614 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. September 20, 1918. CONTRACTS OPEN FOR COAL AND COKE. . A’or Contracts Advertised in this issue received too late for inclusion in this column, see Leader and Last Whit® pages. Abstracts of Contracts Open. Barming Heath, September 24.—Coke for Kent County Lunatic Asylums at Barming Heath and Charlton. Forms from the steward of either asylum. Birkenhead, September 24.—Coal for the Guardians. Forms from the clerk, Conway-street, Birkenhead. Bristol, September 26.—Unwashed coal (6 months) for Electrical Committee. Forms (<£2 2s., returnable) from the chief engineer, Exchange, Corn-street, Bristol. Burton-on-Trent, September 30.—Coal for the Guar- dians. Forms from the clerk, Union* offices, Burton-on- Trent. Chester, September 27.—Coal for the Guardians. Forms from the clerk, 161, Foregate-street, Chester. Croydon.—Coal and coke (3 months) for Addington Park War Hospital. Forms from the steward. "Fareham, September 23. — Coal for the Guardians. Forms from the offices, 97, West-street, Fareham. Hay (Brecon), September 26.—Coal for the Guardians. Forms from the master, Workhouse. Hunslet, September 24.—Coal for the Guardians. Forms from the clerk, Union offices, Hunslet. Kensington, September 26.—Coal for the Kensington Board of Guardians. Forms from, the clerk, Union offices, Marloes-road, Kensington. Lancaster, September 24. — Coal for the Guardians. Forms from the clerk, 5, Dalton-square, Lancaster. Oxford, September 24.—Coal for the Guardians. Forms from the acting clerk, Tower House, Carfax, Oxford. Rosslynlee (Midlothian), September 28. — Coal for Midlothian District Asylum. Forms from the clerk, 19, Heriot-row, Edinburgh. Runcorn, September 30.—Fuel for the Guardians. Forms from the acting clerk, 71, High-street, Runcorn. Scarborough, September 26.—Coal and coke for the Guardians. Forms from the master, Workhouse. Stafford, September 25.—Coal for the Guardians. Forms from the Workhouse. Strood (Kent), September 24.—Coal and coke for the Guardians. Forms from the clerk. The date given is the latest upon which tenders can be received. CONTRACTS OPEN FOR ENGINEERING, IRON AND STEEL WORK, Ac. Manchester, September 26.^/SWes.—Firebricks, chains, iron, steel, oils, signal and telegraph fittings, steel tubing, wire rope, etc. (12 months) for the Lancashire and York- shire Railway Company. Forms from Mr. Waring, Stores Department, Osborne-street, Manchester. COAL, IRON AND ENGINEERING COMPANIES. REPORTS AND DIVIDENDS. Armstrong (Sir W. G.) Whitworth and Company Limited.—The directors have declared an interim dividend for the half-year ended June 30 last at the rate of 10 per cent, per annum (free of tax up to 5s. in the £ only) on the ordinary shares. British Insulated and Helsby Cables Limited.—The directors announce an interim dividend of 9d. per share, less income tax. Brown (John) and Company (Sheffield) Limited.—Net profit for year ended March 31, £453,317, making, with £176,451 brought forward, a total of £629,769. A sum of £150,000 is placed to contingency account, the dividend is made up to 12^ per cent., less tax, for the year, and £164,394 carried forward. Dalmellington Iron Company Limited.—The report for the year ended .June 30 last states that work has been carried on under difficulties throughout the year, and pig iron and .coal showed decreased outputs. After making provision for excess profits duty and other taxation, profit amounted to £48,110; £8,014 was brought forward, making £56,124. Deducting £24,827 for depreciation and deferred repairs, dividend on preference shares and interim divi- dend on ordinary shares, there is left £17,484. It is now proposed to pay a dividend of 6s. 3d. per share, making 10 per cent, for the year, free of income tax, and to carry forward £5,297. Fernhill Collieries Limited.—The report for the year ended June 30 states that net profit amounted to £33,567; £44,961 was brought forward, making £78,528. The directors recommend a dividend of 20 per cent, on the ordinary shares for the year (free of income tax), and to carry forward £51,528. Hardy Patent Pick Company Limited.—The directors report that, owing to the amounts payable under the pro- visions of the Finance and Munitions of War Acts having not yet been agreed, it is impossible for them to present the balance sheet and accounts for the year ending June 30, 1918, to the annual general meeting. They are, how- ever, satisfied that they are justified in proposing the following allocation of the profits available for distribu- tion : Interest on debentures, £1,650; dividend on the 7 per cent, preference shares, £2,100; dividend of 10 per cent, on the ordinary, £7,000; for depreciation of plant, etc., £6,500; and for depreciation of tools and patterns, £1,500. The dividends will be paid less income tax.. International Coal Company Limited.—The report for year ended June 30 last states that profit (subject to any adjustment which may be necessary with the Coal Con- troller) amounts to £8,210; £2,356 was brought forward, making £10,566. The directors recommend a final divi- dend of 5 per cent., less tax, making 10 per cent, for the year, and to carry forward £2,066. Mond Nickel Company Limited.—The report of the Mond Nickel Company for the year ended April 30 last shows a balance to credit of profit and loss of £616,852. An interim dividend on the ordinary shares at Is. per share was paid on February 5 last, subject to. deduction of income tax, and a further dividend was paid July 30 last at 3s. per share, free of income tax. It is proposed to place to reserve account £250,000 and to carry forward (including provision for part of war taxation) £118,252. Sheepbridge Coal and Iron Company Limited.—The report for year to June 30 shows a net profit of £176,724, and £42,654 was brought in, making £219,378. The direc- tors propose a further dividend of 7| per cent., making 12^ per cent, for the year, against 15 per cent, for pre- vious year, and to write off £50,000 for development of new properties, leaving £43,892 to be carried forward. Staveley Coal and Iron Company Limited.—The report for the year ended June 30 states that profit, after pro- viding for excess profits duty,>etc., amounted to £279,107; £7,592 was brought forward, making £286,699. An interim dividend was paid on February 11 of Is. per share on the fully paid shares and 9d. per share on the partly paid shares, and the directors now recommend a final dividend of Is. 6d. per share on the fully paid shares and Is. l^d. per share on the partly paid shares, making 12^ per cent., free of income tax, for the year, carrying forward £7,491. The new blast furnace referred to in the last report has been completed and is in operation, ' and the erection of a new range of 60 coke ovens has been com- menced. In view of these and other extensions it has been considered advisable to issue fresh capital, and an opportunity has been given to shareholders to subscribe for one new £1 share at a premium of 10s. per share for each five fully paid shares and proportionately for the partly paid shares held by them. NEW COMPANIES. Baker (P.) and Company Limited.—Private company, Registered September 12, to acquire the business of P. Baker and Company, and to carry on the business of iron and steel manufacturers and iron founders, etc. Nominal capital, £50,000 in 50,000 shares of £1 each. Directors: W. T. Hale, R. W. Hale, J. W. Hale, T. S. Price, G. W. Lloyd, A. J. Newton and G. M. White, all permanent directors. Qualification of directors, £2,000. Remuneration of directors, £200 per annum. Synthetic Coal Syndicate.—Private company. Regis- tered office, 63, Queen Victoria-street, E.C. Registered September 11, to carry on the business of colliery pro- prietors, fuel manufacturers, and makers of improved solid fuel. Nominal capital, £15,000 in 15,000 shares of £1 each. To be appointed by subscribers. Qualification of directors, 100 shares. Remuneration of directors to be determined by company. This list of new companies is taken from the Daily Register, specially compiled by Messrs. Jordan and Sons Limited, company registration agents, Chancery-lane, E.C. PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. Present-Day Applications of Psychology, with Special Reference to Industry, Education, and Nervous Break- down, by Charles S. Myers (Methuen and Company Limited, 36, Essex-street, London, W.C. 2), price Is. net; Technology—the Journal of the Manchester Munici- pal College of Technology (Vol. 9-), 1915 (published by the College of Technology, Manchester); Prospectus of University Courses in the Municipal College of Tech- nology, Manchester, Session 1918-19 (published by the University of Manchester); “ The Times” History and Encyclopaedia of the War—The Fuels of War (Vol. 17, Part 212), September 10, 1918 (London : Times Pub- lishing Company Limited, Printing House-square, E.C. 4), price 9d. net weekly; Iowra Geological Survey —Bulletin No. 5, The Rodents of Iowa, by Dayton Stoner; The Mining Congress Journal (Vol. 4, No. 8), August 1918, 20 cents per copy; The'Beama Journal (Spanish Edition, Ano II., No. 3), September 1918; Iron and Steel Institute—Annual Meeting, September 12-13, 1918 : No. 1, The Principles of Open Hearth Furnace Design, by Chas. H. F. Bagley; No. 2, On the Rate of Change at 100 degs. Cent, and at Ordinary Tempera- tures in Electrical Resistance of Hardened Steel, by E. D. Campbell; No. 3, Some Experiments on the Reaction Between Pure Carbon Monoxide and Pure Electrolytic Iron Below Al Inversion, by Prof. H. C. H. Carpenter; No. 4, Influence of Hot Deformation on the Qualities of Steel, by Georges Charpy; No. 5, On the Cooling of Steel in Ingot and Other Forms, by J. E. Fletcher; No. 6, Note on a Telescopic Focussing Appa- ratus for Photomicrography, by A. F. Hallimond, M.A.; No. 8, A Few Notes on Bosh Tuyeres, by J. Hollings; No. 9, On Magnetic Analysis as a Means of Studying the Structure of Iron Alloys, by Kotaro Honda; No. 10, A Method for the Prevention of Growth in Grey Cast Iron, by J. E. Hurst; No. 11, The Standardisation of Tests for Refractory Materials, communicated by Cosmo Johns; No. 12, The Utilisation of Waste Heat from Open Hearth Furnaces for the Generation of Steam, by T. B. Mackenzie; No. 13, The Influence of Some Elements on the Tenacity of Basic Steel, by Andrew McWilliam; No. 15, Report on Hardness Testing: Re- lation Between Ball Hardness and Scleroscope Hard- - ness, by A. F. Shore; No. 16, Phosphorus in Malleable Cast Iron, by J. H. Teng; No. 17, Note on the Warp- ing of Steel through Repeated Quenching, by J. H. Whiteley; Petroleum Refining, by Andrew Campbell, M.I.P.T. (London: Charles Griffin and Company Limited, Exeter-street, Strand, W.C. 2), price 25s. net; Canadian Mines Branch—Department of Mines : No. 468, Report on the Clay Resources of Southern Sas- katchewan, by N. B. Davis, M.A., B.Sc.; No. 474, Annual Report on the Mineral Production of Canada During the Calendar Year 1916, by John McLeish, B.A.; No. 479, Analyses of Canadian Fuels (in five parts)— Part I., The Maritime Provinces; No. 480, Part II., Quebec and Ontario; No. 481, Part Til., Manitoba and Saskatchewan; No. 482, Part IV., Alberta and the North-West Territories; No. 483, Part V., British Co- lumbia and Yukon Territory, compiled by E. Stansfield, M.Sc., and J. H. H. Nicolls, M.Sc. COAL EXPORTS IN AUGUST. The Board of Trade returns show that the torn age of coal, coke and patent fuel exported during August and the first eight months of 1918, as compared with the corresponding periods in 1916 and 1917, was as follows:— Quantities. 1916. 1917. 1918. Tons. Tons. Tons. August ......... 3,665,482 ... 3,241,565 ... 3,611,265 Eight months 27,744,306 ... 26,101,301 ... 23,208,657 The next table shows the values of these exports for the same periods :— Values. 1916. 1917. 1918. <£ £ £ August ............. 5,017,842 ... 4,435,867 ... 5,865,442 Eight months...... 33,145,955 ... 34,898,758 ... 34,027,133 THE FREIGHT MARKET. The recent rally in regularity of arrivals of official ton- nage has once more elbowed neutral business in the coal trade out of the way on the north-east coast, with the result that, although coal shipments are at present at their maximum, neutral steamers are participating very little in this activity, the coal supplies being almost wholly taken up on official account. Chartering for neutral directions is exceedingly small therefore. Indeed, during the period under review, the only steamers thus taken up for Tyne loading have been three for Gothen- burg and one for Stockholm. The rates show a decline. Gothenburg, for example, varies between 160 kr. and 190 kr., as against from 190 kr. to 200 kr. last week, and Stockholm having receded to 215 kr., as against 225 kr., at which that port stood for quite a long time. The cause of this weakness is the difficulty of securing early loading turns. Forward business for Sweden is quoted at fairly well-maintained figures. There are numerous orders in circulation for other neutral directions, and high rates are being offered, but no tonnage is forth- coming. At South Wales the market has been brisk so far as the taking up of tonnage for Allied ports is con- cerned, but the only outside directions for which anything has been done are Gibraltar, from Cardiff, at 100s., a South Welsh port to River Plate at 120s., and Carthagena, from Newport, at 420s. The latter, for a 700 ton vessel, is the highest freight that has been paid since last January, when 440s. was agreed upon for Cardiff to Barcelona. At Glasgow a 3,000 ton steamer has been fixed for Barcelona at 320s. The only other fixture of interest is that of a sailing ship from Liverpool to Reyk- javik at 200 kr., which compares with 175 kr. paid for Hartlepool loading some little time ago. Homewards, River Plate and North American rates are well maintained, with an active business in controlled tonnage at United States ports. At the Far East, Kur- rachee to United Kingdom is mentioned at the higher rate of 260s. Quotation for Bombay-Italy, Calcutta-States, and Saigon-France are unaltered. A fair number of fix- tures is reported for loading at Mediterranean or Bay ports for Allied destinations, and rates have undergone no alteration. Tyne to Gothenburg, 3,200, 160 kr., ppt.; 1,700, 190 kr., forward; 2,400, 190 kr.; and Stockholm, 2,000, 215 kr. Cardiff to Bordeaux, 1,500, 69s., neutral; Caen, 700, 48s., neutral; Chantenay, 1,400 and 1,500, 61s. 6d., neutral; Gibraltar, 6,200, 100s.; Havre, 800, 47s. 3d., neutral, and 1,100, 45s. 9d., neutral; Rouen, 1,100, 1,200, 1,250 and 1,300, 48s. 9d., neutral; St. Brieux, 280-300, 75s., sail; St. Malo, 1,000, 21s., Allied; St. Nazaire, 1,500, 1,600 and 2,250, 61s. 6d., neutral; and St. Valery, 250, 85s., sail. Newport to Carthagena, 700, 420s., neutral. Swansea to Caen, 1,100, 1,200 and 1,300, 46s. 6d., neutral; 800, 48s., neutral; Havre, 1,100, 45s. 9d., neutral; Isigny, 130, 85s., sail; Rouen, 1,100 and 1,300, 48s. 9d., neutral; and Tonnay Charente, 1,600, 63s., neutral. Port Talbot to Havre, 700, 47s. 3d., neutral. Glasgow to Barcelona, 3,000, 320s. Liverpool to Reykjavik, 450-500, 200 kr., sail. Wales to River Pate, 3,500, 120s. Later.—The following additional fixtures have been reported :— Tyne to Christiania, 1,600, 183 kr.; and Gothenburg, 1,200, 190 kr. Cardiff to St. Brieux, 130 and 200, 75s., sail. Swansea to Rouen, 2,800, 47s. 9d., neutral; 1,400, 48s. 9d., neutral; Havre, 900, 47s. 3d., neutral; St. Malo, 700s., 45s., neutral; and Marans, 600, 61s. 6d., neutral. THE COAL INDUSTRY IN HOLLAND. The coal output in Holland has increased sevenfold in the course of the past 15 years. It amounted in 1902 to less than 400,000 tons but exceeded 2,600,000 tons in 1916. The value of the coal mined in 1905 was 24 million florins, but it reached 30| millions in 1916. The number of mines worked between these years increased from 4 to 8; the largest output was taken from the national mine “ Emma.” The quantity of coal consumed at the pits in 1906 increased from 38,000 to 146,000 tons. Before the war the greater part of Dutch coal was exported. The export figures in 1913 were 1,140,000 tons; since then, the exportation has experienced a constant fall—from 45’4 per cent, of the total production in 1914 to 1’7 per cent, of the same in 1915; at present it rests at 0’80 per cenL of the entire production. It is noteworthy that, out of an annual extraction of 2,660,000 tons, 970,000 tons came from the State mines, which employ nearly 7,000 workpeople. According to Dutch reports, the computed output of coal will ultimately reach 8,300,000 tons, to which quantity the State mines will contribute 6 million tons. Controller to Address Miners.—Mr. Thomas Ashton, secretary of the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain, has issued a circular to all mining districts, informing the men that the executive committee have now considered the question of increasing the output of coal, and they request the officials in each district in the Federation to arrange for mass meetings being held. He states that he has received a letter from Sir Richard Redmayne, who announces that the President of the Board of Trade and the Coal Controller are prepared to visit the different districts in order that they can address the lodge dele- gates from the different districts and put the facts before them. Fuel Wood.—An Order has been prepared relative to the use of fuel wood. It is intended to use the timber to the best advantage to help the serious coal shortage and save transport of coal. The Order requires every one felling timber to offer all the fuel wood which can be produced from the waste for sale at fixed price. The distribution will come under the control of the organisa- tion set up by the Controller of Coal Mines. The local fuel and lighting committee will be empowered to fix the maximum price for fuel wood. No one will be en- titled to buy more than two tons in the year without a permit from the local fuel overseer. When fuel wood is plentiful, consumers will be required to take a pro- portion of their allowance in wood instead of coal. It is proposed to make two tons of fuel wood the equivalent of one ton of coal for this purpose. It is hoped that timber ;will be available in all except the large industrial centres at a maximum delivered price of about 40s. a ton. The price will necessarily be less nearer the points where fuel wood is produced.