172 July 28, 1916. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. _______________________________________________________________________________ Prices are all net f.o.b. (cash, in 30 days). Current Anthracite:— prices. Best malting large (hand picked) ...... 31/ -33/ Secondary do. ... 28/ -29/6 Big Vein Valley large...! 27/6-29/6 Red Vein large .....I 25/ -27/ ........... ........... Machine-made cobbles 36/ -38/ Paris nuts ............ — French do............ 35/6-38/ ................ Stove do............. 35/ -37/ Beans ............... 31/ -33/ Machine - made large peas .............. 21/6-23/ .................. Do. fine peas .... — Rubbly culm.......... 13/ -13/6 Duff................. 5/ - 5/6 Steam coals:— Best large .......... 37/6—40/ Seconds .............. 36/ -37/6 Bunker throughs...... 29/ -32/ Small ................ 20/ -23/6 Bituminous coals:— No. 3 Rhondda— Large____ ............... 43/ -46/ Thro’-and-thro’......• — Small ............! 26/ -29/ Patent fuel ............| 50/ -51/ L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. . 31/ -33/ ! 24/ -26/6 ! 28/ -29/6 i22/ -23/6 ! 27/6-29/6J 22/6-25/ i 25/ -27/ ; 19/ -20/ I 36/ -38/ | 31/ -34/ i 35/6-38/ ' 35/ -37/6 35/ -37/ I 33/ -36/ 31/ -33/ ' 24/3-25/3 21/6-23/ I 18/ -18/9 13/ -13/6 j 11/ -11/6 5/ - 5/6 j 6/ - 6/6 37/6-40/ 25/ -26/6 : 36/ -37/6 ! 22/6-24/9 29/ -32/ ! 21/ -22/6 20/ -23/6 : 13/6-15/6 43/ -46/ 25/6-26/6 26/ -29/ ; 19/6-20/6 50/ -51/ j 30/ -32/6 Llanelly. COAL. The market is still characterised by a certain amount of firmness, but the tonnage question is, unfortunately, affecting the position rather much. Stocks have accumu- lated to a fairly large extent, and empty wagons are there- fore none too plentiful. The chief difficulty is in getting the vessels discharged at the French ports. Owing to the shortage in labour there, boats are not running at all regularly, with the result that collieries’ arrangements are entirely upset. The inland enquiry for most qualities still continues good, but customers are now able to obtain better despatch. Anthracite large and cobbles are both easy. Machine-made kinds, especially beans and peas, are in strong demand, and prices are maintained. Bituminous smalls are in good request, and any odd lots which may be offering are quickly snapped up by the manufacturing works. Large steam is also going very well, but bunkers are not quite as firm. This week’s quotations approxi- mately are:— Prices f.o.b. Anthracite:— Best malting large... Secondary do. ....... Big Vein large....... Red Vein do.......... Machine-made cobbles... Stove nuts........... French do............ Paris do............. Machine-made beans ... Do. peas...... Culm ................. Duff................. Other sorts:— Large steam coal...... Through-and-through... Small ................ Bituminous small coal... Current L’st week’s Last year’s prices, i prices. prices. 30/ -32/ 30/ -32/ 24/ -26/ 27/ -29/ ' 27/ -29/ 22/ -25/ 27/ -29/6 27/ -29/6 . 21/6-23/6 25/6-27/6 25/6-27/6 1 18/ -20/ 36/ -38/6 36/ -38/6 31/6-34/ 35/6-39/ 35/6-39/ ! 33/ -33/6 36/6-39/6 36/6-39/6 ! 34/ -37/6 35/6-38/6 ! 35/6-38/6 ■ 33/ -36/ 30/ -32/6 ; 32/6-34/6 i 24/6-25/6 22/ -23/ < 22/ -23/ i 18/ -19/6 13/ -13/6 13/ -13/6 i 10/6-11/ 5/ - 5/6 ' 5/ - 5/6 j 6/6- 6/9 37/ -38/ ! 37/ -38/ i 24/ -26/ 27/6-31/ ’ 28/6-32/6 ! 20/ -23/ 20/ -22/ ' 20/ -22/ 14/ -16/ 27/6-29/6 27/6-29/6 20/ -23/ __________________ THE BY-PRODUCTS TRADE. Tar Products.—The market is rather quiet, and most pro- ducts are stationary, but solvent naphtha is again, unsettled, the tendency being in favour of buyers. Benzols, of course, are nominal as regards both price and offerings. Nearest values are :— Benzols, 90’s ...................... 1/0J ,, 90’s North ................ /10J—/11| ................ ,, 50’s North ................. 1/3—1/4 Toluol ............................ 2/3 Carbolic acid, crude (60 per cent.)... 3/4 ,, crystals (40 per cent.) 1/3 Solvent naphtha, south (90% at 160 degs.), as in quality and package... 1/10—1/11 Solvent naphtha, north (90% at 160 degs.), as in quality and package... 2/—2/1 Crude naphtha, north (in bulk) ...... /6|—/7 Creosote Tor ordinary qualities) .... /2|—/2| Pitch (f.o.b. east coast) ............ 15/—15/6 ............. ,, (f.a.s west coast) ............ 14/—14/6 Tar (per ton ex works) .............. 15/—19/ Rise ( + ) or fall (-) on the week. [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. — The market is steady, and although buyers are holding off as much as possible, prices are decidedly stronger. Forward business is not brisk, but for one month £18 2s. 6d. is asked, and £18 7s. 6d. to the end of the year. Nitrate of soda is the turn easier, but the advance in sulphate is not surprising, seeing it is still worth pounds per ton more compared with the price of nitrate, on the value of the nitrogen unit. Closing prompt prices are :— Rise ( + ) or fall (-) on the week. London (ordinary makes) ... £17/5 + 5/ Beckton (25 per cent.) £16/5 + 7/6 Liverpool ; £17/15 + 7/6 Hull £17/7/6 + 5/ Middlesbrough £17/7/6 + 5/ Scotch ports £17/7/6—£17/12/6 ... +2/6 Wales : £17—£17/7/6 +5/ Nitrate of soda (ord.) per cwt 17/101 -/li [Sulphate of ammonia, f.o.b. in bags, less 21 per cent, discount ; 24 per cent, ammonia, good grey quality; allowance for refraction, nothing for excess.} THE LONDON COAL TRADE. Thursday, July 27. The trade this week still finds London merchants eager to secure every possible truck load of coal, and the shortage of fuel is keenly apparent. The market has been well attended during the week, but colliery representatives have been appre- ciably less. The persistent enquiries for supplies are invariably met with the same monotonous answer : “Nothing to sell.’’ The whole of the business transacted centres itself in the quantities due under contracts. Slacks have been more plentiful, and a fair amount of business has been done, but fine slacks have shown a falling market, and prices have been reduced in many instances. The difficulty of obtaining vessels for the export and coasting trade have slightly increased the quantities of house coal available. The monthly contract arrangements have been notoriously in arrear, so that very little free coal has been on offer, and collieries still report a heavy list of orders on hand unexecuted. The reports from the depots show that a better supply has been coming forward, and the delivery trade is brisk. Derby Brights have received the greatest demand, and merchants have still a large number of public orders on hand. Coals are being retailed in trolleys in the South London district at Is. lid. per cwt., which works out at 38s. 4d. per ton. The seaborne market is very firm. Thirty-four vessels were returned on Monday’s market as arriving in the river Thames, and 11 on Wednesday, all contract cargoes. The new committee has been recently formed on the London Coal Exchange, called th® “ Rail- borne Coal Factors’ and Wholesale Merchants’ Association,’’ and has taken in hand the great question of bringing to light the excesses in the sales of coal contravening the new Price of Coal (Limitation) Act (1915). The numerous complaints which have reached the Board of Trade about traders charg- ing profits far in excess of the prices contemplated under the Limitation Act led to the new association being formed, and the executive committee are empowered to bring such cases of alleged excessive prices before the Board of Trade for consideration. Messrs. W. Cory and Sons’ office, on the floor of the Coal Market, has been placed at the disposal of the members, and the wholesale section of the coal trade is invited to become members. The annual subscription is fixed at £2 2s. Messrs. E. F. Turner and Sons, solicitors, of 115, Leadenhall-street, London, E.C., are acting as secre- taries. Some considerable discussion has been noticeable on the floor of the Exchange over the recent decision of the Board of Trade in allowing the South Wales coal owners to increase their pit prices to 6s. 6d. instead of 4s., as originally laid down by the Price of Coal (Limitation) Act, and to date the advance back to June 1. The collieries producing for the home markets are already in a worse position than those producing for the export trade, and as the recent advance applies solely to the Welsh collieries, there is a growing feeling that other districts should equally participate. ____________________________ From Messrs. Dinham, Fawcus and Co.’s Report. Friday, July 21.—The seaborne house coal market was somewhat quieter to-day, the enquiry being less insistent owing to warmer weather. Cargoes, 25. Monday, July 24.—There was a fair amount of enquiry for seaborne house coal at to-day’s market, but no business was reported. Cargoes, 34 Wednesday, July 26.—The weather being warmer, did not improve the amount of enquiry for seaborne house coa] to-day, but no cargoes were on offer. Cargoes, 11. __________________________ ECONOMY AND WASTE OF COAL RESOURCES.* By Arnold Lupton, M.I.C.E., etc. Mr. Lupton said he was proud to address this institu- tion containing so many eminent engineers, and said if he might mention one only, he would like to name the first professor of mining at the Cardiff University, Dr. William Galloway, whose discovery of the dangerous explosive quality of coal dust and his ingenious demon- strations of that fact has been chiefly instrumental in reducing the number of coal mine explosions. Mr. Lupton proposed to establish the truth of the following statements :— (1) That the coal resources of the United Kingdom are sufficient for its domestic requirements and foreign export, and that there is no occasion for legislators to trouble themselves as to our future resources of fuel. (2) That the coal resources of the rest of the world, though vast in proportion to those of the British Isles, are not larger in regard to the area of land which now or in the near future they have to supply, and that, therefore, the exhaustion of the coal fields of the rest of the world will proceed at much the same rate as those of the United Kingdom. (3) That there are other sources of power and heat sufficient to take the place of coal in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world, although they cannot at the present time, except in certain localities and for certain purposes, compete with cheap coal. (4) That during the cheap coal period an abundant supply of metals will be mined and smelted, so that with prudent care they will be sufficient for the use of later generations, with comparatively small renewals by further mining and smelting. The reports published by the Royal Coal Commission on Coal Supplies in 1905 were replete with the most valuable and carefully collected information, but the general reports of these Commissions, giving the summary of their calculations, gave rather their opinions as to the amount of coal which might ultimately be got out of our coal fields than the actual amount of coal which their investigations showed to exist in Great Britain. They made great deductions for waste in working. The amount of this waste was calculated according to the experience of the past when coal was cheap, but in the future, when coal would be sold at very high prices, there would be no waste. It was a mistake to suppose that small coal and other coal now left in the * Synopsis of paper read before the South Wales Institute of Engineers. mines was wasted. On the contrary, it was stored up for future use, and would all be got out at some future day. Also, the Commissioners limited themselves to coals of 1ft. thick and upwards, but in the future, with coal at a very high price, it would pay to get seams as thin as 3 in. in thickness. The Commissioners also limited themselves to a depth of 4,000 ft., but the question of getting deep coal was only one of price; even at the low prices prevailing before the war, coal had been got in some places from a depth of nearly 4,000 ft., and at the high prices of the future coal could be got at a depth of 10,000 ft. Since the date of the Commissions the rich coal field of South-East Kent had been proved, and there were probably some other coal fields yet to be discovered. Taking the figures of the 1871 Commission and correcting it up to date, and deducting coal got since 1870, there remains in the United Kingdom coal to the amount of 360,000,000,000 tons. The amount of coal got in the United Kingdom in the last year before the W’ar, 1913, was 287,000,000 tons; but the annual pro- duction of coal is rapidly increasing, and it is hardly likely that this increased production would stop until an annual production of 350,000,000 or 400,000,000 tons is got, so that we may say that at those figures our coal fields would last from 800 to 1,000 years from the present date. But, of course, that great production would not continue, it would gradually decline, and our coal would never really be entirely exhausted. The total coal resources of the world were probably 7,400,000,000,000 tons, or, adding petroleum, mineral gas and peat, a total fuel reserve of 8,000,000,000,000. The present production of the world was about 1,200,000,000 tons of coal. Substitutes for Coal. Reserve of Coal per Head of Population. Tons. United Kingdom ...................... 7,500 Europe ............................__ 2,000 The whole world ...................... 4.772 Water Power.—Prof. Gibson estimates the waterfall power of the world at 200,000,000 horse-power, or more. The works at the Niagara Falls give an instance of cheap water power; the Tata hydro-electric works near Bombay are an instance of water power works made with the aid of expensive storage reservoirs to give regularity of supplies in the dry seasons. Wind Power.—The wind was an old-established source of power which would be greatly used in the future as coal got more expensive. The wind power in this country was sufficient to do all our work, but when, owing to its cost, our coal was reserved for very special purposes, and the wind power came into full use, it would be supplemented from other sources of energy. Sun Power.—It is many years since a steam engine driven by the heat of the sun was first made. About two years ago a sun power plant was established at Meadi, near Cairo, on the River Nile, in order to pump venter for irrigation purposes. There is plenty of sun power now going to waste in dry countries,"such as T^gypU the Sahara Desert, and many other places— enough to do a hundred times all tl)C work of the world. Sun power in Africa might be, and in all probability will be, used to generate electrical currents which can be delivered in England in any quantity that* we are likely to require at a cost per kilowatt year of £9, or, say, two-thirds of Id. per hour per kilowatt. Tide Power.—This is enormous, but difficult to con- trol. Nevertheless, the day will come when the price of coal is so high that it will pay to construct the neces- sary works for utilising the energy of the tides. Pollution of the Atmosphere.^-lt has been stated that the combustion of all our coal would make so much carbonic acid gas that human beings could no longer exist. Mr. Lupton calculated that the air required to burn all the coal was 0’68 per cent, of the total weight of air, or that out of 148 volumes of the atmosphere only one would be consumed, and the weight of carbonic acid Jas produced would be equal to 0-22 per cent, of the total atmosphere. The Mines Regulation Act allows 1’25 per pent., or six times as much. The winds that blow will probably maintain a. satisfactory mixture. No Need for Government Interference. The engineers who control our great works have made the most wonderful inventions and effected great econo- mies both in the working of coal mines and the utilisa- tion of the fuel. They are impelled by the very strongest motives to practise economy in every branch of engineering and manufacture. They and their employers know better than any Government officials can teach them where true economy can be made, and the only thing that could hinder our progress would be the interference of Government officials. The Progress of the Human Race. The scientific discoveries of the last 300 years, show- ing us how to utilise the resources which Nature has placed without our reach, also shows us how enormous populations may subsist in comfort and happiness. The earth can produce by cultivation all the supplies neces- sary for the welfare and comfort of a people 10 times as numerous as the present population, and the mechanical energy at our service is more than equal to all possible needs. All that is necessary for progress and happiness is that human beings, instead of ranging themselves in rival nations, aiming at each other’s destruction, should combine their forces to attack their real enemies, which injure life, and prevent progress in many tropical and sub-tropical countries, malaria, yellow fever, and a host of other removable diseases, most of which will yield to the simple laws of sanitation; that they should use the rivers for irrigation, and store up the rainfall in great reservoirs; and carry the heat of the sun from the burnt-up deserts by electrical transmission to colder regions.