November 10, 1916. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN 911 scarcity of steamers has been worse than ever during the last few days, and business has been reduced to a very low ebb. Much time has been lost by collieries which had to lie idle owing to the accumulation of stocks of coal and the impossibility of getting these stocks away promptly. Unless relief arrives very shortly, there will be a laying idle of collieries unparalleled at any time save that of a strike or lock-out. The position is desperately bad just now, especially in view of the great need for fuel for military purposes, a circumstance which should induce all who have any control over the detention of steamers to do their level best to ease the situation. F.o.b. quotations for prompt shipment have undergone comparatively little change on the week—although such alterations as have been made are in favour of purchasers—for, indeed, it is little use altering prices when no business can possibly result therefrom. The changes made during the week are as follow:—Tyne steam seconds are 2s. 6d. cheaper ; unscreened, easier ; Blyth smalls, Is. lower ; Tynes, weaker ; specials, 2s. 6d. down ; smithies, ditto; gas seconds, easier ; unscreened bunkers, Durhams, 5s. reduced ; Tynes, 2s. 6d. fallen ; coking coals, 5s. less ; households, weaker ; foundry coke, 2s. to 5s. down; and blast-furnace, 3s. decreased. It will be observed that Durham coals have fallen most considerably, bunkers and coking sorts especially so, and that coke is much weaker. There is a good enquiry, largely induced by the lower prices which are now quoted as compared with a few weeks ago, and licences are being issued more freely. Many merchants doing business with Spanish, Portuguese and Scandinavian ports state that they have already secured licences for shipments, and that all they need now is the shipping! It is probably well within the mark to say that, if tonnage were forthcoming, the present large stocks of coal would very speedily be cleared away and the wheels of the industry would once more revolve at a rare pace. Prompt business is practically at a standstill, however, although the forward market is fairly active. A large amount of selling for delivery over the whole or earlier part of next year has taken place at limitation prices, steam coals, gas sorts, bunkers, and coking qualities having been taken up to a considerable aggregate. Foundry coke for 1917 delivery has been sold at 35s. per ton, and there is a large demand for patent coke for similar shipment. Prices f.o.b. for prompt shipment. Steam coals :— Best, Blyths (D.C.B.) ... Do. Tynes (Bowers,&c.) Secondary, Blyths Do. Tynes (Hastings or West Hartleys) ... Unscreened Small, Blyths Do. Tynes Do. specials Other sorts:— Smithies Best gas coals (New Pelton or Holmside) Secondary gas coals (Pelaw Main or similar) Special gas coals Unscreened bunkers, Durhams Do. do. N or thumbrians Coking coals Do. smalls House coals Coke, foundry Do. blast-furnace Do. gas Current prices. 30/ -32/6 30/ —32/6 27/6 27/6 20/ -22/6 20/ 17/6-20/ 20/ -22/6 20/ -22/6 30/ 21/ -23/ 30/ 18/ -20/ 20/ 20/ 18/ -20/ 30/ -35/ 36/ -/40 33/ -35/ 33/ —35/ L’st week’s prices. 30/ -32/6 30/ -32/6 27/6 27/6-30/ 22/6 20/ -21/ 19/ -20/ 22/6 22/6-25/ 30/ 23/ 30/ 18/ -25/ 20/ -22/6 20/ -25/ ! 18/ -20/ 35/ I 38/ -45/ 1 36/ -38/ ! 33/ —35/ Last year’s prices. 19/6 19 6 16/6-17/ 17/ 15/ -16/ 11/ -11/6 11/ 13.6 16/6-17/ 19/6 16/6-17/ 20/ 16 /-16/9 15/6-16/ 16/ -17/ 16/6 20/ 32/6-36/ 30/ -32/6 27/ -29/ Sunderland. COAL. The exports from Sunderland last week amounted to 56,285 tons of coal and 1,490 tons of coke, as compared with 61,790 tons of coal and 615 tons of coke for the corre- sponding period of 1915, being a decrease of 8,505 tons of coal and an increase of 875 tons of coke. The coal market is very quiet owing to lack of tonnage. It is, however, expected to improve now that the War Risks Club have agreed to insure Norwegian steamers engaged in the Anglo-French trade. Meanwhile there is a good deal of stagnation in the matter of buying and selling, and this state of affairs for the moment gives rather a listless air to the market. Collieries are still losing time, but they are taking a stronger stand for prices for later loading. For prompt shipment, however, there is plenty of coal offering at current quotations. Prices f.o.b. Sunderland. Gas coals:— Current prices. L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. Special Wear gas coals 30/ 30/ 19/6-20/ Secondary do. 25/6-26/ 25/ 16/6-17/ House coals:— Best house coals 30/ 34/ 20/ Ordinary do 25/ 28/ 17/6-18/ Other sorts:— Lambton screened 30/ 30/ 20/ South Hetton do 30/ 30/ 20/ Lambton unscreened ... 20/ 22/ 17/ South Hetton do. 20/ 22/ 16/6-16/9 Do. treble nuts 23/6 24/ 17/ Coking coals unscreened 21/6 20/ 17/6 Do. smalls 18/6 18/ 17/3 Smithies 19/ 23/ 17/6 Peas and nuts 25/ 24/6 20/ -20/6 Best bunkers 23/ 20/ 17/3 Ordinary bunkers 17/6 18/ 16/3 Coke Foundry coke 37/6 38/ 35/ Blast-furnace coke (did. Teesside furnaces) ... 28/ 28/ 28/6 Gas coke 31/ 32/ 27/ Outward chartering has been very quiet this week. Fixtures are: — London, 14s.; Drammen, 30 kr.; Lisbon, 42s. 6d.; Gibraltar, 40s.; Oran, 53s. 6d.; Barcelona, 62s. 6d.; Porto Ferraio, 52s. 6d.; Genoa, 64s. 6d.; Madeira, 35s.; Las Palmas, 35s. Middlesbrough-on-Tees. COAL. The coal trade generally is weak. Shortage of tonnage continues to hamper business, the failure of vessels to arrive according to programme having caused a good deal of disorganisation and disappointment. Deliveries of gas coal to home consumers show some improvement, and ship- ments are expected to increase. Bunker coal is quiet. Household coal is in fairly good request and unchanged in price. Coking coal is well taken up, and considerable quantities have been sold over periods next year at limita- tion rates. There is a plentiful supply of coke, but the opinion prevails that demand will shortly be such that the supply will be fully absorbed. A good deal of foundry coke has been sold over next year, and substantial negotiations for forward delivery of other kinds are reported. There are heavy enquiries for patent coke for next year's shipment. Home requirements, especially local, also promise to increase. Best Durham gas coals range from 27s. 6d. to 30s., and second kinds are 20s. to 21s. Ordinary Durham bunkers are 18s. to 19s., and best , sorts 20s. Coking coals are in the neighbourhood of 19s. Foundry coke (best) is quoted from 35s. upward for ship- ment, and patent kinds from 34s. upward; whilst some sellers ask as much as 35s. for gas coke. The last named, however, is obtainable at a lower figure. Average blast- furnace coke still realises 23s. at the ovens, and qualities low in phosphorus continue to be quoted up to 30s. 6d. at the ovens. IRON. The Distributing Committee continue to allocate sup- plies of pig iron which meet home requirements, but transport difficulties are an obstacle to regular deliveries. Producers are v ery fully booked for this year, and some of them are still disinclined to commit themselves over periods of 1917 to any extent, but some business is passing for delivery early next year. Arrangements are now practically complete for the re-starting of blastfurnaces, and some idle plant will be put into operation during the present month. The number of furnaces in operation on the north-east coast is 73, of which 28 are making Cleveland pig, 31 are producing haematite, and 14 are manufacturing special kinds of iron. The stock of Cleveland pig in the public warrant stores here stands at 4,434 tons, there having been neither addition or withdrawal since the 23rd of last month. For home consumption No. 3 Cleveland pig iron, No. 4 foundry, and No. 4 forge all stand at 87s. 6d., and No. 1 is put at 91s. 6d. For export to our allies No. 3 is quoted at 97s. 6d, and that is regarded as the general market quotation. No. 1 is 102s. 6d. for shipment abroad, No. 4 foundry 96s. 6d., and No. 4 forge 95s. 6d. Less reluctance to negotiate for forward business in east coast haematite iron is noticeable, but transactions are still on only a very limited scale. Nos. 1, 2 and 3 are quoted at 122s. 6d. for home use, 137s. 6d. for shipment to France, and 137s. 6d. export to Italy. Imports of foreign ore show some falling off, but they are on a large scale, and the now very heavy stocks continue to be added to. Manufacturers of finished iron and steel are very busily employed on Government work and on mercantile ship building material. For home consumption common iron bars are £13 15s.; iron ship plates, £13 10s. to <£14 10s.; iron ship angles, <£13 15s.; steel bars (no test), £14 10s.; steel ship plates, £11 10s.; steel ship angles, £11 2s. 6d.; steel joists, £11 2s. 6d.; and heavy steel rails, £10 17s. 6d.; and the following are now given as the revised export quotations :—Common iron bars, £15 ; iron ship plates, £14 10s.; steel bars, £16 ; steel ship plates, £13 10s. to £18, according to diameter ranging from | to |; steel boiler plates, 20s. above steel ship plates; steel sheets (singles), £20; steel sheets (doubles), £22 ; packing iron and steel (parallel), £12 ; and packing iron and steel (tapered), £14 5s. Cumberland. Maryport. COAL. Firmness continues in the Cumberland coal and allied industries and production barely keeps pace with require- ments. Landsale, shipping and local manufacturing accounts are all remarkably active, and requirements for the export and home markets increase faster than they can be coped with. The demand for fuel is stronger in all branches. Stocks of all sorts are rather scarce, and local users are now making such a heavy call on the supplies of smalls and works fuel that a good many outside and coast- wise consumers are having to go short. It is not antici- pated that there will be any serious scarcity during the coming winter, but the demand in all markets is almost certain to grow keener as the year advances, and it will therefore be hardly possible for consumers to secure any- thing like the amount of fuel they require. The Oughterside Colliery near Maryport, which employs about 300 hands, was idle from Wednesday till Saturday owing to a dispute with the boys, but the matter was settled at the week end, and the pit resumed work with the first shift on Monday morning. Household fuel is in very brisk demand and some of the depots have booked sufficient orders to keep them well engaged till the end of the month. Gas coal and engine fuels for local use are in very firm request and users are still finding it rather difficult to procure adequate supplies. There is a strong and growing demand for slacks, smalls and all kinds of fuel for industrial purposes; local needs are still on the increase, and a large proportion of the output of this class of fuel is still going to works in the district. The situation in the coastwise branch is not quite so stringent as it was, but Irish customers can still take considerably more coal than they are at present able to secure. A keen demand prevails for all varieties for the export market, more particularly smalls and industrial fuel. Freights are a shade firmer than they were some time ago. Owing to the stormy weather the tonnage to Ireland has been rather lower than usual this week, but there are at present some good stocks in the dock sidings awaiting ship- ment. During the week ten vessels have sailed from Maryport with coals for Irish ports, and the shipments have amounted to 3,205 tons, compared with 5,180 tons at the corresponding period of last year, or a decrease of 190 tons compared with the previous week. The largest cargoes have been for Belfast, Carrickfergus and Londonderry. Local coke is in sharp call, and all the Cumberland by-product ovens are in full operation. The whole of the production of local coke is being absorbed at the furnaces in West Cumberland. Local requirements are very much larger than can be met, and Cumberland smelters are still using between 5,000 and 6,000 tons of north east coast coke weekly. It is anticipated, however, that the new ovens at Whitehaven will be lighted shortly, when there will be a substantial increase in the output of local coke. There is continued activity in the by-products trade, and all the plants in this neighbourhood are very busily engaged. During the week there has been a shipment of pitch and creosote oil from Maryport for France from the Benzol Works and the West Cumberland By-Product Works. There has been no alteration in either home or export prices. Best coal at the pit is quoted at from 22s. 6d. to 23s. 4d. per ton, with best washed nuts at from 20s. lOd. to 21s. 3d. per ton. Best shipping coal is 19s. 6d. per ton f.o.b. at Maryport, with best washed nuts at 17s. 6d. per ton. All classes of bunkers are in very strong request. Best sorts for foreign going steamers are from 25s. to 30s., per ton, and for coasting vessels from 21s. 6d. to 25s. per ton. Best gas coal is 20s. per ton delivered in the district. At Maryport best house coal delivered is quoted at from Is. 5|d. to Is. 6d. per cwt., or from 27s. 6d. to 28s. 4d. per ton, with best washed nuts at 25s. led. per ton and seconds 24s. 2d. pe*r ton. At Workington best coal delivered is Is. 4d. per cwt., or 25s. lOd. per ton, with best washed nuts at Is. 3d. per cwt., or 24s. 2d. per ton. Other current quotations are as follow :— Best Cumberl’nd coal at pit Best washed nuts at pit... Buckhill best coal „ Do. double-scrned washed nuts at pit Oughterside best coal at pit Oughterside best washed nuts at pit St. Helens (Siddick) best coal at pit St. Helens best house nuts at pit Best dry small at pit Best steam nuts „ Best Cumberl’nd coal, f.o.b. Best washed nuts, f.o.b. ... Best bunkers (coastwise) Do. (for foreign-going steamers) Bunkers (mixed nuts and steam coal) (coastwise) Do. (foreign) Best coal for gasworks ... Best washed nuts for gas- works Current prices. 23/4 21/3 22/6 21/ 22/6 21/ 22/6 21/ 12/6 19/ 19/6 17/6 25/ 30/ 21/6 25/ 20/ 19/ L’st week’s prices. 23/4 21/3 22/6 21/ 22/6 21/ 22/6 21/ 12/6 19/ 19/6 17/6 25/ 30/ 21/6 25/ 20/ 19/ Last year’s prices. 23/4 21/3 22/6 21/ 22,6 21/ 22/6 21/ 12/ 19/ . 19/6 17/6 19/ 19/ 17/ -17/6 17/ -17/6 20/ 19/ IRON. The greatest activity continues to prevail in the Cumber- land and North Lancashire haematite iron trade. Business is exceptionally brisk. The call for metal, both ordinary and special, is phenomenal. The demand is, if anything, keener than ever, and it is simply impossible to satisfy all requirements. Makers are overwhelmed with orders, both on local and general home account, but they have so much on hand at present that only a very small margin of the business now offering can be accepted. Makers are doing their utmost to expand production, and it is understood the progress in this direction has been so satisfactory of late that at least four furnaces in the district are almost ready, and will be lighted shortly. Prices are firm but unchanged at the Government maximum, and Bessemer mixed numbers are again quoted at 127s. 6d. f.o.t., with warrants at cash at 115s. per ton. Special iron is 140s. per ton, and semi-special iron is quoted at 135s. per ton f.o.t. As far as ferro- manganese is concerned the position is unchanged. The demand is fairly steady, but it is stated that makers have more for delivery this year. The number of furnaces in blast in the iron smelting district along the coast from Maryport to Carnforth is 29, 20 of which are in Cumberland, and the remaining nine in the Furness area. With the exception of two in West Cumberland on spiegel and ferro- manganese, all the furnaces are engaged on Bessemer, special and semi-special iron. The entire production of both ordinary and low phosphorus iron is going into immediate consumption. The whole of the make of Bessemer is retained for use locally at the steelworks, and all the production of special iron is going to users engaged exclusively on Government work. Since the Government took charge of the production, the distribution is rather different, consignments of metal being sent to where it is most needed, but a large proportion of the special and semi-special iron is still going to consumers in the Midlands and Scotland. There is a very great amount of activity in the steel trade, and both Barrow and Workington are very busy on special work. Both places are maintaining a very large output for the Government, but it is likely to be very much larger towards the year end, when they are able to secure all the iron they need. No railway material is being rolled at present, as the plants are too heavily engaged in other work. Steel rails, light sections, are quoted at from £12 to £12 10s. per ton, with heavy sections from £10 17s. 6d. to £11 10s. per ton, and billets at £12 per ton. There is no new feature of interest in connection with the local iron ore industry. There is a very keen demand for native ore, and all the mines in this locality are very briskly engaged. Nearly all the output is now required for local use, and at present very little metal is going out of the district. The amount raised is inadequate for all requirements, and smelters on ordinary iron are still having to use large quantities of imported iron ore in order to keep their furnaces in full operation. Prices of all varieties are unchanged. Best Hodbarrow ore is quoted at 38s. per ton ; good ordinary grades are from 21s. to 30s. per ton, and better sorts are from 31s. to 36s. 6d. per ton net at the mines. Some good cargoes of Spanish iron ore are still coming to hand at the Cumberland ports. The imports of iron ore at Maryport last week amounted to 9,300 tons. The imports for October were 12,850 tons. South-West Lancashire. COAL. The demand in household coal is steadily maintained and rather more than can be promptly met either by the collieries producing or the merchant in delivering. In screened coal for forging and manufacturing purposes