THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN AND JOURNAL OF THE COAL AND IRON TRADES. Vol. CXI. FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 1916. No. 2871. The Coal Trade of 1915. NORTHUMBERLAND. A year ago, in reviewing the coal trade of 1914, we affirmed that- it would not be wise -to prophesy as to the course of trade during the ensuing year. We called. attention, however, to the fact that 1914 closed with an improved degree of activity in forward business, and said “ That activity portends greater regularity of working of the collieries after the turn of the year and, should tonnage difficulties loom less large, it may be that, even although the war should be prolonged, the coal trade will take less hurt than it . has done during the five months just ended.” In the main, that anticipation has been realised, although it cannot be said that tonnage diffi- culties have loomed any less large, for, as a matter of fact, the tonnage shortage has been unprecedented, and freights have risen to record heights. The tonnage, famine and the advantage taken thereof have been so great as to give every encouragement to foreign competitors, happily few and far distant, with British coal fields, and, for the first time in history, a considerable and growing competition from the United States has had to be faced. This competition has been successful mainly in securing Italian business, and business with neutrals such as Sweden. Scores of large steamers have brought cargoes of American coal to Genoa and other Western Italian ports during the year, whilst a very considerable proportion of the Swedish State Railway’s order for steam coals for shipment over the Baltic season went to the States. The diversion of the Swedish order was due, to some extent, to the restric- tions on the exportation of coal from this country to . neutrals, but largely to the fact that the dearness of British freights made it possible for America to cut in. The loss of Italian business was practically solely due to the mercilessness of the shipowning interests. The same obstacle to our trade has led to large quantities of German coal being dumped into Denmark and Sweden—in one instance, 600,000 tons of German steams went to Denmark—and, until the outbreak of war between Italy and Austria, considerable -quantities of German coal and coke were imported into Italy. Added to the freight difficulties has been the unintelli- gent way in which Governmental Departments have interfered with the free exportation of British fuel. The principle on which they acted is not open to challenge, for, obviously, it was the duty of the State to take such steps as were expedient to enforce the successful com- acute, and it has long been evident that the whole system of licensing should be recast, if permanent detri- ment to the British, coal trade is not to result from recent mistakes. At one period of the year, the State restriction of fuel exports to Scandinavia resulted in a dearth of imports of mining timber, consequent on the Swedish Governmenttaking up the defensive line that no vessels must leave that country with pit props unless such vessels brought back coals. This difficulty, how- ever, appears to have been fairly satisfactorily adjusted in recent months. . < Needless to say, production costs—quite apart from those of distribution—have been greatly increased during the period under review. Explosives, mining timber, machinery, labour, and everything else that goes to the getting of coals are very much dearer; concurrently, the production per head must have fallen off very consider- ably on account of the manner—patriotic and laudable in the highest degree—in which the pits have been depleted of their youngest and strongest men by enlistments. On this latter point, it. is not possible to give exact figures, but it is sufficient to know that considerably over 10,000 members of the Northumberland Miners’ Association, and between'.30,000 and 40,000 members of the Durham tMiners’ Association have doffed their pit “ duds ” and gone into khaki. It is safe to say that, from the two counties, the number of union and non-union miners who have enlisted is a long way' over 50,000 men, the best specimens of the mining population, and that, to a very large extent, the manual labour of the mines is mostly being performed by men of over military age, men medically unfit for military service, and boys. That being so, it is obvious that there must have been a considerable deterioration in the output per capita. There has been a very material falling-off in the demand,- especially from abroad, for gas coal in par- ticular, owing to the war. We need not stress -that fact; it will be sufficiently plain to all who know that the Central Powers were amongst our largest customers earlier. •• The reduced, output of gas coal has, however, automatically' compensated for this falling-off in demand.' On the other hand, coking coals have been' in increasing favour,.especially for Eranee, the bulk of whose internal fuel supplies - are - still. in enemy. hands.. Russian business which formerly loomed so large in our list of contracts, has been almost negligible ,during the year, the only exportations possible being those via the As will be seen from the statistical matter which follows, the cloud has had its silver lining. Where business has been, possible, every effort has been made to transact it, with the gratifying result that, at the close of the year, and one marked by very much higher prices than had ruled during 1914, there were practically no surplus stocks of coal, and there was a very vigorous demand for supplies from private consumers. That demand must go unsatisfied for some little time to come, because of the greater claims which public authorities have upon the output. It is good to know that conditions are such as to warrant the belief that employment will be excel- lent, prices-well maintained, and wages high throughout 1916, whether the war be brought to a close during the current year or not. Should the war 'continue, pro- duction will still be restricted, and barely adequate to meet ’ requirements. Should it come to a speedy end, 1 with a victorious result, the production will, of course, receive a great fillip from the home-coming miners, but, concurrently, there will be a vast accretion of foreign business, which will urgently need to be dealt with and will suffice to maintain employment at the mines and a profitable outlet for the output. We can only hope that, when that time does come, there will be a continuance of those, good relations between masters and men which have marked the year under review, for both sides are to be congratulated on the practical elimination of acute labour troubles, which has been a feature of the year’s working. It is hardly necessary to give anything in the nature of a detailed diary of the course of the coal trade during the year. Excepting for a period of wonderful expan- sion of prices in March, April and May, figures have been fairly constant. That expansion was due to a great and sudden pressure, long withheld because of the dear- ness of freights and other circumstances, for supplies, and to the fact that collieries’ production was so much absorbed by contract obligations that little free coal was available for chance sales. It must not be imagined, therefore, that collieries benefited to the extent repre- sented by quotations for these months. In many instances, they were in arrears with contract shipments entered, into at comparatively,low figures, and it is doubtful whether more than 10 per cent, of the output was sold at the higher prices which ruled during the months mentioned. The following table gives the highest and lowest prices which ruled during each month of 1915 for each of the various descriptions of fuel dealt with bn Newcastle market. The quotations are per'ton, and free on board for prompt shipment. Jan. Feb March. April. May. June. July. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Best steams, Blyths (D.C.B.) „ ,, Tynes (Bowers, &c.) Second steams, Blyths . 13/3—14/ 12 3—13/6 10/9—12/3 13/9—18 6 13/6—18/1 12/3—17/ 20/.- 30/ 20/ —3(i/ 18/ —27/6 27/ - 30/ 28/ —30/ 26/6-27'6' 20/ —27/ 21/ —27/ ■ 1'8/ - 24/ 20/- —24/6 • 20/ —22/6 17/ —20/ 21/ —2'2/ 19/ —20/ 16/6—1'7/ 18/ -21/6 17/ —20/ . 16/6 17/6-18/6 16/6—18/ 16/ -16/6 18/.—20/ 17/6—19/6 16/ -17/. 19/ —20/ 18/9-20/ 16/6—17/ 20/6-25/ 20/ -22/ 17 6—20/ „■ Tynes (Hastings or West Hartleys) ......... ......... Unscreened steams .. Steam small s, Blyths : . • ,, Tynes - „ „ . specials......; Smithies . ... 11/3—12/6 10/ —11/6 ■ 7/9— 9/ 7/ - 8/6 9/ —10/3 10/ -11/6 12/6—18/ 11/ —15/ 8/9-10/6 8/ -10/ 10/ —12/ 11/ —13 6 18 —30/ .14/. —23/ 11/6-15/' 1'0/6-14/ ' 12/ —15/ ■ 13/ —22/6 26/6—30/ 23/ —25/ 15/ -17/ 14/ —15/ ■ 15/ —17/6 ■22/6—25/ . LO r-* t-l H-a »— 1—1 to —1 £*• 01 00 Ci Ci. 1 f. I.i ■ 1 . hO »-* I-U M to to • CO CO On <1 O