974 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN November 6, 1914 _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ s specialised fuel. With regard to manufacturing fuel, best qualities of slacks are in good demand, but stocks of the inferior sorts are accumulating and are now considerable. One or two of the collieries have been quoting special prices for the past few days, without, however, meeting with much success This applies to some extent also to coking smalls. Washed furnace coke is almost unsaleable, and one or two makers in urgent need of orders have offered average qualities of patent oven coke at 10s. 6d. per ton. The iron and steel trades are exceptionally quiet, and one or two makers of coke are putting the ovens on short blast. In spite of this, stocks are considerable. South-West Lancashire. COAL. In the inland household coal trade there is still a lack of briskness, the open weather being the cause. Screened coal for forges and manufacturing purposes is only in moderate demand, most of the forges not being on full work the week through. Shipping continues inactive, business if anything being quieter than it was a week ago. Require- ments under contract for the liners as yet show no improvement, and there is less open sale enquiry. Under the circumstances supplies are still in excess of demand, and there is keen competition for what orders are about. Quotations for screened Lancashire steam coals still range from 12s. to 12s. 9d. f.o.b., according to quality, but there is a tendency to shade a little to secure business. The coastwise and cross-Channel trade in household coals can scarcely be classed as more than fair, just an average business being in progress. In slacks some surplus still goes into stock at the collieries, but there is rather a better tone in regard to the outlook in the cotton trade, and some of the mills are commencing to work better time. In gas coal the increased demand for winter purposes comes on rather slower than usual, as in many of the manufacturing towns some of the mills that are running only work the shorter day, and others are on broken time. All this has an effect upon the consumption of gas, and consequently upon the demand for coal. _________________ 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 L’st week’s prices. prices. 17/ 17/ 16/6-16/9 16/6-16/9 15/3 15/3 14/6-15/ 14/6-15/ 13/ 13/ 13/ -13/6 13/3-13/6 11/6-12/ 11/6-12/ 12/ -12/9 12/ -12/9 9/3- 9/6 9/3- 9/6 8/6- 8/9 8/6- 8/9 8/ - 8/3 8/ - 8/3 Last year’s prices. 17/ 16/9-17/3 15/3 15/ -15/6 13/ 13/9-14/6 12/6-13/ 13/ -14/ 10/3 9/6 9/ ________ ________ South Lancashire and Cheshire. COAL. The Manchester Coal Exchange was well attended on Tuesday. There is some improved demand for house coal, without any change of prices on November 1. Furnace coal is moving away in moderate quantities, while shipping coal is mostly confined to contract account. Slack has no better appearance, and plentiful supplies are offered at, in cases, low prices, in order to clear wagons. Generally prices are as below :— Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). House coal:— Current L’st week’s tast year’s Prices at pit (London) : prices. prices. prices. Haigh Moor selected ... 14/ -15/ 14/ -15/ 15/ -16/ Wallsend & London best 13/6-14/6 13/6-14/6 14/ -14/6 Silkstone best 13/6-14/ 13/6-14/ 14/ -14/6 Do. house 12/6-13/ 12/6-13/ 12/6-13/ House nuts 11/6-12/ 11/6-12/ 11/6-12/6 Prices f.o.b. Hull:— Haigh Moor best 17/ -17/6 17/ -17/6 17/6-18/6 Silkstone best 15/6-16/6 15/6-16/6 16/6-17/6 Do. house 14/ -14/6 14/ -14/6 14/6-15/6 Other qualities 13/ -13/6 13/ -13/6 14/6-15/ Gas coal:— Prices at pit: Screened gas coal 10/6-11/ 10/6-11/ 12/ -12/6 Gas nuts 9/6-10/3 9/6-10/3 11/ -12/ Unscreened gas coal ... 9/3- 9/6 9/3- 9/6 10/ -10/6 Other sorts:— Prices at pit : Washed nuts 10/3-10/9 10/3-10/9 10/6-11/6 Large double-screened engine nuts 9/3- 9/9 9/3- 9/9 9/9-10/6 Small nuts 9/ - 9/6 9/ - 9/6 9/3- 9/9 Rough unscreened engine coal 9/ - 9/6 9/ - 9/6 9/9-10/3 7/6- 8/ Best rough slacks 7/ - 7/6 7/3- 7/9 Small do. 6/ - 6/6 6/ - 6/9 6/ - 7/ Coking smalls 6/ - 6/6 6/ - 7/ 6/6- 7/ Coke:— Price at ovens: Furnace coke 10/6 10/6-11/ 12/ Barnsley. COAL. Owing to the further difficulties in carrying on foreign trade, there was little enquiry on export account at the usual local market this week. There seemed to be con- siderable doubt as to the outcome of the situation and about satisfied their requirements—at any rate for the time being. France is still taking a great deal, fully half the shipments from. Hull now being despatched to Rouen and other ports. There is plenty of steam coal on offer, and odd lots are to be had at quite easy figures for prompt shipment. Best Yorkshire steam hards are now worth round about 13s. at Hull, with holders, anxious to clear, willing to take less. Secondary sorts are in poor request, and prices range from Ils. to 12s. 3d. Derbyshire steams brands are steady at 13s. 6d. Grimsby or A fair amount of business is passing house coals, but manufacturing kinds active. Shipments at the docks con- good, but the bulk is under contract, who are -not already stemmed are finding getting suitable tonnage. of particular Immingham. in gas and are not so tinue fairly and shippers difficulty in getting suitable tonnage. In view of the shortage and the risks of North Sea navigation owners can command pretty much what they like, and it is reported on ’Change to-day that as high as 13s. has been paid for a steamer for 8,000 tons Hull to Genoa. This is the highest figure recorded this season, and compares with 8s. 9d. to 9s. three weeks or so ago. Several vessels have been taken for Rouen at 9s., while for South America 12s. is reported paid Hull to Villa Constitucion (12s. 6d. Rosario) 4,000 tons. The new North Sea regulation have had no effect on the coastwise rate, which remains at about 4s. 3d. London. House coal:— Best .............. Medium............. Common................. Furnace coal......... Bunker (f.o.b. Partington) Best slack .......... Common slack ........ Current L’st week’s prices. prices. 17/3-18/ 17/3-18/ 16/ -16/9 16/ -16/9 13/3-14/ 13/3-14/ 12/ 12/ 13/ -14/ 13/ -14/ 9/6-10/ 9/6-10/ 8/ - 9/ 8/ - 9/ Last year’s prices. 17/3-18/ 16/ —16/9 13/3-14/ 12/6 14/ 10/ -10/6 . 9/ - 9/6 IRON. Not much enquiry for new work, and beyond the firms that are doing something for the Government, there are no works very busily employed. Those who are doing work either directly or indirectly for the Government are very busy. There is really no enquiry to test the market, and it is useless alluding to prices. Foundries are very slack, and few of them are working any time worth men- tioning. Forges are slack on iron. Steel works are busy with billets £5 17s. 6d., and bars £7 15s. There is some competition from Canada and America at the moment in billets and in bars. Boiler makers are diverting from their usual trade, and most of the big ones have secured work to keep them going for some time from the Admiralty. Engineers are badly off. Textile engineers, we might say, are a little busier. Wagon works are very short of orders. This is quite understood, as with the collieries working such wretched time there is no immediate want of wagons. ________________ Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Leeds. opinions were expressed that when more reasonable facilities were provided a fairly extensive trade would become possible with France and Italy. Up to the present the changed state of affairs has not materially affected the working of the district collieries, which still average about four days per week. In regard to the home trade there was a fairly strong demand for the best kinds of steam fuel, and collieries in this district are evidently able to get along fairly well without the usual shipments for abroad, but only low offers were received from shippers for foreign supplies. The prices in the home market continue to be tolerably firm, and best large steams in particular main- tained their position, the reduced output continuing to be in proportion to the enquiry. The situation in respect to secondary sorts, however, continues to be somewhat weak, and although surplus tonnage is fairly freely offered at considerably reduced prices for export, a higher range of prices is being asked from home consumers. The active state of affairs in some of the manufacturing districts led to a brisk demand for smaller kinds of steam fuel. The best washed nuts were in particularly good request and showed a slight improvement in prices compared with a week ago, but secondary descriptions were quoted at about the same figure. There has been some little recovery in regard to best slacks, although prices were unaltered, but the heavy tonnage of rough kinds on the market causes prices to be still of a rather weak description. The changed weather has quickly had its effect upon the house coal trade and orders are now coming to hand in much greater bulk than was the case even a week ago, with the result that any weakness in quotations which has recently prevailed has disappeared. There is some slight difficulty in procuring adequate supplies of the best class of house coal, but other kinds are still fairly readily available. The reduced output of gas coal is causing consumers to seek supplementary supplies, and quotations were somewhat firmer for special lots. The reaction in the coke trade has been more emphasised during the week owing to the quiet state of the iron trade, and prices have suffered a consider- able reduction. Leicestershire. COAL. It is fortunate for all concerned in this coalfield that hitherto there has been little reliance placed upon the export trade as a means for keeping the collieries going. In a general way the shipping trade has hitherto come under the heading of surplus clearances when the home trade has been bad or indifferent. The result is that now with the home trade being on a far larger scale than had been expected, all the collieries are in the happy position of being more than fully engaged. True, the aggregate output is much below the normal amount by reason of the heavy drafts of men who have joined the Army. This drain on the industry is still going on, and is stimulated by the presence of so many from the mining centres in Belgium and France. This change has resulted in a heavy increase in the per- centage of establishment charges; but at the same time there is great and general satisfaction at being able to run all the collieries at a profit. The demand for the best house- hold coals continues extremely good, and the whole of the five days’ output is cleared off as fast as it comes to the surface. The heavy demand for cobbles is another most satisfactory feature, especially when it is coupled with a brisk clearance of all the available supplies of coal for manufacturing and steam-raising purposes. One of the most striking and gratifying features in the present position is the hearty co-operation of all sections*of the trade to meet difficulties, and to master them in the interests of all concerned. The following are the prices now generally current at the collieries in this district:— Per ton at pit. ______ 1 Current prices. 13,6-14/6 12 6-13/6 12/6-13/6 12/3-13/3 --------- 12/ -12/9 11/6-12/6 10/ -10/6 ■ 9/ - 9/3 7/9- 8/6 1/6— 1/9 Best household coal .............. Second, hand picked .............. Deep screened cobbles ............ Deep large nuts .................. Bakers’ nuts__________.................... Small nuts ....................... Deep breeze ....................... Peas ................................................. Small dust ....................... Deep cobbles & nuts for London bakers Steams, best hand picked .......... Steams, seconds .................. Main cobbles for kitcheners ........ Main breeze....................... L’st week’s prices. 13/6-14/6 12/3-13/3 12/ -12/9 11/6-12/6 10/- 10/6 9/ - 9/3 7/9- 8/6 1/6- 1/9 9/ -10/6 8/6- 9/3 10/ -10/6 8/ - 8/6 9/6-10/6 8/6- 9/3 10/ -10/6 8/ - 8/6 __________________________ _________________ South Staffordshire, North Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Birmingham. COAL. The Yorkshire Coal Exchange was again well attended on Tuesday, and there was a fair number of enquiries for prompt delivery of spot parcels of house coal and the better qualities of slack. It was stated that the pits had averaged quite four days, with one or two making full time. The supply of empty wagons is still very erratic, while the movement of mineral traffic generally causes numerous complaints, especially from the distant markets. The position with regard to pit props and mining timber is a little easier, as a fair number of cargoes have come to hand both at Hull and Grimsby during the past few weeks. The demand for house coal from London has fallen off, the only qualities selling at all readily being best Haigh Moors and Silkstones. There is no weakness in pit prices for these markets, as it is felt that with the least touch of really cold weather stocks will quickly be cleared. Coastwise shipments have been checked through the scarcity of tonnage and the high rates of freight and insurance, but in spite of these things a number of cargoes of the medium sorts of Silkstone house coal have been despatched from Goole to the south coast. In the local markets merchants have bought rather more freely since the turn of the month, but reports from the depots indicate a quiet state of things in the retail trade. There is considerable scarcity of the very best qualities, and pit prices generally are firm as under:—Haigh Moor selected, 18s. to 19s.; Silkstone best, 17s. to 18s.; Silkstone house, 16s. to 17s.; other qualities, 13s. to 14s. 6d. The gas coal pits are able to deal with their limited output easily, and although new business is quiet, there are practically no stocks in colliery sidings. Especially keen is the call for washed gas nuts and other House coals:— Best Silkstone ... Best Barnsley softs Secondary do. r 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 Unscreened do. ... Gas nuts.......... Furnace coke........ Hull.. Prices at pit. Current prices. 16/6 16/ 13/ -14/6 12/9-13/ 10/9—11/ 11/3-11/6 10/3-10/6 10/6 9/6- 9/9 6/9 5/6- 5/9 10/6-11/ 10/ 10/ -10/6 10/6-11/3 L’st week’s prices. 16/6 16/ 13/ -14/6 12/9-13/ 10/9-11/ i Last year’s prices. 15/6-16/ 15/ -15/3 12/6-14/ 13/ -13/6 11/ -12/ COAL. There has been a decided movement in the house trade during the last week, and already difficulty is being experienced in the matter of delivery. Carters and horses are scarce, and the trouble in this respect is likely to increase. As most of the ironworks are working short time the call for works fuel is on the quiet side. Slacks are plentiful at recent rates. This week’s quotations have undergone no change. They are:— Prices at pit. 11/ -11/3 10/3-10/6 10/6 9/6- 9/9 6/9 5/6- 5/9 10/6-11/ 10/ 10/ -10/6 11/ -12/ 12/ -12/3 11/ —11/3 11/3-11/6 10/3-10/6 7/6- 7/9 6/6 12/6-13/ 11/ -12/ 12/ -12/3 12/ COAL. There is very little change to report in the condition of the Humber coal market. Business is, of course, still confined to neutral countries and our allies, but with one of the latter—Russia—being shut off, there is not the »activity usual in that direction at this time of the year. The markets in Germany and Austria are also closed to Humber coal. But apart from this there is a quieter tone all round, signs not being wanting that the Scandinavian countries, which have taken very large shipments lately, have Staffordshire (including Cannock Chase) :— House coal, best deep .. J " seconds deep best shallow seconds do. j Do. Do. Do. Best hard ............ ............ Forge coal Slack .... Warwickshire:— > House coal, best Ryder.. Do. hand-picked cobs ................! Best hard spires ..... Forge (steam) ........ D.S. nuts (steam) .... Small (do.) .... Current prices. 18/6 16/ 14/6 13/9 14'6 10/6 7/ 16/6 14/6 15/ 10/6 9/6 8/ L’st week’s ;Last year’s prices. prices. 18/6 16/ 14'6 13/9 146 10'6 16/6 14/6 15/ 10/6 9/6 8/ 18/6 16/ 14/9 14/ 15/ 11/ 7/6 16/6 14/ 15/ 11/ 10/ 8/3 IRON. The market indicated little essential change in the condi- tion of the iron and steel trades. No development of demand was observable, and what activity there is is confined to departments engaged on military contracts. Shipping houses engaged in the Indian trade who have hitherto taken supplies from Germany have been making tentative enquiries, but the best that can be said at present is that it is hoped they will materialise. Potential buyers are loth to give the higher British prices, and war risks have ajso a