May 19, 1916. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN 953 Korthumbsrland, Durham and Cleveland. Newcastle-upon-Tyne. COAL. During last week 123,093 tons of coal and 7,793 tons of coke were despatched from Tyne Dock, an increase, when compared with the shipments for the corresponding week of last year, of 8,127 tons of coal and 7,023 tons of coke. The clearances were the heaviest for any one week »of the war. The Dunston shipments amounted to 33,703 tons of coal, and 7,804 tons of coke, a decrease of 7,506 tons of coal/ and an increase of 7,616 tons of coke. The Blyth clear- ances totalled 62,158 tons of coal and coke, an increase of 6,940 tons. Thus, the total shipments from the three places mentioned amounted to 234,551 tons, an increase, when compared with the shipments for the corresponding period of 1915, of 22,200 tons. When compared with the shipments for the previous week, the figures record an increase of 33,477 tons. These figures are particularly gratifying at the present time. Larger quantities of north- country coal are being despatched inland to the various munitions factories in the country, and our export trade is being well maintained. The figures bear excellent testi- mony to the continued choked state of loading turns. Most of the collieries have turns filled for weeks ahead, and practically the only coals offering for early loading are a few odd cargoes. The position is especially tight at the Northumbrian collieries, output of which is in exceedingly keen demand. So far as Durham coals are concerned, there has been a gradual strengthening in values and a closing up of turns. At the time of writing all sorts of coal are very scarce for both this month and June. May supplies are confined to stray cargoes, and for June the surplus available for sale on the market is rapidly being absorbed. In fact, no kind of coal is offering at all freely for shipment before July. In these circumstances, steam coal prices have been exhi- biting a strong forward movement during the whole week, and buyers appear to have been perfectly willing to pay the enhanced figures quoted. A prompt parcel of D.C.B.’s was sold at 55s. per ton, f.o.b., towards last week end, and this week 57s. 6d. was forthcoming for a quantity of similar coals. On Wednesday, however, all records were broken by the sale of a cargo of best Blyths for May loading at the hitherto unheard-of price of 61s. per ton, f.o.b. Best steam smalls for July delivery have been disposed of at 32s. 6d. per ton direct from the collieries, and at a similar figure second hand for June despatch, whilst a further 2s. 6d. was obtainable for a quantity for July shipment sold direct. The quantity of coals available for sale at these prices is, of course, exceedingly small. The following advances in f.o.b. quotations for prompt shipment have occurred during the week :—Best steams, Blyths, 5s. to 6s.; Tynes, 5s.; seconds, Blyths, 2s. 6d. to 5s.; Tynes, 5s.; unscreened, 2s. 6d. to 7s; 6d.; smalls, Tynes, 2s. 6d.; gas seconds, Is.; specials, 2s. 6d. ; coking coal, Is.; smalls, Is. Blyth steam smalls, special steam smalls, smithies, gas bests, unscreened Durham bunkers, Northumbrian unscreened bunkers, households and gas coke are stronger, and foundry coke and blastfurnace coke are steady. Admiralty requirements are still depriving the market of most of the best sorts of coal. Forwards, the enquiry is very large and prices are advancing. For later June, the demand is strong, and sellers are holding out for full current figures, whilst for later delivery there is no inclination to discount present quotations. The War Office is inviting offers, to be sent in before May 24, of coal and coke for use in the various commands throughout the country up to June 1917. With regard to the licence question, it is announced on New- castle Commercial Exchange that it is not now necessary to send a licence itself to the War Trade Department for an extension of the period of validity. Application may be made by letter. Should the request be granted, the pro- duction of the licence and the letter from the Department granting the extension at the local Customs office should be sufficient for the purpose required. Prices f.o.b. for prompt shipment. Steam coals :— Best, Blyths (D.C.B.) ... Do. Tynes (Bowers,&c.) Secondary, Blyths Do. Tynes (Hastings or West Hartleys) ... Unscreened Small, Blyths Do. Tynes....... Do. specials Other sorts:— Smithies Best gas coals (New Pelton or Holmside); Secondary gas coals (Pelaw Main or similar) Special gas coals Unscreened bunkers/ Durhams Do. do. N orthumbr ians Coking coals Do. smalls House coals Do. blast-furnace Do. gas Current prices, j 60/ -61/ 55/ -60/ 45/ -50/ 50/ 40/ -50/ 35/ 27/6-30/ 35/ 35/ 36/ 33/ -34/ 37/6-40/ 33/ -35/ 40/ 33/ -35/ 33/ 50/ 47/6-50/ 44/ 28/ L’st week’s prices. 1 42/6-45/ 45/ 37/6-42/6 32/6-35/ 25/ -27/6 32/6-35/ 35/ 35/ -36/ 32/ -33/ 35/ -37/6 32/ -35/ 37/6-40/ 32/ -34/ 32/ ; 45/ -50/ 47/6-50/ 44/ ’ 26/ -28/ | Last year’s prices. 20/ -22/ 21/6 18/ -20/ 19/ -20/ i 18/ 1 16/ -16/6 ; 14/6-15/ 17/6-18/ 22/ 22/ -23/ 20/ -21/ 24/ -25/ 20/ 18/ 22/ 20/ -21/ 22/6 ! 37/6-40/ 32/6-35/ 19/ -20/ Sunderland. GOAL. The exports from Sunderland last week amounted to 61,655 tons of coal and 960 tons of coke, as compared with 75,705 tons of coal and 500 tons of coke for the corre- sponding period of 1915, a decrease of 14,050 tons of coal and an increase of 460 tons of coke. The coal market is strong and virtually unaltered, the enquiry for both prompt June, and even July, being maintained. Sellers are very reserved, and prices, while showing no material altera- tion, have an advancing tendency. Steam descriptions are exceedingly scarce, and quickly taken up at full figures. Coking unscreened and smalls are steady, and there is a strong market for both best and ordinary bunkers, the output being readily taken up. Wear gas coals are scarce, coke is firmly held, and holders of all classes ask present values for all positions up to the end of July. Prices f.o.b. Sunderland. Gas coals:— Special Wear gas coals Secondary do. House coals:— Best house coals Ordinary do Other sorts :— Lambton screened South Hetton do Lambton unscreened ... South Hetton do Do. treble nuts Coking coals unscreened Do. smalls Smithies Peas and nuts Best bunkers Ordinary bunkers Coke:— Foundry coke Blast-furnace coke (did. Teesside furnaces) ... Gas coke Current prices. 37/6 35/ 50/ 40/ 55/ -57/6 55/ -57/6 33/ -33/6 34/ -34/6 30/ 34/ 32/6 35/ 37/6 36/6-37/6 32/6-33/6 47/6 28/ 27/6-28/ L’st week’s prices. 37/6 32/6 50/ -52/6 42/6-45/ 52/6 52/6 33/ 32/6 32/6 30/ 35/ 37/6 37/6 32/ 47/6 28/ 25/ 'Last year’s prices. 24/ 22/6 27/6 25/ 27/6 27/6 23/ 23/ 23/6 22/6 22/ 25/ 27/ 24/6 22/6 37/6 30/ 20/ Generally speaking, the Government scheme for the limita- tion of coal freights to France has been well received by the markets here. Tonnage for the Mediterranean is in active request, with rates stiffening, but for the near trades rates are declining. Recent fixtures include: — London, 16s.; Havre, 45s.; Rouen, 45s. ; Treport, 48s. ; Trouville, 49s.; Dunkirk, 47s. 6d.; Caen, 46s.; Roche- fort, 60s. ; Las Palmas, 55s.; Genoa, 100s.; Malaga, 87s. 6d.; Gibraltar, 57s. 6d.; Barcelona, 83s. 6d.; Algiers, 76s. 3d.; Drammen, 32 kr.; Gothenburg, 35 kr.; Malmo, 39 kr.; Stockholm, 38 kr.; Gefle, 38’50 kr. Middlesbrough-on-Tees. COAL. All branches of the fuel trade are very strong, and full figures are secured. Best Durham gas coal readily realises 36s., and second kinds are put at 32s. 6d.; while Wear specials are quoted 37s. 6d. Durham steams are put at 50s. to 52s. 6d. Bunkers are in very good demand and very firm in price. Ordinary Durhams are 33s. to 33s. 6d., and best sorts 35s. to 35s. 6d. Coking coal is steady, and is well taken up at 33s. to 35s. for both unscreened kinds and smalls. Smithies also run from 33s. to 35s. The coke supply is none too plentiful. Good foundry kinds range from 45s. to 47s. 6d., and gas-house coke may be put at 27s. Local requirements are heavy, and the fixed maximum rates for home consumption are fully maintained. Average blastfurnace kinds are 28s. at the ovens, and 30s. 6d. at the ovens for qualities low in phosphorus. IRON. Owing to the scarcity of pig iron, the local committee appointed to regulate supply experience considerable difficulty in distributing to the satisfaction of customers, but some improvement is looked for. Traders declare that output will have to be increased by the blowing in of idle furnaces. Producers would not hesitate to take this step if men were obtainable, but with the present shortage of labour they are greatly handicapped. Already many firms are running their establishments with fewer men than are employed in normal times. The opinion is freely expressed that men should be released from the Army to work the blast furnaces, ironstone mines, and other branches necessary for the production of pig iron. Transactions are on a very limited scale. Export business is entirely suspended. Shippers make no effort to purchase pig, fully realising that even if they did secure a little iron, licence for despatch to foreign countries would be quite unobtain- able. No. 3 Cleveland pig is put at 95s. for export, but the quotation is quite nominal. More than the price named would readily be paid if business were possible. For home consumption, No. 3, No. 4 foundry, and No. 4 forge all stand at 82s. 6d. The east coast haematite branch of the staple industry presents no new feature. The output for the next month or two is disposed of. Nos. 1, 2, and 3 are 140s. and upward for export, and 122s. 6d. for home consumption. The situation in foreign ore is still somewhat peculiar. The action of the Government continues to bring down the Bilbao-Middlesbrough freights, the rate in the open market now being 18s. 6d. which, with best rubio at 18s. f.o.b. at port of despatch, makes the ex-ship Tees price 36s. 6d., but to controlled consumers freights from Bilbao are arranged through the Government at 17s. ex-ship Tees, price of best rubio to such buyers being thus 35s. Deliveries of foreign ore are on a very satisfactory scale. Imports to the Tees for the first half of this month reach 104,798 tons. As regards manufactured iron and steel, producers are still so busily employed on Government work, for which they are pressed for delivery, that they have no time to attend to the numerous private enquiries in the market. Quotations all round are very strong. Cumberland. Maryport. COAL. The Cumberland coal trade is at present experiencing the greatest pressure on home and export accounts. The tone of the market is very firm, and there is a keen demand for all varieties of fuel. Orders are still coming in far more quickly than they can be dealt with. Production at the collieries continues to improve, and since the pressure on. landsale has been partly relieved, there is less difficulty in meeting local requirements, but the amount of coal for disposal is still very far short of actual needs. Local users are, of course getting larger supplies and more small coal is now going to the by-product ovens, but requirements are increasing in all hands, and enquiries are being received from markets which up to the present have not been supplied with Cumberland coal. Irish consumers are clamouring for supplies, and some of the Irish railway companies are finding difficulty in placing their contracts for fuel in the Cumberland market. Since the fine weather set in best house coal has been quieter, but there is a very strong and going demand for engine fuels for the local railways. Gas coal is rather steadier, and some of the local councils will be coming into the market to renew their contract for gas coal in the course of the next few weeks. Best steam coal is in very strong request for both home and outside users, and local manufacturing requirements, which are at present very large, are likely to be much larger when a further expansion of production takes place in the Cumberland iron and steel trades. All the collieries in the county are working six days a week, and outputs at some of the pits are said to be almost as large as they were in pre-war times. The export trade is busier than usual this week, and the sailings to Dublin, Belfast and other Irish ports have all been resumed. There is an abnormal demand for all varieties for Ireland, Irish merchants practically taking all the supplies they can secure. Rather more coal has been sent to the docks this week and the shipments are therefore higher than they have been for some time. Altogether 1,200 tons have been consigned to Belfast and two good cargoes, amounting to 840 tons, have been shipped to Dublin. During the week 22 coasting vessels have sailed from Maryport with coals for Ireland. Shipments amounted to 5,680 tons, compared with 4,900 tons at this time last year, or an increase of 3,725 tons compared with the previous week. The imports included a good cargo of spent oxide from Belfast and a cargo of pit props from Dumfries for the local collieries. Coke is in exceedingly firm demand and all the Cumberland ovens are in full operation. The whole of the production is going to the Cumberland smelters; who in addition are now using between 5,000 and 6,000 tons of north-east coast coke weekly. There is continual activity in the Ideal by- products trade and all the works in the district are briskly engaged. Prices of all sorts are very firm, but unaltered. Best sorts at the pit are obtainable at from 22s. 6d. to 23s. 4d. per ton. with washed nuts at from 20s. lOd. to 21s. 3d. per ton. Best export coal is quoted at 19s. 6d. per ton f.o.b. at Maryport, with best washed nuts at 17s. 6d. per ton. Bunkers are in very brisk demand at for 21s. 6d. to 30s. per ton. At Maryport, best house coal delivered is quoted at from Is. 51d. to Is. 6d. per cwt. or from 27s. 6d. to 28s. 4d. per ton, with best washed nuts at ,25s. lOd. per ton. At Workington, best coal delivered is quoted at Is. 4d. per cwt., or 25s. lOd. 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 pit 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 Best Cumberl’nd coal, f.o.b. Best washed nuts, f.o.b. ... Best bunkers (coastwise) Do. (for foreign-going steamers) Bunkers (mixed nuts and steam coal) (coastwise) Do. (foreign) 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/ 12/6 19/ 19/6 17/6 25/ 30/ 21/6 25/ 19/3 18/3 L’st week’s prices. 23/4 21/3 22/6 ■ 21/ 22/6 21/ 22/6 21/ 12/6 19/ 19/6 17/6 25/ 30/ 21/6 j 25/ 19/3 18/3 Last year’s prices. 20/10 18/9 20/ 18/6 20/ 18/6 20/ 18/6 11/8 16/8 19/6 17/6 19/ 19/ 17/ 17/ 15/ 14/ IRON. A pressing demand for an expansion of production is the chief feature of interest this week in connection with the Cumberland and North Lancashire hamiatite iron trade. Requirements of ordinary, special and semi-special iron, for local and outside users, have increased enormously of late, and if any attempt has to be made to cope with the phenomenal demand which now exists, more furnaces will have to be lighted sooner or later. It was stated some weeks ago that the Ministry of Munitions was pressing for an increased output, and that the number of furnaces blowing in the iron-smelting district would probably be increased from 26 to 28, but it is now reported, on what appears to be good authority, that if sufficient raw materials are forthcoming, the smelters of Cumberland and the Furness district are prepared to light all the furnaces that are ready, and the number blowing may probably be increased from 26 to 29 or 30 before midsummer is reached. The second furnace at the Solway Ironworks, at Maryport, will be ready for lighting in the course of a week or two, and it is now stated that the Lowther Works, at Working ton, belonging to the Workington Iron and Steel Company, which has been standing idle for the last three years, will also be re-started at an early date. Of course, everything depends upon the supply of coke, limestone and native ore, but there is every reason to believe that the Ministry of Munitions are prepared to do their utmost to assist the local smelters to increase the output. The iron trade is in a very firm condition, and makers are exceedingly busy in both the iron and steel industry. There is an abnormal demand for metal, and requirements are still very much in excess of the supply. Prices are, therefore, well maintained at the Government maximum, and Bessemer mixed numbers are again quoted at 127s. 6d. per ton, with special brands of iron at 140s. per ton. Warrants are idle at 115s. per ton. Ferro- manganese is in very strong demand at .£25 per ton. The number of furnaces at present in operation between Maryport and Carnforth is 26—17 in Cumberland and nine in the Furness district. Two of the furnaces at W orkington are on ferro-manganese alloys, and the remainder are on special and ordinary iron. The local steelmakers require all the make of ordinary metal for their own needs, and the bulk of the special and semi-special iron is going to users in Scotland, the Midlands and South Wales. There is marked activity in the steel trade, and the plants at both Barrow and Workington are exceedingly busy on war work. Rails, heavy sections, are quoted at <£10 17s. 6d. per ton, with light sections at from <£11 10s. to <£12 5s. per ton, and billets are at <£12 per ton. There is a very keen demand for local ore, and all the miners are working full time. Outputs are on the increase, but the amount raised is still rather below actual requirements. Prices are unchanged, and best Hodbarrow ore is still quoted at 38s. per ton net at the