February 28, 1913. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 443 'experienced. A furnace making Cleveland pig is this week being put out for repairs, and thus the already shorb supply promises to become more inadequate. To meet current demand, Cleveland pig iron continues to be steadily withdrawn from the public warrant stores, where the stock now stands at 224,941 tons, the reduction to date this month amounting to 11,421 tons. Fluctuations in warrants have caused quotations for Cleveland pig to be very unsettled. No. 3 g.m.b. is now 60s. 9d. to 61s. f.o.b., whilst No. 1 is fi3s. 6d., No. 4 foundry 60s. 9d., No. 4 forge 60s. 6d., and mottled and white irons each 60s. The foregoing are merchants* quotations for early delivery. Makers will not sell at such rates and, in fact, several producers put the price of No. 3 Cleveland at 65s. There is little passing in East coast haematite pig, but business would be on a fairly good scale if more iron was available for March delivery. Second-hands quote mixed numbers at 81s. and makers are now prepared to sell at 82s. Foreign ore is inactive. Market rates are nominally maintained on the basis of 21s. 9d. •ex-ship Tees for best rubio, but it is understood that less would be accepted. There are no new features of moment in the finished iron and steel industries. Producers are full of work and have excellent order books. Quotations all round are upheld. South-West Lancashire. COAL. The colder weather has made an improvement in the household trade, and the demand is now, without being acute, better than it has been through the winter. Forges and users of round screened coal for manufacturing purposes continue to take full supplies. Bunkering requirements are fairly well up to the level of recent weeks, both on ■contract and open sale account. With the more favourable weather there is, of course, less delay to tonnage, and on the whole the tips are fully occupied. Supplies generally speaking are adequate, though not much in excess of requirements. There is no change to report in the coast- wise trade, and a fair number of shipments Lare being made both for this trade and the cross-Channel trade. Slack keeps very firm in price both for open sale and forward, and not too abundant in quantity. Prices are as below:— 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 to 16/9 16/6 to 16/9 Medium 14/6 14/6 Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) 15/ to 15/3 15/ to 15/3 Kitchen 12/3 12/3 Common (f.o.b. Gars ton, net) 13/6 13/6 Screened forge coal 12/6 to 13/ 12/6 to 13/ Best screened steam coal (f.o.b.) 13/3 to 14/3 13/3 to 14/3 Best slack 10/6 10/6 Secondary slack 9/9 9/9 Common do 9/3 9/3 tons per week of a well-known brand of washed furnace coke at 18s. 3d. per ton at the ovens. South Lanoashftro and Cheshire. COAL. There was a good attendance on the Manchester Coal Exchange on Tuesday. The house coal trade is only moderate, but prices remain steady. Furfiace coal is still in good demand, while shipping coal is not quite so brisk as it was, and the price consequently is not so firm. The demand for slack is not quite so keen, but prices are firm. Current prices are as below :— Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). House coal:— Best Current prices. 16/6 to 17/ 15/3 to 16/ 12/6 to 13/ 12/6 14/ 10/ to 10/6 9/ to 9/6 Last week’s prices. 16/6 to 17/ 15/3 to 16/ 12/6 to 13/ 12/6 14/ 10/ to 10/6 9/ to 9/6 Medium Common Furnace coal Bunker (f.o.b. Partington) Beet slack Common slack IRON. There was a good attendance on ’Change in Manchester •on Tuesday. The prices of pig iron are without change- The finished iron makers are full of work, and the Associa- tion price for Crown iron is £8 15s., with second quality at £8 5s., hoops £8 17s. 6d., sheets .£9 17s. 6d. The steelworks are fully occupied on bars at <£8 10s. to .£8 12s. 6d., less per cent., with billets .£6 12s. 6d. to £6 15s. net. Wagon works are very busy. Textile machinists and heavy engineers are fairly well off for orders. Yorkshire and Derbyshire^ Leeds. COAL. The Yorkshire Coal Exchange was well attended on Tuesday, and business on the whole was satisfactory. The bulk of the enquiries met with concerned steam coal and coking smalls, although more orders were given out for house coal. Empty wagons have been more plentiful this week, and the blocks on the railways have not been so still rather unsteady, but quotations do not differ from the serious. experience of a week ago. In regard to small steam fuel, House Coal.—The demand for house coal from all the markets shows a considerable improvement compared with last week. London merchants and factors have taken better supplies of best coal, both in private wagons and in colliery and railway wagons. The depot trade has been better, and considerable progress has been made in the lifting of ground stocks in the Metropolis. Official price lists are unchanged, and the concessions noted last week have been withdrawn. The coastwise trade is also a shade better, but the demand has been principally for the cheaper qualities. In Leeds, Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield, and other industrial centres merchants have been fully employed during the past week, as the retail trade has improved considerably. The result of this is that stocks at the pits have been greatly reduced, and official prices are more nearly realised. Current pit prices :—Haigh Moor selected, 18s. to 19s. ; Wallsend and London best, 17s. to 18s.; Silk- stone best, 16s. to 17s.; Silkstone house, 15s. to 15s. 6d.; ordinary house, 14s. to 15s.; secondary sorts, 13s. to 14s. Gas Coal.—The demand for gas coal continues to be considerable, and there are no stocks at the pits. As regards the inland trade, there is still a fair amount of buying to supplement contract deliveries. Tenders have been sent out during the week for supplies over the ensuing 12 months at prices which show an average advance over last year’s figures of Is. per ton. In the case of contracts made last year, where a less advance than 2s. per ton was obtained, the new prices are to be levelled up, so as to bring the average advance for the two seasons up to 3s. per ton. The export demand for gas coal is still quite brisk. Current f.o.b. Hull prices average as under:—Screened gas coal, 14s. 6d. to 15s.; gas nuts, 13s. 6d. to 14s.; unscreened gas coal, 13s. 9d. to 14s. Manufacturing Fuel.—The regular working of the pits has caused a more plentiful supply of slacks and nuts, and the market generally is easier. Rough slacks are quite 6d. per ton cheaper than a month ago. It is hoped that the strike of the employees of the Bradford Dyers* Association will be settled this week, and in this event it is likely that manufacturing fuel will become more scarce. Washed Furnace Coke.—Further weakness in the price of patent oven coke has manifested itself this week, and sales for prompt delivery have been made at 18s. to 19s. per ton at the ovens. There is very little doing with regard to forward business, as buyers are holding off. A three months contract has been entered into this week for 200 House coal:— Current Last week’s Prices at pit (London) : prices. prices. Haigh Moor selected ... 13/9 to 14/3 13/9 to 14/3 Wallsend & London best 12/6 to 13/ 12/9 to 13/3 Silkstone best 12/6 to 13/ 12/9 to 13/3 Do. house 12/ to 12/6 12/3 to 12/6 House nuts Prices f.o.b. Hull : 11/ to 11/6 11/ to 11/6 Haigh Moor best 16/6 to 17/3 16/6 to 17/3 Silkstone best 16/ to 16/6 16/ to 16/6 Do. house 15/ to 15/6 15/ to 15/6 Other qualities Gas coal:— Prices at pit: 13/ to 14/ 13/3 to 14/ Screened gas coal 12/6 to 13/ 12/9 to 13/3 Gas nuts 11/6 to 12/6 11/9 to 12/6 Unscreened gas coal ... Other sorts :— Prices at pit: 11/ to 11/6 11/ to 11/6 Washed nuts Large double-screened 11/6 to 12/ 11/9 to 12/3 engine nuts 11/ to 11/6 11/3 to 11/9 Small nuts Ro-ugh unscreened 10/9 to 11/3 10/9 to 11/3 engine coal 10/9 to 11/3 10/9 to 11/3 Best rough slacks 8/9 to 9/3 9/3 to 9/6 Small do. 8/ to 8/6 8/6 to 8/9 Coking smalls Coke:— Price at ovens: 8/ to 8/6 8/3 to 8/9 Furnace coke 18/ to 19/ 19/ to 19/6 Barnsley. COAL. Though there has not been any great alteration in the demand for most classes of steam coal during the week, prices generally were rather firmer. There, however, continues to be a considerable variation in values, which is largely explainable by diverging conditions at the various collieries. Those firms who at the present time hold contracts under which very large deliveries are not being made, find themselves with a fair amount of tonnage on hand, and owing to the quieter state of shipping, the realisation of this tonnage continues to affect prices. Collieries with a less amount of surplus fuel are still able to hold on for something like recent prices for current sales, and also to maintain a very firm attitude with regard to the prices which they demand to cover the shipping season. Enquiries, especially in regard to the Baltic, still coming to hand, point to a very active shipping season, and producers of the best class of hards are content to await develop- ments in the belief that they will be able to obtain the 12s. 6d. per ton which they have asked exporters to pay. In the current market this class of coal continues to hold up fairly well, and 12s. per ton, if not a little more, is being obtained for immediate supplies. Secondary qualities are the experience of collieries still appears to be a very varied one, though generally it is the fact that there is a bigger supply of this class of fuel on the market, with the inevitable result that buyers are able to obtain concessions, but the position is not weaker than when last reported upon. There has been considerable improvement in nearly all grades of house fuel during the week, and business is now being done at prices more in accordance with the price list. A better demand has been experienced for the best class of house coal, though the bulk of the trade continues to be in respect of medium price coal, which is more largely taken in the West Riding and the Lancashire districts. The position in regard to coke is still rather sluggish, and makers are able to more easily meet the demand, and prices are still a trifle unsteady as about last quoted. Prices at pit. Current Last week’s House coals:— prices. prices. Best Silkstone 14/6 to 15/ 14/6 to 15/ Best Barnsley softs 14/ to 14/6 14/ to 14/6 Secondary do 11/6 to 13/ 11/6 to 13/ Best house nuts 11/6 to 12/6 11/6 to 12/6 Secondary do Steam coals:— 10/6 to 11/6 10/6 to 11/6 Best hard coals 12/ 12/ Secondary do 11/ to 11/3 11/3 Best washed nuts 12/ 12/ Secondary do. 11/ to 11/3 11/ to 11/3 Best slack 9/ to 9/6 9/ to 9/6 Rough do Gas coals:— 8/ to 8/6 8/ to 8/6 Screened gas coals 12/6 to 13/6 12/6 to 13/ Gas nuts 12/ to 12/6 12/ to 12/6 Furnace coke 19/ to 19/6 19/ to 20/ Chesterfield. COAL. The colder weather has affected a much-needed improve- ment in the demand for house coal, for which orders are coming to hand more freely than they have done for some time past. The call, however, is more for secondary quali- ties than for the best kinds. Prices are unchanged, but firm. Fuel for industrial purposes continues in active demand, and there are no signs of falling off in any direc- tion ; on the contrary, there are many instances where the requirements are more pressing than they have been since the present improvement in trade became so pronounced. The demand for cobbles and nuts for steel furnaces has never been so heavy, and this is becoming acute owing to the fact that some of the large works in the Cleveland district who have hitherto drawn their supplies entirely from the Durham coalfield are sending substantial orders into this neighbourhood. The demand for slack for boiler firing is likely to increase in strength as soon as the Bradford dyers* strike is ended, and there are indications that the dispute is on the point of settlement. The suspen- sion of operations has caused a lot of small fuel to be thrown on the market, which was beginning to have a weakening effect upon values. A return to full work will cause an active demand for slack, of which available sup- plies are by no means plentiful. There is a steady call for steam coal for locomotive use, and heavy deliveries are going forward daily to the various distributing centres. The export branch of the coal trade is in a quiet condition pending the opening of the Baltic season, when it is expected that a strong demand will be experienced for steam coal. Prices for delivery over the shipping season are very firm,; and it is believed that higher figures will be realised as the year advances. It is reported that Russia will this year purchase an exceptionally large quan- tity of British coal, and this will necessarily have a stimu- lating effect upon the market. There is a good business passing in cobbles, and substantial shipments are made for near Continental ports. There are also numerous enquiries coming to hand for prices for forward delivery. There is a satisfactory demand for house coal for abroad, and some substantial cargoes have been shipped during the past few days. Slack is also in improved request for shipment, and prices are a shade firmer on the week. There is a strong demand for washed slack, the supply of which continues below the needs of the market. Prices remain firm on a high level. Washed nutsjare scarce and dear. The coke market is just now slightly easier, and prices are lower The consumption, however, remains the same, and it is believed that the weakness perceptible will prove to be only temporary, and that there will be a renewal of activity with the opening of the shipping season. In the meantime, the output of the coke ovens is readily taken up, and collieries are well provided with orders. Coking fuel continues in limited supply at firm rates. Prices at the pit are as follow:— Prices at pit. Best house coals......... Secondary do............. Cobbles ................. Nuts .................... Slack.................... Current Last week’s prices. prices. 14/6 14/6 12/6 12/6 12/ 12/ 11/ 11 9/ 9 IRON. There is no change in the condition of the iron trade of the district. The demand for bar iron is active, and all the works are employed to their full capacity. Pig iron makers