April 5, 1917. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 679 Middlesbrough-on-Tees. COAL. Very heavy snowstorms have seriously interfered with colliery working and shipping. Communication between collieries and the shipping staiths have been kept open wonderfully well, but in some places they have been interrupted, and the non-arrival of expected steamers, due to the bad weather, have caused much disappointment and inconvenience at the pits. For the time being traders show little inclination to operate, and the business passing is but small. Values of fuel are practically the same as a week ago Durham steam coals are 29s. to 30s. Fairly good deliveries of gas coals are reported. Best Durhams run from 24s. to 25s., and seconds from 16s. 6d. to 17s. 6d. A desultory trade in bunker coals is passing. Only odds and ends appear to be changing hands. Unscreened Durhams are 16s. 6d. to 17s., and superiors 17s. 6d. to 18s. Household coals continue in fairly good request. Best sorts are 20s. 6d. to 21s. for home use, and round about 30s. for export. Smithies run from 20s. to 23s. Coking coals are fairly well taken up, and unscreened kinds range from 17s. 9d. to 19s. 6d. Coke is in very good demand. Best foundry is 42s. 6d., ordinary 41s., and patent oven 38s. to 40s. Gas house coke runs from 30s. to 32s. Descriptions needed for local use keep at fixed maximum rates, average blastfurnace kinds commanding 28s. at the ovens, and 30s. 6d. at the ovens still being named for qualities low in phosphorus. IRON. After having stood at the same figures for the past nine months a change has been made in prices of Cleveland pig iron for home consumption, a rise of 5s. per ton being announced this week. The alteration was quite expected, and though official intimation of the change has not as yet been made, the information is authentic, and business is being arranged at the advanced price. Thus for home use No. 3 Cleveland pig, No. 4 foundry, and No. 4 forge all become 92s. 6d., and No. 1 goes to 96s. 6d. Contrary to what might might have been looked for, the rise has not up to now carried with it an upward movement in export prices, but such advance, it is confidently anticipated, will be announced in the very near future. At present rates for shipment to our Allies are still put at 97s. 6d. and upward for No. 3, No. 4 foundry, and No. .4 forge, and 102s. and upward for No. 1. Fixed maximums of east coast haematite iron remain at the figures that have ruled for some months past, but they are now quite nominal, sellers being unwilling to entertain offers on such terms, and declaring that the position fully justifies substantial advance. Nos. 1, 2 and 3 are still quoted 122s. 6d. for home consumption, 137s. 6d. for shipment to France, and 142s. 6d. for export to Italy. Practically all branches of the manufactured iron and steel industries are working at very high pressure, and the huge output is still steadily increasing. Quotations are very strong. ------------------ Cumberland. Mary port. COAL. The Cumberland coal trade continues in a remarkable state of activity. The severe weather which set in over the week-end gave a further stimulus to house coal, require- ments of the local works are still increasing, and some of the branches are busier than they have been since Christmas. The clamour for fuel, whether on home or export account, is unabated. The collieries are working at top pressure, and are doing their utmost to cope with the demand, but pro- duction is still a long way short of requirements. The outstanding feature is the enormous call for fuel for manu- facturing and coking purposes. The demand for all sorts for home consumption is keener than ever, and the collieries are finding it rather difficult to satisfy the wants of all important consumers to the full. Some of the pits have so much industrial fuel to send into West Cumberland that they have little surplus left, either for shipping or landsale. The home market has grown enormously in importance of late, and the local industries are now absorbing so much, that the coal trade in this district is practically independent of the Irish market. The iron and steel works and iron ore mines in the district are still taking the bulk of the industrial fuel, and so long as the iron trade remains in the present active condition, there cannot be any serious diminution on local manufacturing account. The efforts to feed the by-products coke ovens have so far been fairly successful, but with the recent developments at White- haven, requirements are bigger than ever. Practically all the output of smalls and coking fuel is retained for home consumption, and at the present moment coke makers are making a very heavy drain on the supplies of both small and round coal. The collieries are all working six days a week, and production is steadily increasing, but there is a pressing need for a very much larger output. The house Current quotations. Best Cumberland 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/ 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 19/3 18/3 coal trade is almost as brisk as it was in mid-winter. All the depots are very busy, and orders are coming in quicker than they can be dealt with. Gas coal for home use is in very strong request, and locomotive fuels for the local railways are in very keen demand. There is a clamorous demand for slacks, smalls and all varieties of fuel for industrial purposes. The shipping trade is as busy as it can be under the circumstances, but supplies of all sorts are still very scarce. The demand for both works and house coal for Ireland is very keen, but the collieries are still too heavily engaged locally to deal with much export business. At present, Irish customers are barely receiving more than one-half of the coal they need. The shipments for the first quarter of the year have amounted to 32,055 tons, com- pared with 55,130 tons for the first three months in 1916. During the week nine vessels have sailed with coals from Maryport, all to Irish ports, and other shipments have been 2,465 tons, compared with 4,115 tons at the corresponding period of last year, or a decrease of. 80 tons compared with last week. The largest cargoes were for Belfast, Carrick- fergus, Bangor and Larne. Coke makers are busy, and all the 390 by-product coke ovens are in full operation. The entire output is being absorbed by the iron smelters in the district. There is a continued activity in the chemical trade, and all the plants in the district are very fully employed. Prices of all sorts are firm, but unchanged. Best Cumberland coal at the pit is obtainable at from 22s. 6d. to 23s 4d. per ton, with best washed nuts at from 20s. lOd. to 21s. 3d. per ton. Best sorts for shipping are 19s. 6d. per ton f.o.b. at Maryport, with best washed nuts at 17s. 6d. per ton. Works fuel is 20s. per ton, and best gas coal is 20s. per ton, with washed nuts at 19s. per ton delivered in the district. Bunkers are in strong demand, at from 21s. 6d. to 30s. per ton. 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. lOd. per ton, and seconds at 24s. 2d. per ton. At Workington, best house coal delivered is quoted at Is. 4d. per cwt., or 25s. lOd. per ton, with best washed nuts at Is. 3d. per cwt., or 24s. 2d. per ton. IRON. The Cumberland and North Lancashire haematite iron and steel industries continue to occupy a very strong position. The pig iron trade is very firm, and all the plants in connection with the iron and steel trades both in West Cumberland and the Furness area are very fully employed. Business is exceedingly brisk in all depart- ments, and it is still impossible to smelt sufficient metal to satisfy the wants of all consumers. There is a phenomenal demand for both ordinary and special brands of iron, and makers have still considerably more orders on hand than they can possibly cope with. Production has not yet been restored to its old level, but it is steadily increasing. There are several furnaces all over the district, which have been ready for lighting since January, and they will, no doubt, be put into operation as soon as the necessary labour and raw materials are forthcoming. Stocks of iron in public storing yards on the west coast are probably lower than they have been for years. There has, of late, been some stocking in ' private yards, but this is mainly due to the scarcity of wagons. Prices are well maintained at the maximum fixed by the Government, and Bessemer mixed numbers are again quoted at 127s. 6d. per ton f o.t., with warrants at cash at 115s. per ton. Special low phosphorus iron is 140s. per ton, and semi-special iron is quoted at 135s. per ton f.o.t. Ferro-manganese is in rather better demand, and prices are very firm. The output is being drawn from 28 furnaces, 19 of which are in Cumberland and the remaining nine are in the Furness district. Two of the furnaces are on ferro-manganese, one is on spiegel, and the remainder are engaged on Bessemer and special brands of iron. The entire output is going into prompt use. A very large proportion of the make of Bessemer iron is being absorbed at the steel works at Barrow and Workington. The steel industry is very heavily engaged, and all the plants at both Workington and Barrow are maintaining a very large production of special work for the Government. Steel rails, heavy sections, are quoted at from J>10 17s. 6d. to £11 10s. per ton, and light sections are from £14 to £14 10s. per ton. Heavy tram rails are quoted at £14 per ton, ship plates are£1110s. per ton, boilerplates £12 10s. per ton, and billets are in firm request at £12 per ton. The iron ore industry is in a flourishing condition, and there is a very strong demand for all grades of native ore. The mines are all working regularly. Prices of all grades are firm, but unchanged. Best sorts are 38s. per ton, ordinary grades are from 21s. to 30s. per ton, and better sorts are quoted at from 31s. to 36s. 6d. per ton net at the mines. ---------------------—------------- Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Leeds. COAL. Although the market on Tuesday was only moderately well attended, there was no slackening in the demand for any quality, and there was practically nothing on offer. The collieries generally are very much in arrears with their deliveries, and the stormy weather this week has played havoc with working. Most of the pits had to stand on Monday, and a full resumption of work did not prove possible next day. The wagon supply, also, has been very difficult this week. On the other hand, the severe weather has caused the pressure for supplies from all directions to increase. Especially urgent is the demand for house coal for London, but sellers cannot accept further orders as, they have all they can do to keep up with contracts and supplies in private wagons. The London depots were reported to be very bare of supplies, and transit difficulties have been increased by the severe weather. There is a good deal of uneasiness among London merchants as to contracts^ which are generally renewed about this time, and between now and the end of June, in view of the suggestion of the authorities that contracts should not extend beyond three months. Coast- wise there is nothing whatever doing, apart from contract coal, which is fetched in fair quantities in contractors’ own boats. Locally the position of the house coal trade shows no change. Contrary to the opinion of many gas authorities, it is now understood that the recommendation to limit contracts to three months applies to gas. coal, and this is causing some concern. Stocks are very low, and spot parcels are eagerly snapped up at full limitation prices. Supplies of manufacturing fuel are inadequate, but apart from delays caused by the weather, distribution is fairly satisfactory. Coke makers find it impossible to keep up with the demand, on account of the scarcity of coking slacks. During Easter the pits in West Yorkshire will work up to Saturday noon and resume on Wednesday morning. Current pit prices. House coal:— Current L’st week’s Last year’s Prices at pit (London) : prices. prices. prices. Haigh Moor selected ... 20/ -21/ 20/ -21/ 20/ -21/ Wall send & London best 19/ -20/ 19/ -20/ 19/ -20/ Silkstone best 19/ -20/ 19/ -20/ 19/ -20/ Do. house 17/ -18/ 17/ -18/ 17/ -18/ House nuts . 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ Prices f.o.b. Hull:— Haigh Moor best 23/ -24/ 23/. -24/ 22/ -23/ . Silkstone best 22/ -23/ 1 22/ -23/ 21/ -22/ Do. house 20/ -21/ 20/ -21/ 19/ -20/ Other qualities 19/ -20/ 19/ -20/ 18/ -19/ Gas coal:— Prices at pit: Screened gas coal 16/ -17/ 15/6-16/6 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ Gas nuts 15/6-16/6 15/6-16/6 Unscreened gas coal ... 15/ -16/ 15/ -16/ 14/6-15/6 Other sorts:— Prices at pit: Washed nuts 17/ -18/ 17/ -18/ 17/ -17/6 Large double-screened engine nuts 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ 15/ -16/ Small nuts 15/ -16/ 15/ -16/ 14/ -15/ Bough unscreened engine coal.- 15/ -16/ 15/ -16/ 14/ -15/ Best rough slacks 14/ -15/ 14/ -15/ 13/ -14/ 11 /-12/ Small do. 12/ -13/ 12/ -13/ Coking smalls 12/6-13/6 12/6-13/6 11/6-12/6 Coke Price at ovens: Furnace coke 25/8 25/8 24/ Barnsley. COAL. The difficulty which still exists in meeting the demand for most classes of fuel has been intensified during the week in consequence of the return of wintry conditions. The heavy snowfall had the effect of so seriously interfering with the railway traffic that several collieries had either to shut down for a whole or portion of a day owing to the short supply of wagons. The loss of this output is not unnaturally felt at a period of such marked scarcity. It is unfortunate that this interruption should come at the moment when efforts were being made to give as large a production as possible to cover the holiday period. The miners are asked to confine the approaching holiday to a couple of days, the choice of which is to be left to the individual collieries. However, it seems likely that in the majority of instances work will be suspended from Friday to Monday. The future trade is causing not a little anxiety, owing to expected changes regarding dis- tribution at the call of the Coal Controller. The owners have discussed certain matters, and it is understood an agreement has been arrived at to make certain representa- tions to the authorities with regard to clearing the air in respect to forward business. Meanwhile the general character of the demand shows very little change, and short deliveries are still the rule. Although the export of large steams continues to be of a restricted character, the remarkable experience continues of the collieries being able to dispose of the large production owing to the enormous consumption for home purposes. The keen search for steam nuts continues, but with little success, the production being still ear-marked for the munition and other engineering concerns. The position is much the same with regard to small steam fuel, though the longer holiday to be taken in the Lancashire cotton districts will do something to relieve the situation. Slacks suitable for coke making are again a scarce commodity, and despite all effort the required tonnage cannot be found to satisfy the enormous consumption which is taking place at the patent evens. Gas coal deliveries are still rather irregular, and owing to the heavy consumption for heating purposes the works are requiring quite a big tonnage. The return of severe weather has added difficulty in dealing with the heavy demand for house coal. Quite a large number of enquiries have been received from Lancashire and the West Biding districts, and a considerable period must elapse before the orders on. the books can be executed, apart from the difficulty of maintaining the contract supplies. There is no alteration in the extensive demand for furnace coke for the pig iron districts, and the required supply cannot be given. Values continue to be of a nominal description. 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 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 Steam coals:— 15/6-16/ 15/6-16/ 15/6-16/ Best hard coals 17/6-18/6 17/6-18/6 17/6-18/ Secondary do 16/6-17/6 16/6-17/6 16/6-17/ Best washed nuts 16/3-16/6 16/3-16/6 16/3-16/6 Secondary do 15/6-16/3 15/6-16/3 15/9-16/3 Best slack 12/6-13/ 12/6-13/ 12/6-13/ 10/6-11/ Secondary do Gas coals:— 10/6-11/ 10/6-11/ Screened gas coals ...... 16/6-17/6 16/6-17/6 16/6-17/6 Unscreened do. 15/6-16/6 15 6-16/ 15/6-16/ Gas nuts 16/ 16/ 16/ Furnace coke 25/8 25/8 25/ Hull. COAL. The prompt market has been more or less stagnant, the general conditions regarding the export trade not having undergone any real change. The supply of coal to France shows some little improvement, and as more neutral boats are being released it is anticipated that it will further improve after Easter, and that the effect may possibly react upon neutral trade—that is, of course, providing licences are obtainable. As in the case of the Swedish business, no part of the Norwegian State Bailways contract