16

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

January 3, 1913

of November until about the middle of December, and
at the time of writing pit prices may be summarised as
follow :—Haigh Moor selected, 14s. to 14s. 6d.; Wallsend
and London best 13s. to 13s. 6d.; Silkstone best, 13s. to
13s. 6d.; Silkstone house, 12s. to 12s. 6d.; house nuts, Ils.
to Ils. 6d.

A feature of the coastwise trade has been the scarcity
of small tonnage, particularly of sailing ships, and the
progressive increase in freights. At the beginning of
the year, current f.o.b. Hull figures were as follow:—
Haigh Moor best, 15s. to 15s. 6d.; Silkstone best, 14s.
to 14s. 9d.; Silkstone house, 13s. to 13s. 6d.; house
nuts, 12s. 6d. to 13s. The shipment of local house coal to
the south coast has shown a marked expansion, particu-
larly in the case of the medium qualities of Silkstone
house coal. A large tonnage was sold for stocking
purposes during June and July. Very little business
was done during October and November, but an
improvement was manifested towards the middle of
December. To-day the following figures represent
current values, f.o.b. Hull:—Haigh Moor best, 16s. 6d.
to 17s. 3d.; Silkstone best, 15s. 9d. to 16s. 6d.; Silkstone
house, 14s. 6d. to 15s. 3d.; house nuts, 13s. 6d. to 14s.
With regard to the nearer markets, such as Leeds,
Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, the heavy woollen
district, and the Colne and Spen valleys, merchants
have had a successful year, apart from the losses caused
by the strike. Sales of the best qualities have shown
a great improvement upon the previous year. Repre-
sentative collieries quoted at the beginning of the year
the following pit prices for these markets:—Haigh Moor
selected, 17s. to 18s.; Wallsend and London best, 16s.
to 16s. 6d.; Silk stone best, 15s. to 15s. 6d.; ordinary
house coal, 14s.; secondary sorts, Ils. to 13s. Soon
after the strike, prices became normal. At the beginning
of May a general reduction of Is. per ton was announced.
In the last week of May there were several meetings of
Midland and Yorkshire colliery owners, at which it was
decided that contracts should be advanced 2s. 6d. per
ton. This advance was generally paid; but a fair
number of the larger merchants refused to pay the
2s. 6d., preferring to risk the open market. In August
the public bought very extensively to stock, as it was
rumoured that a 2s. advance would take place from
September 1. This was not the case, however, and
prices remained unaltered until October 1, when there
was a general advance of Is. per ton. This checked
buying very considerably, and throughout October and
November the local trade was very quiet. An improve-
ment took place in the beginning of December, and at
the time of writing the demand is about normal. Official
pit prices at the present time may be summarised as
follow :—Haigh Moor selected, 18s. to 19s.; Wallsend
and London best, 17s. to 18s.; Silkstone best, 16s. to
17s.; Silkstone house, 15s. to 15s. 6d.; ordinary house
coal, 14s. to 15s.; secondary sorts, 13s. to 14s.

Manufacturing Fuel.

At the beginning of the year pit prices averaged as
follow :—Large double-screened engine nuts, 7s. 9d. to
8s.; small ditto, 7s. to 7s. 3d.; washed samples, 6d. to
9d. a ton extra; rough unscreened engine coal, 7s. 6d.;
best rough slack, 6s. 3d. to 6s. 9d.; small slack, 5s. 6d.
to 6s.; coking smalls, 5s. to 5s. 6d. Throughout the
whole of the year there has been a gradual increase in
the demand for all descriptions of works fuel. This has
been particularly marked with regard to washed nuts,
small slacks and coking smalls. A number of contracts
were renewed in June and July in the Bradford district.
The full 2s. 6d. was insisted upon and generally paid.
By the end of the half-year open market prices were
from 2s. to 2s. 6d. per ton higher than January quota-
tions, and towards the end of the year prices were higher
still. In the last quarter of the year, through the
irregular working of the pits supplies of all descriptions
of manufacturing fuel were quite inadequate to meet
the demand, and during the last few weeks many of the
big dyeworks and manufacturing concerns in the
Bradford and Leeds districts have been hard pressed to
keep their boilers supplied. During the last three
months there has been quite a boom in these classes of
coal. Large consumers, who in the summer declined to
contract forward, have shown considerable anxiety to
cover their requirements, and a good many contracts
have been entered into at prices quite 3s. per ton in
advance of the rates quoted in July 1911. It is probable
that never before in the history of the trade have so
many of the collieries been fully sold in manufacturing
fuel for a whole year in advance. The principal indus-
tries of the West Riding are fully employed, and in
many cqses in the Spen and Colne valleys and the heavy
woollen district a considerable amount of overtime is
being worked. As the year ended, open market supplies
of steam-raising fuel were almost unprocurable, and
some of the collieries with easy rates to the manufac-

turing districts were selling rough slack at up to 10s. per
ton at the pit. An even more remarkable advance has
taken place in the value of coking smalls. These were
quoted at from 5s. to 5s. 6d. per ton at the beginning of
the year. At the present time prompt sales of this
description realise up to 8s. 6d. per ton, and even at this
figure supplies are totally inadequate to meet the needs
of the market. It is thought by those closely connected
with the manufacturing industry that the new year
is likely to eclipse all previous records. That this is
anticipated is shown by the eagerness of all classes
of consumers to cover their requirements over 1913.
Pit prices at the present time are quoted as under:—
Large double-screened engine nuts, 10s. 9d. to Ils. 6d.;
small ditto, 10s. to 10s. 6d.; washed samples, 6d. to 9d.
per ton extra; rough unscreened engine coal, 10s. 6d. to
Ils.; best rough slacks, 8s. 9d. to 10s.; small slacks*
8s. 3d. to 8s. 9d.; coking slacks, 7s. 6d. to 8s. 6d. It will
be evident from these figures that prices at the present
time average fully 3s. per ton advance on the quotations
of January last.

Coke.

In January average descriptions of washed furnace
coke could be bought at from 12s. to 12s. 6d. per ton at
the ovens. Prior to the strike, quotations were
advanced, but not to anything like the extent that coal
prices were advanced. About the end of April, makers
were quoting 15s. to 16s. per ton. These figures were
operative for a considerable period, but in August open-
market sales realised 16s. 6d. Further firmness
manifested itself during September, and at the beginning
of October quite 18s. per ton could be got. During
November there were a good many enquiries for coke
received from the Middlesbrough district, and, as bigger
quantities were needed in Frodingham and the Midlands,
18s.. 6d. per ton was quoted, and at this figure quite a
number of contracts were fixed to the end of June 1913.
At the beginning of December average samples were
quoted as high as 20s., and contracts were made at
19s. 6d. At the time of writing, spot lots of coke were
being sold at 21s., and it is said that so eager are buyers
to cover their requirements for the first half of next
year, that this figure is being paid for contracts. The
output of washed furnace coke has, in spite of the
strike, shown a great increase on the previous year, as a
good many batteries of patent ovens have been started.
The advance in the price of furnace coke has been more
than equalled by the advance in the price of gas coke.
A little over a year ago average samples of gas coke could
be freely purchased at from 9s. to 9s. 6d. per ton f.o.t. at
the works. Lately, from 15s. to 16s. per ton has been
realised, and the demand shows no signs of falling off.
Only this week several cargoes of gas coke have been
sold in Hull at 19s. 3d. f.o.b.

Gas Coal.

In no department of the coal trade has there been a
greater expansion than in gas coal. Nearly every
works has needed considerably increased supplies.
Specialised samples of washed and unwashed nuts have
been greatly in demand, and the summer contracts
specified a largely increased percentage of these quali-
ties. Unscreened gas coal appears to be going out of
date to a large extent. In an increasing number of
cases slacks are being carbonised for gasmaking. At
the beginning of the year there was a fair amount of
open market trade being done for inland works at about
the following pit prices :—Screened gas coal 9s. to 10s.,
gas nuts 7s. 6d. to 8s. 6d., unscreened gas coal 7s. 6d.
to 8s. Speaking generally, the gasworks were fairly
well stocked for the strike, but for prompt supplies in
February very high prices were paid. Large quantities
of Silkstone and similar house coals were bought by gas
engineers and put into stock. In June, when new
contracts were under consideration, there were several
meetings of gas coal owners, and it was decided that
new contracts of every description of gas coal should
be advanced 2s. 6d. per ton. This was not rigidly
adhered to, several works being able to buy at from
Is. 6d. to 2s. per ton advance. Several gas authorities
declined altogether to buy at the tendered prices. That
this was a mistake on their part was fully evidenced
later on in the year, when the prices that were paid
showed a material advance on the figures quoted in June
and July. During August many of the gas coal collieries
withdrew their offers, and the fixing of contracts became
a matter of increasing difficulty from the buyer’s point
of view. During October a scarcity of gas coal began
to manifest itself. Contract deliveries, especially in gas
nuts, began to get into arrears, and considerable open-
market buying resulted. This continued all through
the last quarter of the year, and at the beginning of
December there was a very large increase in the demand
( for spot lots. At the time of writing stocks of coal at
the big works are none too large, and sellers have
no difficulty in realising from Is. to Is. 6d. per

ton higher rates than were quoted for contracts
in June and July. Added to the heavy demand for
inland consumption, there has been a strong call from
exporters of gas coal. All the gas coal pits are working
at full pressure, and are completely without stocks.
Transit difficulties have been particularly felt in this
branch of the trade, and the delay to wagons has been
most serious. Where prompt delivery can be given
there is no difficulty in securing the following pit prices
for inland works :—Screened gas coal, 12s. to 13s. 6d.;
gas nuts, Ils. to 12s. 6d.; unscreened gas coal, 10s. 6d.
to Ils. 6d. It will be seen from these figures that open
market values are about 3s. per ton higher than 12 months
ago. On the other hand, gas engineers have been able
to dispose of their coke and other residuals at such high
figures that the advance in prices of coal is more than
met. The export of gas coal during the year has been
heavy, especially since the strike. At the present time
supplies are scarce, and the following f.o.b. Hull figures
firmly quoted:—Screened gas coal, 14s. to 14s. 6d.; gas
nuts, 13s. to 13s. 6d.; unscreened gas coal, 13s. 3d. to
13s. 9d.

SOUTH YORKSHIRE.

Though there have been few years when values have
shown such an upward tendency as during the recent

12	months, those responsible for the management of
the collieries have never before had to deal with such a
period of varied difficulties. It cannot be denied that
such marked increased prices will have afforded a
substantial financial benefit, though on the other side
of the account are to be debited increased expenses
almost everywhere; whilst the Minimum Wage Act,
following upon the eight hours working day, has
indirectly pulled down the output, and the rapid
expansion looked for a few years ago owing to the great
development of the coalfield, has been arrested in a very
decided manner. The past year, owing to the strike
and other disturbed conditions, has hardly proved a test
of the very interesting question whether the opening of
the new huge collieries would tend to produce an
output which would exceed the extent of the demand,
but it is a striking fact that there are now in the district

13	individual concerns capable of producing one million
tons each per year, and many of these are, of course, of
recent creation. When it is recalled that the output of
the county during the preceding year approached
40 million tons, from about 480 mines in the whole of
the county, the potential influence of the leviathan
enterprises cannot be lost upon consumers. The extra-
ordinary experience of the year has, no doubt, done
much to prolong the existence of the older collieries, and
circumstances have not permitted a time test as to
whether these greatly-developed mines can be controlled
after having satisfied the demands of the Minimum
Wage Act, and the other regulations deemed necessary
by legislation to provide greater safety for the mines.
On the other hand, there must be much encouragement
afforded to owners of good thin-seam pits from the high
rate of values which small steam fuel has been making,
and the extensive tonnage which is now required for the
home industries, and though the fact that nuts have at
times made an equal price with best large steams is due
in a considerable degree to the boom in the general trade
of the country, there is evidence of the growing needs,
of this grade of fuel for the varied industries.

There is a strong hope on the part of coalowners in
this district that legislation will give the industry a
chance of settling down to the extensive new require-
ments which have been forced upon the trade in recent
years. However, in the newly developed part of the area
towards Doncaster, where the Barnsley bed lies at a so
much greater depth, there is an anxious period ahead, as
a sequel to the disastrous explosion at the Cadeby Main
Colliery. The peril of gob fires is now engaging the
foremost attention of all, and necessarily must do so, with
a view to the safety of the workers, though from a
commercial standpoint the prospective effect cannot be
overlooked. Billions of pounds have been sunk in the
great new collieries now being opened out, and no doubt
[ the greater risks now being more plainly outlined will
call a halt until a clearer conception of the liabilities
has been obtained.

Steam Coal.

An indication of the remarkable activity in the steam
coal trade of the district is afforded by an analysis of
the official return prepared by the Hull Chamber of
Commerce, which outlet on the Humber continues to be
the chief port for the district collieries. The tonnage
which entered the port during the past year will have
reached an aggregate of about seven million tons, even
if the business during December last should not have
been of more than an average character. This total is
j almost certain to create a new record for the port,,
exceeding the year 1910 by about 125,000 tons and by