April 20, 1917. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 771 sumption, No. 3 Cleveland pig iron, No. 4 foundry, and No. 4 forge all stand at 92s. 6d., and No 1 is 96s. 6d. As was to be expected after the 5s. rise to home customers, export quotations have moved upward. No. 3 has now become 102s. 6d. for shipment^ to our Allies, and some sellers are asking that figure for the lower qualities, though it is understood that N©. 4 foundry is obtainable at 101s. 6d., and No. 4 forge at 99s. 6d. No. 1 is quoted 107s. 6d. fbr despatch to our Allies. In the east coast haematite branch the view is held that the situation warrants substantial advance in prices, and as many sellers are very unwilling to entertain offers to any extent at the rates that have ruled for so long, market quotations are now largely nominal. It is, however, satisfactory to have the assurance that all legitimate home demands continue to receive adequate attention. Nos. 1, 2 and 3 are 122s. 6d. for home use, 137s. 6d. for shipment to France, and 142s. 6d. for export to Italy. Manufacturers of finished iron and steel are kept very busily employed, and are turning out more and more work, the increase in the production of mercantile shipbuilding material being most gratifying in face of the continued heavy pressure for delivery of other descriptions. Quotations all round are strong. Cumberland. Mary port. COAL. There is continued liveliness in the coal trade in this district, and the clamour for fuel for all purposes is undiminished. In the home market the demand for coal is probably stronger than it has been this year. The severe weather which lasted for the.greater part of last week was responsible for a bigger drain than usual upon the supplies for household purposes, but the frost and snow caused a great amount of inconvenience, both to shippers and local merchants, and in some parts of the district the greatest difficulty was experienced in getting coal. The depots near the towns were fairly well supplied, and their customers were able to secure as much as would tide them over the week-end, but it was impossible to reach some of the rural districts owing to the heavy fall of snow and the slippery state of the roads. The outstanding feature of the coal trade this week has been the enormous call for fuel for domestic use. Some of the depots have never been busier this year, and at the beginning of last week several agents were so pressed with business that they refused to accept any more orders for delivery within a fortnight. At the time of writing the weather has moderated, and coal is being sent away more freely, both from the railway and dock sidings. The pits are all in full swing again, but production has been rather uneven since the holidays. The Cumberland miners have not taken kindly to the Summer Time Act, and there is no doubt that the introduc- tion of this measure so early this year has been responsible for a good deal of broken time during the last week or two. On the other hand, the bad weather probably affected the attendance of some of the miners since the Act came into operation. Gas coal is very firm, both for shipment and local use, but the only stocks being sent away at present are for consumers on contract in the county. With the exception of one or two small consignments for export, no gas coal is being sent out of the district. Locomotive fuels for home use are very firm, but local users have still to depend very largely on supplies imported from outside districts. The restricted train service introduced since the new year has, it is stated, resulted in a considerable saving of engine fuel. Passenger engines, which formerly ran only from Carlisle to Maryport, now run regularly from Carlisle to Barrow. Manufacturing fuel for home con-7 sumption is in strong demand, and local needs are still on a very large scale. The iron ore mines, the iron and steel and other works in West Cumberland engaged on important work for the Government are taking the bulk of the output of industrial fuel, and the entire production of coking coal is going to the by-product coke ovens, in addition, to large quantities which are being regularly imported from the east coast. The shipping trade at the Elizabeth dock is busy, but the stormy weather interfered considerably with sailings during the earlier part of the week. The demand for all sorts for Ireland is very keen, but the collieries are not yet in a position to deal with much export business, and consumers are still unable to secure more than one-half of the coal they need. The tonnage to Ireland is rather higher than usual, but only one-half of the coal shipped has been from the Cumberland collieries. During the week 10 vessels have sailed with coals from Maryport, all for Irish ports, and the shipments have amounted to 3,720 tons, compared with 3,165 tons this time last year, or an increase of 1,150 tons compared with last week. The largest cargoes were for Belfast, Donaghadee, Carrickfergus, Londonderry and Larne. The imports included a good cargo of pit wood from Dumfries for the local collieries. Coke makers are very Current quotations. 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 „ BestCumberl'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 19/3 18/3 busy, and all the by-product coke ovens from Oughterside to Whitehaven are in full blast. The whole of the produc- tion is being absorbed at the local iron works. There is continued activity in the by-products trade, and all the plants in the locality are working at their fullest capacity. Prices of all sorts are firm but unchanged. Best Cumber- land 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 shipping coal is 19s. 6d. per ton f.o.b. at Maryport, with best washed nuts at 17s. 6d. per ton. Works fuel is 20s. per ton, best gas coal is 20s. per ton, with washed nuts at 19s. per ton delivered in the district. Bunkers are in firm demand at from 25s. to 30s. per ton for best sorts, and from 21s. 6d. to 23s. per ton for mixed sorts. 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 z4s. 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. No change manifests itself in the condition of the staple industries in West Cumberland and the Furness district. All the plants in connection with the iron and steel industries on the west coast are working at top pressure, and every effort is being made to secure a production which is equal to the heavy requirements which are imposed upon them. The demand for iron is overwhelming, and the needs of both local and outside users are still greater than can be satisfied. Makers are inundated with orders, but as so much metal is required by the Government for approved consumers, they have little to sell, and therefore only a very small proportion of the business now offering can be accepted. It is not even possible to give important users as much as they need, and smelters have booked sufficient business to keep them exceedingly busy for the next few months. Preparations are well forward for increasing the output of iron, and it is believed that before the beginning of next month production will be as large, if not larger, than it was in January. No change has yet taken place in the price of either special or ordinary iron, but in view of the fact that an increase has been allowed in Cleveland pig, it would not be surprising if a slight increase was also permitted in the case of west coast haematite. The cost of production is still creeping up; smelters are dependent to a certain extent on imported material, and some of the men at the blastfurnaces are sending in a demand for higher war bonus. Prices, how- ever, are still at the maximum fixed by the Government, and Bessemer mixed numbers are again quoted at 127s. 6d. per ton f.o.t, while warrants at cash are unchanged at 115s. per ton. Special iron is 140s. per ton, and semi- special 135s. per ton f.o.t. There is rather a better demand for ferro-manganese, and both home and export quotations are very firm but unchanged. Stocks of iron in both private and public storing yards on the west coast are very low. The number of furnaces blowing on the west coast is 28, 19 of which are in Cumberland and the remaining 9 in the Furness area. The Workington Iron and Steel Company have 11 furnaces in blast in West Cumberland—viz., four at the Derwent works, three at Moss Bay, two at the Oldside works (all at Workington), and two at the Solway ironworks at Maryport. Cleator Moor and Distington have each two furnaces in operation, Millom has four in draught, and in the Furness area Barrow has six, North Lonsdale two, and Carnforth one. Two of the furnaces are on ferro-manganese, the remainder are engaged on Bessemer, special and semi- special iron, and the entire make is going into immediate consumption. All the Bessemer iron, with the exception of a small proportion which is going out of the district, is retained for use locally at the steel works at Barrow and Workington, and the whole of the production of special brands of iron, which is being allocated and distributed by the Government is being consigned to users who are engaged exclusively on work of national importance. The bulk of the special iron is, of course, still going into Scotland and the Midlands, but a substantial tonnage is also going to approved users in other consuming areas. The steel industry is exceedingly brisk, and all the plants at Workington and Barrow are in full swing again. Both places are maintaining a very big output of special work for the Government, but it will be larger when more iron becomes available. Billets are in firm demand at <£12 per ton, but ordinary commercial sorts are still rather quiet. Heavy steel rails are quoted at from <£10 17s. 6d. to <£11 10s. per ton, light sections are from <£14 to £14 10s. per ton, heavy tram rails are £14 per ton, ship plates are £11 10s. per ton, and boiler plates are £12 10s. per ton. The iron ore industry is phenomenally busy, but the demand for all grades of ore is far in excess of what can be mined. More labour is now available in some parts of the district, and production is still increasing, but it is expected that a much fuller output will be obtained shortly, when the three-shift system is adopted at all the mines. There has been no alteration in prices. Ordinary grades range from 21s. to 30s. per ton, better sorts are from 31s. to 36s. 6d. per ton, and best Hodbarrow ore is quoted at 38s. per ton net at the mines. With regard to shipping, requirements for general bunkering and export purposes naturally do not increase in view of scarcity of shipping tonnage and the restriction of licences. Supplies of fuel have hardly yet recovered from the set- back caused by the holidays, and there is very little spare coal about. Prices are firm, and screened Lancashire steam coals rule from 24s. 6d. to 25s. 6d. f.o.b. In the coastwise and cross-channel trade the demand for supplies is very keen, and much difficulty is experienced in meeting the requirements of the merchants. The position in slacks is still that the available quantity is not sufficient to supply the present demand. South Lancashire and Cheshire. COAL. The Manchester Coal Exchange .was moderately attended on Tuesday, but very little business transpired in the open market. The pressure for all sorts of fuel, both for house and manufacturing purposes, continues. Shipping coal is moving as usual. There are still some delays in the transit of fuel to the consumer. Prices generally are as below:— Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). House coal:— Best ............... Medium.............. Common.............. Furnace coal.......... Bunker (f.o.b. Partington) Best slack ........... Common slack ......... Current prices. 22/ -23/ 19/6-21/ 18/ -18/6 17/6-18/ 25/ -26/ 16/ upwds. L'st week's prices. 22/ -23/ 19/6-21/ 18/ -18/6 17/6-18/ { 25/ -26/ i Last year's prices. 21/ -22/ 19/ -20/3 17/6-18/ ) 17/ -18/ i abt. 22/ auu. jl^i upwus;16/ upwds 15/6upwds 14/6 upwds 14/6 upwds 14/ upwds IRON. There was a fair attendance on 'Change in Manchester on Tuesday. The prices fixed by the Ministry of Munitions remain unchanged. All works are engaged on material for war purposes, and deliveries are controlled entirely by the Government. ----------------- Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Leeds. COAL. A big muster gave considerable animation to the market on Tuesday. Great scarcity of coal was reported from all parts of the country. The collieries have settled down to work after the holidays, but the wagon difficulty is still very serious, and delays to long distance traffic are worse than ever. The position in London with regard to house coal is described by those who know it well as being unprecedented. There is probably less coal in the depots than at any time for many years. The Coal Controller has telegraphed and circularised all the collieries supplying the London district to the effect that deliveries must be made not less than those of a year ago, and has instructed the collieries to supply a weekly summary of the deliveries. The deliveries, however, depend more and more on the wagon supply, which, owing to the needs of the Govern- ment, both here and in France, is quite inadequate. Fancy rates are still being offered for boats for the coastwise trade. It is said that as much as 21s. from Hull to London has been paid and 29s. 6d. Hull to the south coast. The bulk of supplies are contract coal in merchants’ own boats. Merchants in the West Biding, quite cleared of stocks, are receiving inadequate supplies and are trying to satisfy customers with small deliveries. The question of the renewal of house coal contracts is under close consideration, but, so far, the collieries decline to renew beyond the thre.e months suggested by the Coal Controller. Pit prices :— Haigh Moor selected, 21s. to 22s.; Silkstone best, 20s to 21s.; Silkstone house, 18s. to 19s.; other qualities, 17s. to 18s. Considerable relief is afforded by the announcement of the Coal Controller that contracts for gas coal may be for 12 months, subject to the right of the Coal Controller to cancel any contract should it be necessary to do so in the public interest. On these lines several renewals of con- tracts are reported. Open market sales are limited only by the amount of coal on offer, as stocks generally are very low. There is little change in manufacturing fuel, and though supplies are a little better this week, they are much below market needs. The position is the same in regard to coking slacks and furnace coke. The quotations in the appended list are more or less nominal. Current pit prices. South-West Lancashire. COAL. In the household coal trade much pressure is still experi- enced, and the unfulfilled order list grows. This is the natural result of the very cold weather, and until there is a change in this respect no easing off can be expected. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). House coal:— Best ................. Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) Medium ............... Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) Kitchen............... Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) Screened forge coal..... Best scrnd. steam coal f.o.b. Best slack ............. Secondary slack ........ Common do............... Current prices. 21/ -22/ 25/6 19/ -20/ 24/6 18/ 23/ upwds. 18/ 24/6-25/6 16/ 15/ 14/ L’st week's) Last year's prices. ' prices. 21/ -22/ > 20/9 25/6 ) 23/6-24/6 19/ -20/ ) 19/ 24/6 > 22/ -22/6 18/ i 17/ 23/ upwds.) 21/6 18/ . ' I 17/6-18/ 24/ -25/6 ■ 23/ -23/6 16/ | 15/6-16/ 15/ 15/ 14/ | 14/ upwds 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/ Wallsend & 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/ 22/ -23/ 21/ —22/ Do. house 20/ -21/ 20/ -21/ i 19/ -20/ Other qualities 19/ -20/ 19/ -20/ 18/ -19/ Gas coal:— Prices at pit: Screened gas coal 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ Gas nuts 15/6-16/6 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/ Rough unscreened engine coal 15/ -16/ 15/ -16/ 14/ -15/ Best rough slacks 14/ —15/ 14/ -15/ 13/ -14/ Small do. 12/ -13/ 12/ -13/ 11 1-121 Coking smalls 12/6-13/6 12/6-13/6 11/6-12/6 Coke Price at ovens: Furnace coke 25/8 25/8 25/ Barnsley. COAL. Business continues to be on matter-of-fact lines, with short supplies only possible. The need for fuel in London has led to the order being given at many collieries to