1242 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. June 30, 1916. subject to the special clauses providing against an increase in the maximum price under the Limitation Act and the commandeering of supplies by the Government. With regard to the coastwise trade, freights are a little easier, and there are a few more sailing boats offering, but the bulk of the business is contract coal for the south coast. A falling-off in the demand for house coal for the West Riding has occurred. Pit prices are more or less nominal: —Haigh Moor selected, 21s. to 22s.; Silkstone best, 20s. to 21s.; Silkstone house, 18s. to 19s.; house nuts, 17s. to 18s. The demand for gas coal still absorbs every ton of the output. Shipment to France at the maximum price agreed upon is active at Hull, and in .addition occasional licences for neutral countries are granted. For this business high prices, as much as 36s. per ton f.o.b. Hull, are being secured. Contracting for inland works is proceeding with consider- able freedom, subject to the special clauses. Manufacturing fuel is in keen request, but supplies are, if anything, a little more plentiful, and there is not so much complaining, facilities for distribution being more satisfactory. Slacks and nuts are in strong demand from Lancashire, and supplies are being required for one or two additional munition works. For washed furnace coke 26s. 6d. is the ruling price, and the output of the ovens finds a ready sale. No announcement is yet made of any alteration in the basis price. Barnsley. COAL. The position of business has not materially changed during the week, and generally speaking the collieries find it a very difficult matter to meet the demands upon them. Although local holidays here and there affect the regular attendance of workers, it seems to be pretty well agreed that the output under the present circumstances must be regarded as satisfactory. The subject of the renewal of contracts which are about to expire is causing a good deal of anxiety to buyers who are unable to obtain any alteration in the conditions, but the general view is, that although the new arrangements will have to extend over twelve months, it is the safer policy to make secure the tonnage which is offered to them. The necessity of taking equal deliveries all the year through does not affect manufacturing districts so much as those concerned in the house coal trade and gas concerns. In the new contracts it is provided that if any official advance of prices is permitted, the increase apply. The reports in circulation that application is about to be made to the Board of Trade to seek an advance on the maximum selling prices, has naturally affected current business, small in volume as that undoubtedly is. The matter does not appear to be in a very advanced stage, but colliery representatives are not anxious to discuss the question of any current sales in regard to large steam fuel. The demand on export account appears to be somewhat quieter, but, of course, the huge character of the home demand prevents anything in a way of surplus tonnage being offered on the market, and the same position exists in regard to steam nuts, although this class of coal is not permittted to be exported. The difficulty in obtaining adequate supplies of slacks still appears to be more marked, owing to the control of the district committees of the distribution of supplies, and it is the experience of many collieries that they have to supplement their own production by purchasers to feed their coke-oven plants. Concerning house coal, although merchants are finding their requirements more quickly supplied, the demand on the collieries is still of a considerable character, and there is very little surplus to be met with. Values are main- tained at winter rates, and seem likely to remain so. The enquiry for furnace coke continues to be exceptionally active, and producers, though working at something like the maximum, find it impossible to meet the needs of the district. Prices at pit. Current L st week s Last year’s House coals:— prices. prices. prices. Best Silkstono 20/ -22/ 20/ -22/ 21/ -22/ Best Barnsley softs 18/6-19/ 18/6-19/ 19/ -20/ Secondary do 16/6-17/6 16/6-17/6 17/ -18/ Best house nuts 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ Secondary do 15/6-16/ 15/6-16/ 15/6-16/ Steam coals:— Best hard coals 17/6-18/6 17/6-18/ 15/ -16/ Secondary do 16/6-17/ 16/6-17/ 13/6-14/6 Best washed nuts 16/3-16/6 16/3-16/6 16/- 17/ Secondary do 15/9-16/3 15/9-16/3 15/ -15/6 Best slack 12/6-13/ 12/6-13/ 13/6 Secondary do 10/6-11/ 10/6-11/ 12/ -12/6 Gas coals:— Screened gas coals 16/6-17/6 16/6-17/6 15/6-16/ Unscreened do 15/6-16/ 15/6-16/ 14/6-15/ Gas nuts 16/ 16/ , 15/ -16/ Furnace coke 25/6-26/ j25/6-26/ 25/ Hull. COAL. An improvement is noticeable in the general condition of the market. As the congestion at Rouen is relieved, more shipping tonnage is becoming available, and with a fair amount of coal coming along over the rails, demand for France is developing, and a considerable amount is being arranged under the new scheme of limited prices and freights. Neutrals are also in the market for various require- ments, but licences are not granted to any great extent, the Allies apparently having first consideration in the disposition of surplus output available for export. Prices in the open market for prompt shipment are approximately as follow : Best South Yorkshire hards, 37s. 6d. to 40s.; West York- shire Hartleys, 28s. 6d. to 30s.; small coal (rather easier), 19s. to 20s.; nuts very scarce and nominally 25s. to 27s.; gas and house fuels, 28s. to 32s. 6d. Derbyshire steam hards are sparingly offered, the bulk being taken up for Government or home purposes, and are thus nominally 37s. 6d. to 38s. at Grimsby or Immingham. The position forward is firm, and quotations maintained. Shipments at the docks are improving. The freight market is quiet except for France under the new scheme. Chesterfield. COAL. All classes of coal continue in good demand, but the pressure is not so great as it was a few weeks ago. Orders for house coal are still coming to hand freely, indicating a desire on the part of consumers to put a little into stock. Coal for manufacturing purposes is in steady request. The output of coal generally is readily disposed of from day to day. Cobbles and nuts continue to be well sought after for the Sheffield steel trades, and heavy deliveries go forward daily. Slack is also much wanted, but supplies are some- what less difficult to secure. The export trade is in a very quiet condition, and the demand for steam coal has declined substantially. Prices have, in consequence, become weaker. The cause is due to the increasing difficulty in obtaining licences and also to the great scarcity of steamers. The price of Derbyshire Top Hards is now 37s. 6d. per ton delivered at Grimsby. Business in nuts and slack for export has practically ceased owing to the licensing question. Shipment of small fuel is virtually prohibited. The machinery for dealing with business for Prance does not appear to be in full working order yet. The coke market is unchanged. The demand is good for all qualities, and prices are firm at the official maximum. The full output of the ovens is readily disposed of. Prices at pit. Current L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. prices. Best house coals 17/ 17/ 17/ Secondary do 16/6 16/6 16 6 Cobbles 16/ 16/ 16/ Nuts 15 15/ 15/6 Slack 12/6 12/6 12/9 IRON. An active demand exists for pig iron and for all classes of finished iron. The large works of the district present a scene of great activity day and night. COAL. The tone of the trade generally in this county is one of marked activity. Business in the domestic fuel branch continues brisk considering the time of year. The demand on collieries, though not so pressing as recently, fully absorbs the output, and in the present state of affairs neither owners nor merchants are in a position to accumu- late any stock. All classes of households are selling readily, and values throughout are very firm. The greatest pressure is for steam coal, the supply of which fuel is altogether inadequate, and collieries are compelled to limit supplies according to urgency, orders from firms engaged on war work having precedence. Steam nuts are in great request, but customers have a difficulty in obtaining supplies. Slacks of nearly every description are keenly competed for, and owing to the scarcity some owners decline to accept new orders. Gas coal is going out of hand fairly steadily on contract account. Prices at pithead. Hand-picked brights ..... Good house coals......... Secondary do............. Best hard coals.......... Secondary do............. Slacks (best hards)...... Do. (second) ......... Do. (soft)............ Current prices. 18/6-19/6 16/6-17/6 16/ -16/6 17/ -17/6 16/ -16/6 12/ -13/ 10/6-11/6 L’st week’s prices. 18/6-19/6 16/6-17/6 16/ -16/6 17/ -17/6 16/ —16/6 11/9-13/ 10/6-11/6 11/ Last year’s prices. 18/6-20/ 16/6-17/6 15/ -16/ 17/6-19/6 16/ -17/ 12/ -13/ 10/ -11/ 10/ -11/ Leicestershire. COAL. Enormous pressure to secure larger deliveries of all classes of coal continues, and the available supplies are most inadequate to meet even urgent necessities. Colliery managers are compelled to fall back on the principle of sub-dividing the supplies according to the requirements of factories under Government control, and the balance to coal merchants, according to priority of claim. The demand for manufacturing fuel continues to increase by leaps and bounds, and all the output is cleared off day by day. To meet urgent cases very extensive quantities of house- hold coal are being diverted from the ordinary channels, and this creates great hardship to coal merchants. There are still hundreds of coal yards at country stations with little more than a ton or two in reserve. In view of the scarcity of the best household there is a very keen demand for deep screened cobbles and deep large nuts for the London district. In fact, there are large orders for private wagons to be filled with anything that is available. The difficulties are most perplexing, and the outlook dis- couraging unless the aggregate output can be increased. There are no stocks of any kind at the pits, and full time of 5^ days per week is being worked. The following are the quotations, subject to special modifications, which are now generally in operation at the collieries in this district:— Prices at pit. Best household coal ..... Second, hand picked ..... Deep screened cobbles ... Deep large nuts ......... Bakers’ nuts............. Small nuts............... Deep breeze ............. Peas .................... Small dust .............. Main nuts for London kitcheners............... Steams, best hand picked Steams, seconds ......... Main cobbles for kitcheners Main breeze.............. Current prices. 16/6-18/ 15/6-16/ 16/6-17/ 16/ -16/6 15/ —15/6 14/6-15/ 12/9-13/6 12/ -12/3 6/ - 7/ L’st week’s prices. 16/6-18/ 15/6-16/ 16/6-17/ 16/ —16/6 15/ -15/6 14/6-15/ 12/9-13/6 12/ -12/3 6/ - 7/ Last year’s prices. 18/6-19/6 17/6-18/6 16/6-17/6 16/ -17/ 15/6-16/ 14/ -14/6 14/6-15/ 12/3-13/3 5/6- 6/6 13/ -13/6 14/ -14/6 13/ -13/6 13/6-14/ 12/6-13/6 13/ -13/6 14/ -14/6 13/ -13/6 13/6-14/ 12/6-13/6 15/9-16/9 15/6-16/6 14/6-15/ 15/9-16/9 13/9-15/ South Staffordshire, ESorth Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Birmingham. COAL. The market to-day was quiet. Business continues to be restricted by tonnage shortage. Prices are at the top, and there is no prospect of immediate change. The pits are reported to be working well, and every ton of output, whether domestic or manufacturing, is taken up. The munitions works seem to be getting steady supplies. Prices at pit. Current L’st week’s Last year’s Staffordshire (including Cannock Chase) :— prices. prices. prices. House coal, best deep ... 22/ 22/ 23/ Do. seconds deep 20/ 20/ 21/ Do. best shallow 19/ 19/ 20/ Do. seconds do. 18/ 18/ 19/ Best hard 18/6 18/6 19/6 Forge coal 16/ 16/ 16/ Slack Warwickshire:— 11/6 11/6 11/6 House coal, best Ryder.. Do. hand-picked 19/ 19/ 21/ cobs 18/ 18/ 20/ Best hard spires 20/ 20/ 19/6 Forge (steam) 16/ 16/ 16/ D.S. nuts (steam) 14/6 14/6 16/ Small (do.) 14/6 14/6 15/ IRON. There was a fair attendance on ’Change, and while a certain amount of new Business was put through, the market could by no means be described as active. It was hoped that some definite announcement would have been received from the Ministry of Munitions with regard to the new maxima for pig iron, and in its absence very little business could be negotiated. The opinion is gaining ground that the present basis will not be interfered with, though it is suggested that there may be a gradation of qualities, that is while Northamptonshire No. 4 remains the basis of 82s. 6d. net, at furnaces, slightly higher figures will be obtained for Nos. 3, 2 and 1 respectively. That, however, was only a matter of speculation. As soon as the matter is settled one way or the other business will be resumed on a fairly large scale. The fact that quarter day falls a fortnight hence also accounted for some of the lack of activity, new business being held over till then. In the finished as in the crude branches transactions were limited, but values were in no way affected. There is not sufficient finished iron coming forward to satisfy the demand, and, of course, the bulk of the output is going into controlled establishments. All the classes which are scheduled command maximum prices, and any increase in the cost of pig iron would entail an increase in the cost of production of finished iron. Iron masters have therefore taken steps to safeguard their interests in the event of the Ministry of Munitions sanc- tioning any change. Marked bars remain at <£15 a ton, unmarked £13 15s. net, small rounds £15 15s. (iron three- eighths), and £18 5s. for steel. For gas strip an active demand continues at £14 15s. a ton. Galvanised sheets remain on the basis of £28 to £30. Shortage of labour and lack of sheet bars is restricting output to about a fourth of the capacity of the mills. No sheet bars are obtainable under £14. Black corrugated sheets are £18 a ton, and £19 painted. Steel cannot be produced fast enough, and the shortage of hsematites makes it difficult to accelerate output. New business with America is not of large bulk, and there seems a growing feeling all round on the part of manufacturers against laying in large stocks at present high rates. They are looking to the future. Joists and sections are firm at maximum prices, £11 2s. 6d., f.o.t., and net. Copper sheets keep tumbling down and now stand at £152 a ton, a drop of £8 on the week. Forest of Dean. Lydney. GOAL, House coal pits are working steadily at full pressure to comply with the requirements of regular customers. Supplies are being regulated to such an extent that new business is difficult to book. The inland department is maintaining very satisfactory sales, whilst in the seaborne business stems are still lengthy. Slacks are going well and the advanced prices come into force on July 1. All steam qualities are in urgent demand and the supply is unequal to meeting it. The collieries are all as busy as possible. Prices at pithead. House coals:— Block Forest Rubble Nuts Rough slack Steam coal:— Large Small Current prices. 21/6 20/6 20/9 19/ 15/ 18/ -19/ 16/ L’st week’s prices. 21/6 20/6 ' 20/9 19/ 11/6 18/ -19/ 13/6-14/ Last year’s prices. 21/6 20/6 20/9 19/ 15/ 21/ -22/ 16/ -16/6 Prices 2s. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. Meeting of Wagon Owners. —The 25th annual general meeting of the Association of Private Owners of Railway Rolling Stock was held at the Midland Grand Hotel, London, on Tuesday, under the presidency of Mr. G. C. Locket, the chairman of the association. In submitting the ‘balance- sheet and report for the past year, the chairman congratulated the members on the strong financial position of the associa- tion, whose substantial reserve fund he referred to as a great element of strength for defensive purposes. He commented on the recent suggestion to enforce the pooling of all privately' owned wagons, and so to deprive wagon owners for the benefit of their competitors of a substantial part of the fruits of their foresight in providing themselves with means of transport for their traffic, and emphasised the essential importance of organisation to resist schemes of a similar, or more openlv avowed, hostile character. From that subject he turned with satisfaction to the amicable relations now and for some time, past existing between the association and the railway authorities, and to the meetings which had taken place during the past year with representatives of the associated railway companies for the frank discussion of matters of great import- ance to members, which discussion he considered to be of great benefit to all parties concerned. The balance-sheet and report were then approved.