices. prices. prices. Best Silkstone ' 20/ -22/ 20/ -22/ 15/6-16/ Best Barnsley softs I 18/6 1 18/6 15/ Secondary do 16/6-17/6 ! 16/6-17/6 13/ -14/ Best house nuts 1 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ 12/9-13/6 Secondary do. ! 15/6-16/ 15/6-16/ 10/9-11/6 Steam coals:— | Best hard coals 17/6-18/ 17/6-18/ 10/9-11/ Secondary do 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ 9/3- 9/9 Best washed nuts I 16/3-16/6 16/3-16/6 10/3-10/6 Secondary do 15/9-16/ 15/9-16/ 9/6 Best slack 12/6-13/ 12/6-13/ 7/ Secondary do 10/6-11/ 10/6-11/ 5/9- 6/ Gas coals:— Screened gas coals 16/6-17/6 16/6-17/6 10/6-11/ Unscreened do 15/6-16/ 15/6-16/ 1°/ Gas nuts 16/6 I 16/6 10/ -10/6 Furnace coke i 23/ -24/ 23/ -23/6 10/6-10/9 Hull. COAL. The market continues to have a firm tone, and quite a brisk business has been done for this month’s delivery, but mostly with second holders, as collieries have very little surplus to dispose of over and above their existing commit- ments. The demand is fully level with the available supply, though business, of course, is handicapped by the continued scarcity of shipping tonnage, the abnormally high freight rates, and the difficulty in getting licences for neutral countries. As much as 26s. 6d. has been paid several times within the past few days for handy-sized vessels for Rouen, which is practically twice the rate in the spring. There is nothing doing in the Mediterranean direction to test the rates, the difficulty being to get the offer of suitable steamers. Shipments at the docks are quite good, and chiefly to France, though a larger proportion seems to be going to other countries than formerly. Prices are firm and slightly dearer on the week, approximate values for prompt shipment being : Best South Yorkshire steam hards 20s. 9d. to 21s., ditto prime brands 21s. to 22s., washed trebles 19s. 9d. to 20s., washed doubles and singles 19s. 3d. to 19s. 6d., small coal 14s. 6d. to 14s. 9d., rough slack 13s. 6d. to 14s., West Yorkshire Hartleys 18s. 6d. to 20s., house and gas coal (screened) 19s. to 20s. 6d. Nothing is doing in Derbyshire steams for export.