976 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN November 8, 1918. the undependableness of supplies. Slacks are an exceedingly scarce commodity, and working conditions render it impossible to have them properly graded. Prices all round are firmly upheld, and are so high as to forbid any con- cessions in consuming trades, even where war work is not the all-engrossing business it was recently. . Prices at pit. THE WELSH COAL AND IRON TRADES. Thursday, November 7. Wrexham. North Wales. COAL. Staffordshire (including Cannock Chase):— House coal, best deep ... Do. seconds deep Do. best shallow Do. seconds do. Best hard ............ Forge coal...........i Slack ...............I Warwickshire:— : House coal, best Ryder..' Do. hand-picked cobs ............... Best hard spires ..... Forge (steam) ......... D.S. nuts (steam) ..... Small (do.) ---- Current L’st week’s prices. 1 prices. Last year’ prices 24/6 24/6 24'6 22 6 22/6 22/6 21/6 21/6 2L/6 20/6 20/6 20 6 21/ ■ 21/ 21/ • 18/6 ' 18/6 18 6 13/6 13/6 13/6 21/6 21/6 21 6 23/6 20 6 20/6 22/6 ; 22/6 22 6 18/6 18/6 18/6 17/ 17/ : 17/ 17/ ' 17/ 1 17/ Trade generally is satisfactory, though there is consider- able difficulty in meeting the demand. Householders are pressing merchants for supplies of fuel. Gas companies appear to be able to get a fair supply of gas making fuel, while the demand for gas coke is very strong. Railway companies and firms of public utility are taking the bulk of the steam coal raised, though a certain tonnage is also sent to Birkenhead and Ellesmere Port for shipment. Slack is quickly disposed of, and prices for this commodity are well maintained. The following is a list of prices quoted during the past week:— IRON. In the light of recent events, people engaged in the iron and steel industries are feeling their way more warily than ever. After the transition period is over there will be busy times, but in view of the uncertainty manufacturers confine purchases to cover business actually in sight. They are beginning to interest themselves in the problem as to how the transformation from war to peace conditions will be effected, though there will be no slackening of effort on behalf of the war services until peace is actually declared. But it is significant that steps are being taken to bring galvanising plant into operation again. This branch has been stagnant so far as this district is concerned for many months past, demand having been centred on common black sheets. The output of these is still as large as the supply of sheet bars will permit, and the mills have con- siderable contracts to work off. Prices range from <£17 10s. to <£19, according to the size of order. In the nut and bolt trade enquiries have also been made recently as to post-war trade, and these go to show that an enormous demand for the necessary bars will be experienced. A tremendous amount of nut and bolt work has been held up during the war for railways, carriages and wagons, and many other purposes, and it is work which can be proceeded with almost immediately, provided the necessary labour and material are forthcoming. The price of nut and bolt iron is about <£14 15s., exclusive of carriage, which compares with ^614 15s. net at makers* works for ordinary merchant bars, and <£17 for marked bars. Bar makers are in a strong position, and outside the main current of war demand it is difficult to obtain supplies. There now se-)ms to be an ample supply of forge iron to meet any enquiry, but the stringency in regard to foundry grades remains unrelieved, and transactions are of limited size. The strip mills are kept very busy, and wire mills are occupied on high priority work. Conditions in the steel trade are unchanged. Shipbuilding requirements will continue on a big scale after the war, and there will be an equally big demand for rolling stock and general constructional work. Railborne: — Best house coal ..... Secondary do......... Steam coal........... Gas coal.............. Bunkers.............. Nuts ........... .... Slack ............... Gas coke (at works)... Landsale:— Best house coal ..... Seconds ............. Kitchen coal Slack ...... Current L’s t week’s Last year’s prices. prices. prices. 27/6-30/ 27/6-30/ — 25/ -27/6 27/6-30/ 25' -27/6 — 27/6-30/ — 25/ -27/6 25/ -27.6 — 27'6-30/ 27/6-30/ — 20/ -22/6 20/ -22 6 — 17/6-19/6 17,6-19/6 — 26/8 -28/4 25/ -26/8 — 30/ -32/6 32/6-35/ — 27/6-30/ 30/ -32/6 — — — — 27 ;8 -23/4 22/6-25/ — Forest of Dean. Lydney. COAL. The threatened strike has been averted. All the collieries were at work on Monday, and have continued throughout the week. Outputs are much below the normal owing to shortage of labour and the ravages of influenza, and the amount of coal available is quite insufficient to cope with the demand. All the railborne merchants are clamouring for supplies, whilst cargo orders are in urgent request. Great pressure in regard to deliveries prevails in the steam coal branch of the trade ; collieries, of course, are largely giving preference to orders having to do with work of national importance. Prices at pithead. Monmouthshire, South Wales, Ac. Newport COAL. The market shows little change. Tonnage arrivals have been heavy, and there has been great demand for all the better classes of coal. Some inferior sorts have been selling on free markets. Large stocks of small coal accumulated, as the supply exceeded demand. In some districts there is an appreciable increase in the output of coal. House oal and coke and gas coal have been in strong demand. Patent fuel is in great request, and is made as fast as the available labour will permit. The schedule of prices remains unchanged, except for neutrals. Quotations below are for home and Allied markets. Prices f.o.b. cash 30 days. | L ’ s t week’s ■ Last y ea r’s i prices. prices. I 37/ 32/6 ' 36/ 31/6 1 36/ 31/6 35/ 30/6 28/ 23/6 I 27/ 22/6 ; 25/ 20/6 J 30/ 25/6 ' 34/ j 29/6 i 37/ 32/6 ! 40/ 35/6 38/ 33/3 37/ 32/6 52/ 47/6 52/ ; 47/6 . The demand for Admiralty coal has been heavy, and superior grades have been reserved for Allied needs. For secondary descriptions, the tendency has been rather easier, chiefly owing to the war situation. Enquiries are coming on to the market from quarters which have been silent for a long period, but no actual dealings have been reported up to the present. Should there be a probability of an early cessation of hostilities, there is little doubt there will be a rush of neutral tonnage, which it will be difficult to supply. It is believed that the priority and allocation scheme will be continued for a long period after the war, and that there will be little relaxation in the restrictions until the work of demobilisation is well in hand. There has been a better demand for small coals, especially of the better grades, but inferior descriptions are still a drug in the market, and are heavily stocked, both in railway wagons and at the collieries. Empties have been scarce, but foreign wagons have been introduced by the authorities to relieve the pressure, and although delays have been inevitable, no actual stoppages have been reported The attitude of the miners with regard to the surfacemen’s hours has not affected the market, and little anxiety is displayed, it being felt that the difficulty is one that can be overcome by organisation. The inland demand for coals for works purposes continues brisk, and this in great measure contributed to the shortage of trucks. Patent fuel makers are busy, and their outputs fully booked. Shortage of labour is the main difficulty, and the same remark applies to coke shipments, which are being restricted in order that home supplies should not be impaired. IRON. At all the local iron and steel works the demand continues Unabated, and outputs generally are well maintained. Not- withstanding a further recurrence of the influenza epidemic, bar and iron mills are exceptionally busy, and outputs are kept at a high figure. In the tin-plate trade there is a slightly easier tendency, and prospective buyers appear to be holding their hands. Block tin remains steady at <£333 10s. to <£334 10s. for cash and three months, and Bessemer standard cokes are still quoted at the official maximum of 32s. 3d. per box, with other sizes in pro- portion Shipments last week were 24,365 boxes, against 21,156 boxes received from works, thus leaving in stock in docks warehouses and vans 148,898 boxes compared with 152,107 boxes the previous week and 58,186 boxes at the corresponding date of last year. In the galvanised sheet shnet trade there is no change. Ore deliveries are satis- factory, and blastfurnaces and spelter works are busy. Consumers of scrap metals are pressing for heavier deliveries in order to maintain stocks on a comfortable basis, and maximum rates are readily obtained. House coals:— Block Forest Rubble Nuts Large Current L’st week's prices. : prices. 30/ 30/ Last year's prices. <26/6 \ 25/6 ) 25/9 124/ Rough slack ........ Steam coal •— Large .............. Small ... .......... 19/6 26/6-27/6 * 23/ 20/6 16/ 26/6-27/6 i 22/6-23)6 23/ | 18/6-19/ Prices 2s. lid. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. Devon, Cornwall, and South Coast. Plymouth. COAL. Messrs. W. Wade and Son report that coal is still coming forward very slowly in Devon and Cornwall, and stocks in most cases are absent, while some merchants have been out of coal for weeks, only occasionally receiving one or two trucks of coal. Some large users of steam coal have been advised by the Controller that he expects them to use Welsh unscreened steam in future instead of all large coal as has been their custom. This plan will bring the Welsh small coal into much greater employment. As the great Cornish mine engines have mostly been worked with unscreened coal for generations past, and as the mercantile marine generally uses unscreened coal, it is quite practicable that other steam users should employ the same kind of fuel. THE TIM-PLATE TRADE. Liverpool. The tone of the market is firm. The enquiry, mainly for home trade requirements, is good, but it is still difficult to place new business, makers being well booked up over the next two or three months and not caring to commit them- selves much further. The official maximum price for coke tinplates stands at 32s. 3d. per basis box, net cash, f o.t. at makers’ works, and is well maintained for all descriptions. Wasters are in steady demand, large sizes being snapped up as soon as they accrue. Terneplates command upwards of <£30 per ton basis, net, f.o.t., for delivery over first quarter of next year, and are in fair request. I Current Steam coals:— j prices. Best Black Vein large... 37/ W estern-valleys, ordin’y 36 / Best Eastern-valleys ... 36/ Secondary do. ... 35/ Best small coals ....... 28/ Secondary do............. 27/ Inferior do. ... .....; 25/ Screenings ...........i 30/ Through coals ........j 34/ Best washed nuts...... 37/ Other sorts:— | Best house coal, at pit ..> 40/ Secondary do. do. ..., 38/ Patent fuel ..........i 37/ Furnace coke...........• 52/ Foundry coke .........! 52/ IRON. An excellent output has been maintained, almost entirely on official account. Prices are nominal. The tinplate trade is without material change, makers being full of pressing orders. A good supply of iron ore has been kept up. A good deal of assorted scrap iron and steel arrived in the district. Cardiff. COAL. Although tonnage has not come forward so freely as was expected, most of the collieries are well stemmed, and shipments are proceeding satisfactorily. There are suffi- cient vessels in dock for current needs, and the position in this respect is likely to improve before the end of the week Swansea. COAL. Last week there was more briskness in the coal trade? and a substantial increase in the exports of patent fuel, the shipments together amounting to 73,413 tons. This week the anthracite market opened with a steady tone, best qualities of which have good stems on for the current week. Best large was very firm. Cobbles and nuts main- tained their much improved tone, whilst peas were difficult to obtain in any quantity. There was no alteration in the condition of the steam coal market. Through coal was a little more in demand, though still plentiful. Llanelly. C0A|_ There is no change to report in the local market. Collieries are not working full time owing to the shortage of empties, and stocks of some grades are on the heavy side. In anthracite coals, large of the higher grades are very firm, and good quantities have been cleared during the past week. Red Vein large, machine-made qualities, cobbles, nuts and beans are in demand Peas are firm and scarce, and no spare parcels are offered. Culm and duff are slow. Steam coals are rather dull, and heavy stocks of the lower grades are under load. Large kinds of the best qualities are moving satisfactorily. Gas coals are very firm, and supplies well booked up. House coals are also in strong demand, and manufacturing coals active. Prices f.o.b. Cardiff prices f.o.b. (except where otherwise stated). ’ ' ’ n Steam coals:— ' Best Admiralty steam coals Superior seconds Seconds 1 Ordinary Steam smalls No. 1 Do. 2 Do. 3 Do. 4 Do 5 Do. 6 Do. 7 Do. 8 Best dry coals Ordinary drys Best washed nuts Seconds Best washed peas Seconds Monmouthshire— ' Black Veins Western-valleys Eastern-valleys Inferior do Bituminous coals:— Best house coals (at pit) Second qualities (at pit) No. 3 Rhondda— Bituminous large Small No. 2 Rhondda— Large Through-and-through Small , Best patent fuel Seconds Special foundry coke Ordinary do. ( Furnace coke ; Pitwood (ex-ship) j I Current prices. 40/ 38/6 | 37/9 ■ 1 37/ | 28/6 1 28/ 27/6 27/ 26/6 26/ 1 25/6 25/ 37/ ' 35/6 37/ 35 6 34/6 33/6 37/ 36/ 36/ 1 35/ 40/ , 37/9 37/9 33/ 34/ 29/ -30/6 24/ -26/ 37' 37/ 54/6 54/6 54/6 i 65/ 1/at week’s prices. i 40/ . 38/6 37/9 37/ 28/6 28/ 27/6 ’ 27/ ' 26/6 , 26/ 25/6 25/ 37/ 35/6 37/ 35/6 34/6 33/6 ! 37/ ; i 36/ i 36/ i ; 35/ 40/ 37/9 37/9 ' 33/ ! 34' 29/ -30/6 24/ -26' 37/ 37/ j 54/6 1 54/6 ' 54/6 i 65/ | 'Last year’s ! prices. 33/ 31/6 30,9 30/ : 21,6 21/ 20/6 20/ 19,6 19/ 18/6 18/ 30/ 28 6 30/ 28/6 27/6 26/6 30/ 29/ , 29/ 28/ 33/ 30/9 30/9 : 26/ 27/ 22/ -23/6 17/ -19/ 30/ 30/ 47/6 47/6 47/6 75/ Current L'st week's Gast year’s Anthracite;— prices. I prices. prices. Best malting large 37/ 37/ 30/ Seconds 36/ 36/ 29/ Thirds 34'6 34/6 27/6 Red Vein large... 34/6 34/6 25/6 Machine-made cobbles... 49/6 49/6 42/6 Seconds ... 48/6 ; 48/6 41/ Thirds 46/ . i 46/ 39/ Red Vein cobbles 43/ 43/ 36/ Machine-made nuts 49/6 49/6 42/6 Seconds 48/ 48/ 41/ Thirds 46/ 46/ 39/ Bed Vein nuts 43/ i 43/ 36/ Machine - broken beans (best) 42/ 42/ 35/ Seconds 41/ 41/ .34/ Thirds 40/ 40/ 33/ Red Vein beans 38/ 38/ 31/ Peas (all qualities) 27/ 27/ 20/ Rubbly culm 20/ 20/ 13/ Red Vein culm 18/ v/ 18/ 11/ Breaker duff 15/ 15/ 8/ Billy duff 13/6 13/6 6/6 Steam:— Best large steams 37/ 37/ 30/ Seconds 34/ 34/ 27/ Cargo through — . — 23/6 Seconds 22/ Bunker through 30/6 30/6 23/6 Smalls 24/ 24/ 19/ Second smalls 17/ Bituminous:— Bituminous through ... 34/ 34/ 27/ Smalls 31/ 31/ 24/ Gas through — — 23/6 Gas smalls . 21/ (Coke-oven) coke 54/6 54/6 Standing Council on Post-War Priority. — The War Cabinet recently set up a Cabinet Committee to deal with post-war priority questions. A Standing Council on post- war priority has now been appointed to assist the Cabinet Committee. The Council has already had before it a survey of the existing stocks of the more important raw materials, and is giving urgent consideration to the ques- tion of releasing such materials from any form of control at the earliest possible moment.