June 14, 1918. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN 1203 Current Quotations. Current L’st week’s Last year’s Best Cumberl’nd coal at pit prices. 25/10 prices. 25/10 prices. 23/4 Best washed nuts at pit... 24/2 24/2 21/3 Seconds at pit 23/4 23/4 20/10 Washed nuts at pit 23/4 23/4 20/10 Do. small s „ 19/2 19/2 16/8 Do. peas „ 17/6 25/ 17/6 15/ Buckhill best coal at pit... 25/ 22/6 Do. double-scrned washed nuts at pit 23/6 23 6 21/ Oughterside best coal at pit 25/ 25/ 22/6 Oughterside best washed nuts at pit 23/6 23,6 21/ St. Helens (Siddick) best coal at pit 25/ 25/ 22/6 St. Helens best house nuts at pit 23/6 23/6 21/ Best Cumberl’nd coal, f.o.b. 22/ 22/ 19/6 Best washed nuts, f.o.b. ... Best bunkers (coastwise) 20/ 20/ 17/6 31/ 31/ 25/ Do. (for foreign-going steamers) 31/ 31/ 30/ Best works fuel 22/6 22/6 20/ Best coal for gasworks ... 22/6 22 6 20/ Best washed nuts for gas- works 21.(6 . 21/6 19/ not accepting new orders. It is practically impossible to secure extra quantities for London and the South to augment allocations under the coal transport reorganisa- tion scheme, while coastwise shipments of West Yorkshire coal from the Humber ports are so low as to be negligible. Local markets are inadequately supplied, and merchants are in many cases having to give special attention to the more urgent cases of need, and, generally, the stocking orders which the public have rushed in cannot be supplied. Contract deliveries of gas coal are falling further into arrear, and are barely sufficient for day to day require- ments, whilst spot parcels of either screened or unscreened coal or gas nuts are unprocurable. Manufacturing sorts become more scarce. Consumption in the manufacturing districts of the West Riding continues on a heavy scale, and the reduced output is keenly felt. Many of the munition and similar works have little better than a hand- to-mouth supply, and consumers in the less essential trades have to accept whatever they can get. The marked short- age of coking slacks requires continuous effort, and coke makers who rely upon purchases for their supply, or the bulk of it, have great difficulty in keeping their ovens working. Pit prices are very largely nominal. Current pit prices. IRON. The west coast haematite pig iron trade continues very brisk, but, owing to the stoppage at the iron ore mines, the position is not so favourable as it was a week ago. In other respects matters are unchanged, and the market for pig iron is very firm and brisk. Prices are easily main- tained at the Government maximum, and Bessemer mixed numbers are again quoted at 127s. 6d. per ton, f.o.t., while warrants at cash are idle at 115s. per ton. Special iron is 140s. per ton, and semi-special iron is quoted at 135s 6d. per ton, f.o.t. There is a very steady demand for ferro- manganese. South-West Lancashire. COAL. The tension relaxes very little in household coal. It is not so much that the demand is abnormal as that the quantity leaving the pits for merchants is so attenuated. In the meantime the merchant is proportioning it out as best he can. Shipping is much as it was last week Ordi- nary bunkering requirements are fully maintained, and there is a strong demand for Admiralty and export pur- poses, while supplies continue short all round. Vessels are more readily chartered at the moment in the coastwise trade than coal is available for them, and in the meantime the merchant across the water is glad of any fixing he can arrange. Steam fuels and slacks, particularly slacks of the better quality, are much sought after. Even the lessened consumption in the cotton trade has little effect, as the supply is not sufficient to cope with even the lessened demand. For some months past there has been a growing anxiety on the part of the coal owner at the constant increase of the working costs which has entirely absorbed, and more than absorbed, the advances made, and now, with the diminished production, the cost figures are increasing every month. There is no doubt some amelioration is overdue, and it will have to be of a very substantial character. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). House coal:— Prices at pit (London) : Haigh Moor selected ... Wallsend & London best Silkstone best Do. house House nuts Prices f.o.b. Hull Haigh Moor best Silkstone best Do. house Other qualities Gas coal:— Prices at pit: Screened gas coal.. Gas nuts Unscreened gas coal ... Other sorts:— Prices at pit: Washed nuts Large double-screened engine nuts Small nuts Rough unscreened engine coal Bost rough slacks Small do. Coking smalls Coke:— Price at ovens Furnace coke Current prices. 21/6-22/6 21/ -21/6 21/ -21j6 20/ -20/6 18/6-19/6 25/6-26/ 24/ -25/ 23/ -24/ 20 6 22 6 18/ -18,6 17/ -18/ 16/6-17.6 18/6 -19,6 17/6-18/6 16/6-17/6 16/6-17/6 15/6-16/6 13 6-14 6 14/ -15/ 32/ L’st week’s Last year’s prices. I prices. 21/ -22/6 20/ -21/ 21/ -21/6 ' 19/ -20/ 21/ -216 19/ -20/ 20/ -20/6 17/ -18/ 18/6-19,6 16/ -17/ 25,6-26/ / 23/ -24/ 24/ -25/ i 22/ -23/ 23/ -24' ; 20/ -21/ 20/6-22 6 i 19/ -20/ 18/ -18,6 ! 16/ -17/ 17/ -18/ | 15/6-16/6 16'6-17/6 j 15/ -16/ 18 6-19 6 17/ -18/ 17/6-18/6 i 16/ -17/ 16/6-17 6 j 15/ -16/ 16/6-17/6 ■ 15/ -16/ 15/6-16.6 ; 14/ -15/ 13/6-14,6 : 12/ -13/ 14/ -15/ : 12,6-13/6 32/ j 25/8 Chesterfield. COAL. There is no change in the condition of the market, which remains firm and active. The demand for every class of coal is strong, but supplies continue far below the require- ments of the various consuming centres. House coal orders are numerous, and collieries experience much difficulty in executing them owing to the limited output which is now being severely felt. The supply of gas coal continues to be much below current requirements, and it is practically impossible to add to the reserve stocks at any gas works. Railway companies are unable to secure anything approaching the tonnage of locomotive coal that they need to meet present consumption, and their reserve stocks are being depleted week by week. Coal for manufacturing purposes continues in very urgent request, but consumers experience great difficulty in securing such supplies as they need. In order to keep the large steel works in full operation on Government orders it is imperative that full supplies of coal are furnished from day to day ; in this case it is inevitable that less essential industries must suffer. Cobbles and nuts are extremely scarce, and slack for boiler firing is difficult to get hold of. There is an active demand for all qualities of coke, and coking slack is in short supply. The export trade is dead for the time being. Admiralty requirements are heavy, and are receiving every attention from all the collieries of the district. IRON. The condition of the iron trade shows no change. Every branch is working at high pressure in order to meet the existing demand. Nottingham. COAL. The condition of the trade in this county is one of general activity, and the pressure on collieries for deliveries is not confined to any particular branch. Domestic fuel continues in brisk request, so much so that local merchants are unable to cover all current requirements. The feeling amongst the public that rationing will shortly come into operation strengthens the demand for winter stocks, but the situation compels merchants to limit supplies to customers so as to maintain as equal a distribution as possible. Preferential claims on account of war work absorb a large proportion of the output of steam fiiel. Large steams are heavily drawn upon by railway com- panies. Manufacturing fuel continues to be on the scarce side. Better quality and medium slacks are in active request, and common sorts are selling more readily. All grades of gas fuel find a ready market, at maximum rates. The output of coke is well maintained, but it is not equal to the heavy demands. Prices at pithead. House coal:— Best ................. Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) Medium ............... Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) Kitchen .............. Com. (f.o.b. Garston,net) Screened forge coal..... Best scrnd. steam coal f.o.b. Best slack ............. Secondary slack ........ Common do. Current prices. 23/6-24/6 25/ -26/ 21/6-22/6 24/6-25/ 20/6 23/ -24/ 20'6 30/ 18,6 17/6 16/6 L’st week's prices. 23'6-24/6 25/ -26/ , 21/6-22/6 24/6-25/ 20/6 23/ -24/ 20/6 | 30/ upwds1 18/6 17/6 16/6 Last years prices. 21/ -22/ 25/6 19/ -20/ 24/6 18/ 23/ upwds 18/ 24 6-25/6 16/ 15/ 14/ South Lancashire and Cheshire. COAL. There was a good attendance on the Manchester Coal Exchange on Tuesday. The position is still that there is practically nothing offering for open sale, and deliveries under contract are generally short. This also applies to engine fuel. Shipping coal moves away in good quantities. Prices generally are as below:— Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated) g Barnsley. COAL. Again there are strong complaints regarding the pre- valence of absenteeism on the part of the miners. The high rate of wages and the fine weather are believed to be strong influences for the evil, but nothing can be done to obtain an improvement. Appeals are constantly being made, but the output continues to be materially reduced. A further increase in the selling price of coal is looked for as the result of the demand for a further increase of wages, and colliery managers fear this will accentuate the neglect of work. The difficulty of distributing the output to confine inconvenience to the minimum continues in a pronounced degree. The official requirements of steam coal continue very extensive, and the maximum requirements for the Admiralty and home urgent needs, in addition to those of the Allies, leave very little fuel available for the other pur- poses. The tonnage of large steams needed by the railway companies continues to be of a heavy character, little reduction being noticeable as yet following upon the restricted railway service. Screened coal of all descriptions is scarce for general purposes, and small coal suitable for industrial purposes can hardly be obtained in an adequate degree. There continues to be a good deal of substitution necessary in regard to supplies, and gas coal deliveries are very much reduced. No surplus is offered in the open market. House coal supplies are again of a restricted character — evidently in anticipation of the proposed rationing scheme. The public are seeking to obtain extra lots, but these are difficult to obtain, as merchants have very little stock on hand. The supply of slack suitable for coke making is again far from adequate, and the greatest difficulty prevails in keeping the by-product plants in full operation. On the other hand, furnace coke is in very active request, and pressure is applied with the object of obtaining larger deliveries. Prices at pit. Current L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. prices. Hand-picked brights 21/ -22/ 21/ -22/ 18 6-19/6 Good house coals 20/ -21/ 20/ -21/ 18/ —18/6 Secondary do 18/6-19/6 18/6-19/6 17/ —18/ Best hard coals 18/6-19/ 18/6-19/ 16 9-17/6 Secondary do 1 17/6-18/ 17 6-18/ 16/ -17/ Slacks (best hards) 14/ -14/6 14/ -14/6 12/ -13/ Do. (second) 13/ -13/6 13/ -13/6 10/6-11/6 Do. (soft) _ J3/ 13/ 11/ Leicestershire. COAL. The requirements of the Controller impose heavy unpro- ductive burdens on the. administrative staffs, which are extremely difficult, if not impossible, to carry out. A typical requirement is in the 16-page return to be made out every month of the quantities sent to every coal merchant, and to set out the purposes for which the coal is being con- sumed. The object is doubtless good, but it means an immense amount of labour and effort on the part of already heavily overburdened clerical staffs. The demand for London and district is on a very extensive scale, and prefer- ential ‘treatment has to be very strictly carried out—the minimum deliveries must be maintained, in any event. This means that supplies for the South and West of England, and country merchants generally, have to be further curtailed. Only the most vital necessities can be covered, and household requirements have to be further reduced. Cobbles, large and small nuts, and small fuel for mechanical stokers for steam-raising purposes generally, are short of the demand. Country railway depots are empty, and there are no reserves of any kind at the collieries. Prices at pit. House coal:— Best ............... Medium.............. Common.............. Furnace coal.......... Bunker (f.o.b. Partington) Best slack ........... Common slack ......... Current jL’st week’s prices. 24,6 22/ -23/ 20/6-21/ 20/ -20/6 ______* prices. 24 !6 22/ -23/ 20/6-21/ 20/-20/6 __* 18/6 upwds 17/ upwds 118/6upwds 17 / upwds Last year’s prices. 22/ -23/ 19/6-21/ 18/ -18/6 17/6-18/ 25/ -261 16/ upwds 14/6 upwds * As per official list. Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Leeds. COAL. Except that the scarcity of supplies is, if anything, more intense, conditions are unaltered from last week, which means that a good deal of inconvenience is being experi- enced. Complaints of inadequate quantities are general. The pits continue to work full time, and the comb-out is proceeding more smoothly. A good deal of the unrest which arose in the earlier stages of the process has sub- sided, but the output continues to dwindle, and is consider- ably below the requirements of the market. There was the usually good attendance of traders on the market on Tuesday, but few colliery representatives had anything to dispose of. There is practically a complete absence of surplus coal, and the demand is abnormally strong in rela- tion to supply. There is any amount of enquiry for house coal for both London and the South, and the local markets; but the collieries are booked up for weeks ahead, and are Current L’st week’s Last year’s House coals:— prices. prices. prices. Best Silkstone 23/ -24/6 21/ -21/6 23/ -24/6 20/ -22/ Best Barnsley softs 21/ -21/6 18/6-19/ Secondary do 19/ -20/ 19/ -20/ 18/6-19/6 17/ -17/6 Best house nuts 18/6-19/6 16/ -17/ Secondary do Steam coals:— 18/ -18'6 18/ -18/6 15/6-16/ Best hard coals 20/ -21/ 20/ -21' 17/6-18/6 Secondary do 19/ -20/ 18/6-19/6 18/ -18/6 19/ -20/ 16/6-17/6 Best washed nuts 18/6-19/6 16/3-16/6 Secondary do 18/ -18/6 15/6-16/3 Best slack 15/ -15/9 15/ -15/9 12/6—13/ Secondary do Gas coals:— 12/ -13/6 12/ -13/6 10/6-11/ Screened gas coals 19/ -19/6 19/ -19/6 16/6-17/6 Unscreened do 18/ -18/6 18/ -18/6 15/6-16/6 Gas nuts... 18/ 18/ 16/ Furnace coke 32/ 32/ 25/8 Hull. COAL. The export trade here is without new features. Owing to the shortage of supplies business is carried on only with difficulty. It is not by any means an easy task to prevent delays to steamers, there being practically no margin to work upon. The home demand is imperative, and this of course reduces the quantity available for shipment. Nottingham and Derbyshire coal is practically prohibited from export. The stringency of the position, brought about by the new comb-out, is reflected in the official figures of arrivals of coal at Hull during May, the total being 186,558 tons, against 250,969 tons in May last year, and 201,055 tons in April this year. The Hull arrivals for the five months to date amount to 1,046,179 tons, against 1,182,715 tons in the corresponding period of last year. Best Tiousehold 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. 19/ -20/6 18/ -19/ 17/6-18/6 17/6-18/6 16/6-17/6 16/ -17/ 15/3-16/ 14/6-14/9 8/6- 9/6 15/ -16/6 15/6-16/6 14/6-16/ 15/ -16/6 14/9-15/6 L’st week’s prices. 19/ -20/6 18/ —/19 17/6-18/6 17/6-18/6 16/6-17/6 16/ -17/ 15/3-16/ 14/6-14/9 8/6- 9/6 Last year’s prices. 16/6-18/ 15/6-16/6 16/ -17/ 16/ -16/6 15/ -15/6 14/6-15/ 12/9-13/6 12/ —12/3 6/ - 7/ 15/ -16/6 15/6-16/6 14/6-16/ 15/ —16/6 14/9-15/6 13/6-14/ 14/ -14/6 13/ -13/6 13/6-14/ 12/6-13/6 South Staffordshire, North Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Birmingham. COAL. The position in the coal trade grows worse. In addition to reduced output, the diversion of supplies to London causes a great deal of inconvenience. A coal merchant puts the case this way: — A colliery producing 1,000 tons daily (he says) which used to send 300 tons to London and 700 tons to other districts, and whose output is now reduced to 750 tons per day, has had to send 300 tons to London, leaving only 450 tons for other districts. This means that the provinces have to suffer the whole of the shortage. As regards manufacturing fuel the strain is very great to keep the works going. This cannot always be done at full pressure, though every measure is taken to keep the