1142 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. November 29, 1918. South Staffordshire, North Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Birmingham. COAL. Output has again been greatly hampered by reason of the large numbers of men suffering from influenza, running into many hundreds. Demand is abnormal. The main difficulty at the moment is in respect of domestic fuel. Complaints have been made to the local fuel overseer that many householders are without coal, and he has been able to make arrangements for additional supplies to meet emer- gencies. Reduced supplies are being sent to munition districts. It is significant that the other day, when a merchant ordered his regular supply of smalls, he was asked by the colliery people to state whether the fuel was wanted for munition or household purposes—if for muni- tions, it could not be loaded. Rough slacks are difficult to get. Market transactions, apart from those relating to contracts, are negligible. Prices at pit. Current L’st week’s Last year’. Staffordshire (including Cannock Chase) :— prices. prices. prices. House coal, best deep ... 24/6 24/6 24'6 Do. seconds deep 22/6 22/6 22/6 Do. best shallow 21/6 21/6 21/6 Do. seconds do. 20/6 ; 20/6 20 6 Best hard 21/ / 21/ 21/ Forge coal 18/6 18/6 18'6 Slack Warwickshire:— 13/6 13/6 13/6 House coal, best Ryder.. Do. hand-picked 21/6 21/6 21/6 cobs 20/6 20/6 20/6 Best hard spires ... 22/6 22/6 22/6 Forge (steam) 18/6 18/6 18/6 D.S. nuts (steam) ! 17/ 17/ 17/ Small (do.) 17/ ! 17/ 17/ s IRON. Preparations are being made throughout the iron and steel industries to meet the new order of things. Nobody knows yet how long the Government will continue to pay the subsidies which, during the later stages of the war, kept prices from becaming inflated; but sellers are even now protecting themselves against this or any other contin- gency by the insertion of a clause in contracts in which they take the right to cancel the undelivered balances of contracts should occasion require. This step, however, is not contemplated unless seller and buyer fail to agree on a price should the subsidy be withdrawn Consumers of pig iron and steel are prepared to enter into reasonably big contracts at present rates, as they realise that a big jump in prices must result in the ‘abandonment of the allowances now made by the Government. The general assumption seems to be that no action will be taken in this direction for some months. There is a slightly easier tendency in regard to cast scrap, though wrought descriptions remain tight and scarce. The control system has been less effec- tive in the case of scrap than in other branches, and dealers are hopeful that it will soon be withdrawn. There will soon be plenty of scrap on the market. Steel billets are fairly plentiful at £10 7s. 6d. The output of steel bars continues to be largely for high priority orders, but buyers find fewer difficulties put in their way than when the war requirements were at their highest. While billets are controlled at <£10 7s. 6d., steel hoops, which are made from them, are unfettered, and sales continue to be made at £17 15s. to <£18. It is thought that the negotiations recently in progress with a view to this material being brought under control will now be dropped. Corrugated sheets are being turned out in large quantities on the basis of <£17 10s. to <£19, according to size of order. The produc- tion of galvanised sheets has not been resumed on any large scale. The plate mills are exceedingly busy on marine locomotive and boiler work. Forest of Dean. Lydney. COAL. There is practically no alteration in the demand for this district’s house coal. It easily absorbs the production of the various pits, all of which are working full six days each week. Shipments are steady, and good loading turns are given to all vessels. Fair quantities are leaving the collieries daily for the inland districts. The enquiry for all descriptions of steam and manufacturing fuel is still very strong, and the collieries are unable to cope with all the orders received. Prices at pithead. House coals:— Block Forest Rubble Nuts Rough slack ......... Steam coal.— Large ................. Small ... ......... Large ... Current L’st week’s Last year s prices. prices. prices. <26/6 30/ 30/ \ 25/6 1 25/9 124/ 19 6 ! 19 6 15 6 26/6-27/6 26/6-27/6 22/6-23 6 23/ I 23/ 18/ -18/6 Prices 2s. l|d. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. A cablegram states that 25 steel, iron and fuel companies in the United States are pooling resources, and will com- pete with the United States Steel Corporation for European trade. Messrs. Dick, Kerr and Company Limited recently received an order for two 5,000 kw. turbo-alternator sets and condensing plants for the Union Miniere du Haut Katanga, which is one of the largest copper producers in the world, ouside the United States of America, having extensive mining properties in the Belgian Congo. The turbines will be of the Willans-Zelly type. A meeting of the Mining Institute of Scotland will be held in the Royal Technical College, Glasgow, on December 7, commencing at 3 p.m. A paper on “ Cooling of Electric Motors, with special reference to Totally En- closed Motors,” by Mr. P. A. Mossay, will be read. A paper by Prof. Hardwick on “ The Training of Engineer- ing Apprentices ” will be submitted and discussed. Several other papers will be open for discussion. THE WELSH COAL AND IRON TRADES. Thursday, November 28. North Wales. Wrexham. COAL The collieries of this area have been working at the highest pressure, with a view to maintaining the output. The demand for all grades of fuel is very keen. Orders are coming to hand freely for household fuel, and merchants are hard pressed to meet the demand. There is consider- able demurring at the action of the Wrexham and district coal merchants and dealers in petitioning the authorities for permission to increase the prices of fuel, especially as the price to merchants has not been increased by the colliery companies. The advance is sought on the grounds of increased expenses, etc., but an advance in cartage has already been made on these grounds. The gas works to which the North Wales coal is allotted are pressing for supplies, and it would appear that there has been a slight improvement in the tonnage available during the past week for this trade, with the exception of gas nuts, which still remain very scarce. There is a good market for gas coke, and good prices are obtained. There is no lack of orders for steam coal. Railway companies take the bulk of the output. Orders have fallen off from industrial and munition works ; but these are made up for by the increased demand for coal for shipment from Birkenhead and other Mersey ports. Things are beginning to become brisk again at the Mersey ports. Slack is not at present very abundant. It has a ready sale. Prices for various grades of fuel remained unaltered. 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 prices. 27/6-30/ 25/ -27/6 27/6-30/ 25/ -27 6 27 6-30/ 20/ -22/6 17/6-19/6 26/8-28/4 L’st week’s prices. 27/6-30/ 25/ -27/6 27/6-30/ 25/ -27/6 27/6-30/ 20/ -22 6 17/6-19/6 26 8-28/4 Last year’s prices. 32/6-35/ 30/ -32/6 32/6-35/ 30/ -32/6 21/8-22/6 21/8-22/6 Monmouthshire, South Wales, Ac. Newport. C0AL Great pressure is experienced in the coal market of this district. The heavy arrivals of tonnage, and the limited amount of coal caused a good deal of delay at the docks, Some steamers have been diverted to other ports. At some collieries an improvement occurred in the output, but this has not been general, nor has it been very large so far. All the better classes of steam coal are still requisitioned for official purposes, with the result that there has been a great run on other classes of coal. Scarcely any cargoes have gone to neutrals. Smalls, which formerly accumu- lated, have been selling well for mixing and for patent fuel making. A strong demand has been maintained for house and gas coals. Patent fuel sells freely. Prices are unaltered. Prices for home and Allied markets f.o.b. cash 30 days. Neutrals extra. Current L’st week’s Last year’s Steam coals:— | prices. prices. i prices. Best Black Vein large.... 37/ 37/ i 32/6 Western-valleys, ordin’y 36/ 36/ 31/6 Best Eastern-valleys ... 36/ 1 36/ i 31/6 Secondary do. 35/ 35/ i 30/6 Best small coals ; 28/ ; 28/ 23,6 Secondary do ' 27/ ! 27/ , 22/6 Inferior do. 25/ 1 25/ 20/6 Screenings ; 30/ ; 30/ 25/6 Through coals 34/ - 34/ 29/6 Best washed nuts 37/ i 37/ 32/6 Other sorts:— Best house coal, at pit ... 40/ i 40/ 1 35/6 Secondary do. do. ..J 38/ 38/ i 33/3 Patent fuel 37/ 37/ 32/6 Furnace coke 52/ 52/ 47/6 Foundry coke 52/ 52/ 47/6 IRON. Some of the iron and steel works of the district are in a state of transition. In other cases, the orders for Govern- ment requirements are still being executed. Prices are nominal. An improved supply of iron ore is maintained. Tin-plate makers are still busy with pressing orders. There has been a considerable amount of iron and steel scrap on the market. Cardiff. COAL. Not since the commencement of the war have the local docks been so congested with shipping as at the present time. At Cardiff alone there were on Wednesday between 180 and 200 vessels awaiting cargoes. Owing to the defects referred to a week ago, such as the disrepair of apparatus, loading is not quite so rapid as in the pre-war days, but on the other hand, production is not so great, and the outputs are not nearly sufficient to satisfy existing requirements The pressure of Admiralty demands has not been relaxed to any appreciable extent, and the necessities of the Allied Governments are, if possible, greater than ever. All the best descriptions are reserved for official purposes, and there is practically no margin for private trading, except in those cases where small quantities are released for neutrals in exchange for food commodities and raw material. Dry coals and smalls of all grades are in good demand, and stocks of the latter, which several weeks ago were so heavy as to give rise to anxiety, have been reduced to such an extent that the banked re’serves at the collieries are being drawn upon for shipment, either as bunkers or for coke making. In reference to the demand for dry coals, it is interesting to note that Mr. D. Rees Llewellyn in con- junction with Mr. H. Merrett and Mr R. W. Price, have just acquired tho Ynysfaio properties of the Troedyrhiw Coal Company. There are three well-equipped pits, with a taking of about 1,000 acres of the best dry steam coal, and the present output is approximately about 300,000 tons per annum. Mr. Llewellyn and his associates now hold the controlling interest in ten colliery concerns, with an aggregate output of about four million tons per annum which represents roughly about 70 per cent, of the dry steam coal output of the coal field. ’ On the Ynysfaio pro- perty two of the shafts have recently been sunk to the lower measures, the quality of which is excellent, and steps will be taken in the near future to develop these new resources. The decision of the Miners’ Federation to apply for a further increase of wages on account of the advanced cost of living, as well as the demand for shorter hours, is the subject of much unfavourable comment in coal exporting circles, and the hope is expressed that the authorities, when the election is over, will take a firm stand and decline to sanction any further addition to the labour bill. It is pointed out that even with the present high prices it is a difficult matter for some collieries to make ends meet, and that if fresh exactions are to be made a number of them will have to close down. Increased pro- duction is the. imperative need of the trade at the present time, and yet every move on the part of the miners’ organisation tends in the opposite direction. The official returns of the coastwise trade for the month of October show that there were shipped from the Bristol Channel ports 108,596 tons, compared with 97,110 tons in the corre- sponding months of 1917. Bunker shipments showed little variation, the figures for October last being 8,321 tons, as against 8,497 tons in the corresponding period. So far as market operations are concerned there is little new business doing, although there are numerous enquiries about from neutral consumers. All prices remain on the basis of the Coal Controller’s schedule. Patent fuel makers are busy as far as the limited supply of labour will allow, but practi- cally the whole of the output is fully booked to Allied consumers. Cardiff prices f.o.b. (except where otherwise stated). Current I Allies’ | Neutrals’ ^ast year’s fixed I minimum I Prlces- __ i______ Steam coals:— Best Admiralty steam prices. 1 1, 1 prices. ; coals 40/ 1 50/ i 33/ Superior seconds 38/6 ! 47/6 1 31/6 Seconds 37/9 ; 46/ ! 30,9 Ordinary 37/ ' 45/ 28/6 ; 30/ 1 21/6 Steam smalls No. 1 28/6 Do. 2 28/ i 28/ | 21/ Do. 3 27/6 . 27/6 ! 20/6 I 20/ Do. 4 ...... 27/ 27/ Do. 5 ...... 26/6 26/6 19/6 Do. 6 26/ 26/ 25/6 19/ 18/6 18/ Do. 7 25/6 Do. 8 25/ 25/ Best dry coals 37/ 45/ 30/ Ordinary drys 35/6 42/6 28,6 Best washed nuts 37/ 45/ 30/ Seconds 35/6 42/6 28/6 Best washed peas 34/6 40/ 27/6 Seconds 33/6 38/6 i 26/6 i Monmouthshire— 1 Black Veins ; 37/ 45/ i 30/ Western-valleys i 36/ 43/6 29/ Eastern-valleys 36/ 43/6 29/ Inferior do 35/ 42/ j 28/ Bituminous coals:— , j Best house coals (at pit) 40/ 50/ | 33/ Second qualities (at pit) ; 37/9 46/ 30/9 No. 3 Rhondda— Bituminous large 37/9 46/ 30,9 Small / ' 33/ 1 38/ 26/ No. 2 Rhondda— ' 1 Large : 34/ 41/ 27/ Through-and-thr ough 29/ -30/6 1 33/ -35/6 22/ -23/6 Small | 24/ -26/ I 24/ -26/ 17/ -19/ Best patent fuel 37' 45/ 30/ Seconds ■ 37/ 45/ 30/ Special foundry coke • 54/6 70/ 47/6 Ordinary do. 54/6 70/ 47/6 Furnace coke 54/6 70/ 47/6 Pitwood (ex-ship) | 65/ — 75/ IRON. Shipments of tin-plates last week were again below normal, and amounted to 22,255 boxes, compared with 15,571 boxes the previous week and 7,874 boxes a year ago. Receipts from works were rather better, and totalled 20,604 boxes, leaving 134,992 boxes in stock in the docks ware houses and vans, as compared with 86,511 boxes at the corresponding date of last year. A further heavy decline has taken place in the price of block tin, which is now quoted at £289 10s. to £290 10s. for cash, and £284 10s. to £285 10s. at three months. A corresponding fall has been registered in tin-plates, the basis price of Bessemer standard cokes, 20 * 14, being 31s. 3d. per box f.o.t. at works, with other sizes in proportion. All the iron and steel works are still operating at high pressure, but no change is yet indicated in prices, which continue nominal. In the galvanised sheet trade better times are anticipated, and spelter manufacturers are looking forward to improved conditions, and an increased output. Quotations are rather firmer, the official prices now being £56 and £52 per ton or an advance of £2 per ton over last week. There is no change in scrap metals, and all suitable material readily changes hands at the scheduled maximum. Swansea. COAL. An excellent attendance assembled on ’Change, and the anthracite coal market continued to show a very firm tone. Tonnage arrivals were keeping up well, and collieries were working full time. Large and machine-made descriptions were in very good demand, and best qualities were difficult to obtain for prompt shipment. Culm and duff continued slow. Large and through steam coals were firm, and small inclined to improve. Inland demands were heavy for gas and manufacturing coals. Llanelly. COAL. The position of the local market continues very firm, and there is no lack of enquiry for most qualities. Shipping has been much busier during the past week, owing to the increased amount of tonnage available, and the consequent clearance of wagons is keeping the collieries well supplied with empties, so that full time is worked. Anthracite coals are very brisk, with all the better grades scarce. Red Vein and other grades are also firm, and not much “free ” coal is standing. Machine-made qualities are strong, with nuts, beans and peas well booked up ahead. Culm and duff are still slow, and no difficulty is experienced in getting orders accepted. Steam coals are buoyant, and large grades in particular are enjoying a strong enquiry. Through coals are also a good market, but smalls are still inclined to be on the easy side. Gas and manufacturing coals are scarce, and no spare quantities are offering.