June 20, 1913. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 1339 17s. 3d. to 17s. 6d. and best eastern-valleys at 17s. to 17s. 3d., in each case f.o.b. Cardiff. There is no alteration in house coals, but the demand is very quiet as buyers anticipate a fall on the 1st of next month. No. 3 Rhondda large is still -quoted at 17s. 6d., but for No. 2 ditto not more than 14s. to 14s. 6d. is obtainable, being a drop of about 2s. per ton. Small is 8s. to 8s. 6d., or Is. to Is. 6d. less. Shipments of patent fuel during the week have been very large, amounting in the aggregate to over 37.000 tons. The Crown Fuel Company exported 15,171 tons, and other local makers 5,550 tons, whilst Swansea despatched 13,550 tons and Newport 2,800 tons. Prices are still on the basis of 24s. for best brands. Coke generally is Is. per ton lower, special foundry being 31s. and furnace coke 24s. to 25s. Pit wood is 22s. per ton. Freights are firmer, 10s. 6d. being paid to Genoa and 12s. 6d. to Constantinople. Prices f.o.b. Cardiff (except where otherwise stated). Current Last week’s Steam coals:— Best Admiralty steam prices. prices. coals 20/6 to 21/ 21/3 to 21/9 Superior seconds 19/6 20/6 to 20/9 Ordinary do 18/ to 18/6 19/ Best bunker smalls 10/9 to 11/ 10/9 to 11/ Best ordinaries 9/6 10/ to 10/6 Cargo qualities 8/ to 8/3 8/6 to 9/ Inferior smalls 7/ to 7/6 7/ to 7/6 Best dry coals 19/6 to 20/ 19/6 to 20/ Ordinary drys 15/9 to 16/3 17/ to 18/ Best washed nuts 15/6 16/ Seconds 14/6 15/ Best washed peas 14/ 14/6 Seconds 13/ 13/6 Dock screenings Monmouthshire— 11/ 10/ Black Veins 17/9 18/6 to 18/9 Western-valleys 17/3 to 17/6 18/ to 18/3 Eastern-valleys 17/ to 17/3 17/6 to 17/9 Inferior do Bituminous coals:— 16/6 16/9 to 17/ Best house coals (at pit) 20/ 20/ Second qualities (at pit) No. 3 Rhondda— 18/ 18/ Bituminous large 17/6 17/6 Through-and-through... 15/6 16/ Small No. 2 Rhondda— 13/ 14/ Large 14/ to 14/6 16/3 to 16/6 Through-and-through... 12/6 14/6 Small 8/ to 8/6 9/6 Pest patent fuel 24/ 24/ Seconds 22/ 22/ Special foundry coke 31/ 32/ Ordinary do. t 28/ to 29/ 29/ to 30/ Furnace coke 24/ to 25/ 25/ Pitwood (ex-ship) 22/ 22/6 Coal and patent fuel quotations are for net cash in 30 days. Rhondda bituminous coals at pithead are roughly Is. 3d. per ton less. All pithead prices are usually net. Coke is net f.o.b. IRON. Prospects in the tin-plate trade are more cheering. In the Llanelly district, the centre of the industry, all the works with the exception of the Western are once more in operation, and a similar encouraging report comes from other districts. The shipments last week amounted to 169,180 boxes, or 30,418 boxes more than were received from works, so that stocks are now 370,616 boxes as compared with 526,645 boxes at the corresponding period of last year. Though the prices obtainable still leave plenty of room for improvement, makers are recompensed to some extent by the fall in block tin and steel bars; 14 x 20cokes are 13s. 9d. to 13s. 10£d., and oil sizes 14s. l|d. to 14s. 3d. per box. One satisfactory feature is that, through the inability of the American tin-plate makers on account of the damage caused by the recent floods to carry out their contracts, they have been compelled to come into the Welsh market for supplies. The steel bar trade is fairly active, makers being in most cases booked well ahead. Prices, however, are very low, and though £5 5s. is nominally quoted for both Siemens and Bessemer tin bars, it is no secret that considerably less is being taken. This is not surprising when it is considered that the Belgian steelmakers are offering bars at £4 7s. f.o.b., equivalent to about .£4 13s. 6d. delivered at works in Wales. The galvanised sheet trade is very dull. A fair number of enquiries have been received from India and South America, but from other directions the enquiry is very limited. Prices generally are of a disappointing character. At many works, in order to keep their machinery going, they have had to make considerable concessions to buyers. Leading makers are accepting £10 17s. 6d. to £11 for 24-gauge corrugateds. Welsh pig iron has fallen to 80s. f.o.t. Best rubio iron ore is 19s. 6d. to 20s., seconds 18s. to 18s. 6d., and Almeria 19s., but very little buying is taking place. New steel crop ends are 66s. to 66s. 6d., heavy wrought 54s. to 55s., heavy steel and cast 57s. 6d., and old steel rails (mixed sections) 55s. per ton. Swansea. COAL. The trade of the port last week was, on the whole, much under the average of the past year. Both the coal and patent fuel trades were exceptionally quiet, the shipments together only totalling 75,748 tons. There was a very good attendance on 'Change this morning, but there was no material improvement to report in the general condition of the anthracite coal market, the undertone being still weak. Tonnage supplies were far from satisfactory and all classes of anthracite were freely offered for immediate delivery at less than current prices. Both Swansea Valley and Red Vein large were freely offered at very low prices. Machine- made nuts and cobbles were barely holding their own. Rubbly culm and duff were more easily obtainable at reduced figures. There was no change in the position of the steam coal market. Bunkers were still weak. IRON. During the past week the iron and steel trades were steady. The tin-plate and sheet mills were fully operating at all the Morriston works, with one exception. Two mills were idle at the Upper Forest, owing to the breaking of a •shaft. Several new mills have been added to the Foxhole 'works and, it is expected, will be operating in a few days. Prices f.o.b. Swansea (cash in 30 days). Anthracite:— Best malting large (hand picked) (net) Secondary do Big Vein large (less 2| per cent.) Red Vein large do Machine - made cobbles (net) Paris nuts (net) French do. do German do. do Beans (net) Machine-made large peas (net) Do. fine peas (net) Rubbly culm (less 2| p.c.) Duff (net) Steam coals:— Best large (less 2| p.c.) ... Seconds do. Bunkers do. Small do. Bituminous coals:— No. 3 Rhondda— Large (less 2|p.c.) Through - and - through (less 2| p.c.) Small (less 2| per cent.) Patent fuel do Current prices. 22/ to 24/ 18/6 to 20/ 16/ to 17/6 12/ to 13/ 22/ to 23/6 23/ to 24/ 23/ to 24/ 23/ to 24/ 16/6 to 19/ 11/6 to 13/6 7/6 to 8/ 5/3 to 5/6 19/6 to 21/ 16/ to 17/ 13/6 to 14/6 8/ to 9/6 17/ to 18/6 15/ to 16/6 13/9 to 15/ 20/ to 21/ Last week’s prices. 22/ to 24/ 19/ to 20/ 16/6 to 18/6 12/ to 13/ 22/ to 23/6 23/ to 24/6 23/ to 24/6 23/ to 24/6 16/6 to 19/ 11/6 to 13/6 8/6 to 9/ 5/6 to 6/ 19/6 to 21/ 16/ to 17/ 10/ to 15/ 9/ to 12/ 19/ to 20/ 16/6 to 17/6 14/9 to 16/ 21/6 to 22/6 There was a substantial yield of pig iron at the blast- furnaces in the district, and the steel works were also very actively engaged. The Mannesmann Tube Works were full up with orders. The shipments of tin-plates last week were 169,180 boxes, receipts from works 138,762 boxes, and stocks remaining in the dock warehouses and vans 370,616 boxes. Llanelly. COAL. There has been no improvement of any kind in the demand for the various qualities in this district, and the position is probably easier than it has been for a long time. Nearly every quality is affected, and the sorts which were in big demand a week or two book are now slumping. The collapse of the bituminous and steam coal market has been more sudden than was anticipated, and the many works will be able to book forward at far more advantageous figures than they expected. Prices are already down quite 2s. per ton lower than they were a month ago. The position in the anthracite market is anything but satisfactory, and collieries have all their work cut out to keep going full time. The very warm weather of the past few days has caused a falling off in the demand for Red Vein, and the prices have been reduced to have wagons released. Beans are in poor demand, and culm and duff are more easily obtainable at lower figures. This week's prices:— Prices f.o.b. Anthracite:— Best malting large.... Secondary do.......... Big Vein large........ Red Vein do. ......... Machine-made cobbles ... German nuts .......... French do............. Paris do.............. Machine-made beans ... Do peas.......... Rubbly culm .......... Duff ................. Other sorts:— Large steam coal...... Through-and-through ... Small................. Bituminous small coal ... Current prices. 21/ to 23/ 19/ to 20/6 16/6 to 17/6 12/6 to 13/6 18/6 to 20/6 22/ to 23/ 22/ to 23/ 22/ to 23/ 19/ to 21/ 11/6 to 13/ 7/6 to 8/ 5/ to 6/6 17/ to 18/ 14/ to 15/ 10/ toll/ 11/6 to 12/6 Last week's prices. 21/ to 23/ 20/ to 21/ 17/ to 18/ 12/6 to 13/6 18/6 to 20/6 22/ to 24/ 22/ to 24/ 22/ to 24/ 19/ to 21/ 11/6 tc 13/ 9/ to 9/3 6/ to 8/ 16/ to 17/ 14/6 to 15/6 10/ toll; 12/ to 13/ INDIAN AND COLONIAL NOTES. India. The Secretary for State for India recently received a deputation, introduced by Mr. H. McLeod, chairman of the East India section of the London Chamber of Commerce, which asked for improved facilities for access to the Bengal coalfields, deprecated the ownership of collieries by the railway companies, and while expressing satisfaction that the railway allotment has been increased in the Budget for the current year to £12,000,000, argued that this total is still inadequate to the pressing railway needs of the country. It was suggested that a triennial programme of equipment and new construction should be laid down and adhered to. Lord Crewe replied sympa- thetically, and without committing himself to acceptance of all the views laid before him, undertook to consult the Government of India in respect thereto. Africa. South African Mineral Output.—Excluding diamonds the total mineral output of the Union of South Africa was in the month of February valued at .£3,395,773. Of this total gold alone was valued at £3,110,396, coal £161,158, tin, copper, &c., £114,399, and silver £9,820. The monthly output of diamonds may be estimated at three quarters of a million sterling, thus making the total estimated value well over four millions. During the month of February there was a net gain of one producing colliery in both the Cape Province and Natal, but one closed down in the Transvaal, the total number of collieries at work in the Union of South Africa being returned as 66 as compared with 65 in January. Of these 30 were in the Transvaal, 22 in Natal, 9 in the Cape Province, and five in the Orange Free State. The total tonnage sold during February was 641,217, of which more than one half, namely, 380,802 tons represented the Transvaal sales, 212,442 tons the Natal sales, 42,509 tons Orange Free State, and 5,464 tons the Cape Province. Of the total of 380,802 tons sold in the Transvaal, the collieries in the Middelburg district con- tributed no less than 283,790 tons, whilst the springs district only contributed 41,519 tons, and 10 collieries scattered over different parts of the Transvaal 55,493 tons. Average selling prices of coal at the pit top again show in the Transvaal a slight improvement being 4a. 4d. in February, as compared with 4s. 3|d. in January, all the different districts contributing to this improvement. The Springs average pit ton selling price was practically 5s. 2d. per ton, Middelburg 4s. 3d., whilst for the other districts it was only 3s. lid. per ton. Low as these average pit top selling prices are, practically all the Transvaal collieries are earning dividends for the shareholders, and seem likely to continue to do so. In Natal, too, since ten of the collieries formed themselves into an association for the better regulation of trade and selling prices, the latter have been steadily improving, until for February the average for the whole of the province was 6s. per ton. Before the formation of the association, prices had fallen to as low as 5s. 6d. per ton at the pit tops, a figure at which there was little room for profit. Outside the contracts prices have advanced Is. per ton, and for the small mer- chants Is. 6d. per ton»advance has been asked, and in time a further improvement may be looked for, the non-associated collieries following the lead of the others wherever it seems expedient to do so. In the Orange Free State the average pit top selling price increased from 5s. 4d. in January to 5s. 6d. in February, but in the Cape Province the price fell from Ils. 7d. to 10s. 9d. The explanation is that Ils. 7d. is an abnornal average for the pit top selling price of coal in the Cape Province, but many of the collieries are small ones and dependent on local demand, the quality of the coal being such that in the principal local markets it is impossible to compete with the more distant Transvaal and Natal collieries even before the recent reductions in railway rates took place. Natal Coal Trade.-r-The total output of coal in Natal during March, says our correspondent, was returned at 243,600 tons, as compared with 235,430 tons for the corres- ponding month of last year. Although this was a slight improvement amounting in all 8,170 tons, it cannot by any means be considered satisfactory. It was not even a normal increase such as ought to be obtained under ordinary circumstances were the railway in a position to supply ample rolling stock, not to mention reducing the railway rate for export coal. The coal bunkered at Durban during the month reached 107,697 tons, whilst the coal actually exported oversea to other countries was 54,332 tons. There were also shipped to other ports of the Union of South Africa 21,419 tons, making the total shipments at Durban during the month 183,448 tons. Out of the total output of coal produced in Natal during March, amounting to 243,600 tons, only 60,152 tons were consumed in the province of Natal, or sent overland to other South African markets. Canada. The Nova Scotia Steel and Coal Company has disposed of its entire output for the year at prices considerably higher than those prevailing in 1912. Work is well advanced in sinking the new No. 6 shaft at Sydney Mines, and a large amount of coal is being taken out. The old Jubilee pit is being extended and developed to tap several underlying seams. The increase in output at all the company's collieries is expected to run the total production for the year over the million ton mark. The province of Alberta has equipped a mine rescue train, in addition to the rescue stations at Blairmore, Frank and Lethbridge, as an effective means of relief in the case of mining accidents. It carries apparatus sufficient for seventeen rescuers, and is in charge of W. B. Powell, formerly president of the Miners' Union. The City Council of Calgary, Alberta, is considering the advisability of purchasing a municipal coalmine, and, in response to a request for tenders, a number of good coal properties, at various distances within 100 miles of the city, have been offered at prices ranging from 125,000 dols. to 500,000 dols., and are being investigated. Hull Coal Imports.—The official return of the Hull Cor- poration shows that during May 748,400 tons of coal were imported into Hull, of which 705,263 tons came by rail, and 43,137 tons by river. The total for the corresponding month of 1912 was 656,154 tons. The aggregate for the first five completed months was 3,311,819 as compared with 2,368,013. Partnerships Dissolved.—The London Gazette announces the dissolution of the following partnerships:—F. J. Sugg and C. D. Sugg, carrying on business as coal merchants, at Langdon-road, Upper Holloway, under the style of F. J. Sugg and Co.; A. H. Laybourne and R. C. T. Laybourne, carrying on business as engineers and ironfounders, at the Isca Foundry, Newport, under the style of Isca Foundry Company.