December 24, 1914. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 1331 traffic. Shipments are about the same as a week ago. Slacks of nearly every description are in request, and stocks at most of the collieries are being run down. Some of the better class slacks are rather scarce, and prices are inclined to move upward. The reduced output, owing to many miners in the county having joined the Army, is helping prices of this class of fuel to become more favourable to the owners. __________________ Leicestershire. COAL. The congestion in railway traffic this week has been very great, but the strain has been met with determination and success. There has been improved movement in mineral trains, with more regularity and less holding up of traffic at important centres. The influx of business for speedy delivery has been very great, and many firms sent in orders for exceptionally large quantities. The demand, in fact, has been so much in excess of the supplies that prices have been advanced for all the most important qualities. The demand for the best and second qualities of household coals has compelled rates to be raised by Is. per ton, while deep screened cobbles and deep large nuts have advanced 9d. per ton, and other varieties 6d. per ton. The business for London district was so keen that in the beginning of the week quite fancy prices were given where immediate delivery was guaranteed. This preference, however, was generally subordinated to the necessities of the ordinary and regular requirements of customers. Colliery managers, in fact, have had to solve fresh problems in compound division, and when exceptional quantities have been ordered only the regular and normal quantities have been delivered. The method generally pursued was to base deliveries on the tonnage of the corresponding period of last year. This excellent scheme has resulted in the fair and reasonable requirements of all being met as far as possible without inflicting hardship on anyone. A very striking feature in the present situation is the continued heavy demand for all classes of manufacturing fuel, the whole of the output being cleared off as fast as it reached the pit banks. There is still a very marked desire to increase the reserves of stocks on hand in order that consumers may not be incon- venienced by the sudden suspension of deliveries through the occupation of the lines for military purposes. The railways suspended all mineral traffic from Tuesday the 22nd inst., and the collieries will stand idle from Thursday till Monday the 28th inst. The following are the prices now generally current at the collieries in this district:— Per ton at pit. ______ Forest of Dean. Lydney. COAL. All the collieries have shown signs of extreme briskness since our last report. Full time is being worked by both the house and steam coal pits, and there are^no stocks to be seen. This is a decided change from the position earlier in the month. The prospects for the month of January are very encouraging, as a fair amount of forward buying has been done this week. Both the railborne and seaborne trades are equally busy. The pits will suspend work on Thursday for the holidays—there will be a general resump- tion on Monday. Prices at pithead. Current L'st week's'Last year's House coals:— prices. prices. prices. Block 17/6 17/6 17/6 Forest 16/6 16/6 16/6 Rubble 16/9 16/9 16/9 Nuts 15/ 15/ 15/ Rough slack Steam coal:— 6/6 6/6 i 6/6 Large 12/6-13/ 12/6-13/ 12/6-13/ Small 7/9- 8/3 7/9- 8/3 1 8/6- 9/6 Prices Is. 9d. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. _______ _______ Devon, Cornwall, and South Coast. Plymouth. COAL. Messrs. W. Wade and Son report a very brisk demand for house coal in south coast districts, both at the ports and inland. Offers of prompt loading cargoes and available supplies from Midland collieries have been readily accepted, but these have scarcely filled the actual requirements for immediate demands. Very high freights for steamers have been paid, and these now nearly equal the rail rates from inland collieries. The objection of the latter to run their wagons for such long distances offers a further difficulty to the situation. Merchants on all sides are greatly impeded in delivering orders before Christmas because of the unpre- cedented shortage in the means of transport. Prices f.o.b. cash 30 days. Steam coals: — Best Black Vein large... Western-valleys, ordin’y Best Eastern-valleys ... Secondary do. Best small coals ..... Secondary do.......... Inferior do........... Screenings ........... Through coals ........ Best washed nuts...... Other sorts:— Best house coal....... Secondary do......... .......... Patent fuel .......... Furnace coke........* ' Foundry coke ........( Current prices. 17/6-17/9 16/9-17/3 16/ —16/6 15/3-15/9 9/6-10/3 8/6- 9/3 7/6- 8/3 10/ -10/3 13/ -13/3 15/3-15/6 18/ -19/ 16/6-17/6 16/ -16/3 18/ -19/ 21/ -23/ >L’st week’s ! prices. 117/ -17/3 ' 16/6-16/9 15/9-16/3 ! 15./ -15/6 ? 9/ - 9/6 ' 8/ - 8/9 j ' 7/6-8/ I 9/3- 9/6 i 12/6-12/3 1 14/9-15/3 j I 18/ -18/6 ! 16/6-17/6 17/6-18/ i 18/ -19/ 21/ -23/ Last year's prices. 18/6-18/9 17/6-17/9 16/9-17/ 16/3-16/6 8/6- 9/ 8/ - 8/3 7^6- 7/9 8/9- 9/ 13/6-14/ 14/3-14/6 18/ -19/ 17/ -18/ 19/ -20/ 19/ -20/ 23/ -25/ | Current L'st week's prices. prices. Best household coal .............. 14/6-15/6 13/6-14/6 Second, hand picked .............. 13/6-14/6 ; 12/6-13/6 Deep screened cobbles ............ 13/ -14/ i 12/3-13/3 Deep large nuts .................. 12/9-13/6 12/ -12/9 Bakers' nuts...................... 12/ —12/6 11/6—12/6 Small nuts _____..................... 1 10/6-11/ ; 10/- 10/6 Deep breeze...................... I 9/ - 9/6 9/ - 9/3 Peas ............................ 8/3- 8/9 7/9- 8/6 Small dust ...................... 1/6- 1/9 ; 1/6- 1/9 Main nuts for London kitcheners ... 11/6-12/ j — Steams, best hand picked __........ 10/6-11/6 9/6-10/6 Steams, seconds .................. 9/ -10/ : 8/6- 9/3 Main cobbles for kitcheners........ ! 11/6-12/ J 10/ —11/ Main breeze ___________.................. > 8/ - 8/6 ; 7/6- 8/ _________________ South Staffordshire, North Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Birmingham. COAL. Up till Christmas Eve business will be carried on at high pressure, but a lull may be expected next week. During the last few weeks there has been a distinct improvement in the demand for slacks, and stocks have been lessened and in some cases used up altogether. A general advance of prices will probably take place on the first of January. Current quotations remain as follow :— Prices at pit. _________________________________________________ THE WELSH COAL AND IRON TRADES. Wednesday, December 23. ________________________________________________ North Wales. Wrexham. COAL. During the past week there has been a good demand for all grades of fuel. But the collieries still continue to be hampered through the difficulties they experience in getting empty wagons returned. In the house coal trade, owing to the proximity of Christmas, things are particularly brisk, both in the railborne and landsales trade. In regard to gas coal, the gas companies are pressing for extra supplies, to enable them to carry over the holidays without depleting their stocks. The steam coal trade is pretty much in the same condition as when writing last week. The railway companies account for the greater portion of steam coal disposed of, as there is little doing in regard to the sale of coal for industrial purposes. The congestion at Liverpool is somewhat relieved, and a fair amount of business is being done in regard to the sale of coal for shipping purposes. A number of vessels have coaled with fuel from this locality. Slack is still difficult to dispose of, and may be. bought at prices which are distinctly advantageous to the buyers. There has been little change in respect to prices during the present week, and the figures quoted last week may be taken as being the prices quoted at the time of writing. Current L'st week's Last year’s Staffordshire (including Cannock Chase) :— prices. prices. prices. House coal, best deep ... 18/6 18/6 18/6 Do. seconds deep 16/ 16/ 16/ Do. best shallow 14/6 14/6 14/9 Do. seconds do. 13/9 13/9 14/ Best hard 14/6 14/6 15/ Forge coal 10/6 10/6 11/ Slack Warwickshire:— 7/ 7/ 7/6 House coal, best Ryder.. Do. hand-picked 16/6 16/6 ________________ 16/6 cobs 14/6 14/6 14/ Best hard spires 15/ 15/ 15/ Forge (steam) 10/6 10/6 11/ D.S. nuts (steam) 9/6 9/6 10/ Small (do.) 8/ 8/ 8/3 IRON. Current Prices at pit f.o.r.: — prices. Best house coal 15/ -16/ Secondary do i | 14/ -15/ Steam coal I 11/9-12/9 Gas coal 12/ -13/ Bunkers 11/4-11/9 Nuts : 11/ -11/6 Slack 5/3- 6/9 Gas coke (at works) 11/8-13/4 Prices landsale:— Best house coal 19/2-20/ Seconds 17/6-18/4 Slack 10/ —12/6 L'st week's prices. 15/ -16/ 14/ —15/ 11/9-12/9 12/ -13/ 11/4-11/9 11/ -11/6 5/3- 6/9 11/8-13/4 Last year’s prices. 15/6-16/9 14/6—15/6 12/6-13/6 13/ -13/9 12/3-12/6 11/ -11/9 6/6— 8/6 13/4-15/ 19/2-20/ 17/6-19/2 17/6-18/4 16/8-17/6 10/ -12/6 10/ -12/6 Most of the ironworks in the district will remain closed until Wednesday or Thursday of next week. The market was sparsely attended, and practically no business was transacted. All reports, however, pointed to a maintenance of the encouraging position recorded a week ago. The demand for raw material shows no shrinkage, and the higher range of prices is upheld —Northamptonshire 52s. to 53s.; Derbyshire, about 55s.; and Staffordshire part-mine, 55s. In the finished branches most of the works are doing full time, though in some cases contracts entered into before the war, or in the early days of the war, when things were at their worst, are not yielding much profit by reason of the jump in all kinds of raw material in the interval. Marked bar makers are booked well ahead, and have no difficulty in maintaining the <£9 basis. For second-class bars <£7 5s. is now the recognised minimum, delivered Birmingham, with some makers asking <£7 7s. 6d. Galvanised sheets remain weak despite the increase in the cost of spelter, and the high price makers have to pay for sheet bars. The steel section is stronger than iron, and a considerable weight of material is being ordered for general constructional work and for rolling stock purposes. Monmouthshire, South Wales, &c. Newport. COAL. A steady improvement has daily been manifested in the steam coal trade for the whole of the past week. Tonnage arrivals have been heavy, and with all hoists working at full pressure, stocks have been reduced to easily measurable quantities, while the present restricted outputs, due to shortage of labour at the pits, makes colliery owners show much disinclination to book any further business for delivery this month. Following the holiday stoppage, there will sure to be the usual difficulty of regaining a normal output, the ordinary experience being that the greater the necessity, the greater the difficulty of getting the workmen back to their actual labour. Under these circumstances, the values of large coals have been daily growing stronger, while smalls also show an appreciable advance upon last week’s quota- tions. So far as contract business is concerned, very little information has yet become available, although it is under- stood that a small number of fresh arrangements have been entered into at an advance of Is. or Is. 6d. per ton. House coals do not vary much in value, although the turnover now is much greater than last month; but coke and patent fuel are both firmer. Pit wood is scarcer, and well enquired after, up to 25s. ex ship for good wood. The freight market is now rather quieter after the recent spell of activity, the congestion of stems now retarding business to some extent. For Italian ports there is a good enquiry, and rates are firmly maintained, otherwise there is a slight relaxation from the extreme figures lately paid. Cardiff. COAL. There is very little change in the market, so far as best Admiralty coal is concerned, and the Government are still continuing to take practically the whole of it. The little free coal which is not required by them is in the great majority of instances supplied to contractors, the consequence being that the number of sales on the market are extremely few. For coal that has not been sold, it is understood that about 21s., colliery screened, is being realised, and even higher figures are anticipated in the near future. There is still a great amount of uncertainty as to how long the Admiralty demand is going to continue, and this is the cause of considerable difficulty in arranging contracts over the new year, as buyers naturally do not care to bind them- selves unless they are practically certain of obtaining the coal required. The market for second grade coals is distinctly firm, and prices are advancing. The* general opinion is that, so far as these descriptions of coal are concerned, quotations will rule high over the whole of the year. A number of contracts have already been entered into, and there is also a considerable amount of enquiry on the market, but, owing to the political situation, there is an indisposition to disclose either enquiries or transactions. Tonnage arrivals have been more satisfactory,, with the result that there is a difficulty in obtaining tips at the docks, which is the usual state of affairs when trade is brisk, the tipping accommodation not being in any measure adequate to the demands upon it. Rates of freight still continue very high. The small coal market is booming, and high prices are now being realised, a state of affairs which is likely to prevail for a long period. In fact, higher rates are being asked for January. The large French order of 150,000 tons, which has recently been placed on the market, has no doubt had something to do with the present position of affairs, but there is also the additional fact that the competition of the north country ports has been in a great measure eliminated in consequence of the difficulty in getting tonnage through the areas which have been mined by the British Admiralty. Shipowners naturally are very chary of risking their boats, especially when such remunerative business is offered on all sides. Shipments from the Channel last week were on a higher scale than in any period since the commencement of the wTar. The total for the four principal ports was no less than 494,159 tons, or only 102,436 tons below the corre- sponding period of last year, and in this total the Admiralty shipments have not been taken into consideration. Cardiff contributed 300,535 tons, or only 58,500 tons lower than last year, but Newport had a decrease of 43,073 tons, the total amount shipped being only 63,700 tons. At Swansea the shipments were 96,650 tons, or 14,000 tons lower, and Port Talbot exported 33,000 tons, or nearly 15,000 tons under the quantity sent away in the corresponding period. Charter- ings, although on a fairly substantial scale, are not equal to the requirements of the port, and much difficulty is being experienced in obtaining prompt boats. Last week the amount of tonnage taken up was 228,650 tons, or a decrease of 13,100 tons compared with the preceding six days. It was reported on ’Change on Tuesday that the French State Railways contract for 150,000 tons of small coal had been placed, but no information was available as to price or who were the successful tenderers. With regard to the other _____________________________________________________________ Prices f.o.b. Cardiff (except where otherwise stated). Steam coals:— Best Admiralty steam coals Current prices. 21/ -22/ 20/ 18/ 12/ -12/6 11/9-12/ 9/6-10/6 6/6- 7/6 19/ -20' 17/ -18/ 19/ 17/ 15'6-16' 14 '6 ’ 10/6 17 3 16/9 16/ -16/3 15/ -15/6 20/ 17/6-19/6 17'6 15/ 12/6 15 / -15/6 13/ -13 6 is!' 17/ 28/ -31' 25/ -27/ 19' -21/ 28/ -30/ L’st week’s prices. 20/ -21/ 19/ -19/6 17/6-18/6 11/3-11/9 10'6-11' 9'6-10/ 7/6- 8/ 18/6-19/ 17/ -17/3 19/ 17/ 15/ -16/ 14/6 10/6 17/ 16/6 15/ -15/6 15/ 20/ 17/6-19/6 17/6-18/ 15/ 12/6-13/6 13/9-14/6 11/ -11/6 8/ - 8/6 18/ 16/ -17/ 28/ -32/ 23/ -27/ 19/ -20/ 23/6-24/ | Last year’s prices. 21/ 20z -20/6 18/9-19/ 11/ 10/9 8/ - 8/3 7/ - 7/6 19/ -20/ 18/ -18/6 16/6 15 6 14/6 13/6 12 -12/3 18/9 18/3 17/6 16/6 21' 18/ 17'6 15/ 12/ -12/3 16' 12 6 8 3- 8 ’6 22/6 21/ 28/ 22/ -25/ 19 -20/ 21/ Superior seconds Ordinary do. Best bunker smalls Best ordinaries Cargo qualities Inferior smalls Best dry coals Ordinary drys Best washed nuts Seconds Best washed peas Seconds Dock screenings Monmouthshire— Black Veins Western-valleys Eastern-valleys Inferior do Bituminous coals:— Best house coals (at pit) Second qualities (at pit) No. 3 Rhondda— Bituminous la^ge Through-and-through Small No. 2 Rhondda— Large Through-and-through Small Best patent fuel Seconds Special foundry coke Ordinary do. Furnace coke Pitwood (ex-ship)