June 13, 1913. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 1281 little spare coal about, and prices remain steady at rates last reported, viz., 13s. 9d. to 14s, f.o.b. for ordinary grades of Lancashire steam coals, and 14s. 3d. to 14s. 6d., f.o.b. for the best descriptions. There is nothing to complain of in the coastwise and cross-channel shipments of household coal, and no change of moment to report in prices. Slacks, as named before, are easily obtained, but there is no great disparity between production and consumption. Advances are obtained upon renewals as they come out for another 12 months’ supply. South Lancashire and Cheshire. COAL. The demand for house coal is poor, but prices remain firm. Furnace coal is rather on the easier side, while shipping coal is in good call, and prices are very firm. The demand for slack of the better qualities is good, but the commoner sorts are rather being offered, and the price is not so firm. Prices generally are as follow:— Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). House coal:— Best .................. Medium .............. Common .............. Furnace coal .......... Bunker (f.o.b. Partington) Best slack............. Common slack........... 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 IRON. Business in this part is very quiet indeed. There are no buyers of pig iron, and the foreign competitions—which at the moment are very severe—in steel is shaking the con- fidence of any would-be buyers. The forges are still busy at five days a week, and can buy good forge iron now at 63s., but evenjat this price the high rate of wages lessens the profits considerably. Steelmakers are busy enough on old contracts, but very little new work is coming forward, for the reason previously mentioned. Wagon works are still very busy. • Engineers and foundries could do with more work. Yorfcshlru and Darbyshlra. Leeds. COAL. The demand for house coal shows a further falling off, and many of the pits have only been able to work four days this week. Siding stocks have increased considerably, and here and there concessions in price are offered. Empty wagons have been less plentiful this week. House Coal.—Trade is quiet, especially with the distant markets. London merchants and factors are taking little or nothing beyond contract tonnage, and stocks at Peterboro’, Willesden, Whitemoor, Toton, and other relabelling points have increased considerably since our last report. Although current business has been quiet, it is reported that a number of fresh contracts for house coal have been booked, and that in each case the official advance of Is. has been paid. One or two stocking orders have been given out also, but delivery has to be deferred until July and August. In the coastwise trade there is a fairly ready sale for the cheaper grades of Silkstone house coal, but the best qualities are neglected. Prices are slightly in buyers’ favour, although this is balanced to some extent by the greater firmness in freights. There is very little doing at the West Riding depots, but pit prices are officially unchanged as under:—Haigh Moor selected, 18s. to 19s.; Wallsend and London best, 17s. to 18s.; Silkstone best, 16s. to 17s.; Silkstone house, 15s. to 16s.; other sorts, 13s. to 14s. 6d. Gas Coal.—The big Yorkshire works are now fully stocked, and the current demand is of the smallest dimen- sions. Forward buying is also quieter, but prices are still very firm, the official advance of Is. being quoted on all tenders. Manufacturing Fuel.—Prices of all qualities are as given in our last report, with the exception of coking smalls, which are possibly 3d. per ton higher on the week. The broken time worked at the collieries has reduced the avail- able supplies of slack, and there are no stocks anywhere. Washed small nuts are also scarce. Washed Furnace Coke.—Some little recovery in the price of washed furnace coke has been noted this week, makers of the best qualities being very firm at 16s. 6d., with occasional sales at 16s. 9d. One or two three months’ contracts are said to have been booked this week at the House coal:— Current Last week’s Prices at pit (London) : prices. prices. Haigh Moor selected ... 14/ 14/ Wallsend & London best 13/ to 13/6 13/ to 13/6 Silkstone best 13/ to 13/6 13/ to 13/6 Do. house 11/6 to 12/3 12/ to 12/6 House nuts 11/ to 11/6 11/ to 11/9 Prices f.o.b. Hull : Haigh Moor best 16/ to 17/ 16/6 to 17/3 Silkstone best 15/9 to 16/6 16/ to 16/9 Do. house 14/6 to 15/6 15/ to 16/ Other qualities 13/6 to 14/6 13/6 to 14/6 Gas coal:— Prices at pit: Screened gas coal 12/3 to 12/9 12/3 to 12/9 Gas nuts 11/6 to 12/6 11/6 to 12/6 Unscreened gas coal ... 10/9 to 11/3 10/9 to 11/3 Other sorts Prices at pit: Washed nuts 12/ to 12/6 12/ to 12/6 Large double-screened engine nuts 11/ to 11/6 11/ to 11/9 Small nuts 10/9 to 11/3 11/ to 11/6 Rough unscreened engine coal 11/ to 11/6 11/ to 11/6 Best rough slacks 9/3 to 9/9 9/3 to 9/9 Small do. 8/3 to 8/9 8/3 to 8/9 Coking smalls 8/9 to 9/ 8/6 to 9/ Coke:— Price at ovens: Furnace coke 16/6 to 17/ 16/ to 16/6 latter figure. We understand that an arrangement has been come to between the various coke manufacturers in South and West Yorkshire, whereby the output and prices may be better regulated. Barnsley. COAL. Although there has not been any particularly marked increase in the demand on export account, the tone of business is considerably improved on the week and the view of sellers has become realised. Whatever may be the cause of the falling away in export, the fact that so large a tonnage is being enquired for by Russia and other countries gave the market a prospective firmness which it is not expected to lose to any material extent until the end of the shipping season. Merchants who contracted largely for delivery could not hold off whilst exporters were restricting shipments, with the result that prices fell about 6d. per ton last week, but the recovery has now been entirely made on current account, whilst for forward delivery values still retain their strength. The position is still assisted from a sellers’ point of view by the reduced output, but there has been no apprehension shown so far at the prospect of trouble arising owing to the non-union question and the claims of surface workers in West Yorkshire. Bese Barnsley hards were still best enquired for on home account, and price had recovered by about 3d. per ton on the week, and secondary descriptions of large steams from the Barnsley bed were also firmer and up to 12s. 9d. per ton. There was little alteration with respect to small steam coal, which appears to be again more freely offered, and perhaps values were the shade easier, but only on current sales. The position forward can hardly be expected to improve, for with the shorter working of house coal collieries the pro- duction will be of a restricted character, whilst there is every likelihood of frequent interruptions on holiday account. Contracts over a short term are only likely to be renewed at higher prices, and the reduced figures which are now being taken are only regarded as of a temporary character. There is little change in regard to gas coal, though some companies are buying freely in the open market and are relying on arrears of contracts to afford further opportunity for eventualities before agreeing to pay the advance of about Is. 3d. per ton which has been secured fairly generally. The demand for house coal is naturally of a quieter character, and stocks are beginning to accumulate, which will test values. Official quotations are still as a week ago, though secondary sorts are obtain- able at less figures, but business cannot be stimulated in a material degree. Colliery representatives report that fair success is attending the demand for Is. per ton advance on contracts for the ensuing year. The position of coke is still of an unsettled character so far as forward contracts are concerned, and whilst the output is being generally well taken, iron-smelters will not enter into any contracts except at much lower prices, and business lacks stability. Prices at pit. 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 ....... Current prices. 14/6 to 15/ 14/ to 14/3 11/6 to 13/ 12/6 to 13/6 11/ to 12/ 13/ to 13/3 12/6 to 12/9 12/6 11/6 9/3 to 9/6 8/6 to 8/9 12/3 to 12/6 12/ 17/ Last week’s prices. 14/6 to 15/ 14/ to 14/3 11/6 to 13/ 11/6 to 12/ 10/6 to 11/ 13/ to 13/3 12/ to 12/6 12/ to 12/6 11/6 9/3 to 9/6 8/6 12/3 to 12/6 12/ 17/ Hull. GOAL Though there is a fair amount of business in progress the market generally does not appear to be quite so firm. Best Yorkshire steamjhards are, however, steady, and most kinds are quoted at last week’s level, theugh there is a distinct under-current of weakness, which may pass off should the foreign demand continue to turn out well. Though it is likely that South Yorkshire will get a large slice of the latest contract sent out by the Russian State Railways, that has been discontinued to a large extent already. There are other requirements known to be about, but it is chiefly Approximate prices for prompt shipment f.o.b. Hull. South Yorkshire:— Best steam hards Current prices. 16/ to 16/3 14/9 to 15/ 14/6 14/6 to 14/9 14/ 12/ to 12/3 10/9 13/3 to 13/6 11/3 10/6 14/6 13/3 16/3 16/ 13/6 13/3 14/6 14/ 16/3 16/ Last week’s prices. 16/ to 16/3 15/ 14/6 14/6 to 14/9 14/ 12/6 to 13/ 10/9 to 11/ 13/9 to 14/ 11/3 to 11/6 10/6 to 11/ 14/6 13/3 16/3 16/ 13/6 13/3 14/6 14/ 16/3 16/ Washed double - screened nuts Un washed 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) Derby shire large nuts ... Do. do. (Grimsby) Nottinghamshire hards... Do. do. (Grimsby) a question of price, exporters being very indisposed to do business on the terms submitted by the owners. Thus,, while the current demand from abroad is fairly good, forward business is in a very limp condition, and little is being or can be done. Small coal and slack are cheaper on the week, and Hartleys have had a further relapse. The shipments, both foreign and coastwise, continue to be on a large scale, and show no signs of falling away from the high level which marked the opening of the Baltic season. The feature at both Hull and Immingham is the enormous ship- ments to Russian Baltic ports. The upward tendency in the freight market is again manifest, and 5s. 7|d. is now being paid for handy-sized steamers, and 5s. 6d. for large steamers for Cronstadt, while for the Mediterranean as much as 10s. 3d. has been paid for a medium-sized steamer for Genoa. The returns of the Humber export trade during the month of May are very satisfactory reading, exhibiting as they do a substantial increase in the aggregate over the corresponding month of last year. The quantities from each of the Humber ports during May in each year are as under:— 1913. 1912. Tone. Tons. Hull ... 358,272 .. .. 337,971 Grimsby ... 82,156 .. . 134,161 Goole ... 88,573 .. ,. 100,362 Immingham ... 110,163 .. .. 50,171 Totals ... 639,164 .. . 622,665 It will be observed that both Grimsby and Goole have large decreases, but these are more than counterbalanced by increases at Hull and Immingham, and leave a net increase for the Humber as a whole of 16,499 tons for the month. The increased export from Hull alone is 20,301 tons. The principal countries taking coal from Hull were North Russia, 131,134 tons; Germany 58,997 tons, and Holland 39,422 tons, all these showing very considerable increases, especially Russia, whose total is nearly 50,000 tons in excess. On the other hand, Italy and South America show a big falling-cff on the month, the former of 25,700 tons, and the latter of 10,000 tons. The total foreign export (exclusive of bunkers) from Hull this year to end of May is 1,633,118 tons, an increase of 762,013 tons over the corresponding period of last year, and 317,287 tons over January to May in 1911. The coastwise shipments are also very encouraging, the total from Hull during the month being 100,234 tons, an increase over the same month last year of 12,504 tons, London with 64,115* tons being the principal customer. The coastwise ship- ments to date this year are 465,128 tons, an increase of 110,697 tons over 1912, and 40,196 tons over 1911. Chesterfield. COAL. The condition of the coal trade of North Derbyshire has undergone no change during the past week. The demand for house coal is of a quiet character, but the orders on hand are, at present, sufficient to enable the pits to con- tinue working full time. Prices remain steady. The renewal of contracts for the next twelve months is pro- ceeding satisfactorily at advances averaging Is. 3d. per ton. Fuel for manufacturing purposes is as much wanted as ever, and the demand shows no signs of falling off. Con- tracts for gas-producing fuel, such as cobbles and nuts, which expire at the end of June, are now being arranged at advances which mark a rise of Is. per ton from the figures ruling twelve months ago. Slack for boiler firing continues in active demand, and new contracts are being entered into at an average advance of Is. 3d. per ton. Steam coal for locomotive use is moving freely, heavy deliveries going forward daily. The export trade is fairly steady. Ship- ments continue on a satisfactory scale, and colliery prices remain firm. It is known that Russia and other foreign countries must still buy a considerable quantity of steam coal for shipment between now and the close of the season. For this reason, it is expected that a fresh spurt will be given to this branch of the trade from the early part of next month, and that prices will become firmer. It happens, however, that very few collieries have any spare coal to dispose of. There is a satisfactory demand for cobbles and nuts for near Continental ports, while washed nuts and washed slack continue to ba readily disposed of.. Prices of these are firm but unchanged. The condition of the coke market shows little or no sign of improvement. The current demand is sufficiently great to absorb the output of the whole of the ovens of the district, but there is less inclination on the part of consumers to enter into contracts for forward delivery. Prices are steady at the moment. Coking fuel continues in good demand, and is still dear. Prices at pit. Current Last week’s Best house coals prices. 14/6 prices. 14/6 Secondary do 12/ 12/6 Cobbles 12/ 12/ Nuts ”/ 11/ Slack 9/ 9/ IRON. The orders on hand are sufficient to keep the works running full time, but enquiries for prices for forward business are less numerous. Labour troubles cause a feeling of nervousness, which in turn prevents that expansion of business which would otherwise undoubtedly be witnessed. Hottlngham. GOAL. Although the general tone of the coal trade in Nottingham- shire is quieter, it cannot be regarded as unsatisfactory, considering the time of the year. The demand in the household section is falling off, but the cold winds have helped sales at the local landsale depots. Second-grade households have consequently been in fair request. Apart from slight reductions in individual cases, prices generally are being maintained. Owing to shipments having temporarily weakened, less activity is apparent in the steam coal branch. At the same time fuel for manu- facturing purposes is in good request, smalls being a-