August 27, 1915. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 431 engaged on the most vital contracts for military require- ments. For many months the demand has been far in excess of the supplies available, and the strain to meet the urgent requirements has been extremely severe. The increase in the supplies is thus doubly welcome. The extension in the hours of working has been made possible by the improvement in the railway-owned wagon supply plus the speeding up in the transport of full wagons, their -clearance and their quicker return to the collieries. As the season advances there is a greater inflow of orders for all classes of coal, and the demand all round is far in excess of what can be delivered. The London district orders are on a very large scale, while the business doing for country stations is very considerably in excess of the normal. There are no stocks of any kind at the pits. The question of prices as affected by legislation is being gradually settled by mutual consideration on the part of all concerned, and generally the new Act is having a steadying influence all round. Prices are firm, and there is not the slightest difficulty in this district in getting the full 4s. per ton advance on the old rates. There will, it is generally anticipated, be very little variation in prices during the next few months, and it will be impossible to secure even for the most vital requirements any preference in deliveries by reason of financial considerations. Any preference in the sending out of coal will be absolutely reserved for the purpose of keeping works going at full capacity who are engaged on military contracts of an important character. Colliery managers generally are of opinion that all reasonable requirements will be met with the practice of economy in consumption, but, of course, the serious inroad on the supplies of cobbles and large nuts by the excessive demand for fuel for steam-raising purposes is still a serious factor in the situation. The following are the quotations, subject to special modifications, which are now generally in operation at the collieries in this district:— Prices at pit. some improvement setting in in the export trade. The quotation is about <£18 a ton, f.o.b. Liverpool, and for good lines this figure might be shaded, while for the home trade about 5s. extra is asked. A fair demand is experienced for black sheets, at about £10 17s. 6d. to £11 for plain sheets, and £11 5s. to £11 10s. corrugated. Gas strip remains at £11 10s. to £11 12s. 6d., and steel strip £12 10s. to £12 15s. For finished steel it can hardly be said there are fixed rates, prices being regulated by the needs of the buyer and the nature of the specification. American prices are so nearly those at home that English makers get preference. Billets are a little more plentiful, one or two additional firms having gone in for their production. American supplies are coming to hand against old contracts, but no new contracts are being entered into, as the Americans now want their own material for working up. Forest of Dean. Lydney. COAL. A good deal of animation is characterising the house coal market of this district just now, the collieries by working full time being unable to satisfy the requirements of customers without a few days delay. The shipping busi- ness is maintaining a good strong tone, and all coal con- signed to the local docks and Newport is immediately shipped, all the sidings being free from stock. Orders from the railborne districts are coming in well, and good loads are leaving the collieries daily. All the steam coal collieries are working every available hour endeavouring to cope with the heavy enquiry. Prices at pithead. raised time after time by the representatives of the workmen, and their seeming disinclination to induce the men to avoid stoppages, are indeed matters for grave thought. Beyond the present-day troubles lies a prospect that no one concerned in colliery ownership can contemplate without dismay—that of repeated expensive stoppages unless every demand, however costly or unreasonable, is conceded to the uttermost. Apart from the labour difficulty, the trade suffers much at the moment from a deficiency of tonnage. Fair supplies have come along and been cleared away straight, as loading accommodation is now expanded to a huge capacity. Chartering has not been by any means active, the freight market showing an increasing firmness which indicates that tonnage is scarce and well conserved. For all prompt shipment values of small and large coals alike rule easy, and although there seems a better enquiry much irregularity exists, and there must be much change before the market recovers to a stable and satisfactory position. Pitwood also is easy, with supplies plentiful and buyers quiet. Good wood is quoted 24s. to 25s. ex-ship. Prices f.o.b. cash 30 days. Steam coals: — Current prices. Best Black Vein large... 24/ -25/ Western-valleys, ordin’y 23/ —23/6 Best Eastern-valleys ... 21/ -22/ Secondary do. ...! 20/ -21/ Best small coals ......1 18/ -18/6 Best household coal ..... Second, hand picked .... Deep screened cobbles ... Deep large nuts ......... Bakers’ nuts............. Small nuts............... Deep breeze ............. Peas ................... Small dust ............. Main nuts for London kitcheners............... Steams, best hand picked Steams, seconds ........ Main cobbles for kitcheners Main breeze.............. Current prices. 17/6-18/6 16/6-17/6 15/6-16/ 15/ -16/ 14/6-15/ 13/ —13/6 13/6-14/ 11/3—12/3 5/ - 6/ 14/9-15/9 14/6-15/6 13/6-14/ 14/9-15/9 13/ -14/ L’stweek’s prices. 17/6-18/6 16/6-17/6 15/6-16/ 15/ -16/ 14/6-15/ 13/ -13/6 13/6-14/ 11/3-12/3 5/ - 6/ Last year’s prices. 13/6-14/6 12/6-13/6 12/3-13/3 11/6-12/ 11/6-12/6 10/6-11/3 9/6-10/ 7/9- 8/3 2/ - 2/3 Current L'st week's Last year's House coals:— ! prices. prices. prices. Block i 21/6 [ 21/6 — Forest 1 20/6 1 20/6 — Rubble ! 20/9 20/9 — Nuts 19/ 19/ — Rough slack Steam coal:— 13/ 13/ — Large — — — Small 1 ~ — — Prices 2s. Od. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. Secondary do. Inferior Screenings Through coals ... Best washed nuts Other sorts:— Best house coal... Secondary do. ... Patent fuel ..... Furnace coke.... Foundry coke ..., do. 1 16/ -17/ 12/ -14/ 18/ -18/6 17/ -18/ 18/ -18/6 !L’st week's prices. 27/6-28/ 26/ -27/ 24/ —25/ 22/ -23/ 19/6-20/ 18/6-19/6 17/ —18/ 19/6-20/ 18/6-19/6 19/6-20/6 Last year's I prices. 21/ -22/ 20/ -21/ 32/ -33/ 30/ -32/ 36/ —38/ 27/ -28/ ; — ■ 25/ -26/ ! — i 33/ -34/ ! — ! 31/ -34/ j — j 38/ -40/ I — 14/9-15/9 14/6-15/6 13/6-14/ 14/9-15/9 13/ -14/ 9/ -10/6 9/ - 9/6 8/3- 8/6 10/ -10/6 THE WELSH COAL AMD IRON TRADES. Thursday, August 26. South Staffordshire, North Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Birmingham. COAL. The market is rather slow, in sympathy with the season. Merchants would be well pleased if householders would buy more now, as the autumn and winter trade is likely to be carried on under difficulties. Manufacturing fuel is taken up regularly, and slacks are fairly plentiful at the moment, this being the month in which demand is at its lowest. Adjustments are still proceeding to meet the Act limiting the price of coal at the pithead, and it is evident coal owners do not like it. Mr. A. T. Keen, chairman of Guest, Keen and Nettlefold, stated at the annual meeting of that company that if the maximum output was not obtainable it would be impossible for some of the pits to be worked except at a loss. Quotations remain as under:— Prices at pit. Current L'st week's Last year’s Staffordshire (including prices. prices. prices. Cannock Chase) :— House coal, best deep ... 23/ 23/ 17/6 Do. Seconds deep 21/ 21/ 15/ Do. best shallow 20/ 20/ 13/6 Do. seconds do. 19/ 19/ 12/9 Best hard 19/6 19/6 14/6 Forge coal 16/ 16/ 10/6 Slack 11/6 11/6 7/ Warwickshire;— House coal, best Ryder.. 21/ 21/ 15/6 Do. hand-picked cobs 20/ 20/ 13/ Best hard spires 19/6 19/6 14/6 Forge (steam) 16/ 16/ 10/6 D.S. nuts (steam) 16/ 16 9/6 Small (do.) 15/ 15 8/ IRON. The market was fairly well attended, and produced little variation in the conditions from those which have recently prevailed. In the finished branches activity continues to rule, production being hampered by lack of hands, while as regards pig iron the output continues in excess of demand, and until furnaces are put out it is difficult to see how smelters can get remunerative prices. There has been no improvement during the week, and although coke is easier, the drop is not sufficient to compensate for the reduction in selling price. Isolated sales of Northamptonshire have been made as low as 65s. ranging to 67s., Derbyshire is 69s. to 70s., and Staffordshire part-mine in the neighbourhood of 69s. Bar iron makers continue to hold a large record of orders, and in this as in other departments Admiralty and War Office necessities have first claim on resources and material. While values have in no sense receded, there is a feeling that they have about reached their limit. Only in special cases is more than <£11 10s. obtained for unmarked bars, nut and bolt iron is quoted <£10 17s. 6d. and £11 respec- tively, the small supplies of American material available at <£10 to £10 5s. not interfering greatly with the local market. Three-eighths rounds range from <£12 to <£12 10s. according to specification, and more than the usual extras are now wanted for smaller sizes, orders for which, indeed, are not particularly welcomed. The sharp fall in spelter has raised the hopes of galvanised sheet makers, who are hopeful of North Wales. Wrexham. COAL. If there has been any appreciable change during the past week in the coal trade of this locality, it has been in the direction of a slight slump, both as regards demand for supplies and prices. Nevertheless all the pits are working full time, and it is not likely to be otherwise so long as a sufficient number of empty trucks come to hand, owing to the greatly decreased tonnage in the output, due to the shortage of labour. The slight labour difficulties which existed a week or two ago in this area appear to have been amicably settled, at any rate for the time being, and there is no immediate danger of any open rupture from what can be ascertained. The demand for house coal continues to be very limited, owing to the usual summer trade, without the usual summer low prices which enabled merchants to stock for winter at this period of the year, but in another month or so things are bound to materially alter in this class of business. With reference to the steam coal trade, there is no lack of demand for supplies for the railway companies which have contracts in this coalfield. There is an average demand for fuel for industrial purposes, and the bunker trade is little different from last week, though there is little being done in regard to export shipping trade. There is nothing new to report as regards the gas coal trade. The demand is steady and supplies appear to be well maintained on account of contracts. There is also a fair demand for gas coke at the local gasworks. Nuts are well sold for gas- making at good prices, while the demand for slack is steady, and there does not appear to be any accumulation of large stocks of this grade of fuel in the colliery sidings. Prices on the whole, as stated, have been slightly on the down grade, best large house coal obtaining 18s. to 18s. 9d. per ton at the pit, while seconds are quoted at 17s. to 17s. 9d. Although pit prices are lower, the landsale prices appear to be maintained at from 23s. 4d. to 26s. 8d. per ton for best large house coal, and cobbles and seconds large at Is. per ton less or thereabouts. Large steam coal, apart from con- tracts, is quoted at 17s. 6d. to 18s. 6d. per ton, and bunker coal at 17s. to 18s. per ton at pit. Large gas coal is unchanged at 18s. per ton and upwards, and nuts for gasmaking are quoted at 17s. to 17s. 9d. Rough slack at pit is 8s. to 9s. 6d., while kitchen slack at landsale depots is offered at 12s. 6d. to 14s. 2d., gas coke making 16s. 8d. to 18s. 4d. per ton at the works. Summarised the figures are as follow : — IRON. Whilst work in most departments of the local iron and steel trade remains full, at the moment there is a lull in negotiating fresh forward business, although a considerable number of urgent lines have been booked for immediate delivery. Values are in most cases being well maintained, and full outputs for plants now working are assured until the end of the year. There is no fresh feature to report at the bar mills, where outputs are being kept up to recent averages, but little fresh business is being put through. Prices remain unaltered at £7 5s. for both Siemens and Bessemer Welsh tin-plate bars. Steel rails too remain much as when last quoted, being firm on basis of £9 5s. for heavy sections, with the usual extras for light ditto. At blast furnaces quite a fair amount of new business is doing, but values are perhaps hardly as strong,'Welsh haematite being quoted at 105s. by some works and by others at 107s. 6d. Iron ore remains steady, with values based upon 24s. for best rubio c.i.f. Newport. The tin-plate trade is again very quiet, but works with full order books show no inclination to abate from last quoted prices. Approximate ruling values are based upon 18s. 3d. for 20 x 14 Siemens or Bessemer primes. Cardiff. COAL. Complaints are still being made that the Government restrictions on shipments are hampering business. It is conceded that licences are being granted more .freely, but the statement is made that the procedure is so bound up with red-tape formalities that delays of several days frequently occur, whereas if a little common sense were applied the inconvenience might be reduced to a minimum. For instance, a concrete case was mentioned by a shipper at a meeting of the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday. He had received a wire stating that a licence had been granted to him for shipment. He informed the collector of Customs of the fact, but the | Current L'st week’s Last year’s Prices at pit f.o.r. prices. prices. prices. Best house coal ... 18/ -19/ 18/ -19/ ; — Secondary do ...' 17/ -17/9 17/ -18/ 1 — Steam coal ' 17/6-18/6 17/9-18/9 — Gas coal . ... 18/ -19/ 18/ -19/ 1 ■— Bunkers ...! 17/ -18/ 17/ -18/ ■ — Nuts ...; 17/ -17/9 17/ -18/ > — Slack ...i 8/-9/6 8/ - 9/6 — Gas coke (at works).... Prices landsale: — 16/8-18/4 16/8-18/4 Best house coal ...: 23/4-26/8 ... 22/6-23/4 ... 12/6-14/2 23/4-26/8 . — Seconds 22/6-23/4 : — Slack 12/6-14/2 ; — Monmouthshire, South Wales, &c. Newport. COAL. Since last writing, conditions of the steam coal trade have changed considerably. The continued labour unrest is disturbing enough, and must give all connected with Welsh collieries very anxious consideration. The issues Prices f.o.b. Cardiff (ex< Steam coals:— Best Admiralty steam coals 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 large 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) sept where Current prices. * * 24/ -25/ 20/ -20/6 20/ 11/ -12/ 9/6-10/6 24/ -25/ 22/ -23/ 26/ 24/ 25/ 23/ 20/ -21/ 23/9 22/3-22/9 21/9-22/3 20/ -21/ 30/ 27/6 27/ 25/ 23 19/ -20/ 17/ -18/ 16/6 34/6 32/ 42/ -45/ 38/ -40/ 31/ -33/ 24 6-25/6 otherwise s L’st week’s prices. * * 23/ -24/ 21/ 19/ -20/ 16/ -16/6 14/6-15/ 24/ -26/ 23/ -24/ 26/ 24/ 23/ 22/ 19/ 24/ -25/ 23/ -24/ 22/ -23/ 20/ -21/ 30/ 27/ -29/ 26/ -27/ 23/ 21/ 20/ -22/ 19/ 17/ 35/ 32/ -33/ 41/ -44/ 37/ -40/ 30/ -33/ 24/9-25/ itated). Last year’s prices. 19/ -20/ 18'6-19/ 8/6- 9/ 8/ - 8/6 6/ - 7/ 4/6- 5/6 18/6-19/ 16/ -16/9 15/6-16/ 14/ -14/6 14/ -14/6 13/6 9/6-10/6 17/3-17/6 16/9-17/ 16/ -16/3 15/ -15/3 20/ 17/6-19/6 17/6-18/ 14/6-15/ 11/ 14/ 11/6-12/ 8/ - 8/6 21/ 19/ -20/ 30/ 26/ 19/ 34/ -35/ * Nominal.