134 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. January 17, 1913. enter largely into the market until prices have eased off a bit, which may not be just yet. The collieries are at their top limit, busy satisfying the demands under contract, these having been largely added to by the recent purchases by both the Russian and Italian Governments. There is a strong latent demand which will develop as soon as the pressure has been removed somewhat, and more coal is available. All kinds of nuts and smalls continue in great request, and West Yorkshire rough slack is now at 12s., and South Yorkshire double-screened nuts are fetching almost as much as the best steams. The house coal trade does not improve very materially. In the freight market things have been very quiet, little chartering having been done owing to the difficulty in arranging stems. Baltic rates are on the basis of about 6s. Reval and Mediterranean, Ils. Genoa. The following are the Prices f.o.b. Hull (prompt shipment). South Yorkshire:— Best steam hards Washed double - screened nuts Unwashed double- screened nuts Washed single - screened nuts Unwashed single-screened nuts Washed smalls Unwashed smalls West Yorkshire:— Hartleys Rough slack Pea slack Best Silkstone screened gas coal Best Silkstone unscreened gas coal Derbyshire and Notts;— Best steam hards Do. (Grimsby) Derbyshire nuts (doubles) Derbyshire nuts (doubles) (Grimsby) Derbyshire large nuts ... Do. do. (Grimsby) Nottinghamshire hards ... Do. do. (Grimsby) Current prices. 16/ 15/ to 16/ 14/ 14/6 to 14/9 13/6 14/ to 14/6 12/ 13/6 to 13/9 11/9 to 12/ 11/ 14/9 13/6 15/9 to 16/ 15/6 13/6 13/ 15 14/6 15/6 to 15/9 15/3 to 15/6 Last week’s prices. 16/ 15/ to 15/3 13/9 to 14/ 14/6 to 14/9 13/9 14/ 12/6 13/6 to 13/9 12/ 10/6 to 10/9 14/6 13/6 15/6 to 16/ 15/6 14/ 13/9 14/ 13/9 15/6 to 15/9 15/ to 15/3 Chesterfield. GOAL. There is an improvement in the demand for house coal owing to the wintry weather, and orders are more plentiful than they have been during the past few months. AH special prices are withdrawn and the printed price lists are now firmly adhered to. Stocks are rapidly disappearing from colliery sidings. There is not the slightest abatement of the demand for coal for manufacturing purposes. Consumers are pressing for increased deliveries, but it is quite impossible to satisfy their requirements, which are so exceptionally heavy. They are, therefore, dependent upon such supplies as come to hand from day to day. Fuel for steel furnaces is in urgent request, and cobbles and nuts are commanding higher prices than these qualities have realised for many years. Slack for boiler firing continues in strong demand, but the supply is still short of the needs of the market. Prices remain firm at 8s. 6d. to 9s. per ton at the pit for good brands. There is a brisk demand for steam coal for locomotive purposes. The deliveries that are being received by the railway companies are barely sufficient to obviate the necessity of their drawing upon their reserve stocks of coal. For the time of year the export trade is in an active condition, and it augurs well for the coming season. Most collieries are fairly well sold, and they are now in a position to hold out for the higher prices that they believe will be obtained during the summer months. There is a good demand for Top Hards for current delivery, for which the price is 15s. to 15s. 6d. per ton delivered free alongside Grimsby. Orders are quite plentiful for cobbles and nuts for near Continental ports, and good prices are realised for such lots as are obtainable, which, however, are limited. Bunker coal is in active demand, for which prices are firm. Washed nuts and washed slack are a good market, but supplies are difficult to find, most collieries being fully sold for several months to come. Prices at pit. Current Last week’s prices. prices. Best bouse coals 14/6 14/6 Secondary do 12/6 12/6 Cobbles . 12/ 12/ Nuts 11/ 11/ Slack 9/ 9/ The coke market maintains its strong position. There is a very heavy demand for blastfurnace qualities, and also for steel-smelting and foundry sorts. Prices continue to show a hardening tendency. Coking fuel is in limited supply, and prices are high. IRON. There is an active condition of business in every branch of the iron trade, and the great difficulty is to execute orders as promptly as customers desire. Pig iron for foundry, as well as forge purposes, is in great demand, and prices are strong. Finished iron is also in brisk request, and manufacturers’ order books are well filled. There is ample employment in connection with every industry of the district. Nottingham, COAL. With the weather during the past week having taken a wintry turn, the coal trade of this county has shown signs of improvement. In the domestic fuel section it is having a stimulating effect. As it is, the demand at the local land sale depots and from merchants is increasing. This will tend to keep down the stocks, which at some of the collieries were growing in consequence of the prevalence of mild weather previously, and had it continued must have weakened prices. However, values are on the whole being well maintained. There, is a fair amount of activity in the steam coal branch for the time of the year, more business being done than is usual for January, and the outlook is bright in view of the forthcoming shipping season. The brisk demand for industrials in the home market has kept values firm, and there is every prospect of rates being increased later on. No slackening off is noticeable for best quality slacks; in fact, there is a good all-round demand at current prices. Prices at pithead. Hand-picked bnghts Current prices. 12/6 to 14/ Last week’s prices. 13/ to 14/ Good house coals Secondary do Best hard coals Secondary do Slacks (best hard) Do. (seconds) 12/ to 13/ 10/6 to 12/ 11/ to 12/6 10/ toll/ 8/6 to 9/ 7/9 to 8/3 12/ to 13/ 10/6 to 12/ 11/ to 12/ 10/ toll/ 8/6 to 9/ 7/6 to 8/6 Leicestershire. GOAL. In the past week there has been very considerable movement in business. The touch of wintry weather has stimulated the demand, and in consequence there will be more time worked at the collieries, and with this there has been a marked clearance of stocks; Household coals have shown a considerable improvement all round. The best qualities have been in greater request than for some time past. The middle qualities also have much revived, and there is a much fuller enquiry for small household coals. The demand for steam coals continues as good as it has been for some considerable time past. All descriptions are in good enquiry, and there is a rather urgent demand for special nut slacks, and ordinary sorts are in request. The outlook is cheerful. Local merchants have had a busy week, consumers finding their needs pressing. A good deal of coal has been sent out, but transport this last day or two has been a difficult problem from heavy snow. The market shows no weakness, and current prices are likely to be maintained. Prices are generally about 13s. to 14s. for best household, seconds 12s. to 13s., cobbles Ils. 6d. to 12s. 6d., small coals, nuts, &c., 9s. to Ils. Steam coals 9s. to 10s.; nuts and nut slacks 6s. 6d. to 8s. 6d. South Staffordshire, North Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Hednesford. GOAL The condition of the coal trade throughout the Cannock Chase district is very encouraging, and the briskness of the demand appears likely to continue. The collieries are well supplied with orders, and are working regularly. For coal for manufacturing purposes the demand continues satisfactory, and the house coal trade has been stimulated somewhat by the more seasonable weather experienced during the past week. There is a good sale for slack. Railway and canal sales are satisfactory, and at the land- sale depots a good business is being done. Birmingham COAL. There has been an increased call for house coal, though merchants so far have been able to meet it out of stock. Deliveries were greatly impeded by the heavy fall of snow during the week-end. Coalowners have waived the advance of 5 per cent, so far as household coal is concerned, which rather suggests that the demand is not sufficient to justify any interference with prices. Steam coal and slacks are dearer on the week. Quotations :— Current Last week’s Staffordshire (including Cannock Chase) :— prices. prices. House coal, best deep 18/ 18/ Do. seconds deep 16/6 16/6 Do. best shallow 14/6 14/6 Do. seconds do. 13/ 13/ Best hard 14/ 14/ Forge coal IV 11/ Slack 8/ 8/ Warwickshire:— House coal, best Ryder ... Do. hand - picked 17/6 17/6 cobs 13/9 13/9 Best hard spires 14/6 14/6 Forge (steam) 10/ 10/ D.S. nuts (steam) 8/9 8/6 Small (do.) 7/6 7/6 IRON. The market was well attended, and the firm position, apparent for weeks past was upheld. Order books are kept full, contracts as soon as they are worked off being replaced by others. Raw material remains exceptionally high, and there is not likely to be any giving way in pig iron, while coke remains at 27s. to 28s. a ton. All the pigs used in the manufacture of bar iron are going into immediate consumption, and the principal ironworks are operating up to their full capacity on contracts which will keep them busy to the end of March. Scrap iron is sold in large quantities at prices which are on an average 5s. to 6s. a ton more than they were three months ago. Makers of standard bar iron are well employed, good, bookings having been made at the revised basis of JjIO a ton. Good second-class iron bars are in brisk request, and prices are firm at £8 10s. to £8 15s. a ton. A similar class of iron made in Lancashire and Yorkshire is quoted £8 15s. per ton f.o.b. Liverpool and Hull, and it would be no matter of surprise if this figure were further advanced. There is a tendency towards prices of galvanised sheets hardening. The minimum quotation is £12 5s., and special brands command .£12 7s. 6d. to .£12 10s. f.o.b. Liverpool. These rates are not very remunerative, bearing in mind the cost of production. Zinc is relatively high, largets and billets fetch £6 2s. 6d. and £6 5s. for Bessemer and Siemens qualities respectively, and there is practically no Conti- nental material available. Black sheets for galvanising are firm at .£8 12s. 6d. to £8 15s. a ton for 24-gauge, with the usual 12s. 6d. extra for 26-gauge of ordinary sizes. Sales of gas strip are made freely at £8 10s. a ton delivered in lots of 25 tons and upwards, with 2s. 6d. a ton extra for smaller quantities. All the steel mills in the district are booked for several months. No change has been made in the price of sections, but 5s. advance is anticipated at an early date. Forest of Doan, Lydney. GOAL. The steam coal produced in this district is eagerly sought after, and the collieries are exceptionally busy endeavouring to ccpe with the heavy demand. It is impossible to keep any stock, and the output in every case is consigned straight away to the buyer, and some of the collieries are behind in their deliveries. On the other hand the enquiry for the house qualities is still only a moderate one, and the pita are only managing four to five days in the week. Stocks too, of some descriptions, are rather heavy. Prices at pithead. Current , Last week’s House coals;— prices. prices. Block 16/6 16/6 Forest 15/6 15/6 Rubble 15/9 15/9 Nuts 14/ 14/ Rough slack.... Steam coal:— 8/ 8/ Large 12/6 to 13/ 12/ to 12/6 Small 8/6 to 9/ 8/ to 8/6 Prices Is. 9d. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. THE WELSH COAL AND IRON TRADES. Thursday. January 16. North Wales. Wrexham. GOAL. In common with other parts of the country, severe weather has prevailed throughout this district for the past week or so, the countryside being under snow, which, at the time of writing, does not appear to be going away very . quickly. The gale was particularly heavy on the Mersey and at the ports on that river, and several vessels were unable to load their cargo or to coal. There is considerable agita- tion among the dock-side workers at Liverpool and Birkenhead, who are insisting upon having a Saturday half- day holiday. If this is granted, and there is every likelihood of it being so, it will make the congested state of things which at present exist, worse than ever. The demand for coal during the past week has been all that can be desired, and all the collieries have been able to work to full time, and very few have any surplus fuel to offer of any kind. In the case of household coal, as might be expected, there is an exceptionally big demand, and there is no falling off' in orders for steam coal for manufacturing purposes, and also for bunkers. The gas companies are taking their average contract quantities, and so are the railway com- panies, and slack nuts and gas coke find a ready sale. With regard to prices, now that a further 5 per cent, advance has been granted, prices are being put up all round, and colliery companies are holding tight for enhanced prices in respect of coal against new contracts, and if buyers are going to make a definite contract for their requirements during the coming year they will have to be prepared to pay an increased figure. The present market prices are as follow :— Prices at pit:— Best house coal ....... Secondary do........... Steam coal ...... ..... Gas coal .............. Bunkers................ Nuts .................. Slack.................. Gas coke (at works) ... Prices landsale:— Best house coal ....... Seconds................ Slack.................. Current I Last week’s prices. > prices. 15/6 to 17/ 15/ to 17/ 15/ to 16/ | 14/6 to 15/6 12/6 to 13/6 ' 12/ to 13/ 12/6 to 13/6 12/ to 13/6 12/ to 13/ ! 11/3 to 12/ 11/ to 12/ 11/ to 12/ 7/6 to 9/6 7/ to 9/ 16/8 to 18/4 j 15/10 to 18/ 18/4 to 20/ 17/6 to 20/ 17/6 to 18/4 16/8 to 17/6 10/6 to 12/6 J 10/ to 11/8