184 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. January 21, 1913 Chesterfield. COAL. The demand for house coal shows no material improvement despite the snap of cold weather which has recently been experienced, and stocks in colliery sidings have not been reduced from the point at which they stood at the beginning of the year. Dealers* stocks, however, have been slightly drawn upon and this may, to some extent, account for the comparatively small tonnage of coal that merchants are ordering from collieries. Prices remain unchanged. Coal for manufacturing purposes continues in great demand, the requirements of the large steel establishments of Sheffield and district being particularly heavy. Prices of cobbles and nuts, suitable for gas-producers, still show a hardening tendency. Supplies of these qualities are below the needs of the market and in many instances consumers experience considerable inconvenience owing to short deliveries. Slack for boiler firing continues in strong demand at prices that are higher than they have been for many years. The pressure for this class of fuel from the Lancashire cotton mills is very great. Steam coal for locomotive use is in brisk request and the various railways are urgent in their demand for full deliveries on account of contracts. They are also prepared to purchase additional quantities at advanced prices, but coalowners have only a very limited supply of free coal for disposal, and for this they want a substantial figure. For the time of year the export trade is very brisk, and steam coal is in very good demand. The price of the best Derbyshire Top Hards is now 15s. 3d. per ton delivered free alongside steamer at Grimsby. Collieries are now pretty well booked up for the season. An excellent demand is experienced for slack for shipment, for which prices are very firm. Cobbles and nuts are also in brisk request, while it is impossible to satisfy customers* requirements with regard to washed nuts and washed slack. The prospects for this year's export business are of a most encouraging kind. A further upward movement in the price of steam coal with the opening of the Baltic ports is by no means improbable. The coke market is strong all round. There is a very active demand for all qualities, and prices are showing a tendency to advance further. Coking fuel continues scarce and dear. Prices at pit. Best house coals Current prices. 14/6 12/6 i2/ 12 9/ Last week’s prices. 14/6 12/6 12/ n 9/ Secondary do Cobbles Nuts Slack IRON. The condition of the iron trade is to-day even better than it was at the close of last year. The demand shows signs of further expansion, while prices are gradually moving upwards. Manufacturers of all classes of bar iron are inundated with orders, and present indications give promise of an exceptionally busy year. All the engineering works of the district are well supplied with orders. Wagon builders are also very busy, and are likely to remain in this condition for many months to come. Nottingham, COAL. Continued improvement in the demand for domestic fuel has been an outstanding feature of the coal trade in Nottinghamshire, the brief spell of wintry weather having given this branch the much-needed impetus. Orders have come to hand freely from some of the country districts, and the amount required for the London market has shown an upward tendency, whilst locally merchants have been busy and sales at the landsale depots have materially increased. This augmented demand has tended to stiffen prices for certain qualities, and cheap lots have been difficult to obtain. Stocks have in consequence been largely drawn upon, though most of the collieries are working full time. A satisfactory tone pervades the steam coal branch, the home demand for this class of fuel being above the average for the time of the year. Industrials are a prominent feature, and for this quality slightly higher rates are being secured for immediate delivery. Slacks are having a brisk sale, practically every kind being in request at remunerative rates. There is an active request for gas fuel, and coke is selling well at good prices. Prices at pithead. Hand-picked brights ...... Good house coals.......... Secondary do.............. Best hard coals .......... Secondary do............. Slacks (best hards)....... Do. (seconds)........... Current prices. 12/6 to 14/ 12/ to 13/ 10/6 to 12/ 12/ to 12/6 10/6 to 11/6 8/6 to 9/ 7/9 to 8/3 Last week's prices. 12/6 to 14/ 12/ to 13/ 10/6 to 12/ 11/ to 12/6 10/ toll/ 8/6 to 9/ 7/9 to 8/3 Leicestershire. COAL. The movement in business noted last week has been quite fully sustained. There is a good steady flow of business passing, and the collieries generally are well employed. The stocks have been very materially reduced and are now generally light, and at the same time a longer working time has been made. The prevalent wintry weather has enhanced the business of local merchants, and they have been making a much heavier turnover. The aspect of business as a whole is generally regarded as a satisfactory one. The demand for household coal of the best qualities has become decidedly better, the improvement noted last week being further accentuated. The middle qualities used for the retail trade continue in good request, and there is the same good business doing in small household coals. The enquiry for steam coals shows no abatement, all kinds being in request, some very much so, special slacks particularly. The market is quite firm at current quotations. The sanitary ware and pipe works are all in quite full activity, some others being very busy. demand for house qualities is slightly better this week, but there is room for much improvement yet—the pits are still; on short time, four to five days in the week being the average work. Prices at pithead. Current Last week's House coals;— i prices. prices. Block ! 16/6 16/6 Forest i 15/6 15/6 Bubble 15/9 15/9 Nuts : 14/ 14/ Rough slack Steam coal:— 8/ 8/ Large 12/6 to 13/ 12/6 to 13/ Small 8/ to 9/ 8/6 to 9/ Prices Is. 9d. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. South Staffordshire, North Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Hednesford. COAL. There is no appreciable change to repoit this week in the condition of the coal trade of the Cannock Chase district. Orders are plentiful for nearly all qualities of fuel and prices are well maintained. The collieries throughout the district are kept very busy, most of them working full time. There is not very much coal in stock. For fuel for manufacturing purposes there is a very active demand, and the improvement in the house coal trade is well maintained. Business is brisk at the landsale depots, and there is little change in railway and canal sales. Birmingham. COAL. The conditions in the Birmingham market are unchanged on the week. The better demand for house coal is easily met, and a few pits are actually accumulating stocks. For all kinds of works fuel on the other hand, there is a great demand. Prices:— 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 11/ 11/ Slack Warwickshire:— 8/ 8/ House coal, best Ryder ... Do. hand - pickec 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 8/9 Small (do.) 7/9 7/9 IRON. The market was well attended, and though quiet and uneventful, the tone was very firm. In most branches there are orders on the books for full operations for some time, and the fact that merchants and consumers offer to prolong contracts suggests that in their opinion prices will be maintained during the quarter. So far as pig iron is concerned, the probabilities are that it will go higher. In Middlesbrough they have gone up, and though that is a more speculative market than Birmingham, the conditions point to a rise here. No iron is going into stock, and con- sumers are urgent for supplies. South Staffordshire common ranges from 66s. 6d. to 67s. 6d., part-mine 71s. to 72s., Northamptonshire 72s. 6d. to 73s. 6d., Derbyshire 74s. to 75s. Manufacturers of best bars are renewing contracts regularly, and a large business is recorded in second-class bars at from £8 10s. to £8 15s. delivered Birmingham. No improvement can be recorded in the values obtained for gal- vanised sheets, although there seems to be a good amount of business moving. Spelter is .£27 a ton“delivered Birming- ham, sheet bars cannot be had under £6 2s. 6d., so it is obvious the selling price of sheets, viz., £12 5s. to £12 10p. (f.o.b. Liverpool) does not allow much margin of profit. Gas strip is unchanged at £8 10s. to £8 12s. 6d. according to quantity. Strong steel hoops are a shade dearer at £8 12s. 6d. to £8 15s., with the usual extras for lighter gauges. Squares, rounds, and fiats command £8 12s. 6d. to £8 15s. per ton, f basis, and local makers are in a strong position owing to the scarcity of Belgian material. The same remark applies to makers of steel bars and billets. Continental supplies being very irregular. The falling off in the tin-plate trade in South Wales has loosed a lot of material for the Midlands, but this has not afforded any relief in prices, which remain at £6 23. 6d. to £6 5s. Steel- makers are busy with orders from rolling stock and con- structional firms. Sections have not been further advanced* Lydney. Forest off Dean, COAL. Considerable activity continues to characterise the steam coal trade of this neighbourhood. All qualities are in heavy demand and the collieries are experiencing much difficulty in coping with the wants of customers. The Gloucestershire, Somersetshire and Wilts. Plymouth. COAL. Messrs. W. Wade and Son report that there has only been: an ordinary demand for house and steam coal at the south coast centres of import during the past fortnight, but contract supplies have been freely drawn upon. Prices are well maintained at all the coal-loading ports, and in some- cases as much as 6d. per ton advance on this season's highest price has been obtained for house coal. Steam freights are* a little firmer. THE WELSH COAL AND IRON TRADES. Thursday, January 23. North Wales. Wrexham. COAL. The demand and prices for fuel continues to be good im this locality, all the collieries are working full time.. Evidently some of the enterprising firms are optimistical, in the matter, as, following on the reopening of a colliery near Wrexham, I learn that another old colliery at Chirk is: to be opened by Messrs. W. Y. Craig and Sons Limited, of: Brynkinallt Collieries, near Ruabon. This old colliery,, which is known as the Ifton Heath Colliery, has been, unworked for some time, but the proprietors are about to commence pumping operations. They are going to sink. another shaft, and it is confidently hoped that in a few' months’ time coal will be obtained once more. It is pro- posed to connect the new shaft with the main shaft at the existing Brynkinallt Colliery. The demand for household coal remains good, and as the weather is still cold, there is every indication that the demand will remain good for some* little time at any rate, and there is little or no change in the ■ prices of this class of fuel from last week. Coal for manu- facturing purposes also maintains a good steady market, all the works of the locality being busy, and at last there is every indication that the brick, tile and sanitary pipe makers are going to participate in the trade boom. Orders for- special classes of goods are much more plentiful, which require the better class of labour, and it will be an excellent thing if, after some years of continued depression in this locality, what was once a most thriving industry—that of the manufacture of terra cotta and other similar clay- goods—should once more experience a boom. Kail way companies and gas companies continue to take their average winter proportion of their contracts. There are some collieries already fixing up new contracts for the* coming year, and at prices which are much higher than ruled for the same contracts last year, and this will undoubtedly be the basis upon which all new contracts are fixed, a matter of 2s. to 3s. per ton advance, if the present trade boom continues. The present week's quotations in the open market are.— Current Last week's Prices at pit f.o.r. :— prices. prices. Best house coal 15/6 to 17/6 15/6 to 17/ Secondary do 14/6 to 16/ 15/ to 16/ Steam coal 12/ to 13/6 12/6 to 13/6 Gas coal 12/ to 13/6 12/6 to 13/6* Bunkers 11/6 to 13/ 12/ to 13/ Nuts 11/ to 12/ 11/ to 12/ Slack 7/ to 9/6 7/6 to 9/6 Gas coke (at works) 16/8 to 18/4 16/8 to 18/4 Prices landsale:— Best house coal 18/4 to 20/ 18/4 to 20/ Seconds 17/6 to 18/4 17/6 to 18/4 Slack 10/ to 12/6 10/6 to 12/6 Monmouthshire, South Wales, Ac. Newport. GOAL. The continued gales of the past week have seriously affected the passage of light steamers, the resulting scarcity of ready tonnage being at once reflected in the coal market. For all the better qualities prices have remained steadily firm, weakness first developing in the inferior grades where present values are from 3d. to 6d. easier on the week. Relatively smalls and household qualities have held their values tighter than steam coals—in fact, some collieries, well placed as regards their output, quoting higher figures, and, in sympathy, patent fuel, too, is trending upwards. With more favourable weather, a considerable accession of tonnage may be expected, which would at once ease the present congestion, as facilities for shipping were never so