228

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

February 4, 1916.

THE IRISH COAL TRADE.

Thursday, February 3.
_____________________________________________________

Dublin.

There is little or no change in the coal trade' since last
report, and although there is no marked activity in any
direction, a fair amount of business is current generally.
There appears to be no immediate prospect of freights becom-
ing any easier, but it is not thought probable that coal will
be any higher in price <at present, unless the steamship
owners should increase their demands. Quotations stand as
follow:—Orrell, 37s. per ton; Hulton Arley, 36 s.; best
Wigan, 35s.; best Whitehaven, 35s.; best kitchen, 33s.;
Orrell slack, 29s.; all less Is. per ton discount for cash.
House coal, retail, 2s. 4d. per sack. Welsh steam coal, from
36s. per ton; Scotch, 31s. ; best coke, 36s. 6d. per ton
delivered. Pit prices at Wolfhill Collieries, Queen’s County,
are Best large coal, 30s. per ton; best household, 28s. Id. ;
culm, all prices from 3s. Id. per ton upward, f.o.r. Athy, the
nearest railway connection, 5s. per ton extra. Pit prices for
Kilkenny (Castlecomer) coal, outside of contract prices, are
as follow:—Best small coal, 23s. 4d. per ton; best large,
21s. 8d. ; second quality, 20s.; bottom coal, 16s. 8d.; break-
age, Ils. 8d. ; culm, 5s. to 8s. 6d. The cross-Channel trade
has been further disorganised by the suspension of services
of two of the large Dublin shipping companies for an
indefinite period. The coal vessels arriving during the past
week amounted to 50, as compared with 44 the week pre-
viously, chiefly from Garston, Ayr, Brittonferry, Maryport,
Llanelly, Liverpool, Point of Aire, Manchester, Neath
Abbey, Barry, Saudersfoot, Silloth, Whitehaven, Partington,
Campbeltown, Swansea, Cardiff, Newport, Preston, Elles-
mere Port, and Glasgow. The total quantity of coal
discharged upon the quays was 21,000 tons, as against 20,000
tons the previous week.

Belfast.

There is not much improvement in point of demand, either
locally or in the inland districts, business in house coals
being quieter than is usual at this season owing to the
absence of any severe cold. Freights remain very high, and
there is no further change in prices of house coal, viz. :—
Best Arley, 38s. 6d. per ton; best Wigan, 37s. 6d. Scotch
household, 34s. 6d. ; Orrell nuts., 37s. 6d. ; Orrell slack,
34s. 6d. Prices of steam coals are subject to alteration from
day to day. Gas coke commands about 35s. per ton, and
foundry coke, 42s. to 45s. Coal laden vessels arriving during
the week were from Garston, Glasgow, Maryport,
WTorkington, Ardrossan, Troon, Ellesmere Port, Lydney,
Birkenhead, Ayr, Preston, Manchester, Swansea, and
Brittonferry.

____________________________________

THE BY-PRODUCTS TRADE.

Tar Products.—The market is quiet, and there is not
much business passing. Prices generally are unchanged.
Nearest values are :—	Rise ( + ) or

fall (-) on
the week.

Benzols, 90’s	......................

,,	90’s North ...............

...............

,,	50’s	,,	................

Toluol ..............................
Carbolic acid, crude (60 per cent.)...

,, crystals (40. per cent.)
Solvent naphtha, south (90% at 190
degs.), as in quality and package...
Solvent naphtha, north (90% at 190
degs.), as in quality and package...
Crude naphtha, north (in bulk) ....
Creosote (for ordinary qualities) .........
Pitch (f.o.b. east coast) ............
,,	(f.a.s.	west coast) ............

Tar (per ton ex works) .............

1/01-1/1
/Hi—1/
1/4
2/3
3/5
1/4

2/3—2/4

2/3—2/4
/6i-/7
/2|-/2i
15/6—16/6
15/—16/
18/6—22/6

[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.—Things	are rather unsettled by
the stoppage of export licences, and	on paper slightly easier
prices are recorded, but as yet there has been no ‘actual	
market change. Nitrate of soda has again advanced. Closing prompt prices are :—	Rise ( + ) or  fall (-) on the week.	
London (ordinary makes) 		£17/15	...	—
Beckton (25 per cent.) 		£17/5	...	—
Liverpool 		£18	...	—
Hull 		£17/15	...	—
Middlesbrough 		£17/15	...	—
Scotch ports 			£18/5	...	—
W ales 		£17/17/6	...	—
Nitrate of soda (ord.) per cwt.	16/101-	... +/4i_

[Sulphate of ammonia, f.o.b. in bags, less 2J per cent,
discount; 24 per cent, ammonia, good grey quality;
allowance for refraction, nothing for excess.’]

_______

Trade Notes.

Once again the more or less unexpected has happened, and
sulphate of ammonia exports are banned, the issue of export
licences having been suspended upon the recommendation of
the Board of Trade, Board of Agriculture, and Fertilisers’
Committee. The reason for this step, as stated by these three
authorities, is “ the uncertainty as to the sufficiency of sup-
plies to meet the home demands during the next few months.”
However; there appears to be another reason, and that is an
attempt to force prices down. For this we seem largely
indebted to the Scottish'agriculturists’ deputation to White-
hall, for, in replying to the same, Mr. Acland said the
Government could1 secure supplies, but could not so easily fix
prices, and he expressed the opinion that it was open to
consideration whether the suspension of export licences would
have any effect on prices. In any case, farmers were officially
told to buy sulphate of ammonia, and not build hopes on
cheap Government-supplied nitrate of soda, and were further
adjured to buy sulphate of ammonia at present prices, and
not to wait for the chance of a decline. Apparently this
advice is not acceptable to farmers, for at a recent meeting
of the Central and Associated Chambers of Agriculture,
influential speakers complained that makers wanted £18 per
ton, and could get this from consumers in other countries,
which is undoubtedly correct.

Cannot something be done to squeeze nitrate of soda a
little, as well as- sulphate of ammonia, seeing that half-a-
million tons of nitrate are due for delivery in Europe between

now and the end of May, of which quite 100,000 tons are for
this country? For this product, which costs about 413 10s.
perlon ready for delivery in Chili, is selling at £16 15s. over
here. What is more, nitrate is essentially a spring dressing,,
and sulphate of ammonia an autumnal one. Anyway, it will
be instructive to see how British farmers respond to Lord
Selborne’s appeal to their enterprise and patriotism.

Good progress is being made with the erection of plants
for the extraction of potash from kelp in Alaska, while in
Bussia there is much activity in the Don territory, where
potash salts are produced mainly from burnt sunflower
stalks.

The returns for the week are :—Pitch, 8,000 tons and £248.
Tar, 14,922 gals., 3 tons, 127 barrels, and £96. Benzol,
£3,370 to Bonen. Sulphate of ammonia, 6,065 tons.

_____________________________

TRADE AMD THE WAR.

It is stated from Athens that an agreement has been
reached in principle on the question of the supply of coal
to Greek industrial enterprises. The British Government
has consented to authorise the export of coal for the use
of railway and other companies in Greece in proportion to
their needs, and also for the use of the Greek Admiralty
for the needs of the fleet. In 'addition, no difficulties will be
placed in the way of the export of coal from America to
Greece.

An important gathering of business men was held on
Monday in the London Guildhall to consider the question of
trade and employment after the war. A deputation was
appointed to urge upon the Prime Minister that steps be
taken to formulate a national scheme to deal with these
problems, to improve trade relations with the colonies and
our Allies, and to ensure that Germany shall never again
acquire undue influence in Britain’s trade. He is also to
be urged to form a Ministry of Commerce.

The advisory committee of the Newcastle Chamber of
Commerce reported to Wednesday’s meeting of the council
of that body that'the War Trade Department’s restriction on
the exportation of coking coal had been withdrawn. The
letter conveying that decision included the following sentence :
“ I am hoping that the appointment of the local supplies com-
mittees will provide a solution of this and other difficulties.”
The secretary (Mr. Herbert Shaw) explained that, in all coal
centres, special local committees vrere being appointed to deal
with local situations'.

At the same meeting Sir William Stephenson drew
attention to the prohibition of the export of sulphate
of ammonia. A most important trade in that com-
modity had been built up, he stated, especially by the large
collieries and, gas works in the neighbourhood. Many of
these undertakings had spent thousands upon thousands of
pounds putting down suitable plant for the manufacture of
sulphate of ammonia and other by-products, such as benzol,
toluol, etc. It seemed to him absurd to think that the farm-
ing community would be sufficiently numerous and powerful
to buy all the sulphate of ammonia that would otherwise be
exported. If the embargo were persisted in, the result would
be ruination to the trade done in sulphate of ammonia at
the Hartlepools. Middlesbrough, Hull, and the Tyne.—Mr.
Tully averred tliat the very fact of preventing the export of
sulphate of ammonia would make the Government’s benzol
supplies dearer, in consequence of the necessity of reducing
the output of by-products to correspond with the demand. He
thought that perhaps the export might be limited to, say, 25
per cent.—It was agreed that representations on this point
should be made to Mr. Bunciman, President of the Board of
Trade.

The Ministry of Munitions has sent a reply to the West-
minster City Council’s suggestion that an allowance should
be made by the gas undertakings in respect of the extraction
of benzol and toluol from gas. The Ministry states that the
process in question offers no attractions to gas undertakings.,
and, unless the experience of those concerns over which the
Council has testing powers has been the reverse of that of
almost all other gas undertakings, they had been put to a
considerable voluntary out-of-pocket, expenditure in order to
put it into operation, in addition to the present cost of work-
ing. The all-important calorific power is affected to a com-
paratively trifling extent, and in the circumstances the
Ministry think it is inadvisable to pursue the Council’s
suggestion.

The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries have issued a
circular, in which they state that, in view of the uncertainty
as to the sufficiency of the supplies of sulphate of ammonia
to meet the home demands during the next few months, it
has been decided, on the recommendation of the Fertilisers’
Committee, with the approval of the President of the Board of
Agriculture and Fisheries and the President of the Board of
Trade, to suspend for the present the issue of licences for the
export of sulphate of ammonia. It is hoped that farmers will
this year greatly increase their demands for fertilisers of all
descriptions, so as to stimulate, so far as practicable, the pro-
duction from the land, and thus reduce the- importation of
foodstuffs. This stimulus is the more necessary to counter-
balance in some degree the hindrances .to production arising
from shortage of labour and other causes.—In the House of
Commons on Thursday of last week, Col. Yate asked if
measures would be taken to reduce the price of sulphate of
ammonia, which had risen from £14 to £17 per ton. Mr.
Acland, in reply, pointed out that the cost of production had
also gone up. He thought the limitation of exports ought to
be the surest way of securing fair prices to, the farmers.

A memorandum has been drawn up by a committee
organised to direct public attention to the effect of science on
war. The committee look forward to taking further action
in the near future, and would be grateful to receive sugges-
tion and promises of help. Communications should be
addressed to the Secretary, Be-organisation Committee, 107,
Piccadilly, London. W. The manifesto, which is signed by
many eminent members of various branches of science, points
out that not only are our highest Ministers of State ignorant
of science, but the same defect runs through almost all the
public departments of the Civil Service. It is nearly universal
in the House of Commons, and is shared by the general public,
including a large proportion of those engaged in industrial
and commercial enterprise. It goes on to say that our
success now, and in the difficult time of re-organisation after
the wrar, depends largely on the possession by our leaders and
administrators of scientific method and the scientific habit of
mind. This can onlv be effected by a great change in the
education which is administered to the class from which these
officials are drawn. The education of the democracv, which
gives its consent to the present state of things, would follow
the change in the education of the wealthier classes. At Cam-
bridge but four colleges are presided over by men of scientific.

training; at Oxford not one. Of the 35 largest and best
known public schools, 34 have classical men as headmasters.
Science holds no place in the list. The committee urge that
eventually the Board of Trade should be replaced by a
Ministry of Science, Commerce, and Industry.

An important report by .a sub-committee of the Advisory
Committee of the Board of Trade on Commercial Intelli-
gence, with respect to ” measures for securing the position
after the war of certain branches of British industry,” has
been issued. The chief recommendations of the committee
are : Tariff, protection for manufacturers of certain articles;
widely spread, reasonable import dues; and the establish-
ment of a Ministry of Commerce. Other recommendations
include :—Larger grants for scientific industrial research
and training ; copyright law to be brought into line with that
of the United States of America ; continued efforts to secure
uniformity of patent law throughout the Empire; place of
origin to be marked on German and Austrian, and other
foreign goods; an impartial tribunal to prevent preference
for foreign traders from British shipping or railway com-
panies ; improvement and extension of the canal system;
shipping companies to be prohibited from charging higher
rates from British ports than from North European ports ;
joint- stock banks to be asked to give greater assistance to
British industrial enterprise; Government Departments and
local authorities to buy only British goods ; British financial
houses to be urged to secure preferential treatment for
British contractors and manufacturers in respect of the.
public works /to be carried out by foreign loans; trade
exhibitions under the control of the Board of Trade; British
Consuls to report cases of alleged infringement of British
trade marks; appointment of trade commissioners to be
extended to the principal foreign countries; commercial
utility of British Consular service to be increased; efforts to
be made to check the undervaluation of goods by non-British
importers into countries with ad valorem tariffs.

In the House of Commons on Thursday, the 27th ult.,
Mr. Bunciman stated that in regard to’the difficulty of the
tonnage scarcity problem, the Government had decided to
relieve the pressure by cutting down some of the less
essential imports. The whole British mercantile marine,
he said, was under Government control in one way or
another, and in order that tonnage for Government purposes
should be allocated to the best advantage of the Allied
Governments—a difficult problem which had for some time
been a cause for anxiety tio several Departments—the
Government were to be assisted by a small body consisting
of Lord Faringdon, Mr. Thomas Boydon, and Mr. F. W.
Lewis, presided over by Lord Curzon. All the Export
Committees dealing with these complex and many-sided
shipping problems were in the closest touch with each other,
so that full co-operation was ensured.

In the House of Lords, on the 26th ult., Lord Devonport
asked the Government whether they were aware that large
and frequent shipments of iron ore and other metals were
arriving at Dutch ports, and whether precautions were taken
by the Government to prevent these from reaching an enemy
destination. He had records of the cargoes of iron ore
which had been taken to Botterdam from Sweden, Norway,
and Spain since the outbreak of war. In 16 months, to
the end of December, 300 of these cargoes had arrived,
taking ore to the total of 1,500,000 tons. Strange to say, it
was allowed to pass through Holland into Germany without
interference or enquiry or protest on the part of our Govern-
ment. There was no doubt that it did pass into Germany.
The ore was carried in barges up the Bhine to Krupps’ blast
■furnaces, and, having been converted to pig iron, was sent
on to Essen. The imports through Botterdam fell into
insignificance when compared with the enormous quantities
taken from Sweden direct .into German ports. In eight
months 557 cargoes of iron ore had been taken in this way
to German ports, amounting to 2,089,000 tons. The Duke
of Devonshire (Lord of the Admiralty), who replied, said
the figures with which he had been supplied from official
quarters could not possibly be compared with those given
by the noble lord. From the information which had been
placed in his hands the average quantity of iron ore
imported into Holland in the three years 1911-13 was
5,500,000 tons. Nearly the whole of this quantity used to
go to Germany. The figure for 1915 was 650,000 tons.
Lord Devonport pointed out that his figures covered a period
of 17 months.

In connection with the agitation in Belfast against the
price of coal, which is 38s. 6d. per ton, the Corporation have
received a letter from the Board of Trade stating that the
limitation of freight rates for coal was part of the general
question of the control of freights, and could not be dealt
with separately, but the wffiole question was being considered
by the Government with a view to effect an improvement in
the present state of affairs. The local merchants maintain
that the present price is due solely to the high freights.

The Swedish Government has appointed a Special Com-
mission to examine the question of substituting peat for
coal, which hitherto has come chiefly from England and
Germany.

_______________________________

As the outcome of a joint conference at the Home Office
between the Associated House Goal Owners of Dean Forest
and their workmen’s trade union representatives, an arrange-
ment has been set up for bringing pressure to bear jointly
on the non-unionist workmen, owing to the trade
unionists having threatened to bring about a stoppage of the
collieries if something is not done. The Home Secretary and
the Chief Inspector of Mines were present; and it was urged
that every effort should be made to induce the workmen to
lose as little time as possible. Begret was expressed that at
one colliery at Cinderford there was one day in the week when
regularly as many as 60 workmen were away.

A breach of colliery rules prosecution, heard at the
Botherham West Biding Court, last week, was strongly
contested. Thomas Cush worth, miner, was alleged to have
failed to observe the directions of the deputy in the Parkgate
pit of the Botherham Main Colliery. According to the
prosecution, on December 23, John Baleigh, the deputy,
finding the roof in defendant’s working place unsafe through
a loose piece of stone, told him “ it would be better on the
floor.” Defendant' asked what he would be paid for it,
and was told it would be on the tonnage. Defendant refused
to take it down, -and the deputy fenced the place off. It was
admitted in cross-examination that four props were-set, and
that two would have complied with the regulations. Mr.
S. J. Bayner, the manager, said the defendant did not ask
to see the place when an enquiry was held, but he did make
a request for the union officials. He could not allow inter-
ference with a question of discipline. About 2^ tons of
material fell from the roof. A fine of 10s, and costs was
imposed.