1052 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. June 2, 1916. Prices are all net f.o.b. (cash, in 30 days). Current L’st week’s Last year’s Anthracite prices. prices. prices. Best malting large {handpicked) ......... 33/6-35/ 33/6-35/ 22/ -24/ Secondary do. 30/ -32/ 29/6-33/6 18/ -20/ Big Vein large 30/ -34/ 31/ -35/6 ! 16/ -17/6 Red Vein large 24/6-27/6 24/6-27/6 ! 16/ -17/6 Machine-made cobbles 35/ -38/ 34/6-37/6 23/ -25/ Paris nuts - - ... French do. 36/ -40/ 34/6-36/6 23/6-27/ Stove do 36/ -40/ 34/6-36/6 22/ -23/ Beans 33/6-36/ 33/6-36/ 23/ -25/6 Machine - made large peas 23/6-25/3 23/6-25/3 16/6-17/6 Do. fine peas —— — — . Bubbly culm 13/9-14/6 13/9-14/6 10/6-11/6 Duff 4/6- 4/9 4/6- 4/9 6/9- 7/3 Steam coals:— Best large 48/ -50/ 45/6-47/ 28/ -30/ Seconds 44/ -46/ 35/6-39/ 24/6-26/ Bunkers i 33/6-37/6 33/6-37/6 ' 21/ -23/ Small ' ■21/ -30/ 21/ -26/ 15/6-19/ Bituminous coals:— No. 3 Rhondda- Large 45/ -50/ 45/ -50/ 28/ Thro’-and-thro’......... — -- - - Small 30/ -35/ 30/ -35/ 20/ -21/ Patent fuel 46/ -50/ 46/ -50/ 32/6-35/ THE L0MD0H COAL TRADE. Thursday, June 1. ___________________________________________ Llanelly. COAL. The position still continues very firm in the local market, and there is very little free coal on offer. In face of the Government Limitation Act there is therefore no imme- diate necessity for collieries to enter into new contracts. The demand keeps very strong for all anthracite qualities, and collieries have now sufficient orders, on hand to keep them going ,for some time forward. Users are still very much inconvenienced by the considerable delay in the execution of orders for beans and peas, and all fresh orders are being booked on the understanding that date of delivery is to be extended for a matter of two months or so. The demand for culm and duff still continues strong at very favourable prices. For steam and bituminous coal there is no easing off in the demand, and these sorts are difficult to • secure. Large is still very scarce owing to the still heavy demands of the Government and railway companies. 1 Throughs and smalls are also difficult to obtain even when increased figures are offered. This week’s quotations approximately are Prices f.o.b. The demand for the past week shows no tendency to 'slacken. House coal fires in the Metropolis are unquestion- ably lessening, but the pressure for house coal on the market continues as strong as ever, and, in -fact, the shortage seems, if anything, more pronounced than in the winter. It. may be that every merchant is eager to •replenish his stock as early as possible. Factories -and munition works are still working at high pressure, and all kinds of manufacturing coal are urgently wanted, but it was fully contemplated that the warmer weather would tend to lessen the enquiries for house coals. So far as the public orders are concerned, there has been a considerable falling off, and the depot trade generally has been quiet, but every merchant. has had a large accumulation of public orders to clear away, and the delivery trade has been kept busy. The main feature of the market unquestionably is the shortage of supplies, and even now there is very little free house coal offering. The demand from consumers, generally with a view to lay in a stock for the winter, has kept the market brisk’ and active. The heavy demands of the Admiralty and for munitions works continues to hold first claim on all the. available supplies, and the quantity offering on the open market -is very small. A good deal also of the coal usually devoted to household purposes has been absorbed by steam coal users, thus lessening the ordinary supplies. Thirty-six contract vessels arrived in the Thames for Monday’s market and three for Wednesday, but none of these were for open sale. The freight market continues high, subject to the new regulations. The iron and steel market seems some- what quiet, as steelmakers are disinclined to entertain new business, and pig-iron producers are expecting an advance by the end of June. The Welsh coal market has many orders on hand, and vessels are reported to be on demurrage waiting for cargo. Admiralty steams are still requisitioned by the Government, and second Admiralties are quoted as high as 55s. f.o.b. Ordinaries at 52s. 6d. Patent fuel is from 51s. to 54s. per ton. The Tyne prices are up as high as 60s. to 62s. per ton for prime steams. Seconds at 55s. to 57s. Durham gas coals are quoted 37s. 6d., and seconds 34s. 6d. - Bunker coal, 35s., and some of the best sorts 37s. 6d. The Norwegian Government are in the market for best hard steam coal for their Navy. _____________________________ 40,000 ’tons ,- and .the Magherafelt Guardians also invite tenders for coal to the Union. Coal-laden vessel arriving during the past week were from Giryan, Troon, Birkenhead, Partington, Glasgow, Newport, Ayr, Garston, Ardrossan, Sillbth, Maryport, Ellesmere Port, Liverpool, Preston, and Lydney. ____________________________________________________ LETTERS TO THE EDITORS. ____________________________________________________ The Editors are not responsible either for the statements made, or the opinions expressed by correspondents. All communications must be authenticated by the name and address of the sender, whether for publication or not. No notice can be taken of anonymous communications. As replies to questions tire only given by way of published answers to correspondents, and not by letter, stamped addressed envelopes are not required to be sent. ____________________________________________________ PURCHASE OF COAL. Sirs,—I notice that the following price-s are now quoted in the trade papers for coals at the pit :— Derbyshire house nuts ............ 16/6 to 17/0 Derbyshire small nuts ...................... 15/6 to 16/6 Leicester deep nuts ............................ 16/0 to 16/6 Leicester baker’s nuts .................... 15/0 to 15/6 Leicester picked steam ............ 14/0 to 14/6 Nottingham large nuts __.............__ 16/6 to 17/0 Current prices. 33/ -36/ 31/ -32/6 32/6-34/6 26/ -30/ 35/ -38/ 37/ -40I 37/6-40/6 36/6-39/6 35/6-37/6 24/ -26/ 14/ —15/ 4/6— 5/ 45/6-48/6 34/6-38/6 22/ -26/ Anthracite:— Best malting large.... Secondary do. ........ Big Vein large........ Red Vein do........... Machine-made cobbles... German nuts............ French do...........______ Paris do.............. Machine-made beans ... Do. peas.......... Culm ................. Duff....________............ Other sorts:— Large steam coal......j Thr ough-and-through...; Small __..............! Bituminous small coal... 30/6-35/6 L’st week’s Last year’s prices. I prices. 33/ -36/ 31/ -32/6 32/6-34/6 26/ -30/ . 34/ -36/ 34/ -36/ 34/6-36/6 34/ -36/ 35/6-37/6 24/ -26/ 14/ —15/ 4/6- 5/ 45/6-48/6 34/6-38/6 22/ -26/ 30/6-35/6 j 21/6-22/6 I 18/ -19/6 16/ -17/ ! 16/ -17/ ) 23/ -24/ i 22/ -23/ ■ 123/ -24/ j 23/ -24/’ I 22/ -25/ I 15/ -15/6 10/6-11/ 5/6- 6/6 30/ -32/ 20/ -22/ 16/ -18/ I 18/ -20/ From Messrs. Dinham, Fawcus and Co.’s Report. Friday, May 26.—The seaborne house coal market was again without available supplies, but the demand continued good. Cargoes, 21. Monday. May 29.— There wore no seaborne house coal cargoes on offer at to-day’s market, the enquiry for which continued good. Cargoes, 36. Wednesday, May 31.—Although the weather was some- what warmer, the enquiry for supplies was still good, but no> seaborne house coal cargoes were on offer to-day. Cargoes, 3. The company I represent have offered to pay cash in advance for 1,000 tons of nuts and 1,000 tons of steam coal at these prices, or 2s. ,6d. per ton more if wagons . are supplied, June/July delivery, and not one single colliery of the .many scores to which we have written will supply a single truck, nor load our wagons. Can any of your readers put us on to any of the sources of supply referred to in your paper? We are prepared to pay cash against advices as stated. It is too bad that we should be left stranded in this way, while millions of tons are going abroad at prices now specially reduced to keep foreign pots boiling. I enclose my card. Southern Coal Merchant. ... June 1, 1916. __________________ THE BY-PRODUCTS TRADE. Tar Products.—The market is quiet, and steady, though prices are more or less nominal. ducts1 steady. Nearest values are :— ‘benzols are Other pro- __________________________ THE TIM-PLATE TRADE. Liverpool. There is no material change in the position on the week. Makers are not keen on selling just now, until they have some idea as to how they are going to be fixed in regard to the supply of both steel and labour. Spot lots are being sold at round 36s. 3d. to 36s. fid. for I C 14 x 20, and 28 x 20 cokes have been done at 7'3s. fid. A parcel of odd sizes- was sold at 37s. 6d. basis, but makers are not, as a general thing, quoting for these at present. Following are about current quotations :—Coke tins : I C 14 x 20 (112 sh. 108 lb.), 36s. 9d. to 37s. 3d. per box; I C 28 x 20 (ill2 sh. 2161b.), 74s. to 74s. 6d.; I C 28 x 20 (56 sh. 108 lb.), 37s. 6d. to 38s.; I C-14 x 18-| (124 sh. 1101b.), 37s. 3d. to 37s. fid.; I C 20 X 10 (225 sh. 156 1b.), 53s. to 53s. fid. IC squares and odd sizes, 37s. 9d. basis and upwards. Charcoals are steady, at 40s. basis and upwards, according to finish. Ternes are nominally 69s. a box for IC 28 x 20. Coke wasters are in good demand, and rates firm, as follow :—C W 14 x 20, 34s. per box; 0 W 14 xl8^, 34s. ; C W 28 x 20, 69s.; C W 20 x 10, 47s. fid. All f.o.b. Wales, less 4 per cent. ___________________________ AIR LOCKS AT MARY PIT, LOCHORE, At the Fife Coal Company’s Mary Pit, Lochore, the writer had the pleasure of being shown the working of the system of separation doors, an abstract of the patent specification of which was given in the Colliery Guardian of May 19. This colliery, the deepest, or at least one of the deepest, in Fife, was started in 1902. The shaft is 335 fms. deep to the Five-foot coal, which is 18 fms. above the Dunfermline Splint, the lowest workable seam in Fife. The colliery is worked with safety lamps throughout, and connections are made to Aitken and Benarty. Collieries. For some time the ventilation was carried out by means of an electrically- driven fan placed to the rise at Benarty Colliery. The Mary shaft being at that time a downcast, doors were not required. The management some time ago decided that better results would be obtained by having a fan at the Mary Pit shaft, and for this purpose a Walker patent reversible fan was laid down. This fan has a capacity, at 140 revs., of 300,000 cu. ft. of air per minute,- against 5*5 in. w.g. Under the new conditions, brought about by the placing of this fan at Mary Pit, doors on the shaft mouth were necessary, and, considering the high water gauge, it was expected that, with the usual style of lifting doors, a large amount of air. would be lost when the cage 'was at the surface. To prevent this loss, or at least reduce it to a minimum, Mr. C. Augustus Carlow, manager of the company, designed the system of air locks, a sketch of which was shown in the issue referred to. The doors,. which revolve in a ferro-concrete chamber, afford two travelling pockets. The hutches gravitate from shaft- mouth through the air locks to a lower level, from whence they are taken by creeper chains over the weighing machine, and thence to tippers. From the tippers the empties run to another set of creepers, which in turn convey them to the empty chamber, at back of pit, through which they pass to the shaft mouth. There are four sets of doors, as the cages are double- decked. Each set of doors is capable of passing six tubs per minute. This system of doors entirely eliminates the extra strain put on the winding when the cage comes to the surface, as happens when ordinary lifting - doors are used. - • Rise ( + )’or ________________________________________________________________ fall ( —) on the week. l/0i /10J-/11J 1/3—1/4 2/3 3/4 1/3 Benzols, 90’s ,, 90’s ,, 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) ............. [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.—Business is quiet and uncertain, both for prompt and forward, but prices remain fairly steady, considering all things. Closing prompt prices are :— Rise (+) or fall (-) on the week. ................... North .............. North .............. 2/3—2/4 2/1—2/2 /6J-/7 /2|-/2i ‘ 15/—15/6 14/—14/6 15/6—19/6 London (ordinary m^Jpes) ... Beckton (25 per cent.) ____ Liverpool ................ Hull ____________________ Middlesbrough ........... Scotch ports ............. Wales ................... Nitrate of soda (ord.) per cwt [Sulphate of ammonia, f.o.b. in bags, less 2J per cent, discount; jty p^r cent. ammonia, good grey quality; allowance fay pcfryction, nothing for excess.} £16/13/9—£16/15 £15/15 £16/15—£17 £16/10 £16/15—£16/17/6 £16/15—£17 £16/10—£16/12/6 .18/9 ______________________________ -The recently-formed Munitions Inventions Department, Princes-street, Westminster, will be glad to receive ideas, suggestions j and inventions for the better prosecution of the war. Experts consider everything sent in. THE IRISH COAL TRADE. Thursday, June 1. Dublin. In the household trade, business is now very quiet in all 'branches, but the recently advanced prices are maintained, ranging from 35s. to 39s. per ton in the city. Coke is unchanged, at 38s. per ton delivered in Dublin. Welsh steam coal is commanding 52s. and 53s. per ton, but there is, at the moment, no Scotch steam coal offering. The import trade has shown some improvement during the past week, although much difficulty is still experienced in obtain- ing supplies from the other side. The coal vessels arriving in the port amounted to 76, as compared with 47 the week previously, chiefly from Ayr, Garston, Glasgow, Preston, Partington, Point of Aire, Penarth, Swansea, Ellesmere Port, Newport, Harrington, Campbeltown, Workington, and Whitehaven. The total quantity of coal-discharged upon the quays was 30,000 tons, as against 20,000 tons ’in the previous week. A contract is open in connection with the Corporation for 12 months’ supply of coals and coke, and tenders are also invited for a supply of steam coal to the Limerick Union. Belfast The supplies in the port are still considerably short of requirements, and merchants’ stocks are very low. All classes of steam coals are commanding very high prices, and the total advance i-n house coals recently'made is from -' 2s. 6d. to 3s. 6d. per toh. Current quotations for the latter are as follow :—Best Arley coal, 41s. per ton; English house- hold, 39s.; Scotch house, 37s.; Orrell nuts, 40s.; Orrell slack, 37s.; all less Is. per ton discount. At a recent meet-, ing of a special coal committee of the Corporation, corre- spondence with the Board of Trade was read showing that the Board are in communication! with the Coal Merchants’\ Association in Dublin, Belfast, and Cork, with, a view; to arranging a general conference, in order that the principle - of the limitations of the merchants’ charges to covey the cost of distribution and profit in coal may; be established. Con- tracts are. open in connection with the Corporation for. supplies of steam coal for ■ electricity purposes,; amounting' to about. __________________________________ A report through the American Embassy, Berlin, states that of 3,200 prisoners employed in the brown coal area 200 . of them were British, the rest French and Russians. The hours worked were from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday work was required occasionally. Question of Coal Prices.—In. reply to Sir Arthur Markham, - who alleged that some colliery proprietors were making 50 : per cent, profit, Mr. Pretyman stated, in the House of Commons on Thursday, that, the standard amount in the' Price of Coal (Limitation) Act had been increased to 5s. in " the Forest of Dean district since September last. Applica- tions for increases had been made by three other districts. Two-had been refused, and one was under examination. He- would be sorry to think that any colliery owners were ignoring the Act. The Board of Trade could hardly institute proceed- ings themselves. Irregularities, no doubt, occurred from' time to time, and where such cases were brought to the notice of the Board they had been ,able to put matters right, as A rule. If Sir Arthur Markham would call at the Board of Trade, the working of the Act would be explained to him, and the officials would be glad to receive any suggestions.