April 28, 1916. THE- COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 809 Prices f.o.b. Sunderland. Current L’st week’s Last year’s Gas coals:— prices. prices. prices. Special Wear gas coals 35/ 35/ 27/6 Secondary do. House coals:— 30/ 30/ 24/ Best house coals 45/ 45/ 27/6 Ordinary do Other sorts :— 40/ 37/6 25/ Lambton screened 42/6-43/ 42/6 27/6-30/ South Hetton do 42/6-43/ 42/6 27/6 Lambton unscreened ... 37/6 35/ 24/ -24/6 South Hetton do 37/6 35/ 24/ -24/6 Do. treble nuts — — 26/ Coking coals unscreened 32/6 30/ 32/6 24/6 Do. smalls 30/ 24/ Smithies 35/ 35/ 26/ Peas and nuts 38/6 37/6 27/ Best bunkers 42/6 35/ -36/ 25/6 Ordinary bunkers Coke:— 35/ 33/ ■ 24/ Foundry coke Blast-furnace coke (did. 45/ 45/ 40/ -41/ Tees side furnaces) ... 28/ 28/ -29/ 32/6-35/ Gas coke 25/ 26/ 27/6 going to the local blast furnaces. There is continued activity in the by-products trade, and all the works in the neighbourhood are very busily employed. Prices of all varieties are firm, but unaltered. Best Cumberland coal at the pit is quoted at from 22s. 6d. to 23s. 4d. per ton, with best washed nuts at from 21s. to 21s. 3d. per ton. Best Cumberland coal f.o.b. at Maryport is quoted at 19s. 6d. per ton, with best washed nuts at 17s. 6d. per ton. Bunkers are in brisk demand at from 17s. to 17s. 6d. per ton. Best house coal delivered in Maryport is obtainable at from Is. S^d. to Is. 6d. per cwt., or from 27s. 6d. to 28s. 4d. per ton. Other current quotations are as follow:— minimum for Lancashire steam coals. In the coastwise and cross-Channel household coal trade there is little fresh to report. Merchants cannot obtain as much as they would like, both by reason of coal shortage and difficulties of fixing suitable vessels. The slack market varies little, shortages in this grade being made up with larger fuels and inclusive of burgy and unscreened. Prices for shipment and also those quoted for steam fuels are high in figure, but represent a very small tonnage, by far the greater bulk of both being under contract at very different prices. --------- There has been very little outward chartering, owing to lack of stems. Fixtures include: Havre, 35s.; Rouen, 37s. 6d.; Dieppe, 36s.; Dunkirk, 37s. 6d. ‘ Bordeaux, 56s.; Rochefort, 57s. 6d.; Malta, 90s.; Genoa, 92s. 6d. Middlesbrough-on-Tees. COAL. Few traders have, as yet, attended ’Change after the holidays, and little disposition to do business has been shown. There is practically no coal on offer, and prices are largely nominal. Best Durham gas coal may be put at 30s., but as much as 32s. 6d. is also named, while second kinds are 27s. and upward, and Wear specials 31s. to 32s. 6d. Bunkers are, if anything, firmer. Spot lots of ordinary Durhams realise 35s., and best kinds are 40s. Best Durham steam coals are 37s. 6cl. to 40s., and unscreened Durham steams round about 35s. Coking* coal is in good request at from 30s. to 34s. Coke is well taken up. Local needs are heavy, and average blastfurnace kinds are selling at 28s. at the ovens ; while up to 30s. 6d. at the ovens is paid for qualities low in phosphorus, and foundry kinds are in the neighbourhood of 45s., and gas coke runs from 27s. to 28s. IRON. Business in iron and steel is only quiet, but there is great pressure for delivery. Scarcity of pig iron is more and more felt, and something approaching a famine is threatened in the very near future. Practically the only stock in existence is the 40,000 tons of Cleveland pig in the public warrant stores, and withdrawals therefrom this month average nearly 800 tons per working day. Deliveries to our Allies continue on a fairly good scale, but despatches to other Continental customers have practically ceased. A strong feeling prevails that difficulty will be experienced in the near future, in fully satisfying home requirements. The export quotation of No. 3 Cleveland pig is nominally 92s. 6d., but Continental customers would readily pay con- siderably above that figure for guaranteed delivery. For home use the price remains at 82s. 6d. East coast haematite pig is all but unpurchasable for supply earlier than three months ahead, as producers have disposed of their output to that extent. Quotations for mixed numbers still stood at 122s. 6d. for home consumption, and 140s. for export. There is not a great deal passing in foreign ore, but good supplies on contracts continue to come steadily in, the imports to Middlesbrough so far this month amounting to 150,000 tons. Market rates are based on 17s. 6d. f.o.b. for rubio of 50 per cent, quality. Consumers buying to manu- facture iron for home use are able to arrange, through the Government, freights Bilbao-Middlesbrough at 17s , making the ex ship Tees price of rubio 34s. 6d., but in the ordinary open market the freight is 21s. 6d., making the ex ship Tees figure 39s. Several manufacturers of finished iron and steel are so heavily pressed for delivery of Government work that they have had to curtail the Easter holidays, and in fact some firms had worked right through the holidays. Ordinary commercial business is still neglected, producers’ attention being too occupied with Government require- ments to entertain private enquiries. Quotations all- round are strong. ------------------ Cumberland. Mary port. GOAL. The Cumberland coal industry continues in a most prosperous condition. Although the end of April has practically been reached, there is more activity in the coal trade than there was in December, and present require- ments on both home and export accounts are larger than they have been since the outbreak of war. There is an abnormal demand for coal, not only from local but outside consumers, and orders are coming in more quickly than they can be dealt with. All the collieries were idle on Good Friday and Easter Monday, but a very large propor- tion of the miners returned to work on Tuesday morning. There is not much life in the house coal trade, and local gas fuels are in quiet demand, but any surplus there may be is easily absorbed in other branches. Engine fuels are in very steady request, and there is a keen and growing demand for slacks, smalls, and all varieties of fuel for industrial purposes. The outstanding feature of the coal trade during the last few weeks has been the extraordinary demand which has been experienced on local manufacturing account. In this branch requirements have again increased, and the local iron and steel works, the iron ore mines, and other public works are at present making a very heavy call on the supplies of manufacturing fuel. Smalls, however, are rather scarce, and this week there has barely been sufficient to keep the whole of the by-product ovens in full operation. The shipping trade is very brisk, and there is a healthy demand for all varieties for the Irish market. The shipments from Maryport to Irish ports this week have amounted to 3,440 tons, compared with 3,990 tons at the corresponding period of last year, or an increase of 275 tons compared with last year. Coke makers are very busy, and the majority of the Cumberland ovens are in full blast. The whole of the production is Current prices. L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. Best Cumberl’nd coal at pit 23/4 23/4 19/2 Best washed nuts at pit... 21/3 21/3 17/1 Buckhill best coal „ Do. double-scrned 22/6 22/6 18/4 washed nuts at pit Oughterside best coal at 21/ 21/ 16/10 Fit Oughterside best washed 22/6 22/6 18/4 nuts at pit. St. Helens (Siddick) best 21/ 21/ 16/10 coal at pit St. Helens best house nuts 22/6 22/6 . 18/4 at pit 21/ 21/ 16/10 Best dry small at pit 12/ 12/ 8/6 Best steam nuts at pit ... 19/ 19/ 15/ Best Cumberl’nd coal, f.o.b. 19/6 19/6 18/6 Best washed nuts, f.o.b. ... 17/6 17/6 16/6 Bunkers 17/ -17/6 17/ -17/6 16/ Best coal for gasworks ... Best washed nuts for gas- 19/3 19/3 15/ works 18/3 18/3 14/ South Lancashire and Cheshire. COAL. Owing to the holiday season, there was only a meagre attendance on the Manchester Coal Exchange on Tuesday. The demand for all qualities of fuel continues, with prac- tically ' none to offer, and this applies also to fuel for shipment. List prices are as below : — Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). House coal:— Best ............... Medium.............. Common.............. Furnace coal.......... Bunker (f.o.b. Partington) Best slack ........... Common slack ......... Current prices. 21/ -22/ 19/ -20/3 17/6-18/ 17/ -18/ about 22/ 15/6upwds 14/ upwds. L’st week’s prices. 21/ -22/ 19/ -20/3 17/6-18/ 17/ -18/ about 22/ 15/6 upwds 14/ upwds. Last year’s prices. 18/ -19/ 16/9-17/3 14/ -14/3 14/6-15/6 19/ -21/ 11/6-13/ 9/9-11/ IRON. The Cumberland haematite iron trade continues in a very vigorous condition, and there is marked activity in every branch of the industry. Requirements of ordinary and special iron on both general and home account are very large, and at present makers have more business on hand than they can cope with. The demand is now very much in excess of the supply, and this is likely to be the case for some months. There is no iron in makers’ yards, and stocks held in west coast storing yards are very low. In order more adequately to cope with the demand, the Government is pressing for an increase in production, and it is stated that two more furnaces will be lighted shortly, probably one in Cumberland and the other in the Furness district. It will also be necessary to increase the output of native raw materials, and with that object in view, a good number of men who have lately been engaged on munitions will be brought back to work in the iron ore mines in this district. Makers are fully sold for months ahead, and all the iron now made is going to users who are exclusively engaged on Government work. Prices are well maintained at the Government maximum, and Bessemer mixed numbers are again quoted at 127s. 6d. per ton f.o.t., while warrants at cash are idle at 115s. per ton. Special brands of iron are at 140s. per ton, and ferro-manganese is a brisk trade at <£25 per ton. There are 26 furnaces in operation in Cumberland and North Lancashire. Two of the furnaces at Oldside, Workington, are on ferro-manganese alloys; about one-half are on special and semi-special iron, and the remainder are on ordinary iron. The whole of the pro- duction of ordinary metal is going into immediate consump- tion locally, and a large proportion of the make of special and semi-special iron is going to consumers at Sheffield, Birmingham, and the Clyde district. The steel industry is in a very brisk condition, and the production of war work, both at Barrow and Workington, is at present very large. Rails, heavy sections, are quoted at £10 17s. 6d. per ton, heavy tram rails at <£11 15s., and light sections £11 10s. to to £12 5s. per ton. Billets are quoted at £12 per ton. Engineers are tremendously busy, and some of the shops are still working overtime on Government account. The iron ore industry is very briskly employed, and although every effort is being made to keep production as high as. possible, outputs have again fallen slightly below require- ments. With an additional furnace blowing, more ore is now required for local use, and therefore the tonnage to Scotland and the east coast has fallen off considerably of late. For the last fortnight the amount of iron ore passing out of the district has barely exceeded 600 tons weekly. Prices are unchanged, best Hodbarrow ores being quoted at 38s. per ton at the mines, and good average sorts at from 21s. to 30s. per ton. Foreign ores are quoted at about 42s.. 6d. per ton delivered. The imports of iron ore at Maryport last week amounted to 5,500 tons. ---- ............ IRON. There is no change to make in our report of last week. Most of the works have been closed down since, and have only just resumed. The prices last quoted remain prac- tically unchanged. Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Leeds. COAL. There was no meeting of the Coal Exchange at Leeds on Tuesday, and there has been practically nothing doing in the way of new business since the holidays. With outputs reduced by the stoppage the collieries have nothing to offer. The official stoppage was for two days, but, as often occurs at holiday time, the output lost was probably nearer three days’ normal production. Not- withstanding this, munition works and the like have been kept sufficiently supplied,- though with difficulty, and in many instances makers of furnace coke have been able to keep their ovens at work only by crushing large coal. As to the London house coal trade, the collieries have still many orders on their books, and, generally speaking, are not able to accept additions for delivery in the immediate future. The full contract deliveries that are being required absorb the available coal. Best qualities are not on offer for the distant markets. There is nothing doing coastwise, and mer- chants whose supplies are normally seaborne are still getting their deliveries by rail. In the West Yorkshire markets, the public demand is quieter, but merchants have arrears of orders to wipe off, and, moreover, are anxious to secure supplies for stocking purposes. Pit prices for the West Riding are on the following level:—Haigh Moor selected, 21s. to 22s.; Silkstone best, 20s. to 21s.; Silkstone house, 18s. to 19s.; secondary sorts, 17s. to 18s. New business in gas coal is still awaiting development, although one or two contracts are reported to be made, subject, however, to a clause providing for an adjustment of price in the event of the Price of Coal (Limitation) Act being modified. Supplies of manufacturing fuel are very short and the difficult position is unrelieved. As indicated, the shortage of coking smalls makes it difficult to maintain the full output of furnace coke, urgently needed as every ounce is. With regard to the price of coke, the bulk of the busi- ness is still being done on the basis of the maximum allowed by the Board of Trade, viz., 24s. at the ovens, but 25s. is being paid for special brands. Current pit prices. South-West Lancashire. COAL. Orders for household coal in the inland market are naturally quieter with the advent of more seasonable weather. There has been a good deal of unofficial holiday making at the pits, and it was Wednesday before a proper complement was at work. With regard to shipping, supplies for general bunkering and export have been of a hand-to-mouth character for so long that the stoppage at the collieries, though very Short, was bound to increase the scarcity, if only for a time. There is very little free coal, and quotations vary considerably for the small odd lots that are available. Probably 23s. 6d. or 24s. f.o.b. is the 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 L’st week’s Last year’s about 24/6 19/ 22/ -22/6 17/ 21/6 upwds 17/6-18/ 23/6-24/ 15/6-16/ 15/ 14/ upwds prices. 20/9 23/6-24/6 19/ 22/ -22/6 17/ 21/6 17/6-18/ ( 23/ -23/6 I 15/6-16/ 15/ 14/ upwds. prices. 17/9 21/ -22/ 16/ 19/ -20/ 13/9 18/ 15/ -16/ 19/6-20/6 13/ -14/ 11/6-12/6 10/ -10/6 House coal:— Current L’st week’s Last year’s Prices at pit (London) : prices. prices. prices. Haigh Moor selected ... 20/ -21/ 20/ -21/ 19/ -20/ Wallsend & London best 19/ -20/ 19/ -20/ 18/ -19/ Silkstone best 19/ -20/ 19/ -20/ 18/ -19/ Do. house 17/ -18/ 17/ -18/ 16/6-17/6 House nuts 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ 15/6-16/6 Prices f.o.b. Hull:— Haigh Moor best 22/ -23/ 22/ -23/ 22/ -24/ Silkstone best 21/ -22/ 21/ -22/ 21/ -22/ Do. house .......... 19/ -20/ 19/ -20/ 19/ -20/ Other qualities 18/ -19/ 18/ -19/ 18/ -19/ Gas coal:— Prices at pit: Screened gas coal 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ 15/6-16/6 17/ -18/ Gas nuts 15/6-16/6 16/ -17/ Unscreened gas coal ... 14/6-15/6 14/6-15/6 14/ -15/6 Other sorts:— Prices at pit: Washed nuts 17/ -17/6 17/ -17/6 15/6-17/ Large double-screened engine nuts 15/ -16/ 15/ -16/ 13/6-14/ Small nuts 14/ -15/ 14/ -15/ 13/3-13/6 Rough unscreened engine coal 14/ -15/ 14/ -15/ 13/ -13/6 Best rough slacks 13/ -14/ 13/ -14/ 11/6-12/6 Small do. 11/ -12/ 11/ -12/ 10/6-11/ Coking smalls 11/6-12/6 11/6-12/6 10/6-12/ Coke Price at ovens: Furnace coke 24/ -25/ 25/ 22/ -24/ Barnsley. COAL. Owing to the fact that the collieries, generally speaking, did not resume work until Wednesday, there was only a moderate attendance at the usual local market. At such a difficult period it was no surprise that buyers still found great difficulty in meeting with any response to their enquiries, and although the resumption of work after two days’ holiday appeared to have been fairly well adhered to, the collieries realised that, judging from past experience,