760 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN October 20, 1916. Lancashire steam coals range from 23s. to 24s. f.o.b. or slightly better in special cases. A fair tonnage is being shipped of household fuel for the coastwise and cross channel trade but it scarcely meets the requirements of the merchants. In slacks there are still odd lots mostly of the commoner grades to spare but it is really not difficult to dispose of them as there is a general desire on the consumers’ part to lay something by to stock in addition to the daily consumption. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). Current House coal:— prices. Best ...................... 21/ Do. (f.o.b. Gar ston, net)! 25/6 Medium...............j 19/ -20/ .............. Do. (f.o.b. Gar ston, net); 24/6 Kitchen ..............j 18/ Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net)i 24/ upwds L’st week’s! Last year’s prices. ' prices. 21/ ' 20 9 ! 25/6 ' 22/ -23/ i 19/ -20/ 19/ I 24/6 j 20/ 18/ 1 16'9-17/ 24/upwds 18/ -18/6 Screened forge coal..... Best scrnd. steam coal f.o.b. Best slack ............. Secondary slack ........ Common do. ............__ __________ 18/ 23/ -24/ 16/ 15/6 14/6 18/ ! 16/ -17/ 23/ -24/ : 17/ —17/6 16/ , 14/ 15 '6 12/6 14/6 j 10/ ______________ South Lancashire and Cheshire. activity in the demand, but supplies are meagre and disappointing. With regard to gas coal, the full output is needed to satisfy contract requirements, and there is nothing much to spare for the open market. There have been a few more sales for Italy, but the difficulty is to get boats tor this business. A fair quantity is being shipped for France, but nothing from Hull to neutral countries. The position of manufacturing fuel, so far as supplies are concerned, may be regarded as fairly satisfactory on the whole. Smalls slacks are offering a little more freely, but coking slacks are scarcer than ever. It is understood that munition works and others on Government requirements are strongly advised to, if possible, secure stocks so as to be safeguarded against the probable transit difficulties of the coming winter, and the endeavours made to follow this advice have led to further scarcity of nuts, both washed and unwashed. The efforts made to increase the pro- duction of washed furnace coke, in view of the exceedingly strong pressure for every available ton, have been mostly unsuccessful, as it has been impossible to get sufficient supplies of coking slacks. In some cases nuts and larger coal are being crushed for coking purposes, but in view of the high prices fetched by nuts in the open market, this expedient is too expensive for more than a limited adaption. The accompanying pit prices are given with the reservation that they are more or less nominal and represent Limitation Act figures. Barnsley. COAL. Hull. COAL. COAL. The Manchester Coal Exchange was well attended on Tuesday. Supplies of house coal continue to be short of the requirements, full contract quantities being difficult to get, and very little being offered on open sale. Furnace coal is in good call, and there is a steady enquiry for coal for shipment. Slack is freely offered and concessions in prices made for odd lots. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). Practically in every section of the traffe there is marked activity. Buyers find it very difficult to place business at the usual markets. Colliery representatives with practi- cally no fuel to offer are not prominent so far as the markets are concerned. The position from the merchants’ point of view is perhaps more acute in the house coal and manufacturing fuel sections. Even where contracts have been placed the supplies are inadequate, and the greatest difficulty fol ows to procure added supplies so that those consumers who have not covered their wants in the usual Current ; L’st week’s Last year’s prices. 22/ -23/ 19/6-21/ 18/ -18/6 17/ -18/ prices. 22/ -23/ 19/6-21/ 18/ -18'6 17/ -18/ 25/ -26/ prices. 21/ -22/ 19/ -20/3 17/ -17/3 16/ -17/ 19/ -21/ 14/ House coal:— Best ....... Medium.... Common.... Furnace coal.. Bunker (f.o.b. Partington) 25/ -26/ , , Best slack .............; 16/upwds 16/ upwds.. Common slack .........T4 6upwdS|14,6upwdSj 11/ -12/ IRON. There was a good attendance on ’Change in Manchester on Tuesday, and the prices of pig iron, finished iron and steel bars are well maintained at the Government maximum figures. All works are fully occupied on war material. _________________ Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Leeds. COAL. There was again a good average attendance at the Coal Exchange on Tuesday. London factors were well repre- sented, and, taking the gathering as a whole, buyers were in a considerable majority, a fact which reflects the con- dition of the market with regard to the demand and avail- able supplies. Full time continues to be worked at the pits, and while estimates of the output vary somewhat, the level of recent weeks has on the whole been maintained. There was a very active demand for every sort, but, with the exception that small slacks are a little more plentiful, supplies are exceedingly limited. This activity of demand applied particularly to the London house coal trade, which is exceptionally busy. The supplies coming to hand are totally inadequate for the needs of merchants, as business at the depots has shown a considerable increase in the last few weeks. South ot the river, wffiere the frequent blocks on the railway have affected deliveries, supplies are very short Already inroads are being madn into the stocks of London merchants, which are small enough to begin with. The position of the coastwise trade shows little change from recent weeks. Freights are firm at 12s. 6d. Hull to London, for boats of 1,000 to 1,500 tons. Practically nothing is being offered coastwise, however, except occasional parcels of Hartleys or second-class house coal, and for these full prices are readily obtained. The bulk of the supplies are in contractors’ own boats for the south coast and Thames wharves. West Riding house coal merchants report more ___________________________________________________ Current pit prices. House coal:— Prices at pit (London) : Haigh Moor selected ... Wallsend & London best Silkstone best ....... Do. house .......... House nuts ........... Prices f.o.b. Hull:— Haigh ,Moor best...... Silkstone best ....... Do. house .......... Other qualities....... Gas coal:— Prices at pit: Screened gas coal..... Gas nuts.............. Unscreened gas coal ... Other sorts:— Prices at pit: Washed nuts........... Large double-screened engine nuts __......... Small nuts............ Rough unscreened engine coal........... Best rough slacks..... Small do. ............ Coking smalls ........ Coke:— Price at ovens : Furnace coke ......__ Current ^L’st week’s Last year’s prices. 1 prices. ! prices. 20/ -21/ i 20/ -21/ 20/ -21/ 19/ -20/ : 19/ -20/ ' 19/ -20/ 19/ -20/ : 19/ -20/ 19/ -20/ 17/ -20/ 17/ -18/ 16 6-17/6 16/ -17/ 1 16/ —17/ 16/ -17/ 23/ -24/ : 23/ -24/ 22/ -23/ ! 22/ -23/ 20/ -21/ I 20/ -21/ 19/ -20/ ’ 19/ -20/ 21/6-22 6 20 6 -21/6 18 6-19 6 18/ -19/ 16/ -17/ 1 16/ -17/ 15/6-16/6 15/6-16'6 15/ -16/ : 15/ -16/ 15/ -16/ 15/ -15 6 13,6-14,6 17/ -18/ ! 17/ -18/ 16/ -16/6 16/ -17/ i 16/ -17/ 15/ -16/ ! 15/ -16/ 14'6 15 6 13 6-14,6 15/ -16/ : 15/ -16/ 14/ -15/ ! 14/ -15/ 12/ -13/ i 12/ -13/ 12,6-13,6 ■ 12,6-13 6 13 6-14 6 12,6-13 6 10/ -11/ 10/ -10/6 i 25 8 25/8 15/6-16/6 way find it extremely difficult to make any satisfactory arrangement. There are complaints again regarding absenteeism and the utility of the joint committees to deal with this matter appears to have given rise to a good deal of comment. A glaring case of indifference to duty was quoted at the Barnsley West Riding Court on Wednesday. Six miners were ordered to pay damages, amounting in the aggregate to about <£30, for neglect to work at the Hoyland Silkstone Colliery. It was stated during August 3,625 shifts, and September 5,288 shifts were lost at this colliery alone. The chairman (Mr. T. Norton) told the offenders if they could not do their duty here they should be sent to the Front. The trouble, general enquiries show, has again become so prevalent that urgent representa- tions are being made to the authorities to take drastic steps. The output, though substantial, appears to be inadequate to meet the demand, in spite of the fact that a keen check is still kept upon exports. The enquiry for the neutral markets is more active, which would give a sub- stantial addition to revenue, and the demands of France and Italy are expected to assume greater bulk. The heavy consumption of large steams on home account, par- ticularly by the railway companies, is being fairly well met, but the deliveries at the present hardly permit the addition to stocks in such a degree as was recently the case. Values for shipment are tending higher with the stronger enquiry, and the difficulty in obtaining an adequate tonnage of nuts is very real. The consumption of this class of coal by the munition works and other large concerns, of course, is unprecedentedly large, and fuel of large size has still to be used. Enquiries for nuts at the collieries have but a futile result. In regard to gas coal, there is also more activity in the demand. Firms who neglected to lay in stocks are now faced with an anxious problem. Contract deliveries are on such a scale that only about meet the daily consumption, and there is the greatest difficulty in finding surplus lots, specially of nuts. The tonnage for shipment is growing for France and Italy. The demands for all kinds of manufacturing fuel is generally of a more active description. Slacks are in better demand, though the consumption in the Lancashire district is not so heavy as previously, owing to shortage of labour. Collieries in this district are, however, able to dispose of the production fairly comfortably, and prices are again up to the maximum. The demand for slacks suitable for coke ma ing is of a very strong descripti >n, and again the supply is hardly sufficient, with a very strong enquiry prevailing and maximum values offering readily. The house coal trade has become more active, or rather the demand greatly exceeds the supply. Merchants who are finding contract deliveries insufficient are keenly enquiring for supplementary lots, and reports are heard of higher than maximum rates being offered. Collieries, how- ever, are heavily booked up, and contracts largely absorb the production, so that there is little left for the open market. Apart from the question of the date of delivery, many collieries are still turning a deaf ear to new’ enquiries, and buyers who have not covered their wants by contract are experiencing great difficulty in procuring supplies. Though the make of coke is well maintained, heavier supplies are being pressed for, but can hardly be given. The following quotations are largely of a nominal character, and represent the maximum scheduled for the home markets. Prices at pit. The market remains in pretty much the same position as a week ago, and very little doing either in prompt business or for November shipment. Apart from the fact that little surplus steam coal is available, the position is altogether dominated by the issue of licences and the shortage of shipping tonnage which is now acute. Delays at the French ports six and more days of course affect the utility of the tonnage on the trade, and lead to difficulty in arranging “ stems.” Italy is not yet in the market, although a good quantity is now being shipped to the order of the Italian State Railways. Neural orders are not many, and their execution depends entirely upon the ability to get a licence to ship. Second holders of steam coal are not quite so firmly holding to their quotations in view of difficulties ahead. Manufacturing fu-ls a>e mouly taken up at home, and scarcely offer for foreign shipment. To-day’s approximate values for pr< mpt shipment are:— Best South Yorkshire hards, 30s. to 31s.; washed doubles, 26s. ; washed singles, 24s. 6d. to 25s. ; washed small coal, 20s.; rough slacks, 17s. to 17s. 6d.; West Yorkshire Hartleys, 27s. to 27s. 6d.; Paikgates, 26s. 6d. to 27s.; gas and house fuels, 25s. to 28s. ; Derbyshire steam hards (at Grimsby or Immingham), 29s. to 30s. Shipments at the docks are moderate, and doings in the freight market almost solely confined to fixtures for French ports at limitation rates. London has been done at 12s. 6d. for a small steamer, and Barcelona at 52s. 6d. this week’s loading. Chesterfield. COAL. The market maintains its firm character, and the coal trade of the district is in a state of great activity. There is a strong demand for house coal, and orders are increasing in number daily. Considerable delay will be experienced in executing these, and in addition there will be great difficulty in carting the coal from the receivi g stations. Munition works continue to put great pressure upon collieries in order that adequate supplies of fuel may be secured. An exceptionally strong demand prevails for all classes of nuts, the supply of which is substantially below the needs of consumers. Cobbles are also in brisk request and slack for boiler firing is moving rather better. Many railway companies are in urgent need of steam coal for locomotive use, and the daily deliveries from the c fllieries are barely sufficient to meet the consumption from day to day. The export trade is dull owing to the lack of shipping tonnage as well as the difficulty in obtaining the necessary licences. Prices remain firm at 29s. 6d. per ton delivered at Grimsby. It is not possible to ship nuts or slack, as licences for small coal cannot be issued. The coke market is unchanged. All classes of coke continue in satisfactory demand at official rates. Prices at pit. Current prices. | L’st week’s i prices. Last year’s prices. Best house coals 17/ 17/ 17/ Secondary do x • 1 16/6 j- 11 16/6 16,6 Cobbles 16/ i 16/ 16/ Nuts 15/ 1 15/ 15/ Slack 12/6 | 12/6 12/6 IRON. Orders continue plentiful for finished iron and the forges and mills of the district are actively employed. Engineer- ing establishments are all working at high pressure. _________________ Nottingham. COAL. Since the commencement of October the tone of the trade in this county has assumed a more active character. In every branch the pressure of orders is increasing, and it is almost impossible for owners to fully execute the same. At some of the pits an improvement in the output has taken place, and taking all circumstances into consideration the tonnage which is being produced must be regarded on the whole as satisfactory. For domestic fuel merchants are ordering on a liberal scale in view of the approaching winter, and owners are compelled to exercise much discretion in the disposal of available supplies. There is a ready sale for all kinds of households, the prices of which are very firm. The demand for steam coal continues brisk, the requirements for home consumption being on a heavy scale. Apart from shipments for war purposes, the export trade is on a limited scale. Nuts are in great request, most owners being unable to accept all orders. A better tone is manifesting itself in the slack market and there is little difficulty in disposing of better class and medium qualities at the maximum rates. _________ Prices at pithead. _____ I Current tL’st week’s Last year’s House coals:— prices. prices. ■ prices. Best Silkstono ......... 20/ -221 20/ -221 j 20/ -221 Best Barnsley softs.... 18'6-19/ 18/6-19/ 18/6 Secondary do........17/ -17/6 17/ -17/6 16/6-17/6 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 '6 17/ -17/6 Secondary do..........- 16/6-17,6 16/6-17,6 16/ -16/3 Best washed nuts......; 16/3-16/6 16/3-16/6 16/ -16 6 Secondary do.........| 15/9-16/3 15/9-16/3 15/6-15 9 Best slack ____________ 12/6-13/ 12/6-13/ 12 6-13/ Secondary do..........: 10/6-11/ 10/6-11/ 10/ -10/6 Gas coals:— Screened gas coals .... 16/6-17/6 16/6-17/6 16 6-17/ Unscreened do....... 15/6-16/ 15/6-16/ 15 6-16/6 Gas nuts.............. 16/ 16/ ; 16/ -16/6 Furnace coke............j 25/8 25/8 j 17/ Current L’st week’s Last year’s Hand-picked brights ... prices. prices. prices. ...! 18 6-19/6 ... 17/ -17 6 18/6-19/6 18 6 19 6 Good house coals 17/ -17/6 , 16/6-17/ Secondary do ... 16/ -16 6 16/ -16 6 ; 15'6-16^ Best hard coals 17/ -17-6 17/ -17/6 ■ 16 6-17/6 Secondary do ... 16/ -16/6 16/ -16 6 15'6-16/ Slacks (best hards) ... 12/ -13/ : 12/ -13/ ; 11/6-12 6 Do. (second) ...10 6-11/ 10/6-11/ 10 6-11/ Do. (soft) 11/ j '11/ i 10 6-11/ _______________ Leicestershire. COAL. No improvement has occured in the position of affairs in this district, on the contrary the shortage iu the output as compared with the demand becomes more pronounced week by week. The balance is thrown further on the wrong side by the fact that in all the great centres of population there are many thousands of consumers dependent on weekly supplies and their consumption is increasing very rapidly. There is an extremely keen demand for all classes of house- hold for the London district, especially deep and main cobbles, as well as of all classes of nuts. The deliveries for coal merchants at country stations are very irregular, but this cannot be obviated on account of the shortage of rail- way-owned wagons. There are some small accumulations