January 17, 1913. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 133 Middleabroagh-on-TeeB. COAL. At the beginning of the week business was much dis- organised by the breakdown of telegraphic and telephonic •communication due to the storm. The tone of the market, however, is strong, bunker coal alone being somewhat weak as the result of the delay in the arrival and detention of shipping. Best gas coal is selling at 15s. 6d. to 15s. 9d., and seconds at 15s., whilst special sorts are quoted up to 16s. 6d. For ordinary Durham bunkers 14s. 10|d. to 15s. f.o.b. rules, with best kinds at 15s. 6d. and specials at 16s. 6d. Household coal is in fairly good request, and ■ordinary Durhams stand at 16a. and bests at 17s. Coking ■coal keeps steady at 15s. to 15s. 6d. Prices of coke are still irregular. Blastfurnace kinds are quoted 26s. to 27s. delivered at Tees-side works. Best foundry coke ranges from 30s. to 32 s. 6d. f.o.b. Gashouse coke runs from 19s. 6d. to 22s. IRON. Extreme quietness characterises the pig iron trade just now, and values of Cleveland pig are lower than they have beenfor the past three months, due to the fact that warrant holders, having become alarmed at the crisis in the Near East, are selling out. Cleveland warrants now stand at 65s. 10|d. cash buyers, the lowest price since October 15 last. No. 3 g.m.b. Cleveland pig is now obtainable at 66s. 6d. for early f.o.b. delivery, whilst No. 1 is 69s., No. 4 foundry 66s. 4|d., No. 4 forge 66s. 3d., and mottled and white iron each 65s. 9d. East coast haematite pig is still unobtainable for anything like early delivery, and the forward price of mixed numbers is fully 83s. Foreign ore prices are nominally upheld, in the absence of transactions, on the basis of 22s. 9d. ex-ship Tees for rubio of 50 per cent, quality. Freights Bilbao-Middlesbrough stand at 6s. All branches of the manufactured iron and steel trades are very busily employed, and some firms have such full order books that they are not disposed to enter into further contracts, especially as they look for upward movement in prices. Principal market quotations now stand :—Common iron bars, .£8 15s.; best bars, 2s. 6d.; best best bars, <£9 10s.; packing iron, .£6 5s.; iron ship-plates, J>8 ; iron ship angles, j£8 15s. ; iron ship rivets, .£9 15s.; iron boiler plates, .£8 17s. 6d.; steel bars (basic), £7 15s. to .£8; steel bars {Siemens), .£8 5s.; steel ship-plates, .£8 5s.; steel ship angles, £7 17s. 6d.; steel boiler plates, £9; steel joists, £7 7s. 6d. to £7 10s.; cast iron railway chairs, £4 10s.; light iron rails, £7 to £7 5s.; heavy steel rails, £6 15s.; and steel railway sleepers, £7 to £7 2s. 6d.—railway material net, and all other descriptions less 2| per cent. South-West Lancashire. COAL. The household coal trade shows signs of a more vigorous demand, and no doubt as soon as the roads are in their usual condition for vehicular traffic the orders will respond to it. There is nothing new to report with regard to screened coal for forge and manufacturing purposes. With regard to shipping, there is a strong demand for all classes of steam fuel. Bunkering requirements under contract are heavy, and outside enquiry, both for bunkering and cargo account, is increasing, the rather easier freights helping matters. Comparatively little spare coal is available. Exceptionally severe weather has very much interfered with and delayed the shipments of house coal for the coast- wise and cross-Channel trade; otherwise the outlook is satisfactory. Slack continues very scarce and exceedingly firm in price, and in some towns, owing to the strong demand, allied to railway difficulties, there is an actual shortage. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). Current Last week’s House coal:— prices. prices. Best ... 16/3 16/3 Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) 16/6 16/6 Medium 14/6 14/6 Do. (f.o.b Garston, net) 15/ 15/ Kitchen 12/3 12/3 •Common (f.o.b. Garston, net) 13/6 to 13/9 13/6 to 13/9 Screened forge coal 12/6 to 13/ 12/6 to 13/ Best screened steam coal (to b.) 13/6 to 14/6 14/6 Best slack 10/3 l('/3 Secondary slack 9/6 9/6 Common do 9/ 9/ South LanGMhflrt and Cheshire. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). House coal:— Best Current prices. 1B/6 to 17/ 15/3 to 16/ 12/6 to 13/ 12/6 14/ 9/6 to 10/ 8/6 to 9/ Last week’s prices. 16/6 to 17/ 15/3 to 16/ 12/6 to 13/ 12/6 14/ 9/6 to 10/ 8/6 to 9/ Medium Common Furnace coal Bunker (f.o.b. Partington) Best slack Common slack severity of the weather, but the latter has put impediments in the way of getting the coal to the consumer. Prices are firm. Furnace coal remains steady, and shipping coal has a good appearance, while slack, if anything, has given way a trifle from the position recently, prices not being quite so firm. Furnace coke is about 24s. at the ovens. IRON. There is practically no change to report in the pig iron market, and prices are without alteration. All the forges are fully occupied with Crown iron bars .£8 15s., second quality .£8 5s., hoops £8 12s. 6d., sheets £9 7s. 6d. Steel- works are also very busy with bars at £8 10s. to £8 12s. 6d. less 2| per cent., and billets £6 12s. 6d. net. Heavy engineers and foundries are fairly well employed. Textile machinery makers full of work. Wagon builders extremely busy. Yorkshire and Darbystilrat Leedi. COAL. The Yorkshire Coal Exchange was fairly well attended on Tuesday afternoon, but the attendance was below the average of recent weeks. Hull shippers were well repre- sented, and there was also a fair muster of local merchants. Business in all departments was brisk, and buyers were in the majority. More orders were given out for house coal, and there were more enquiries for steam coal than could be dealt with. The pits have averaged about five days, the week-end storm making it impossible in many cases to run the collieries on Monday. Wagons have again been very scarce, and in some cases ground stocking has had to be resorted to. House Coal.—The sudden change in the weather has quickly improved the demand for house coal from all the markets, although London merchants and factors have as yet taken very little extra. With regard to business with London and the eastern and southern counties, many of the collieries have withdrawn the special prices which have been offered recently, and values all round have firmed up. For prompt delivery to London the best qualities are particularly firm, as stocks are light. There has been a great reduction in the number of wagons standing under load at Peter- borough, Willesden, Whitemoor and Toton, and underselling by factors has to a large extent ceased. The coastwise trade has been seriously hampered by the storms of the week-end. Small coasting boats are very difficult to secure and freights are higher. Stocks at the ports are not heavy, and current f.o.b. prices are firmer. In the local markets merchants report a considerable increase in the number of orders coming in from the public, but the difficulties con- nected with delivery have been so great that the turnover at the depots has been below the average. Pit prices are quoted 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. Gas Coal.—Gas coal prices are even firmer than last week, and any small lots offering for prompt delivery are readily sold. Washed gas nuts find an increasing enquiry, but unscreened gas coal is comparatively neglected. A good deal of forward business is being done ex the Humber ports, and representative collieries quote the following f.o.b. Hull figures ■.—Screened gas coal, 14s. 9d. to 15s. 6d.; gas nuts, 13s. 6d. to 14s. 6d.; unscreened gas coal, 13s. 9d. to 14s. 3d. Manufacturing Fuel.—The strike in connection with the Bradford Dyers’ Association has thrown considerable supplies of nuts and slacks upon the market, but so great is the general demand that there are no stocks, and prices are, if anything, firmer on the week. Coking slacks are keenly sought after, and are realising higher prices than at any previous time since 1900. Washed nuts are also in great demand, especially for shipment. Furnace Coke.—Middlesbrough buyers are again in the market for local coke, and this has had the effect of further increasing prices. It is reported that a well-known brand of patent oven coke has been sold this week for delivery COAL. There was a good attendance of members on the Manchester Coal Exchange on Tuesday. There is an improved demand for house coal in consequence of the Current Last week's Prices at pit (London) : prices. prices. Haigh Moor selected ... 14/ to 14/6 14/ to 14/6 Wallsend & London best 13/ to 13/6 13/ to 13/6 Silkstone best 13/3 to 13/9 13/ to 13/6 Do. house 12/3 to 12/9 12/ to 12/6 House nuts 11/6 to 12/ 11/3 to 11/9 Prices f.o.b. Hull: Haigh Moor best 16/6 to 17/6 16/6 to 17/3 Silk stone best 16/ to 16/9 15/9 to 16/3 Do. house 15/ to 15/6 14/6 to 15/ Other qualities 13/6 to 14/3 13/ to 14/ Prices at pit: Screened gas coal 12/6 to 13/6 12/6 to 13/6 Gas nuts 11/6 to 12/6 11/6 to 12/6 Unscreened gas coal ... 11/ to 11/6 11/ to 11/6 Prices at pit : Washed nuts 12/ to 12/6 12/ to 12/6 Large double-screened engine nuts 11/3 to 11/9 11/ to 11/9 Small nuts ...’ 10/9 to 11/6 10/6 to 11/6 Rough unscreened engine coal 11/ to 11/6 11/ to 11/6 Best rough slacks 9/6 to 10/ 9/6 to 10/ Small do. 8/6 to 9/ 8/6 to 9/ Coking smalls 8/3 to 8/9 8/3 to 8/6 Price at ovens: Furnace coke 21/ to 22/ 21/ to 22/ over the whole of the year at 20s. 6d. per ton at the ovens. Spot lots have sold at 21s. to 22s. during the past few days, and there no stocks anywhere. Frodingham, the Midlands, and the local iron and steel works in the Leeds district absorb five-sixths of the output of the ovens. Barnsley* COAL. The principal trouble in the trade during the past week has been the dislocation of traffic owing to the heavy snow- storm, which has led to a very serious scarcity of wagons at the collieries. Several of the pits have had to be set down, whilst others were only working partially, and this has had the effect of keeping prices very firm with the limited quantity of coal available. Apart from this interruption the demand has continued to be of a strong character for all classes of coal required for steam purposes. The tonnage which is being sent to Hull for export is decidedly above the average and although the business with the Baltic ports is suspended, the export trade is of a busy character. Coal- owners continue to adopt a very firm attitude in regard to forward business and little progress is being made in regard to contracts on shipping account, owing to the stiff price which is demanded. At the present time business is being done for the best hards at from 12s. 6d. to 12s. 9d. per ton, and, if anything, prices show a further upward tendency. Secondary descriptions of hards are selling at about 12s. per ton and there continues to be considerable extra buying by the railway companies, who find it necessary to add to their supplies under contract. All classes of small steam coal are again very much sought after and consumers* representatives are crying out about the difficulty of obtaining full supplies which are already arranged for under contract. In this branch of the trade the interruption in the working of the collieries is most particularly felt and there continues to be a readiness to pay advanced prices for any surplus fuel which may be available. In regard to slacks and small coal buyers expect to find a larger tonnage available at the market, owing to the dyers* strike at Bradford, and although this may have had the effect of causing a considerable amount of coal to be in the hands of collieries within that district, it had no appreciable effect generally and prices did not suffer. Gas coal collieries continue to have a strong enquiry for supplemental lots, which continue to make the higher prices as mentioned a week ago. With regard to the house coal trade, despite the severe weather of the past few days, there has not been any great activity, but collieries are expecting a stronger enquiry subsequently. Values were maintained as quoted last week. Business in coke shows no change and the iron- smelting districts, not only in the North, but also in Lincoln- shire and the Midlands, are quite ready to take the full output which is being made, and consequently prices are very firmly maintained. Prices at pit. Current Last week's House coals:— Best Silkstone Best Barnsley softs Secondary do Best house nuts Secondary do Steam coals:— Best hard coals Secondary do Best washed nuts Secondary do. Best slack Rough do Gas coals:— Screened gas coals Gas nuts Furnace coke prices. 15/ 14/ to 14/6 11/6 to 13/ 11/6 to 12/6 10/6 to 11/6 12/9 11/9 to 12/ 12/6 11/6 9/6 8/6 12/6 to 13/ 12/ to 12/6 21/ to 22/ prices. 15/ 14/ to 14/6 11/6 to 13/ 11/6 to 12/6 13/6 to 11/6 12/6 11/9 to 12/ 12/6 11/6 9/6 8/3 12/6 to 13/ 12/ to 12/6 21/ to 22/ Hull. GOAL. The Humber coal trade this week has undergone a very trying period through telegraph and telephone disloca- tion, resultant upon Saturday*s gale. On Monday and Tuesday Hull was entirely cut off from communication with the outer world, and thousands of telegrams that accumulated at the post office had to be sent to Leeds and Newcastle and other centres by rail for transmission to places both inside and outside the United Kingdom. On Wednesday three lines to London had been repaired and got into working order. One was loaned to Grimsby and the other two were inadequate to cope with more than a fraction of the work. To-day things are no better and the only result of very energetic expostulation on the part of business people here (who have wanted to know why the underground cables are not laid to Hull) is that the Postmaster-General has replied that the completion of the work—the culverts are already laid—has been delayed, pending the result of experiments made to ascertain the best type of cable to be laid. Trunk telephones have been in an even worse state of dislocation. In addition, the coal export business has been seriously affected by the recent rough weather, throwing steamers late and out of turn, or delaying their departure. Business under such circumstances has been next door to impossible. The tone of the market is, however, remarkably good and prices in all departments well maintained. Some slight signs of weakness have been over- come, and holders of spot lots of steams are able to exact up to 16s. f.o.b. at Hull. Business on a large scale is, how- ever, somewhat restricted, exporters not being inclined to