680 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN April 5, 1917. appears to have come to the Humber district. Large steam coal in second holders'’ hands offers freely for April loading, but buyers are absent owing to the shipping difficulty, and quotations are therefore nominally about 28s. to 28s. 6d. for best South Yorkshire steam hards. A small business is passing in other sorts, values being approximately for washed doubles and singles 24s. 6d. to 25s. 6d., washed small 18s. 6d. to 19s., rough slack 16s. 6d., screened gas and house fuels 26s. to 28s., West Riding Hartleys 27s. 6d. (at Goole), and Derbyshire steams 27s. to 28s. (at Grimsby). Business in the freight market has been confined almost solely to steamers for French ports at limitation rates. Chesterfield. COAL. The demand for coal is now most acute, every kind being urgently required. The pressure for house coal and. for fuel for manufacturing purposes is equally strong, while supplies in each case are totally inadequate to meet the requirements of the various consumers. It is with the greatest difficulty that the large steel works of Sheffield are able to keep their plant .in full employment. Cobblesand nuts are most difficult to obtain, and these are the kinds that are so badly wanted for steel making. Slack for boiler firing continues in active call. Gas coal is in pressing demand, and steam coal for the railways is also in active request. There is no improvement in the condition of the export trade, ships being as scarce as ever. Prices are unchanged and stand nominally at 27s. to 28s. per ton delivered at Grimsby for hards. The coke market is in a satisfactory condition, a good demand being experienced for all qualities. Prices at pit. real shortage. All classes of household are in very keen demand for London and district, with a preference for large nuts, which are economical in use and easy to handle. Both deep and main cobbles are much sought after, and the supplies are quite unequal to cover the demand. Small nuts for mechanical stokers are taken up as fast as they can be produced. The orders for country stations are still at a very high level. Government orders for munition factories and works continue to grow in extent, leaving less and less for general purposes. There are no stocks of any kind at the collieries, and only small lots are available at country stations. Easter Monday and Tuesday will be observed as the holiday period, but full time will be worked on Good Friday. South Staffordshire, North Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Birmingham. COAL. The conditions of the trade do not permit of much animation. The continuance of wintry weather tends to maintain the call on the depots, while, on the other hand, supplies are inadequate. The demand for all classes of industrial fuel is exceptionally brisk, and the quantity available continues insufficient. Merchants are looking for some easing of the situation after Easter, but during the current week they have been working at high pressure, and the end of it leaves many orders unfulfilled. Prices at pit. THE WELSH COAL AID IRON TRADES. Wednesday, April 4. Current L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. prices. Best house coals 17/ 17/ 17/ Secondary do. i. 16 6 16/6 16/6 Cobbles 16/ 16/ 16/ Nuts 15/ 15 15/ Slack 12/6 12/6 12/6 IRON. Great activity continues to prevail in all departments work being abundant. Pig iron and finished iron are in active demand. Nottingham. COAL. The prolonged spell of wintry weather, coupled with the approach of Easter holidays, intensified the demand particu- larly in the domestic fuel branch during the past week, and merchants have been unable to fully meet the orders from customers. At the same time with the supplies at the collieries they have managed to satisfy the most urgent needs, and few complaints are heard of real hardship. Collieries generally have been subjected to much pressure from merchants for fuller deliveries on contracts, but in the present state of the market it is impossible to avoid arrears accumulating on this account. Both owners and merchants will welcome the advent of spring-like weather if only to relieve the pressure. A strong tone still prevails in the steam coal section, a feature of which is the Very heavy demand for nuts. There, is a rather more plentiful supply of large steams, and railway companies are taking heavy supplies to their locomotive depots. There is no difficulty in disposing of any odd lots of hards at maximum rates. The supply of gas fuel is practically absorbed by contracts. Slacks continue in good request and there is a scarcity of those grades suitable for coke-making. Prices at pithead. Current L’st week’s Last year’s Staffordshire (including Cannock Chase) :— prices. prices. prices. House coal, best deep ... 22/ 22/ 22/ Do. seconds deep 20/ 20/ 20/ Do. best shallow 19/ 19/ 19/ Do. seconds do. 18/ 18/ 18/ 18/6 Best hard 18/6 18/6 Forge coal 16/ 16/ 16/ Slack Warwickshire:— 11/6 11/6 11/6 House coal, best Ryder.. . Do. hand-picked 19/ 19/ 19/ cobs 18/ 18/ 18/ Best hard spires 20/ 20 20/ Forge (steam) 16/ 16/ 16/ D.S. nuts (steam) 14/6 14/6 14/6 Small (do.) 14/6 14/6 14/6 North Wales. Wrexham. COAL. Trade in this coal field continues brisk in all departments. There appears to be no reason why work should not be resumed on Easter Saturday, and also on Monday, seeing that travelling is so restricted, and every possible ton of fuel is required at the present time in order to cope with the demand. At the time of writing all the district is under deep snow, which is accelerating the demand for house coal, and merchants are hard pressed to deliver household orders. The market for steam coal is unaltered, the demand being much greater than the supply, though all that is possible is .done to meet the needs of railways and works under Government control. Gas companies continue to press for extra tonnage in order to reduce arrears on expiring contracts, and a number of enquiries for renewal of contracts are now on the markets. Some have been settled for short periods, and from what can be gathered, the general idea is to carry on the new contracts on similar lines to expiring ones as regards tonnage and terms. As was the case last year, a large number of the new enquiries are for gas nuts, but the supply of these is very limited just now, and buyers will experience great difficulty in increasing their contract quantities. There is little change in the shipping coal market, the usual quota of North Wales coal being pur- chased by Liverpool and Birkenhead buyers for shipment at the Mersey ports. Slack is fairly plentiful, but there is no surplus, all that is available being readily sold at current figures. Prices are fairly steady. Large house coal is quoted at 21s. to 23s. per ton at pit; seconds at 20s. to 22s. per ton at pit; while at the landsale depots the ruling prices are best large house coal 27s. 6d. to 30s. per ton; seconds 25s. to 27s. 6d., and household slack at 15s. to 16s. 8d. Steam and gas. coal is offered at 19s. to 21s., and nuts at 18s. to 20s., while the listed price for slack is 12s. to 14s. 6d. per ton. There is a heavy demand for gas coke at 23s. 4d. to 25s. per ton at the gas works. The following is a complete list of prices :— Hand-picked brights ..... Good house coals......... Secondary do............. Best hard coals.......... Secondary do ............ Slacks (best hards)...... Do. (second) .......... Do. (soft)............. Current prices. 19/ -19/6 18/ -18/6 17/ -18/ 17/ -17/6 16/ -17/ 12/ -13/ 10/6-11/6 11/ L’st week’s prices. 19/ -19/6 18/ -18/6 17/ -18/ 17/ -17/6 16/6-17/6 16/ -17/ 15/ -16/ 12/ -13/ 11/9-13/ 10/6-11/6 10/6-11/ 11/ I 11/ Last year’s prices. 18/ -19/ 16/6-17/6 15/6-16/ Leicestershire. COAL. The difficulties of war conditions have again been enormously increased by the severity of the weather. Another blizzard, with deep drifts of snow, made it impossible for a good many miners to reach the pits, and valuable time had to be lost in consequence. Coal merchants in country districts have had still another very anxious time, it being quite impossible in many localities to effect deliveries in consequence of the highways being under snow and ice, with a shortage of horses and men. The aggregate consumption is far above the average for the season of the year, the quantities used being up to the maximum of mid-winter in all the great centres of popula- tion. There has been a great influx of urgent orders for speedy deliveries in order to avoid cases of hardship and IRON. Not much business has been placed during the week, and the Easter holiday of three to five days will afford oppor- tunity for necessary repairs to plant and machinery. The upward course of prices is revealed in the latest returns of the Midland Wages Board. For January and February the net selling price rose by 7s. a ton, reaching the unprecedented figure of 5 Os. 8d., while wages have gone up 2| per cent., making the puddling rate, with the bonus of 6d. a ton granted a few years ago, 17s. 9d., an advance of nearly 25 per cent, in a year. The severe weather of January and February had an adverse effect on the output. The canals were frozen over for several days, and industries dependent on water transit for fuel were badly hampered in their operations. The drop in production for the 17 selected firms whose returns control ironworkers’ wages was nearly 3,000 tons. A good deal of interest still centres in pig iron. A week ago, a deputation of Derbyshire and Staffordshire makers pressed their claims upon the Ministry of Munitions for an advance in the official maxima. They asked, it is understood, for 10s., basing their claim on the increased cost of production, mainly in relation to higher wages. The matter is still under consideration. Staffordshire was not represented on the deputation, though they are said to be in sympathy with it, and they will probably wait on the Ministry on their own account. Meanwhile prices are at the maximum, though for some forge brands actual busi- ness can be done inside. It is reported that further Derby- shire furnaces are to be converted from the production of foundry to basic iron. . In the finished branches efforts are directed to getting the utmost out of the available capacity, and the situation remains under the close supervision of the Ministry of Munitions. Bar iron is at the maximum of .£15 10s. for marked qualities, less 2-£ per cent,, and .£13 15s., net, for unmarked qualities. For nut and bolt iron sales for unofficial purposes have been mentioned as high as .£15, but there is not much available outside Government needs. Finished iron makers are watching closely the movement for increased prices for pig iron, and declare that any change must affect the price of their products. Dealers in iron scrap express surprise at the low maxima fixed by the Ministry of Munitions. They vary from .£5 5s. to <£6 5s., according to classification, and these figures represent a drop of about 25 per cent, from recent selling rates. The pre-war price for wrought iron scrap was about .£3 10s. a ton. Prices at pit f.o.r.:— 1 Current L’st week’s'Last year’s prices. prices, j prices. Best house coal 121/ -23/ 21/ -23/ f — Secondary do 20/ -22/ 20/ -22/ — Steam coal 19/ -21/ 19/ -21/ | — Gas coal 19/ -21/ 19/ —21/ ! — Bunkers 19/ -21/ 19/ —21/ — Nuts 18/ -20/ 18/ -20/ ! — Slack 12/ -14/6 12/6—14/6 t — Gas coke (at works) 23/4-25/ 23/4-25/ — Prices landsale:— Best house coal 27/6-30/ 27/6-30/ > — Seconds 25/ -27/6 25/ -27/6 I — Slack 15/ -16/8 15/ —16/8 — Wonmouthshire, South Wales, Newport. COAL. Very little change can be recorded in the coal market this week. Tonnage to a fair extent has arrived, but stocks are still heavy, and sellers are disposed to easier quotations for prompt business. The impending holiday has had an effect upon the market this week. Sellers are very firm in their quotations for future shipments. House coals, patent fuel and coke have maintained their values without change. Prices f.o.b. cash 30 days. Current Steam coals:— | prices. Best Black Vein large... j 24/ -25/ Western-valleys, ordin’y; 23/ -24/ Best Eastern-valleys ..J 22/ —23/ Secondary do. ...i 21/ -22/ Best small coals .....! 15/ -16/ Secondary do........! 10/ -12/6 Inferior do........’ 8/6-9/ Screenings ......... 16/ -17/ Through coals ........ 20/ -21/ Best washed nuts..... — Other sorts:— Best house coal, at pit... 24/6-25/6 Secondary do. do. ... 23/ -24/ Patent fuel ......... 27/ -30/ Furnace coke......... — Foundry coke ........ —* L’st week’s Last year’s prices. 37/6-40/ 37/ -39/ 35/ -37/ 35/ -36/ 18/6-19/6 14/ -18/ 12/ -14/ 19/ -19/6 24/ -26/ 28/ -29/ prices. 24/ -25/ 23/ -24/ 22/ -23/ 21/ —22/ 15/ -16/ 12/ -14/ 7/ -10/6 16/ —16/6 20/6-21/6 25/ -26/ 22/ -23/ 23/6-24/6 21/ -22/ 27/6-30/ 37/ -39/ —* 42/6-45/ —* ’ 52/6-55/ * Nominal. Prices at pit. Best household coal ..... Second, hand picked ..... Deep screened cobbles ... Deep large nuts ......... Bakers’ nuts............. Small nuts............... Deep breeze ............. Peas .................... Small dust .............. Main nuts for London kitcheners............... Steams, best hand picked Steams, seconds ......... Main cobbles for kitcheners Main breeze.............. Current prices. 17/ -19/ 15/6-17/6 16/6-17/6 16/ -17/ 15/ -16/ 14/6-15/6 12/9-13/6 12/ -12/3 6/ - 7/ L’st week’s prices. 17/ -19/ 15/6-17/6 16/6-17/6 16/ -17/ 15/ -16/ 14/6-15/6 12/9-13/6 12/ -12/3 6/ - 7/ Last year’s prices. 16/6-18/ 15/6-16/ 16/6—17/ 16/ -16/6 15/ -15/6 14/6-15/ 12/9-13/6 12/ -12/3 6/ ~ 7/’ Forest of Doan. Lydr.ey. ■ COAL. The pressure for supplies of the household coals produced in this district has been exceedingly acute since last writing. Many of the merchants appear to be in a hopeless position, having to deal out reduced supplies as best they can, there being no possibility under present conditions of keeping any stock to draw from. A very large proportion of the steam qualities is being reserved for firms engaged in Government work, the general position remaining much the same as reported during the past few weeks. Prices at pithead. 14/ -15/ 14/6-15/6 13/6-15/ 14/ -15/ 12/6-13/6 14/ -15/ 14/6-15/6 13/6-15/ 14/ —15/ 12/6-13/6 13/ -13/6 14/ -14/6 13/ -13/6 13/6-14/ 12/6-13/6 Current L’st week’s Last year’s House coals:— prices. prices. prices. Block 24/ 24/ 21/6 Forest 23/ 23/ 20/6 Rubble 23/3 23/3 20/9 Nuts 21/6 21/6 19/ Rough.slack Steam coal;— 13/ 13/ 11/6 Large 20/ -21/ 20/ -21/ 18/ -19/ Small 16/ 16/ 13/6-14/ Prices 2s. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. IRON. Increased activity prevails in the iron and steel trades of the district, and a good steady output is now maintained. Many of the works are still improving their plant, and thereby largely augmenting the capacity of their under- takings ; but cases occur in which serious complaints are made about the unfitness of the substituted labour which has been supplied to take the place of the regular skilled men taken from the works for the armed forces of the country. Cardiff. COAL. During the closing days of last week there was a con- siderable falling-off in the arrivals of tonnage, with the result that stocks greatly increased, and a number of stoppages were reported at various collieries in all parts of the coal field, owing to shortage of wagons. Particularly was this the case at pits which do not produce the highest- grade coals, and in some cases the delays were serious. Maintenance cost and establishment charges go on all the same. It is asserted in some quarters that, were it not an imperative duty imposed upon the colliery proprietors to keep going, many of them would close down until better conditions prevailed. Complaint is also being made with respect to the delay on the part of the Government in not announcing the basis of the financial arrangements which have been made consequent on the mines being taken over by the State It is believed that the scheme has been completed. An event of considerable importance, which5