36

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

January 7, 1916.

the coal traffic for London and the South. The railway
companies have been obliged to withdraw the bulk of
their wagons from the ordinary mineral traffic, in order
to meet the heavy requirements of the Government.

An important point was raised towards the end of the
year by the railway conference to “pool” all wagons
(private owners’, in addition to the railway companies’
wagons) in order to avoid the loss of time and expense in
shunting, but the opposition of colliery companies and
traders' generally has, for a time, at any rate, put the
matter on one side. Many of the London‘merchants
felt very strongly with reference to this “ pooling ”
arrangement, and keenly opposed it, as they felt that if
their private wagons were taken away, and they became
dependent upon the railway companies and the colliery
companies for empties for their contract supplies, they
would be hopelessly .behind. Of course, the smaller
merchants, and those who have but few private wagons,
are naturally favourable to the movement, as it will
enable them to claim a larger share of empties. During
the summer months many of the principal collieries were
reduced to short time, on account of the non-arrival of
empties, and in numbers of cases loaded wagons were
constantly detained in the colliery sidings, although
ready labelled, because of troop trains.

Prices.

The advertised London delivery prices varied con-
siderably during the first half of the year, but with
the new Price of Coal (Limitation) Act a very slight
change has been recorded during the latter half of the
year. .

On January 1 the advertised prices were :—Best
Wallsend, 31s. per ton; best Silkstone, 31s.; Derby
brights, 30s.; kitchener cobbles, 28s.; and stove coal,
25s. per ton. On January 7 an advance of Is. per ton
was arranged, and on January 30 a further advance of
•zs. per ton, February 20 a further advance of 2s. per
ton, bringing all prices to the highest pitch for the year,
viz., best Wallsend, 36s. per ton; best Silkstone, 36s.;
Derby brights, 35s.; kitchener cobbles, 34s.; and stove
coal, 34s. per ton. From that point a slight reduction
was made on March 13. leaving best Wallsent, best
Silkstone, and Derby brights as before, but reducing
kitchener cobbles to 33s. per ton, and stove coal to 32s.'
per ton. On March 30 a reduction of Is. per ton was
arranged on all the best qualities, and 2s. per ton on
kitchener cobbles and stove coal. On May 1 a further
reduction of Is. per ton was decided upon for all
qualities except the stove coal, which remained at 29s.
The main reason for this change in price was on account
of the winter prices of all contract coals advancing from
October 1, and these are the prices current at the end
of the year (December 31).

The Price of Coal (Limitation) Act, dated July 27,
1915, came into force during the year, and provides for
all the pit prices to be regulated on the basis of 4s. per
ton increase on the price in operation in the 12 months
ending June 30, 1914. A further increase in wagon hire
is provided for of 50 per cent, beyond what the railway
companies charge for wagons found by other than rail-
way companies. At the time the Act was passed the
majority of the yearly contracts for coal had already
been made by the merchants and factors for their year’s
supply, and it was found that in nearly every case an
increase beyond the 4s. per ton had been agreed upon;
so that when the three months’ notice (as required by
the Act) had been given by the merchants to the colliery
owners, the contract prices in all cases were reduced
from. October 1 to conform strictly to the special meaning
of the Act.

A Departmental Committee on Retail Coal Prices was
appointed in the year “ to enquire into the causes of
the present rise in the retail price of coal sold for
domestic use, especially to the poorer classes of con-*
sumers in London and other centres,” and this Com-
mittee held 15 meetings and obtained evidence from 33
witnesses, many of them being well-known merchants
in the London trade, besides representatives of railway
companies, colliery owners, gas companies, and the
trolley trade. The initial cause of the increased, prices
was found to be a deficiency of supply, and the conse-
quent reduction of output was mainly due to the large
number of miners who had joined the Colours, estimated
on good authority at 160,000 to 200,000. London was
also found to be peculiar in other respects, viz., its lack
of adequate storage accommodation, and the vast
numbers of small houses and flats which possess only
coal cupboards in which it is practically impossible to
store coal in large quantities. The difficulties of cartage
on account of the enlistment of so' many of the loaders
and carmen, and the shortage of horses, also figures
prominently in the report. As a result of this enquiry,
steps were taken immediately—first, to restrict exports
of coal to neutral countries; second, to arrange with a
vast number of. the London merchants holding depots
in the North and East of London to allow small quanti-
ties of coal to be sold at their depots for the convenience
of the poorer classes; and in winter months a scale of
prices was adopted by which merchants, who had been
in the habit of declining all orders below J or -J- ton,
were prepared to accept orders for smaller quantities at
the following prices, viz.:—1121b. (lewt.), Is. lOd.;
561b. (4 cwt.), lid.; 281b., 5|d.: 141b., 3d.: and 7 lb,,
lid. Over 200 merchants subscribed to the above
arrangement.

A comparison of the quotations for the summer trade,
as compared with 1914, is given as under :—

		July 1915.		July 1914	
		Per ton.		Per ton.	
	s.	d.	s. d.	s.	d.
Silk stone coal 			 17	6 to	18 0	...	12	0
Derby brights			 16	6 „	17 0	... 11	0
House nuts			 15	6 ,,	16 0	...	10	6
D.S. nuts			 15	9 „	1A 0	9	0
Nutty slacks			 11	o „	12 0	6	6

Ah current pit prices during the year have been practi-
cally withdrawn; so few of the collieries have any

“ free ” coal to dispose of, and only from time to time,
as the quantity available is for sale, do any of the
collieries name a pit price, and then only for sparse
quantities and for immediate use.

No official seaborne prices have been quoted during the
whole of the year, the last official price for Durham coal
was 21s. fid. for best "Wallsend, and 20s. 6d. for seconds,
in April 1914, but Yorkshire best coal was quoted as
late as November 1914 at 21s. 6d. per ton. Since then
no prices have been entered. All the vessels arriving
have been loaded with contract coal.

An important meeting was held in May last of all the
coal merchants in the London area, to consider and
discuss the negotiations which had passed between Mr.
Runciman and the executive of the London Coal
Merchants’ Society. An allowance of 7s. 6d. per ton was
agreed upon to cover all loading up and cartage expenses,
including profit, after the cost of coal, rate and wagon
hire, had been ascertained on the arrival of the wagon
at the station. A further meeting was held on Monday,
August 16, attended by a large number of factors and
merchants with reference to the effect of the new Bill
on factors’ prices and sales to the smaller merchants.
The Departmental Committee of the House of Commons
issued in June last a strongly worded request that
economy in the use of coal should be a paramount and
patriotic duty of the general public.

Smalls of all kinds, double screened nuts, peas, and
nutty slacks have had a very strong demand throughout
the year, for the various electric works and lighting
stations and munition factories have had an unusually
busy time, and the pressure for fuel has been very acute.

Contracts.

The contract renewals for the year began in May last,
and were for the most part based upon an advance of
5s., and in some cases 6s., per ton, but this was dis-
counted afterwards by the action of the Price of Coal
(Limitation) Act. So far as house coal contracts were
concerned, very few of the London merchants gave notice
of their intention to claim any rebate under the new
Act, as it was judged advisable rather to secure the
tonnage than run the risk of losing any part of it. Some
collieries, however, gave their clients the full advantage
of the Act, irrespective of the formal notice. A striking
feature of the house coal trade has been that no stocks
have been recorded at any of the collieries, and full
time has been worked the whole year through, except
where empties have not been available. Sliding scale
contracts were for the most part discounted this year,
and even in cases where they were agreed upon, the
Board of Trade requirements led to their cancelment,
and fixed summer and winter prices substituted. The
quantity offered for contract this year is much below
the normal. British railway contracts for Yorkshire
hards were fixed at 15s. for the year, but the open selling
price reached as high as 21s. per ton. Gas coal con-
tracts are all renewed at 5s. 6d. to 6s. advance on last
year. The best South Wales Admiralty steam coals have
for many months been commandeered by the Govern-
ment, so that no ordinary consignments are obtainable
and prices are nominal.

The difficulties of coal contracts during the year have
been very fairly met by all the large public bodies and
institutions, by an agreed increase in the contract price,
and in cases where it has been shown that the great
restrictions imposed upon shipping in the North Sea,
coupled with the fact of the entire dislocation of the
railway transport arrangements, it was necessary to ask
this indulgence of the various committees. Not only has
assistance been given to help defray the extra expenses,
but other qualities of coal have been substituted. The
London County Council reported in July last that the
stores and contract department had accepted contracts
for 24,120 tons of coal to be supplied direct from the
collieries, and at their meeting in November, the chair-
man- of the London County Council Council stated that
by taking advantage of the new Brice of Coal (Limitation)
Act, the Council would save about £2,000 on their
present coal contracts. The Metropolitan Water Board
pressed for the bulk of the coal bought to be delivered
during the three months, July, August, and 'September.

Amongst those who have passed away during the
year, and who have been well known on the floor of the-
Coal Exchange, may be mentioned : Mr. John Bryan, of
Nine Elms Coal Wharf; Mr. Oswald Bainbridge, son of
the late Mr. Emerson Bainbridge; Mr. Fitz Stephen
Corr, of Messrs. Stephenson Clarke and Company; Mr.
Ernest Wood, of Messrs. G. E. Wood and Son; Mr.
Edward Addy, son of Mr. Geo. H. Addy; Mr. G. W. W.
Willcocks, of No. 33, Coal Exchange; and Mr. E.
Perronet Sells, of Messrs. Charrington, Sells, Dale and
Company.

The year has been remarkable for the complete
absence of all social functions in connection with the
various branches of the trade. The Coal Trade Benevo-
lent Association, being a philanthropic institution, and
largely dependent upon its annual dinner for a goodlv
number of its subscriptions, decided, however, to hold
its annual meeting as usual, and in May last the Duke
of Norfolk presided over the annual meeting at the Hotel
Cecil. The chairman for the year (Mr. Th os K. Fox)
was .elected at the general meeting in February last,
with Mr. Ernest Oliver as vice-chairman.

On Monday, December 13, the floor of the Coal
Exchange was the scene of a very happy meeting, when
a large number of delegates from the Red Cross Society
attended, and a new motor ambulance car, subscribed
for by the merchants of London, was handed over as a
free gift to the societv. The subscriptions amounted to
over £700, and the car had cost a little over £500, so
that the balance was also handed over for future equip-
ment and renewals.

• Sir George Bullongh. who was cheated a knight in 1901,
and has now been made a baronet, was born in 1870. He
was for some time chairman of the firm of Howard and
Bullough Limited, engineers, Accrington.

THE GERMAN AND AUSTRIAN COAL
AND IRON TRADES.

We give below further extracts from German
periodicals that have reached us, showing the course of
the coal and iron trades in Germany and Austria :—

Coal Syndicate Report for November.

Total coal production, 6,282,000 tons (5,753,000 tons
in November 1914), or 260,384 tons (239,721 tons) per
working day; total distribution, 5,866,000 tons (5,936,000
tons), or 243,157 tons (260,384 tons) per working day;
participation, 7,108,000 tons (7,046,000 tons); calculated
distribution, 4,412,000 tons (4,600,000 tons), or 182,897
tons (191,672 tons) per working day, being 62-08 per
cent. (65-29 per cent.) of the participation. .Total
deliveries of coke, 1,431,586 tons (1,023,294 tons), or
47,200 tons (34,110 tons) per working day. Briquettes,
288,409 tons (360,086 tons), or 11,955 tons (15,044 tons)
per working day.

Fuel Traffic on the Rhine-Herne Canal in November.

The total shipments in the direction of Ruhrort
amounted to 166,210 tons (96,321 tons in November
1914), of which 19,688 tons (15,902 tons) were from
Arenberg-Prosper, 52,683 tons (22,281 tons) from State
collieries, 16,021 tons (16,316 tons) from Bismarck,
13,723 tons (nil) from Concordia, 3,075 tons (8,436 tons)
from Friedrich der. Grosse', 2,512 tons (nil) from
Hibernia, 4,627 tons (nil) from Koln-Neuessen, 2,550
tons (7,728 tons) from Konig Ludwig, 3,020 tons (nil)
from Konig Wilhelm, 9,514 tons (11,199 tons) from
Mathias Stinnes, 5,734 tons (7,777 tons) from Nordstern,
and 29,790 tons (6,682 tons) from Wanne-West.

Company Reports.

Gewerkschaft Beisselgrubc, Ichendorf. — Brown coal
output, 293,269 tons (459,778 tons); briquette, produc-
tion, 74,635 tons (116,000 tons). Trading surplus,
203,118 mk., and balance from old account, 154,866 mk.
After deducting 115,764 mk. for interest charges, 105,541
ink.' have been written off, and 37,907 mk. carried for-
ward.

Kattowitzcr A.G. fiir Bergbau und Eisenhiittenb etrieb.
—It is proposed to distribute a dividend of 8 per cent,
on the fully paid up capital of 39 miflion mk. (13 per
cent, on 30 million mk. old shares, and 6| per cent, on
nine million mk. new shares). The collieries are now.
producing 70 to 75 per cent, of their normal output.

Siegen-Soling er Gussstahl A.V., Solingen. — The
general meeting on June 28 resolved to make a call on
the preferred shareholders of 50 per cent., i.e., 600 mk.
per share, for the purpose of providing new working
capital and a reserve, and to reduce the capital by one
half the sum represented by the shares on which the call
has not been made.

Gott-mit-uns Grube A. G. fiir Steinkohlenbergwerk,
'Mittel-Lazisk (Upper Silesia).—Out of a gross profit of
1,346,440 mk. (1,835,752 mk.), 551,000 mk. (878,519
mk.) have been absorbed by wages, etc., 117,574 mk.
(293,942 mk.) by writing-off, and 282,639 mk. (35,000
mk.) by transfer to the security fund, leaving a net
profit of 24,784 mk. (236,639 mk.). Last year the divi-
dend was 8 per cent.

LABOUR AKD WAGES.

South Wales and Monmouthshire.

The Conciliation Board Joint Disputes Committee met at
Cardiff, on Monday, under the chairmanship of Mr. Hugh
Bramwell, of the Great Western Colliery, and considered
the .answers given by the owners to questions that had been
raised at the preceding meeting. One was as to the payment
to repairers’ .assistants of the bonus turn for afternoon and
night piece work in the Aberdare district, as well as the
bonus turn to repairers on afternoon and night shifts ar
Lewis Merthyr. The proposals of the owners’ representa-
tives was taken by the workmen, consideration promised, and
a reply in the course of a few days. Upon the question of
a bonus turn to assistant trippers at Bwllfa, the proposals
of the owners will probably be accepted. With regard to
men working in abnormal places at the Clyn Mill drift in
Merthyr district, the owners have agreed to pay the bonus
turn to men working at minimum wage when on afternoon
and night shifts.

The executive council of the South Wales Miners’ Federa-
tion has passed unanimously a strong resolution against
conscription, the declaration therein being that the council :
“ Representing practically the whole of the South Wales
coal field, strongly resents the sinister efforts which are in
operation by certain party politicians and a section of the
Press to impose upon the people of this country a system
of compulsory military service; and desires the officials of the
Miners’ Federation of Great Britain to call at once a
national conference for again entering protest of the miners
of this country against any legislation which may be pro-
posed for this purpose.” A special meeting of the executive
was held on Tuesday to again discuss the matter. The
opinion was expressed that the real question to be decided
was whether the Government thought compulsion absolutely
necessary for winning the war; for, if that were the case
and it could be proved, some of the members thought it
would be their duty to accept compulsion. It was decided
to send representatives to the meeting of the Trades Congress
in London; and afterwards to hold a further meeting of the
executive on this question.

North of England.

The ascertainment of the average selling price of coal at
the pit head in Northumberland for the three months ended
November 30 having shown that figures had receded from
12s. ll-8d. for the previous three months to 12s. 4-18d.,
miners’ wages are reduced, according to the operation of the
sliding scale, by 5 per cent., as from the first pays in January.
The wages, therefore, now stand at 78 per cent, above the
basis of 1879. In making the announcement to their mem-
bers, the officials of the Northumberland Miners’ Associa-
tion remark that those who. keenly watch the coal market from
day to day, and. understand the peculiar circumstances under
which an export coal trade must be carried on at the present
time, are not so much surprised'at the difference in the ascer-