996 THE COLLIERY GUARDIA^ May 25, 1917. South Lancashire and Cheshire. COAL. The Manchester Coal Exchange was fairly attended on Tuesday, but little actual business is done nowadays, very little fuel being on offer in the open market. The warmer weather has eased the demand for house fuel to some extent, but the advice to lay in stocks for next winter will have its due effect on this. Shipments are steady, mostly on contract account. Slack is in strong demand, and the supply is not equal to it. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). indicating the firmness in regard to house coal. Though the consumption is admittedly reduced, merchants are pressing for larger supplies owing to the strong call from the general public who are taking in stocks. The enquiry for furnace coke continues to be easier, but this does not affect the continued effort to increase the output. Prices at pit. Prices at pit. 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 14/6 upwds L’stweek’s prices. • 22/ -23/ 19/6-21/ 18/ -18/6 17/6-18/ 25/ -26/ 16/ upwds 14/6 upwds Last year’s 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 last, but the conditions of this district still remain the same, all prices and deliveries being entirely controlled by the Ministry of Munitions. All works are busily engaged on war material. Current L’stweek’s Last year’s Elouse 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 16/6-17/6 Best house nuts 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ Secondary do 15/6-16/ 15/6-16/ 15/6-16/ Steam coals:— 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/ Secondary do 10/6-11/ 10/6-11/ 10/6-11/6 Gas coals:— 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/ Hull. COAL. 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 kitchener; \ Main breeze............J 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’stweek’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/ : 13/ -13/6 14/6-15/6 ; 14/ -14/6 13/6-15/ '13/ -13/6 14/ -15/ .13/6-14/ 12/6-13/6 i 12/6-13/6 Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Leeds. COAL. The large attendance gathered at the market on Tuesday was thoroughly representative. The demand was brisk all round, but, generally speaking, colliery representatives were not able to take orders for delivery before the holidays. The position at the pits continues satisfactory. Good time is being made by the men, the wagon supply is better than for some time, and the output is probably at the maximum under present conditions. It was reported that several contracts for various qualities of coal had been renewed for three months, and longer periods, subject to the usual safeguarding conditions. While London merchants are taking all the house coal they can get, the retail trade is considerably quieter. Arrears of orders still to wipe off, stocking orders from the larger residences, and the concern of merchants to get some coal into stock at the depots, keep up the demand on the collieries to their full capacity of dealing with them. Coastwise there is rather more activity. Boats seem to be moving a little more freely, and there is a better tone among boat owners. Both Hull and Goole have sent fair quantities of coal into the Thames and to the south coast during the last week. Locally, coal shows little change. The bulk of the trade is in cheaper qualities, although supplies of best house coal are quite inadequate. Pit prices, more or less nominally, are :—Haigh Moor selected, 21s. to 22s.; Silkstone best, 20s. to 21s.; Silkstone house, 18s. to 19s.; other qualities, 17s. to 18s. At most of the big Yorkshire gas works there is a welcome increase in the amount of gas coal being put to reserve, and there are prospects of the summer stocks being secured in the usual quantities. New contracts are pretty much on last year’s lines, except that in some cases quan- tities are necessarily reduced on account of decreased output, and less gas nuts are being offered, this quality being required for Government works. London works are still buying in the open market where possible. There has been an increase in the quantity of gas coal shipped at Hull in the last week for French ports at limitation prices. Manufacturing fuel is in fair supply, with the exception of washed fuel. Coking slack is a shade easier to secure, and this applies also to coke. It is possible occasionally to buy spot parcels of coke on the open market—a state of things that has not existed for months past, being due, probably, to the recent trouble in the engineering trade. There will be no market next week, and it is expected that the pits will suspend operations for two days. Current pit prices. The market here continues steady, and business is at about the recent level. France takes the bulk of the shipments, and rather more seems to be going in that direction, thanks to increased expedition in turning steamers round to port of discharge. Little is being done with Italy, owing to the difficulty in arranging transport, and only a strictly moderate amount of coal is being sent to neutral destinations. There is no appreciable quantity of steam coal offering, and values are well maintained, while all manufacturing fuels are exceeding scarce and difficult to buy. Approximate values for this month’s ship- ment are Best South Yorkshire steams, 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. (at Goole), 28s. 4d. (Hull); Derbyshire steam hards, 28s. to 29s. (at Grimsby or Immingham). South Staffordshire, Horth Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Birmingham. COAL. Undiminished activity prevails in the coal trade in this district. Household coal is certainly in less active request, and merchants are taking the opportunity to work off orders standing on their books. Supplies from the collieries continue to come forward in moderate quantities, but contracts absorb so much that the open market is very bare. Output will be curtailed next week by the Whitsun holiday, which will probably spread itself over three days, but as the consuming works in the district will also be closed for a day or two, things will pretty well balance themselves. A good deal of coal ordinarily devoted to domestic consumption is being diverted for manufacturing purposes, as the supply of industrial fuel is inadequate. Double-screened nuts are particularly scarce, and better qualities of slacks; as a matter of fact, inferior qualities are not favoured by the men who handle the coal. Prices are firmly upheld at the maximum. Prices at pit. Chesterfield. COAL. Business continues in the same active condition from week to week, coal of every description being in strong demand. Supplies are still much below market require- ments. House coal orders come to hand freely from far and near. Manufacturing fuel is urgently wanted, and nuts are in particularly great request. Hard coal for the iron and steel industry is also in brisk demand. Slack for boiler firing is moving freely, and the whole production is readily taken up. Locomotive coal is in constantly pressing demand as well as gas coal. There is no change to report in respect of the export trade. Scarcity of ships continues to dominate the position. Steam coal for shipment is in short supply, and so urgent is the call for this fuel for home requirements, that it is not improbable that its export will be still further restricted. The price of Derbyshire hards is firm at 29s. per ton delivered at Grimsby. The coke trade is in a steady condition and supplies are less difficult to obtain at the moment. Prices at pit. Current L’stweek’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/ 18/ Do. seconds do. 18/ 18/ Best hard 18/6 18/6 18/6 Forge coal 16/ 16/ 16/ Slack W arwickshire:— 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 Current L’stweek’s Last year’s Best house coals prices. 17/ prices. 17/ prices. 17/ Secondary do 16/6 16/6 16/6 Cobbles 16/ ■ 16/ 16/ Nuts 15/ • 15/ 15/ Slack 12/6 12/6 12/6 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 Prices f.o.b. Hull:— 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ Haigh Moor best 23/ -24/ 23/ -24/ 21/ -23/ Silkstone best 22/ -23/ 22/ —23/ 21/ -22/ Do. house 20/ -21/ 20/ -21/ j 19/ -20/ Other qualities Gas coal:— Prices at pit: 19/ -20/ 19/ -20/ 18/ -19/ 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 ... Other sorts:— Prices at pit: 15/ -16/ 15/ -16/ 14/6-15/6 Washed nuts Large double-screened 17/ -18/ 17/ -18/ 17/ -17/6 engine nuts 16/ -17/ 16/ -17/ 15/ -16/ Small nuts Rough unscreened 15/ -16/ 15/ -16/ 14/ -15/ 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 Coke:— Price at ovens: 12/6-13/6 12/6-13/6 11/6-12/6 Furnace coke 25/8 25/8 24/ -25/ IRON. The iron trade of the district maintains its active condition and every establishment is briskly employed. -------........... Nottingham. COAL. There is still a good deal of pressure for supplies of nearly all classes of coal in this county, and although the output is well maintained collieries find it an easy matter to dispose of practically every quality of fuel. For house coals local merchants are receiving fewer orders. Never- theless, the tonnage required by the public is above the normal for the time of the year, and what supplies are available at the pits are substantially absorbed by current demands. The tone of the steam fuel branch remains very active. Exports continue on a restricted scale. Slacks of most descriptions are in good request, there being a decided scarcity of coking sorts. The bulk of the output of gas coal is required to fulfil contract obligations, any surplus lots being readily purchased. The supply of coke is inadequate. Prices at pithead. IRON. The general market remains exceedingly strong. Operations, of course, continue to be chiefly centred on war requirements. This district was not affected by the recent engineering strike, except indirectly through the suspen- sion of supplies from outside districts, notably Lancashire and Yorkshire. One price movement during the week has been an advance in mild steel wire, which enters into many manufactures, to the extent of £5 a ton, following one of <£3 at the beginning of the year. In the steel sections generally a good deal of stringency exists. Home supplies of sheet bars and billets are rigidly controlled, hence merchant business is almost at a standstill. Sheet mills are working not more than half time. One firm has four out of 10 mills operating, and one galvanising pot is sufficient to meet the needs of that department. Black sheets are more active, and are quoted up to <£19 10s., though that figure would not be insisted upon for a good order. The quotation for galvanised sheets remains at <£28 10s., and very little business is done outside the primary certificate classification. Producers of bar iron have a heavy accumulation of orders on their books, most of it official work; nut and bolt iron works are equally pressed, and prices range between <£14 5s. and <£14 10s.; while for small rounds, squares, and flats the enquiry is on a tremendous scale both for home and for allied countries. Pig iron is firm all round, current output being easily absorbed. The decision of the Ministry of Munitions with regard to prices is awaited with some impatience. Forest of Dean. Lydney. COAL. 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’stweek’s prices. 18/6-19/6 18/ -18/6 17/ -18/ 17/ -17/6 16/ -17/ 12/ -13/ 10/6-11/6 11/ | Last year’s prices. 18/6-19/6 16/6-17/6 15/6-16/6 17/ -17/6 15/6-16/ 11/9-13/ 10/6-11/ The house coal trade of this district is in much the same satisfactory condition as reported during the past few weeks, and orders for all qualities are coming freely to hand. The demand absorbs the output at each of the collieries, full time is worked and stocks are non-existent. Orders from the inland district continue to come in well, whilst shipments show an increase during the week. All the steam coal pits are exceptionally busy, and, although working daily at full pressure, cannot possibly meet the heavy demand without delay. Prices at pithead. Barnsley. COAL. Though, owing to causes of a temporary character, certain classes of fuel are more freely obtainable, stocks are practically unknown, though the output is well maintained. The stoppage at munition works, which consume a big tonnage, has quickly had its effect, but fuel has been put into stock, and is fairly cleared from the pits. The delay in transit has been minimised, though the scarcity of wagons has become none the less, and the advisability of laying in stocks has been well recognised. Small steam fuel is again in active request, and steam nuts are yet not to hand in adequate tonnage. The pressure for coking slacks is continued, but it is difficult to augment production, and collieries consuming their own output have to purchase additional lots. Reports come to hand Leicestershire. COAL. At the collieries the inflow of orders is far in excess of what can be met. There is quite an abnormal demand for all classes of household for London and district, and preferential deliveries are fully maintained. Deep and main cobbles and nuts command a very free sale, and nuts are absorbed as fast as they come to hand. Country coal merchants are working under a severe strain, and the ordinary administration is quite dislocated. Full time of five and three-quarter days is being worked at all the collieries, but there are no reserves of supplies either at the pits or country coal yards. House coals Block Forest Rubble Nuts Rough slack . Steam coal.— Large Small ... Current prices. 24/ 23/ 23/3 21/6 13/ 20/ -21/ 16/ L’st week’s prices. 24/ 23/ 23/3 21/6 13/ 20/ -21/ 16/ Last year’s prices. 21/6 20/6 20/9 19/ 11/6 18/ -19/ 13/6-14/ Prices 2s. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. - Devon, Cornwall, and South Coast. Plymouth. Messrs. W. Wade and Son report that some of the chief firms engaged in the coal trade are now able to stock coal to a limited extent, as the retail demand has fallen off