244 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. February 2, 1917. COAL, IRON AND ENGINEERING COMPANIES. REPORTS AND DIVIDENDS. Bessemer (Henry) and Company Limited.—The directors, in their annual report, express regret that'the company’s liabilities, under recent legislation, are not yet determined, this preventing presentation of proper accounts. They are (satisfied, however, that profits will admit of payment of a further dividend of 10 per cent, for the year on ordinary shares, making 121 per cent., less tax. Cortonwood Collieries Limited.—It is proposed to increase the capital to £328,125 by the creation of 65,625 ordinary shares of £1 each, which will be. offered at par to share- holders in the proportion of one new ordinary share/credited as fully paid for every fc^ur ordinary held. Gas Light and Coke Company Limited.—The accounts for the half-year ended December 31 last show that, ’alter pro- viding for fixed charges, and setting aside £5,000 ' towards the redemption fund, there remains a profit of £213,578. The amount brought forward being £480,512, there is a total available balance of £694,090^ out of which the directors recommend a. dividend on the ordinary stock at the rate jof £4 4s. per cent, per annum, which will absorb £342,582, and leave £351,508 to be carried forward. Knowles (Andrew) and Sons Limited.—The net profits for the past year were £75,303. A final dividend of 5 per cent, is proposed, making 9 per cent, for the 12 months, adding • £20,000 to the reserve. The distribution for 1915 was 6 per cent., and £10,000 was reserved, but, 4 per cent, could only be paid for 1914 with the aid of £5,000 from the reserve. New Sharlston Collieries Company Limited—The directors recommend a. final dividend for 1916 of 15s. per share, less income-tax, making, with the interim, 5 per cent, for the year. NEW COMPANIES. British Switchgear Limited. — Private company. Regis- tered January 25. To carry on business of manufacturers of electrical switchgear, switchboards, and other electrical machinery. Nominal capital, £40,800 in 40,000 £1 prefer- ence shares and 800 £1 ordinary shares. Directors and (sub- scribers : J. A. Hirst, J. M. Scott-Maxwell, A. Erskine, and H. C. Siddeley. Qualification, one ordinary share. Williamson (S. L.) and Son Limited.—Private company. Registered January 26. To carry on the business of builders and contractors and quarry and colliery proprietors. Nominal capital, £12,000 in 12,000 £1 shares. Directors : J. and F. Williamson and E. Rhedes. Qualification, £200. This list of new companies is taken from the Daily Register specially compiled by Messrs. Jordan and Sons . Limited, company registration agents, Chancery-lane, E.C. CONTRACTS OPEN FOR COAL AND COKE. For Contracts Advertised in this issue received too late for inclusion in this column, see Leader and L^st White pages. Abstracts of Contracts Open. Bermondsey, Eebruary 22. — Coke for the Guardians. Forms from E. P. Fenton, 283, Tooley-street, S.E. Bexhill, February 9.—4,000 gals, or less of distilled tar or other compound for spraying roads. Tenders to the town clerk, Town Hall. r .Bulford, February 6.—Coal and coke (five months) for the A.S.C., Salisbury Plain. Forms from the O.C., Army Service Corps, Salisbury Plain. Cork, February 6.—500 tons best Welsh, Lancashire, or Whitehaven double-screened steam coal for Waterworks Committee. Forms from the secretary of committees, City. Hall. Darlington, February 17.—Coal and gas coke (12 months) for the Rural District Council.. Forms from the surveyor, Union- Offices. Dover, February 13.—Small steam coal (not Welsh) for 12 months'. Forms from the electrical engineer, Electricity Works, Dover. Eastry, February 5.—Coal and coke (six months) for the Guardians. Forms from the master, Workhouse, Eastry. Frome, February 14.—Coal (12 months) for the Urban District'Council. Forms from the surveyor, Public Offices, Frome. Hendon, February 19.—Coal and coke (12 months) for the Urban District Council. Forms from the surveyor, Council Offices. Ilford, February 24.—Coal and coke (12 months) for the Urban District Council. Forms from the surveyor, Town Hall, Ilford. Keighley, February 24. — Coal for the Joint Hospital Board. Forms from J. N. Clarkson, 40, North-street, Keighley. Leeds, February 12.—Coal G2 months) for Waterworks Committee. Forms from the waterworks engineer, Great George-street, Leeds. Leeds, February 13.—3,800 tons best screened nuts, 25 tons hand-picked seconds, for Sewerage Works. Forms from the sewerage engineer, Great George-street, Leeds. London, W., February 19.^—Coal and coke (six or 12 months) for the Marylebone Borough Council. Forms from the town, clerk, Town Hall, Marylebone-lane.. Manchester, February 13.—Coal and furnace coke for the Tramways Committee. Forms from the general manager, Corporation Tramways, 55, Piccadilly,, Man- chester. • . Manchester, February 17.—3,500 tons of slack, 650 tons locomotive isteam coal, 45 tons house coal, and 25 tons burgie for the Fivers Committee. Forms from the .secretary, Bivers Department, Town Hall. Mitcham, February 13.—House and steam coal and gas coke for the Urban District Council. Forms from the Council Offices, Mitcham. Pembroke (Ireland), February 5.— Coal, and coke (12 months) for the Urban District Council. Forms from the Town Hall, Balls Bridge, county Dublin. Portsmouth, February 6.—Welsh or other steam coal for the Tramways Committee. . Forms from the Engineer’s Office, Vivash-road,. Portsmouth. Beigate, February 9.—Fuel for the, Council. Forms from . A. J. Head, 48, High-street, Beigate. Southampton, February 8.—Cobbles and coke (six or 12 months) for the Waterworks. Forms from the waterworks engineer, French-street, Southampton. Southampton, February 10.—Coal and coke (from local firms) for the Harbour Board. Forms from the. Board’s Offices. Southgate, February 13. — Coke (12 months) for the Urban District Council. Forms from the surveyor, Council’s Depot, Southgate. Stafford, February 17.—Coal (six months) for the Cor- poration. Forms from the engineer, Borough Hall. ; Ware, February 9. — Thirty tons Old Bound wood best Silkstone for the Joint Hospital Board. Forms from G. H. Gisby, clerk, Ware. Whitecroft (Isle of Wight), February 6. — 200 tons steam coal and 50 tons house coal for' the County Asylum. Forms from J. H. Green, clerk, Whitecroft?. The date given is the latest upon which tenders can be received. CONTRACTS OPEN FOR ENGINEERING, IRON AND STEEL WORK, Belfast, Fefruary 7. — Various. — Castings, tyres, springs, axles, etc. (12 months) for the Belfast and Co. Down Bailway. Forms from the secretary, Queen’s Quay, Belfast. Belfast, February 8.—Stores.—Stores (six or 12 months) tor the Midland Bailway Company. Forms from the General Stores Department, Belfast. . Birkenhead, February 12. — Stores. — Cast iron tubes, pipes, castings, nuts, bolts, iron, steel, etc. .(six or 12 months) for the Corporation. Forms from the engineer, Gas Works. Dublin, February 5. — Wheels, etc. — 30 pairs wagon wheels and axles for 25-ton goods vans. Forms from the secretary, Amiens-street Bailway Terminus. Halifax, February 12.—Stores.—Insulating materials, iron, steel, overhead line materials, wires, cables, etc. (12 months) for the Corporation. Forms from the engineer, Tramways Office, Skircoat-road, Halifax. Halifax, February 12.—Stores.—Bolts, nuts, iron, steel, insulating materials, wire, castings, etc. (12 months). Forms from the tramways engineer, Tramway Offices, Skircoat- road, Halifax. Ilford, February 24.—Various.—Tools, nails, screws, pitch, creosote, etc. (12 months) for the Urban District Council. Forms from the surveyor, Town Hall, Ilford. • Manchester, February 13.—Stores.—Cable (power and lighting), overhead equipment material, steel cable, copper and steel wire, lamps, emery wheels, iron and steel forgings, castings, etc., for the Tramways Committee. Forms from the general manager, 85, Piccadilly, Manchester. THE FREIGHT MARKET. - The prime item of interest to coal shippers this week is the announcement that, a.s from Monday last, the rates of freight for neutral vessels from this country to French Channel and Atlantic ports have been increased by 20 per cent., and those to French and Italian Mediterranean ports by 50 per cent., and that the time-charter ’rates for. neutral ships of-over 1,000 tons have been fixed at 47s. 6d. . This step is' stated officially to have been taken as a provisional measure, and to meet the cost of war. insurance of neutral shipping. From the point of view of the coal shippers, the announcement is distinctly 'appalling, but they, must make the best of it, and hope that the latest concession ;will have the desired effect. It is almost too much to hope that the,. British ship owners will not now agitate for. a. correspond- ing increase in their remuneration, and it will remain to be seen whether the Government will have the resolution neces- sary to resist any such attempt further to , despoil the’ industry. The latest increases, make north-east coast restricted rates as follow (as compared with the earlier limi- tation rates and the average for the “ unlimited ” period of last year) Genoa,-Savona, 96s. 6d., as against 64s. fid. and 83s. 6d. respectively; Marseilles, 95s. 3d., as against 63s. 6d. and 80s. 6^d.; Algiers, 80s. 3d., against 53s. 6d. and 56s. lOd.; Bordeaux, 48s., as against 40s. and 51s. 8fd.; Bonen, 33s., as against 27s. 6d. and 35s. 7|d. respectively; and other ports in proportion. Bates from other coal shipping centres in the country have been, similarly advanced, of course. -It would be amusing, if it were not rather depressing, to know that. a. good many ship owners are of opinion that the increase for French Atlantic ports is insuffi- cient ! One effect of this concession to neutrals, by the way, may be the advance of rates to neutral ports, in which event British ship owners-will share in the “ plunder.” There is little that needs to.be said concerning the outward freight market this week, excepting that the volume of business done has been very scanty, owing to the small amount of tonnage on offer. At the north-east coast, rates . in most directions have been firmly maintained, without, however, any noteworthy change upwards. North French coke rates are, generally well held, but with a little weakness for Bouen and Calais. At South Wales, the only direction calling for mention is Gibraltar, rates for which are from 7s. 6d. to 8s. 9d. increased on the week. Homewards, the Biver Blate is unaltered at 125s. from down-river, and 130s. from up-river ports. Tonnage there is offering very sparingly. At the United States, business is dull. New York to Liverpool has been done on net form ■at 160s. Coal . tonnage has been taken up for Santos at 20dols., and for Panama, 'at 17|dolis., whilst Virginia has ia- strong demand for collier vessels for the Biver Plate, at from 90s. to 92s. 6d. Northern Bange to French Atlantic continues to be quoted at 155s. In the Eastern market, Kurrachee to United Kingdom is quoted at the improved rate of 132s. 6d. Bombay to the, United Kingdom on d.w. is dearer, at 190s., with‘up to 225s. quoted Mediterranean-wise. Saigon to France with rice is firmer, at 275s. Madras Coast to Marseilles with kernels is easier, at 330s. Shipments from Mediterranean ore ports are brisk, at fully late figures. Tyne to Boulogne, 900 and 1,200, 45s., coke; Buenos Ayres, 1,500, 70s.; Calais, 900 and 1,200, 45s., coke; 500, 42s. 6d., coke; Calais or Dunkirk, 360, 45s., coke, Derwenthaugh , loading; Dunkirk, 600, 900, and 1,200, 45s., coke; 500, 42s. 6d., coke; Diepne, 900, 46s., coke; Gibraltar, 2,000, 50s.; London, 800 and 600, 16s.; 650, 16s., two voyages; 1,100, 16s. 6d.; Monte Video, 1,500, 70s.; North French Bange, 1,500 and 450, 45s., coke; Bouen, 1,300, 43s., coke, reported; Biver Plate (tower ports), 2,000 and 1,500, 70s.; Treport, 300, 45s., coke; and Trouville, 450, 45s., coke. Cardiff to Alicante, 2,000, 87s. 6d.; Barcelona, 3,000, 80s.; 1,300 and 1,800, 90s.; Cadiz, 1,400, 60s.; 3,200, 65s.; Oairtbagena, 2,000, 87s. 6d.; Gibraltar, 1,400, 60s., 500; 5,000, 60s., 500; 2,100, 61s. 3d., 500; Honfleur, 1,700* 23s.; Harve, 1,800, 23s. 3d., fuel; Huelva, 2,000 and 3,200, 37s. 6d.; Lisbon, 3,600, 53s., 500; 4,900, 70s., 500; -and Malaga, 2,000, 75s.,. 350. Swansea to Dublin, 200 and 350, 15s. 9d.; Dundalk, 270, 15s. 9d.; Honfleur, 500, 24s.; St. Nazaire, 2,100, 34s. 9J-d. Newport to Gibraltar, 1,400, 55s., 500; 1,400, 60s., 500; 5,000, 60s., 500; 2,100, 61s. 3d., 500; St. Helier, 350, 26s. 6d.;.Malaga, 2,000, 75s., 350s. Port Talbot to Trouville, 700, 24s. Wear to Gothenburg, 1,100, 55 kr. Blyth to London, 800,-17s., reported. Hull to Barcelona, 2,000, 70s.; London, 1,000, 17s.; Fecamp, 269, 27s. 6d. ■ Glasgow to Biver Plate, sail, 65s., February. Ardrossan to Biver Plate, sail, 65s., February. Waels to Gibraltar, 1,400, 55s., 500. OBITUARY. Mr. W. J. Orders, whose death took place at Newport on Saturday, was a very prominent figure upon the Cardiff Coal and Shipping Exchange until the commencement of his illness a few months ago. He was partner in the firm of Orders and Handford, which owns seven steamers, bur owing to the serious nature of his illness, he withdrew as recently as November last. He served two terms on the Newport Harbour Board, and has also been chairman of the Newport Chamber of Commerce, as also of the Newport Ship Owners’ Association. He was an arbitrator under the South .Wales Goar Charter, and had represented Newport and Swansea on Lloyd’s Begister Shipping Committee. Upon the different dock and railway Bills which have, during recent years, come before Parliamentary ’Committees, he was frequently called to give expert evidence. He was a member of 'the local coal trimmers’ Conciliation Board. Mr. Gwilym Bees, who died at Llandebie on January 24, belongs to a. Well-known mining family. He wais the. son of Mr. Bees, of the Tylorstown Collieries. Mr. E. Holliday, of Blackhill, for a number of years the operatives’ representative on the Board of Conciliation and Arbitration to the Manufactured Iron and Steel Trade of the North of England, and also their representative in connec- tion with the. Associated Iron and Steel Workers of Great Britain, died recently. Mr. W. D. Cliff, chairman of the Micklefield Coal and Lime Company Limited and the Frodingham. Iron and Steel Company Limited, died recently, aged 82. His family com- menced the two companies mentioned. Capt. Geo. F^H. Charlton, of the South Wales Borderers, who ha.s been killed in action, held an important mining appointment; in iSouth Wales. He joined the Borderers as a private, and obtained his commission in two months. Capt. Joseph Fairweather, aged 38, a partner in the firm of Paul Fairweather and Company, Cardiff, has been killed in action. At one time he was in South Africa. He gained a commission in 1914, was wounded in Gallipoli, invalided home afterwards, and was sent to Mesopotamia, where he has now fallen. He held the rank of acting-major when Coal Supplies in Holland.—-The coal crisis in Holland is reported to be acute. The Government has ordered the economical use of coal, and issued rules .restricting the use of gas and electricity, adding a warning to the effect that the supply of coals to the various .towns would be curtailed, where the measures taken by the municipal authorities were deemed to be not drastic enough.. The main difficulty is the shortness of railway wagons. A leading (German journal says that when the Dutch have shortage in the supply of German coalis they have themselves : to blame, as there is no prohibition of export of coal. But warfare has put con- siderable stress on the railway wagons available in Ger- x many, and, further, the Dutch 'consumers, take an unduly long time for unloading, so that the transport occupies more than double the usual time. To protect themselves in this respect, the Dutch railway authorities have increased the fines for overdue retention of railway wagons. Conservation of Mineral Supplies. — Contributing to the ' discussion on Mr. Moreton. Frewen’s paper on “Imperial Besources,” read to the, members of the North-East Coast Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders at Newcastle, Dr. Henry Louis (Professor of Metallurgy at Armstrong College) declared that the most urgent and important task that lay before us was the development of. our mineral resources. Minerals, unlike vegetables and animals, could not be repro- duced. They were a wasting asset. To take the lease of a farm was -a true lease, but to take the lease of a colliery was really a sale. We had made very great mistakes in the past, by allowing other countries, notably Germany, to secure the handling of minerals, such as tungsten, thorium, and tin, raised in our own Empire.—Mr. J. Talbot, following, said that, in the tong run, our supplies of energy were going to furnish the most fundamental question. The burning -of raw coal was a most wasteful proceeding. This country must quickly see that the coal, as far as possible, was distilled by a low-temperature process, which would not only provide suitable household fuel, but would leave us. the benzene, toluene, and ammonia. We must see that the coal of the British Empire was conserved, for we were approaching a time when the price of energy would be an almost vaster problem than that of food. The whole of our modern civili- sation was based upon energy. Unless we conserved our energy with the utmost care and skill,.our industries would be (Shut down, and we should starve.—At the close of the discussion, Mr. Frewen stated that, as to the distillation of coal, there was a plant, in which a good deal of Govern- ment money had been invested, about to start running to deal with something like 206 tons of coal per day. The waste combustion of coal was criminal. There was no’doubt that a more reasonable . system of combustion, such as the low- temperature method, would save 150 millions per annum, or even more. He understood Sir Charles Parsons had stated that, if he were permitted to put three or four centralised establishments in this country for the combustion of coal, he could save from 100 to 150 millions a, year. These were new Views- of enormous importance, and the Imperial Besources Committee, of which the speaker was a member, had been formed to consider them.