THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN ________________________________________________________________________________ 862 November 3, 1916. possibly a shade better in special cases. The rough weather of last week has interfered with the regular running of coasters, and the merchants dependent upon household coal by sea are all eager to fix charters. There is nothing fresh to report with regard to slack except that the consumption is slowly coming up to the supply, and it is only occasionally that small consignments lie in the sidings waiting delivery orders. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). Current House coal:— prices. Best ................... 21/ Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net)! 25/6 Medium..............[19/ -20/ .............. Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) | 24/6 Kitchen...............| 18/ Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) i 24/ Screened forge coal......j 18/ Best scrnd. steam coal f.o.b. [ 23/ -24/ Best slack ............. 16/ Secondary slack ........ 15/6 Common do.......... 14/6 L’st week's|Last year's prices. ■ prices. 21/ 1 20'9 25/6 ■ 22/ -23/ 19/ -20/ i 19/ 24/6 ! 20/ 18/ ! 16/9-17/ 24/ upwds' 18/6-19/ 18/ ! 16/ -17/ 23/ -24/ '17/9-18/3 16/ 14/ 15/6 12/6 14/6 10/ _______ _______ South Lancashire and Cheshire. COAL. The Manchester Coal Exchange was well attended on Tuesday. House coal is still in keen demand, and there is a scarcity of supplies to meet it. Furnace coal meets with steady enquiry, and the call for shipping coal is maintained. The quantity of slack offered is still in excess of the demand. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). House coal;— Best ............... Medium.............. Common.............__ Furnace coal.......... Bunker (f.o.b. Partington) Best slack ........... Common slack __........ ______ Current |L'st week's,Last year's prices. ! prices. 1 prices. 22/ -23/ | 22/ -23/ s 21/ -22/ 19/6-21/ I 19/6-21/ : 19/ -20/3 18/ -18/6 ,! 18/ -18/6 j 17/ -17/3 17,6-18/ ! 17/ -18/ ; 16/ -17/ 25/ -26/ [ 25/ -26/ i 19/ -21/ 16/upwds 16/ upwds., 14/ 14,6upwds|14/6upwdsi 11/ -12/ IRON. There was a good attendance on 'Change in Manchester. All works are fully occupied on war work and the maximum prices fixed by the Ministry of Munitions are maintained. ________ _______ Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Leeds. COAL. A good average attendance at the Yorkshire Coal Ex- change on Tuesday’ included a predominance of buyers, who were well represented, but there was very little indeed on offer, comparatively few collieries having’ anything to sell. The keenest demand was on nuts, coking smalls and house coal. Colliery agents reported that the pits had worked full time, but the wagon supply was indifferent, railway trucks being very scarce. In consequence of the numerous complaints of delay on the railways between West Yorkshire pits and London and beyond, private wagon owners are refusing to send their trucks, and the bulk of the supplies is in buyers’ own trucks. Stocks in colliery sidings are nil. Very little house coal is offering for the London market, which is very busy. Most of the output, particularly of best qualities, is reserved for con- tractors. Owing to the shortage, London merchants are buying screened steam coal, when possible, with which to supply the demand for second qualities of house coal. In the coastwise branch there is very little in the shape of new business. A few contractors’ boats continue to come to both Hull and Goole fairly regularly. Freights remain firm at about 12s. 6d. Hull to London. The chief qualities being shipped for the South and the Thames are Hartleys, medium Silkstone house coals and house nuts. Local house coal merchants are short of supplies, and their stocks at the depots are low Many collieries are only supplying on the basis of 20 per cent, less than the quantities taken before the war. The following pit prices, as well as those in the general list, are given with the reservation that they 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. With regard to gas coal, except that works in London and the south are still buying spot lots, very little business is passing. All the output is pretty well absorbed by contract requirements, and deliveries of gas nuts are behind hand. Reserves at the gas works are fairly satisfactory. Manufacturing fuel is in keen enquiry, and is difficult to get hold of, except slacks which are offered with increased freedom. There is very little complaint, however, from cons.umers in the industrial centres in the West Riding and Lancashire, of short supplies. There is great scarcity of coking smalls. Very little change is to be recorded in regard to washed furnace coke, for which there are urgent calls from Frodingham, the Midlands, and the Leeds district alike. Barnsley. COAL. The position of business is very little altered on the week. In respect of practically all classes of coal the demand continues to be of a very active character, and is equal to the output, and in some cases exceeds the tonnage available. Export business continues to be on quiet lines owing to lack of tonnage and the restricted issue of licences. Efforts are being made to improve the output, but there is yet little tangible result. Serious cases of the evil are still coming to hand. The home demand for large steams is exceptionally heavy in the case of the railway companies. The daily. delivery is now being found to be only about equal to the needs. There is less opportunity to add to stocks, which are not so substantial as of late. The shortage of nuts again calls for a percentage of large to make up the deficiency. The consumption of this particular class of fuel is of so extensive a character that it cannot be met with the present output. The position w’ith regard to all descriptions of manufacturing fuel is little altered. There is again a little difficulty in disposing of ordinary slacks, which are not being called for in as substantial a degree as formerly, and occasional sales are reported to have been made at less than the rates which have prevailed of late. Small nuts are more enquired for, but the demand can hardly be met, and there is still great difficulty in procuring the requisite tonnage of slacks suitable for coke manufacture. Supplies are of such a character that there is not a little anxiety prevailing regarding the maintenance of the product of coke, which is in such extensive request. The enquiry for gas coal is hardly so brisk, and maybe the earlier closing hours are expected to bring a reduced consumption of gas. The supply of nuts, however, is hardly equal to the demand and the heavy contract bookings. In regard to house coal, the pits are clear of stock, and it is not possible to give the tonnage which is being called for. Best grade fuel is particularly scarce, and there is little available beyond the contract deliveries. Prices at pit. _________________________________________________________ | Current [L’st week’s’Last year’s House coals — prices. ' prices. | prices. Best Silkstono __.......> 20/ -22/ ; 20/ -22/ ; 20/ -22/ Best Barnsley softs....1 18/6-19/ 18/6-19/ 18/6 Secondary do.........17/ -17/6 [ 17/ -17/6 ; 16/6-17/6 Best house nuts ......I 16/ -17/ i 16/ -17/ ; 16/ -17/ Secondary do..........i 15/6-16/ [ 15/6-16/ j 15/6-16/ Steam coals:— ; i Best hard coals..... 17/6-18/6 17/6-18 6 17/6 Secondary do..........[ 16/6-17/6 [ 16/6-17/6 16/6 Best washed nuts......s 16/3-16/6 i 16/3-16/6 16 3-16/6 Secondary do.........i 15/9-16/3 i 15/9-16/3 ■ 15 9-16/ Best slack ............[12/6-13/ ; 12/6-13/ [12/6-13/ Secondary do..........j 10/6-11/ ‘10/6-11/ ' 10/6 C3r