144 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN July 17, 1914. by no means using up to their full quantities. Steam coal business is of a stagnant nature, and the position is aggra- vated by the strike of Dock Board men at Liverpool, which is interfering with shipment, all work at the coal tips being stopped at the time of writing. Coal is plentiful, and before the stoppage the few orders in the market being eagerly sought after at cut prices. For screened Lancashire steam coal 12s. 3d. to 12s. 6d. f.o.b. up to 13s. 3d. for the best qualities about represent current rates, although in some cases less has been taken. Shipments of household coals for coastwise and cross-Channel trade are probably as large as can be expected for the time of the year. Considerably less slack is being produced in this district owing to the increase of play days at the pits, but the consumption is down almost to as great an extent. There is nothing fresh to report as regards gas coal prices. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). House coal:— Best ................. Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) Medium................ Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) Kitchen............... Common (f.o.b. Grstn.,net) Screened forge coal..... Best scrnd. steam coal f.o.b. Best slack ............. Secondary slack ........ Common do............... Current prices. 17/ 16/6-16/9 15/3 14/6-15/ '13/ 13/3-13/9 11/6-12/ 12/6-13/3 9/9 9/ 8/ - 8/6 L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. 17/ 16/3 16/6-16/9 16/6-17/ 15/3 14/6 14/6-15/ 15/ -15/6 13/ 12/3 13/3-13/9 13/9-14/6 11/6-12/ 12/6-13/ 12/9-13/3 13/3-14/3 9/9 10/6 9/ 9/9 8/ - 8/6 9/3 South Lancashire and Cheshire. COAL. There was an average attendance of members on the Manchester Coal Exchange on Tuesday last, but not much business in progress. House coal- was quiet, as might be expected with the weather as it is, and nothing to disturb the evenness of the trade. Furnace coal also is in quiet demand, and shipping very little different to the report of last week. The consumption of slack in the cotton industry, between the holidays now on at so many towns, and a little irregularity in working, is much below the normal. 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. 17/3-18/ 16/ -16/9 13/3-14/ 12/6 14/ 9/6-10/ 8/6- 9/ I L’st week’s ! prices. I 17/3-18/ ; 16/ -16/9 : 13/3-14/ 12/6 i 14/ I 9/6-10/ j 8/6- 9/. Last year’s prices. 16/6-17/ 15/3-16/ 12/6-13/ 12/6 ' 14/ 10/ -10/6 9/ - 9/6 IRON. Nothing worthy of report took place at Birmingham quarterly meeting, prices consequently are unaltered here, with the exception of ordinary plates, which have been reduced a further 2s. 6d. Pig iron is without alteration; there is nothing really to test the market, people will only buy from hand to mouth. Forges report lack of business, and it is hard for them to even remain on the short time that they are on. Prices remain without alteration—viz., Crown bars <£7 5s., second quality <£6 15s., hoops <£7 12s. 6d., ordinary plates <£6 2s. 6d., boiler quality =£7 5s. Steel works are also on short time and are losing' a lot of orders to foreigners, who continue to send in billets at about £4 5s. English Siemens billets are quoted at <=£4 17s. 6d. to <£5. AU the other trades are slack, and their prices remain without alteration. ----------------- Yorkshire asid Berkshire. Leeds. COAL. There was a fairly representative attendance at the market on Tuesday, but apart from steam coal and -washed double screened nuts there were very few enquiries. It was reported that the pits had worked on the average about four days, but that stocks of secondary qualities of house coal in colliery sidings had been increased. The supply of empty wagons has been fairly satisfactory. House Coal.—The improvement noted last week is still felt as regards the better qualities of house coal, but secondary sorts are very difficult to move, and are more in buyers’ favour. London merchants arc taking about full contract quantities, but there is not much doing in the open market. A fair number of lots of Silkstone bests have been sold for stacking. Not many contracts for the London district have yet been booked, as buyers prefer to risk the open market rather than pay the prices quoted. The retail trade in London has been much quieter this week with the hot weather. There is nothing doing in the coastwise trade, except at very special prices. In the local markets merchants are employed scarcely half their time. The principal demand in the retail trade runs on house nuts and the cheaper grades of cobbles. Forward business still hangs fire, as merchants decline to pay the prices quoted. Current pit prices :—Haigh Moor selected, 18s. to 19s. ; Silkstone best, 17s. to 18s.; Silkstone house, 16s. to 17s.; other qualities, 13s. to 14s. 6d. Gas Coal.—There are a good number of tenders that were sent out three or four weeks ago that have not yet boon accepted, buyers generally refusing to pay the prices named. In one or two cases there have been considerable displacements of orders, and this has to some extent weakened the market. On the average the business fixed up this week will show a reduction of 6d. to fid. per ton on the best qualities, with up to Is. reduction on the cheaper grades. The most marked feature of the trade at the present time is the call for gas nuts. Manufacturing Fuel.—The limited output is about equal to market requirements, mid prices show very little change compared with a week ago. A biggish contract for the Bradford district has been booked this week at a reduction of Is. Id. per ton on the prices of the expiring contracts. Washed Furnace Coke.—There is a fair amount of now business being booked in the neighbourhood of 10s. per ton at the ovens for washed patent oven coke. The production of the ovens, however, is not 75 per cent, of their capacity, and yet the output is more than sufficient for market needs, and stocks all round are fairly heavy. There is a slight improvement in the demand from the Midlands, and fairly good deliveries are being sent into the Frodingham district. House coal:— Current L’st week’s Last year’s Prices at pit (London) : prices. •prices. prices. Haigh Moor selected ... 14/ 14/ 14/ Wallsend & London best 13/ -13/9 13/ -13/9 13/ -13/6 Silkstone best 13/ -13/9 131 -13/9 13/ -13/6 Do. house 12/ -12/6 12/ -12/6 11/9-12/3 House nuts Prices f.o.b. Hull:— 11/ -11/6 11/ -11/6 11/ -11/6 Haigh Moor best 16/ -17/ 16/6-17/ 16/ -16/9 Silkstone best 15/ -16/ 15/6-16/ 15/6-16/ Do. house 13/9-14/6 14/ -14/6 14/6-15/ Other qualities Gas coal:— Prices at pit: 13/ -14/ 13/ -14/ 13/9-14/9 Screened gas coal 11/ -11/6 11/ -12/ 12/3-12/9 Gas nuts 10/ -10/6 10/ -11/ 11/6-12/6 Unscreened gas coal ... Other sorts:— Prices at pit : 9/6-10/ 9/9-10/6 10/6-11/ Washed nuts Large double-screened 10/9-11/6 10/9-11/6 12/ -12/6 engine nuts 9/6-10/6 9/6-10/6 11/ -11/6 Small nuts Rough unscreened 9/ -9/9 9/ - 9/9 10/ -10/9 engine coal 9/3- 9/9 9/3- 9/9 10/6-11/ Best rough slacks 7/ - 8/ 7/ - 8/ 8/6- 9/3 Small do. 6/ - 6/9 6/ - 6/9 8/ - 8/6 Coking smalls Coke:— Price at ovens: 6/ -7/ 6/3- 7/ 7/9- 8/3 Furnace coke 10/ -10/9 10/ -10/9 14/ -14/6 Barnsley. COAL. Generally speaking, the market has undergone little change since last week, but the recent increased demand for steam coal for export purposes has had its effect locally, with the result that values have not only been kept firm, but, if anything, slightly increased. The current price of this class of fuel is about Ils. 6d. to 12s. per ton, and the Barnsley seam pits in this district are keeping up a good average output. For secondary steam hards the enquiry is fairly good, and the prices remain practically unaltered— howbeit, the supplies are somewhat scarcer, owing to restricted working hours now in vogue at the thinner seam pits. Notwithstanding this, secondary steam hards have not jumped in price, which is averaging from 10s. 6d. to Ils. per ton. There is little doing in the nature of forward arrangements, and the continued procrastination in this direction evidences that coalowners are maintaining a firm attitude, and there is every evidence of the probability of the prolongation of negotiations, as buyers are holding off and meeting their present requirements in the open market. Best washed nuts are also in fairly good demand, with prices ruling firm at from 10s. 6d. to 10s. 9d. per ton, while secondary are still rather on the weak side at 9d. to Is. per ton less. The enquiry for manufacturing fuel has varied but little, but notwithstanding the quieter trade in the textile district there is a, good demand for the better class slacks, which continue strong up to 7s. per ton, with the rougher sorts averaging from Is. to Is. 3d. per ton less in a trade subject to fluctuations. In regard to gas coal contracts, the anticipation of sellers that further concessions would bo forthcoming has not materialised to any marked extent, but buyers are still holding off in the hope of being able to effect big renewals at a reduction. The house coal trade, in view of the summer weather, must be considered good; and though the demand for best house coal has fallen, coalowners in many instances are continuing to ground the mineral rather than reduce prices. For secondary sorts the trade is fairly good. Coke is in fair demand, but makers are still contending with a poor market, so far as price is concerned. Current i I 'L’st week’s Last year’s House coals:— prices. prices, j prices. Best Silkstone ... 15’6-16/ ; 15/6-16/ i .14/6 Best Barnsley softs ... 15/ -15/3 ; 15/ -15/3 1 14'/ Secondary do. ..J 12/ -13/ ’ 12/ -13/ i ' 13/ ; 11/ -13/ Best house nuts ...: 13/ 12/ -13/6 Secondary do 10/9-11/6 ; 10/9-11/6 ! 11/ -12/ Steam coals:— Best hard coals; 11/6-12/ •• 11/6-11/9 i 12/9-13/3 Secondary do ... 10/6-11/ ; 10/6-11/ j 12' -12/3 Best washed nuts 10/6-10/9 10/6-10/9 '12/ Secondary do 9/9-10/ ; 9/9-10/ 11/ Best slack .../ 6/9- 7/ i 6/9-7/ 9/ Rough do ..< 5/9- 6/' | 5/9- 6/ 8/ - 8/3 Gas coals •’— i 12/ -12/6 Screened gas coals ... 11/6 i — Unscreened do ...! 10'6 10/6 i — Gas nuts ... 10'6-11/ j 10'9-11/ 1 11/ -12/ Furnace coke 10/ 10/ -10/6 j 13/6 Hull. COAL. The increased activity in the Humber coal trade con- tinues. Buyers for export have boon much more in evidence, this being in a large measure due to the fact that earlier in the season they had held aloof, and that much less coal was fixed up on contract than usual. Whether this policy of delay in order to buy in the open market will prove to have been justified by events seems doubtful at the moment. The best kinds of steam coal, which are now in demand, maintain late values astonishingly well, and best South Yorkshire is firmly held at 14s. fid. to 15s. for prompt ship- ment. A little extra, stiffening to the market has been given by the menacing state of affairs in the Scottish coal trade. Supplies of steam coal, however, are nor too plentiful, the reduced output for some weeks past having told a tale. Derbyshire and Nottingham steams are also firmly held, and prices show no signs of declining. Secondary sorts are in firm request, and pieces remain unchanged, while gas and house coal are quiet. The manufacturing demand is only moderate. At the docks shipments are on a heavy scale and at times vessels have had to wait turns, though there has been no serious delay. Collieries are sending huge quantities forward over the rails under contract. Shipper have practically given up hope of seeing freight rates much lower, and though there have been signs of a slightly easier tendency, Cronstadt rules steady at 5s. with a little more paid for neighbouring Baltic ports, and Swedish Sound ports quoted at 4s. 9d. to 5s. A steamer to carry 2,700 tons has been chartered to-day Hull to Petersburg at 5s. and a smaller one for Riga at 5s. 3d. Mediterranean rates are easier at 7s. 3d., the nominal figure for Genoa, Alexandria or Port Said. For a small steamer Immingham to Oporto 8s. 2d. is reported paid, and for a 5,000 tonner Hull to Monte Video 13s. 6d. The following are the approxi- mate prices for prompt shipment, f.o.b. Hull. South Yorkshire:— Best steam hards Washed double-scr’ned nuts Unwashed double- screened nuts Washed single-screened nuts Unwashed single-scr’ned nuts Washed smalls Unwashed smalls West Yorkshire:— Hartleys Rough slack Pea slack Best Silkstone screened gas coal Best Silkstone unscr’ned gas coal Derbyshire and Notts :— Best steam hards (Hull) Do. (Grimsby) Derbyshire nuts (d’bles) Derbyshire nuts (d’bles) (Grimsby) Derbyshire large nuts... Do. do. (Grimsby) Nottinghamshire hards Do. do. (Grimsby) Leicestershire hards (Hull and Grimsby)... Current prices. 14/9-15/ 13/9-14/ 13/6 13/3-13/6 13/ 9/ 8/3 12/3 9/6 8/3- 8/6 13/6 12/ 14/6 14/- 14/3 12/6 12/3 14/ 13/6 14/6 14/ -14/3 L’st week’s prices. 14/9-15/ 13/9-14/ 13/6 13/3-13/6 13/ 9/ 8/3 12/3 9/6 S/3-8/6 13/6 ’ 12/ 14/6 14/ -14 '3 12/6 ' 12/3 14/ 13/6 14/6 14/ -14/3 13/6-13/9 Last year’s prices. 16/3-16/6 13/3-13/9 13/ 13/9-14/ 13/ 11/ 10/ 13/3-13/6 10/9-11/ 9/9 14/3 13/ -13/3 15/6 15/ -15/3 13/6 13/3 14/6 14/ 15/6 15/ -15/3 Chesterfield. COAL. The house coal section of the coal trade of North Derbyshire continues in a depressed condition, the pits averaging not more than three days per week. By thus restricting the output stocks are prevented from becoming unwieldy. Prices on the whole are fairly steady. There is no falling off in the demand for fuel for manufacturing purposes, and a good business continues to be done in this class of coal. In some instances contracts are being renewed for larger quantities than was the case a year ago for steelworks’ requirements. Prospects are considered hopeful. Cobbles and nuts for gas-producers continue move freely. There is, this week, a slightly improved demand for slack for boiler firing, and prices are a little firmer. Supply, however, is still in excess of the demand. Steam coal for locomotive use is in satisfactory request, and good deliveries are made daily to the various distributing centres. The feature this week is the strong demand for steam coal for shipment, and prices are very firm at 14s. 6d. per ton for the best brands of Derby shire Top Hards delivered free alongside steamer at Grimsby. This figure represents an advance of a shilling per ton upon the prices quoted a couple of months ago. Russia is again a large buyer of steam coal, and her total requirements will certainly cause much activity in the export trade over the next three months. Collieries arc working full time, and are much pressed for supplies. The possibility of a stoppage of work in the Scottish coalfield is already causing some concern to English consumers lest the trouble may ultimately extend South. At any rate, enquiries already coining to hand seem to create the impression that customers are con- sidering the advisability of putting coal into stock in readiness for any such eventuality. Washed nuts are in strong demand, and supplies are comparatively short. Prices are steadily advancing. Washed slack is also in better request. If anything, the coke market is a shade firmer. Prices at pit. Best house coals Current 'L’stweek’s l/Last year’s prices. 12/ prices. 12' prices. ‘ 14 '6 Secondary do 11 / 11/ ' 12/6 Cobbles 10;6 10'6 12/ Nuts 9’6 ’ 9/6 11/ Slack 7/6 ' 7/6 i 9/ IRON. The cloud of depression in the iron trade doos not disperse, and there are no indications of brightness in the near future. Orders are very badly wanted. ISottmgham. COAL. Taking the coal tinde of Nottinghamshire as a whole, the tone is satisfactory considering the time of the year. There is comparatively little doing in the section for domestic fuel, although the bettor class qualities are in best demand. Secondary and common sorts are having a slow sale, and in spite of the collieries working short time stocks are increasing. Notwithstanding, owners are showing no disposition to force sales by reducing prices, and con- sequently merchants are continuing to purchase mainly for immediate requirements. The improvement in the import branch of the steam coal trade, noted a week ago, has boon fully maintained, and the demand for best Kards has tended to harden prices. Although secondary qualities are not in very active request, still the trade done in this class of fuel is sufficient to keep values up to recent rates. In regard to now contracts, not much business is being transacted, as owners are not inclined to make any concessions, and consequently merchants are adopting a waiting policy. The slack market has undergone practically no change from last week; while best sorts are going out