952 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. May 18, 1917. panies are coming freely upon the market, but not always by usual advertisement, and generally the tonnage asked for is in advance of present supplies. Quotations are being sent in for the usual period, with a saving clause in the event of the Controller shortening this. There is probably not quite the same urgency in the demand at the moment for slack, but it is noticeable in the tenders coming forward from electricity works that the estimate for the coming 12 months is, in many cases, a large increase upon what has hitherto been considered their usual tonnage. There is nothing new to comment on with regard to the coastwise and cross-channel shipments. ________________ South Lancashire and Cheshire. COAL. There was a ffair attendance on the Manchester Coa-1 Exchange on Tuesday. Little or no improvement is evident in the quantity of fuel offering, but the demand continues almost as keen as ever, and this applies to house coals as well as steam coals. Shipments are chiefly on contract account. Slack is still in good request, with supplies on the short side. Prices generally are as below ;— Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). good enquiry continues for steam slacks and small fuel generally. The position with regard to house coal is of a remarkable character. Obviously the consumption of this class of coal must be of a reduced character, and the pressure on collieries for supplies is of a heavy description. The list of unexecuted orders is yet of an extensive character, and arrears on contract account are also fairly substantial, and these deliveries are receiving primary consideration. A large tonnage of fuel must be going into stock, and merchants, especially in the south, are losing no chance to take in all fuel possible for adding to stock. Merchants in Lancashire's nearer markets are also showing a rather keener interest in the same direction, and there appears to be little prospect of stocks accumulating at collieries for some time ahead, and merchants will hear little of clearance lots. Efforts are still directed to augment the production of slacks suitable for coke making, and the plants are kept fully at work, though there is less pressure for supplies of coke, stocks of which are beginning to accumulate in certain directions. Prices at pit. Prices at pithead. Hand-picked brights ..... Good house coals......... Secondary do............. Best hard coals_____........ Secondary do _____.......... Slacks (best hards)...... Do. (second) .......... Do. (soft)............ Current prices. 18/6-19/6 18/ -18/6 17/ -18/ 17/ —17/6 16/ -17/ 12/ -13/ 10/6-11/6 11/ L'st week’s Last year’s prices. 19/ -19/6 18/ -18/6 17/ -18/ prices. 18/6-19/6 16/6-17/6 15/6-16/6 17/ -17?6 ) 17/ -17/6 16/' -17/ 15/6-16/ 12/ -13/ 11/9—13/ 10/6-11/6 10/6-11/ 11/ I 11/ Current House coal.-— Best ............... Medium...........•.... Common.............. Furnace coal.......... Bunker (f.o.b. Partington) Best slack ........... Common slack ......... prices. 22/ -23/ 19/6-21/ 18/ —18/6 17/6-18/ 25/ -26/ L’st week's Last year's prices. 22/ -23/ 19/6-21/ 18/ -18/6 17/6-18/ 25/ -26/ 16/ upwds 16/ upwds 14/6 upwds 14/6 upwds prices. 21/ -22/ 19/ -20/3 17/6-18/ 17/ -18/ abt. 22/ 15/6 upwds 14/ upwds IRON. There was a fair attendance on 'Change in Manchester on Tuesday, but the condition of affairs in this district still remains the same, all prices and deliveries being controlled by the Ministry of Munitions. Iron and steel works are all very busy on war material. Heavy engineers also busy. 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/ 18/6-19/ Secondary do. 17/ -17/6 17/ -17/6 I 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 15,9-16/3 Secondary do 15/6-16/3 15/6-16/3 Best slack 12/6-13/ 12/6-13/ 12/6-13/ Secondary do Gas coals:— 10/6-11/ 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 15/6-16/6 15/6-16/ Gas nuts 16/ 16/ 16/ Furnace coke 25/8 25/8 25/ ________ ________ Leicestershire. COAL. Although the domestic consumption is being very sub- stantially reduced by the warm weather, the position of affairs in all sections of the trade is more complicated than ever by additions to the arrears. The output is booked up a long way ahead. Country coal merchants have never been in such a trying position, a large proportion of their plant having to be engaged on half loads to cover pressing necessities. Coal merchants are being taken for the Army, and many merchants have to take a hand in loading and delivering on account of the labour shortage. At the collieries a similar state of affairs prevails, and the tribunals do not appear to fully appreciate the great importance of such officials as pay clerks. It is impossible to get skilled women clerks to go into the country for work in colliery offices, to do this very complicated work of wages and percentages. Great preference has still to be given to supplies for London and district in order to relieve the shortage. The demand for Government works is main- tained at the maximum. The difficulties of subdividing the balance of supplies is most acute. All classes of house- hold are in keen demand for London district, while deep and main cobbles and nuts are absorbed as fast as they come to hand. Small nuts for mechanical stokers sell with remarkable freedom. There are no reserves of stocks of any kind. Prices at pit. ________________ Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Leeds. COAL. Tuesday's market was well attended, especially by London merchants and factors, and there was plenty of demand for coal, but very little offering. Many enquiries were made for prices for gas coal contracts. Colliery representatives reported full time work at the pits, with a satisfactory output, as the attendance of miners is good and the supply of wagons more satisfactory. Complaints of delays to trucks on long journeys are less common than they were a few weeks ago. The warmer weather has caused a marked falling off in the pressure from the London market for house coal, but full contract quantities are being taken. Supplies are mostly in private wagons, as railway wagons are practically unobtainable. Reports from the depots show that there is still a ready sale for the cheaper qualities, best coal continuing to be very scarce. The house coal trade in the West Riding is quieter also. In the coastwise branch the bulk of the coal that is being sent is on contract account, and the securing of boats becomes more and more difficult owing to war conditions. A fair amount of screened coal, both Hartleys and gas coal, is being shipped from Hull for the French ports, but less is going to Italy. A number of additional gas coal contracts are reported to be completed on exactly the same terms as last year, with the usual safeguarding clauses. It seems quite likely that London and district will require quite as much coal in the coming season as was taken last season, and arrangements are being made to keep up deliveries. Manufacturing fuel shows very little change, except that supplies of steam slacks are rather more freely available, but coking smalls are still very scarce. Washed furnace coke is also reported to be more easily procured. This is thought to be only temporary, and to be due to labour difficulties at some of the works causing the suspension of deliveries. Current pit prices. Hull. COAL. The main characteristics of the Humber coal export trade are unchanged, the difficulty in increased shipments resting with the paucity of shipping tonnage rather than with any shortage of coal. With regard to the latter, there seems to be little surplus after official and Allied require- ments have been satisfied. Owing to the phenomenal rates of freight demanded by neutral ship owners, neutral countries are only buyers in the most urgent circumstances, and only a moderate quantity is thus going forward. The improved tone of the market is steadily maintained, collieries being under no necessity of pressing sales, and both they and second holders being disinclined to do business under the limit of prices fixed for France and Italy. A fair amount of steamer room has been taken up for the remaining half of the month, while shipments generally keep up to recent average. Large steam coal is steady, and all kinds of manufacturing fuels are scarce, and prices firmly held. Approximate values for May ship- ment are:—Best South Yorkshire hards, 29s. 6d. to 30s. ; washed nuts, 24s. 6d. to 25s. 6d.; washed small coal, 20s. ; rough slack, 17s. to 17s. 6d.; Parkgates, 27s. to 27s. 6d.; screened gas, 26s.; West Yorkshire Hartleys, 27s. 6d. (Goole), 28s. 3d. (Hull) ; Derbyshire steam hards, 28s. to 29s. (at Grimsby or Immingham). Little doing in the open freight market, up to 200 kr. being asked east coast to Gothenburg. Coastwise rates steady on the basis of 20s. Hull to London. 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/ 14/ -15/ 14/6-15/6 13/6-15/ 14/ —15/ 12/6-13/6 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/ 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 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/ 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/ . 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 1-12/ 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/ -25/ Chesterfield. COAL. The supply of every class of coal is still much below the demand. Orders for house coal continue to arrive freely, but these can only be executed after considerable delay. Manufacturing fuel is scarce ; nuts are in exceptionally strong demand, and cobbles are also in urgent request. All classes of slack find a ready sale. Great pressure is put upon collieries to keep the various railways supplied with coal for locomotives, and every effort is made to meet the demand. Gas coal is in active demand. The export trade is slightly better, owing to an increase in the number of available steamers. Shipments of coal to France are improving. There is not much steam coal on offer at the moment, which has caused prices to harden slightly. There is little or no business passing with neutral countries. The coke trade is in a satisfactory condition, orders for all qualities being plentiful. Coking fuel is in good demand. Prices at pit. Current L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. prices. Best house coals 17/ 17/ 17/ Secondary do 16/6 16/6 16/6 Cobbles 16/ 16 / 16/ Nuts 15/ 15/ 15/ Slack 12/6 12/6 12/6 IRON. There is a brisk demand all round, and every establish- ment is in a state of great activity. Barnsley. COAL. Demand is still ahead of the supply of most classes of fuel, though the output is fairly well sustained. The gradual reduction in the number of employees, owing to the further call for military service, is bound to be felt. The extensive consumption of steam fuel for home purposes continues to be a remarkable feature, and the partial stoppage of some munition works will enable good stocks to be laid in, whilst the railway companies are also taking all the tonnage possible to preserve their stocks. The shortage of steam nuts, owing to the extensive consumption by the munition firms, is still a prominent feature, and a Nottingham. coal. No particular change is perceptible in the condition of the coal trade in this district. A slightly easier tone is being manifested in the domestic fuel branch, but there is still a good deal of pressure on collieries for fuller deliveries. With the increased supplies which have recently left the district for the Metropolitan area, local merchants have scarcely been able to obtain the necessary tonnage from the collieries in order to satisfy the needs of their most pressing customers. Relief in this respect is shortly anticipated in consequence of the advent of more season- able weather. Steam coal continues in very active demand. Owners are readily disposing of all classes, for although exports are on a small scale the home consumption, owing to the needs of firms engaged on war work, is very heavy. The scarcity of nuts is still a feature of the market. Slacks are in good request, the better qualities being largely drawn upon, and at some pits the supply is not adequate to the demand. Gas coal is going out of hand freely, the out- put being practically absorbed by contract requirements. All kinds of coke are in good demand. ________ ________ South Staffordshire, Worth Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Birmingham. COAL. The effect of the warm weather is being felt in the lessened pressure for domestic fuel, but generally speaking the demand is still well ahead of the supply. Manufac- turing fuel is all-important at the moment, and in this department the weather is not a factor. The market is very strong, and higher grade qualities are generally used, the men preferring, and even insisting, on these being supplied. The collieries have a long list of orders, but supplies are always forthcoming for essential needs. Prices at pit. 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/ 19/ Do. best shallow 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 IRON. The iron and steel trades of the district have been with- out special feature during the week. The position with regard to the suggested revision of pig iron prices has been advanced by the examination which, it is understood, is in progress of the books of South Staffordshire producers. They rather welcomed this step on the part of the Ministry of Munitions, as it seems to be generally recognised that their claim can be supported by strong evidence in the matter of costs — stronger, indeed, than the claims of either Derbyshire or Northamptonshire makers No business is done below maximum rates, and production is earmarked for some considerable time ahead, particularly of the higher grade irons. This fact, coupled with the delay in announcing any alteration in the official maxima, tends to restrict the volume of immediate business. Producers, of course, protect themselves against any rise. Heavy wrought scrap is wanted in larger quantities than are available, this branch being affected by the price limita- tions, which are £5 5s. for |in. thick and over; A5 15s. for f in. thick and over, including horseshoes ; and 5s. for wrought iron plates and sectional materia], f in. thick and over, all free on rail. Cast scrap is very firm, and makes up to <£5 10s. In the finished branches capacity is strained to the utmost to keep pace with the heavy specifi- cations on the books for national work, including calls for shipbuilding purposes. Bar iron of every grade finds a strong and ready market at full rates; small rounds, squares, and flats are in insatiable demand ; the sheet trade, galvanised and black, is quiet, no material being available ; iron and steel tubes are in brisk enquiry; so, too, is gas and