November 19, 1915.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

1033

and gun parte, are considerable. A large demand is also
noted for wide hoop iron, the same applying also to pit
and railway rails and railway superstructural material,
though there is little doing in girders. Fine plate,
except for electrical purposes, is in very active request,
and, beyond the capacity of the works to supply, owing
partly to scarcity of labour, and partly to the lack of
English tin-plate, German black-plate having to be
substituted. The same substitution has to be practised
in respect of aluminium and brass sheets. Good orders
have been received for heavy plate, for wagon and loco-
motive building, ship building, and export to neutrals.
Business in gas pipe is dull, but boiler tubes are selling
more freely, and some works are full up with war orders.
Steel and iron founders, too, have had little surplus for
private trade. The supply of scrap for steel making is
large, the prices being about as follow :—Core scrap,
62*50 mk.; broken iron, 60 m. \ iron cuttings, 57 mk.;
turnings, 59-50mk.; and melting iron, 42 mk. per ton
delivered.

Company Reports.

Fried. Krupp A.G., Essen.—The annual report gives
the trading surplus as 113,229,821 mk. (54,004,571 mk.
last year), in addition to which there was an income of
3,142,063 mk. (2,283,668 mk.) from interest, and
2,505,930 mk. (2,051,550 mk.) from other sources. The
outgoings included: Taxes, 10,717,966 mk. (9,858,249
mk.); staff insurance, 5,802,283 mk. (5,703,984 mk.);
and expenditure on benevolent purposes, 15,891,955 mk.
(8,873,331 mk.); leaving a net profit of 86,465,611 mk.
(33,904,224mk.), in addition to the forward balance of
9,385,347 mk. from old account. After placing
4,323,281 mk. (1,695,211 mk.) to ordinary, and 3,000,000
mk. (2 million mk.) to special reserve, writing off 5 mil-
lion mk. (nil) on special account, allotting 5 million mk.
(3,000,000 mk.) to the war assistance fund, and 5,000,000
mk. (nil) to the workmen’s dwelling fund; 3,000,000 mk.
(1 million mk.) to the pro vidend fund; setting aside 10
million mk. (nil) as provision against claims and damage
arising from the war; and carrying forward about
11,000,000 mk., there remain 47-4 million mk., out of
which a dividend of 12 per cent, is taken by the Krupp
family, and a sum of 23’7 million mk. handed over to the
national fund for the relatives of those killed in the war.
The additional heavy expenditure on plant, etc., neces-
sitates an increase of capital, and consequently the
second moiety of the increase decided upon last year
is to be called up.

Gewerkschaft Admiral, Horde.—The coal output was
112,383 tons (112,531 tons), but as the cokery and
by-products plant was thrown out of operation by the
outbreak of w-ar, the year closed with a loss of 326,744
mk., apart from the necessity for writing off 215,070 mk.,
so that the previous year’s debit balance has been
increased to 1,484,404 mk.

TRADE AND THE WAR.

” A largely-attended meeting of merchants and others
interested in the London coal trade was held at the St.
Pancras Hotel on Wednesday. Mr. George Warren presided,
and was supported by Sir Edwin Cornwall, M.P., and the
whole of the Coal Prices Committee formed to carry out the
arrangements with Mr. Bunciman, President of the Board of
Trade, on behalf of the whole trade. It was decided to adopt
the prices set forth in the scheme recently issued in the Board
of Trade circular for limiting retail prices of coal in the
London district. The colliery limit has already been fixed by
legislation, and the following prices, taking Derby brights as
the standard, the prices running in proportion to other classes
of coal, were unanimously agreed to :—When the price of
Derby brights in Central London is 33s. delivered to the
public, the price to the dealer to be 29s., the trolley price
Is. 9d. per cwt., the price at ship Id. more (Is. 10d.), and the
price for small quantities, from the dealer to the public, as
follows 561b., lid.; 281b., 5^d.; 141b., 3d.; 71b., ljd.
All these figures have been arranged after consultation with
Mr. Runciman. Mr. Smallwood, L.C.C., spoke of the sup-
port the London County Council would give the coal mer-
chants in carrying out the scheme by reporting anyone over-
charging the public.

Mr. J. H. Thomas, addressing a meeting of railwaymen at
Crewe on Sunday last, said that the action of employers in
“ starred ” trades like railway companies and collieries in
inviting their men to take advantage of the Derby scheme and
offer their services had created in the minds of trade unionists
especially considerable suspicion and uneasiness with regard
to their civil rights after attestation. What the men wanted
to know was, in the event of their being attested and return-
ing to their ordinary employment, would they return as
civilians with all their civil rights, or as soldiers to be called
upon at any time or for any purpose. Having regard to
this expressed feeling, he (Mr. Thomas) took the opportunity
of consulting Lord Derby. The latter, in reply, stated that
no apprehension need be felt. After being attested the man
would return to his civil employment in the full enjoyment
of civil rights. It was only in the event of his being called
up for military service that those rights were surrendered.

Replying to a question in the House of Commons last week,
the President of the Board of Trade stated that he had no
reason to suppose that London coal merchants were not
loyally observing the arrangement with reference to the
prices. He did not think it would be practicable to publish
minimum retail prices for the several districts in view of the
difference of qualities, pit head prices, and railway rates.
Further questioned, Mr. Runciman said the arrangement in
question was being continued till further notice. It pro-
vided for the addition of not more than 7s. 6d. per ton to the
cost of coal to the merchant at the depot, or 9s. 6d. in the
case of coal sold from trolleys. The Board of Trade had
recently agreed to the addition of 6d. to these amounts to
cover further proved increases in the costs of distribution.
Asked whether the arrangement might possibly be interfered
with by the alleged shortness of supplies, Mr. Runciman
replied that, so far as the price was concerned, he hoped there
would be no change in the arrangement. They were giving
full consideration to more abundant supplies being brought
tp London, and hoped to get over the difficulty.

In the House of Commons on Wednesday, Sir Arthur
Markham asked the Secretary for the Home Department
whether he was aware that a Jew of German origin, by

deed poll, some weeks after the commencement of the war,
changed his name from Adolf Schultz to A. Markham, and
had for some months continued to export coal to Holland
under the name of A. Markham and Company, from offices
situated at 165, Fenchurch-street, E.C.; whether he was
aware that when applications for licences to export coal to
Holland were made by this firm to the Exports Committee a
member of the Committee was of the opinion that these
licences were for the account of A. Markham, colliery
owner, of 60, Fenchurch-street, E.C., where an export
business in coal was carried on. >Sir John Simon stated
that Adolph Schultz, who had changed his name to A.
Markham, was a natural born British subject, and that the
Exports Committee as a whole were under no misappre-
hension as to the identity of A. Markham and Company.
He had received a letter of explanation from the firm.

The Clerical and Commercial Employments Committee,
in a report just issued, estimate that substitutes for about
100,000 men of military age in clerical and commercial
employment will have to be found, and that the bulk of
these must be drawn from the ranks of women not at present
in work. In order to mobilise the reserves of suitable
women, it is proposed to organise the supply and training
of women clerks, by local committees, which will ascertain
the requirements of employers, establish commercial training
classes, take steps to attract women of sufficient education
to the work, and register the students with a view to finding
them employment.

During the discussion on the supplementary Vote of Credit
in the House of Commons on Monday, Sir Arthur Markham
said the Prime Minister was directly responsible for the
gross waste and extravagance going on in the country at
the present moment. Dealing with the position of the
great industrial trades, Sir Arthur said the position of the
workmen in this country to-day, in a time of great national
danger, was better than it has ever been; they are better
paid, and better off than they have ever been in the -history
of he contry. He had implored the Government and the
Prime Minister earlier in the war, and said, “ If you go
to the working classes, you must first deal with the employer.
You cannot ask working men to make large sacrifices, if
employers make large profits owing to the war.” What
happened in the industry with which he was associated—
the coal trade? They put on the people of this country, by
way of wages to miners, an increased cost of about
J-20,000,000, in one industry alone. The matter was
referred to by • the• mining world, and the Prime Minister
said, “ You are entitled to a war bonus. The increased
cost of living warrants your obtaining. these increased
wages.” Of course, the men were entitled to it, when coal
went from £1 a ton to 30s., but the Miners’ Federation
said that if the Government were prepared to limit prices
and keep them on the same scale as before the war, they
were prepared to work for no increase of wages. The
Government, as usual, did nothing; with the result that
they had this high cost of wages established throughout
the country. In munition works they were paying men
wages unheard of. What was to be the result of that?

The Board of Trade are in receipt, through the Foreign
Office, of information to the effect that the exportation of
timber direct to allied countries from Archangel in neutral
ships will in future be allowed on condition of the delivery
of guarantees by the Consul at Archangel of the neutral
country under whose flag the vessel sails

The Swedish Government has prohibited export of coal
tar, perfumed soaps, benzaic oils, creosote oil, and car-
bolineum oil of anthracene. Spruce and pine have also been
added, to the perturbation of those using the timber for
mining purposes. It is believed, however, that Swedish
authorities will allow the export of timber in return for
coal cargoes.

In the House of Commons on the 10th inst., Mr. Fell asked
the Prime Minister if he would take the opportunity to be
afforded by the expected presence in this country of the
leaders of several of the Dominions, to hold a conference with
them to consider the steps to be taken throughout the Empire
to meet the flooding of the whole Empire with cheap goods
from enemy countries which was expected at the conclusion
of the war. The Prime Minister, in reply, said that this,
and any other question of interest to the Empire, would be
discussed when the opportunity was given by the presence in
this country of the representatives of the Dominion Govern-
ments.

Speaking at the half-yearly meeting of the Scottish
Australian Mining Company Limited on Friday last, Mr.
John Varley observed that the war had severely hampered
the company’s colliery work. The commandeering of
shipping for war purposes and the driving of German tonnage
from the seas had so reduced the tonnage required for the
world’s commerce that there had been strong competition in
the tonnage available, and, as a consequence, rates of freight
had risen enormously. If they added to that the restrictions
imposed on that part of the Australian coal trade which went
to foreign ports, in order to prevent coal cargoes from getting
into enemy hands, directly or indirectly, it would be easy for
the shareholders to understand the great difficulty of conduct-
ing that portion of the trade. Labour, too, had not failed to
contribute its share to the company’s troubles. The total
output of all the Newcastle collieries for the half-year ended
June 1914—before the war broke out—was 2,694,455 tons,
but for the like period to June this year it fell to 1,817,013
tons. The company’s output at the same periods was 149,417
tons last year, and 108,721 tons this year. Of the whole
trade of the collieries he had mentioned, there went to foreign
ports 1,196,627 tons in 1914, and 587,666 tons in 1915—a
very severe diminution. Their own figures of foreign trade
were 75,387 tons in 1914, and 39,577 tons this year. These
figures showed that the company had held their own. As
regarded the inter-State trade, there had been no material
difference between the two periods. The costs of working
had increased from 8s. 7|d. to 9s. lOd. per ton. The result
of the foregoing facts was that at June 30, 1914, the company
made a profit of Is. 3d. per ton, while at the same period of
1915 their collieries made a loss of about 5d. rer ton. While
the war lasted they must expect a restricted foreign trade,
but as regarded the trade which they were doing under war
conditions, the higher freights were beginning to be reflected
in higher prices abroad, and the business they had done so
far this half-year had been fairly satisfactory. Some con-
tracts in hand had been made under pre-war conditions, and
he expected that these must leave them a loss. He continued
to entertain confidence in the future of the Australian coal
trade. Australia was extending her manufactures of war
material, and otherwise acquiring the position of becoming an
increasingly large consumer of coal and coke. This would
probably add to the inter-State demand, and so compensate,
to some extent, for the reduction in the foreign trade. As
regarded both labour demands and Colonial taxation, there

would probably, in time, be some compensation in the price
of coal, for the public, even a labour public, could not expect
colliery owners to do their work for nothing.

It is understood that the new Ship Licensing Committee,
over which Mr. Maurice Hill, K.C., is to preside, will
include Mr. F. W. Lewis, deputy chairman of Furness
Withy and Company, as vice-chairman; Mr. H. A.
Sanderson, president of the International Marine Company
and chairman of the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company;
Mr. Scholefield, of Newcastle; Mr. Purdie, Glasgow; and
Mr. Burton Chadwick, of Liverpoal. Mr. Lewis has a wide
experience gained in successful shipping and coaling under-
takings. The work of requisitioning ships for the carriage
of food stuffs will be entrusted to Mr. J. H. Whitley, M.P.,
and the committee of the three owners who have been
advising the Transport Department of the Admiralty. These
three owners are Mr. T. Boyden, Mr. E. G. Glover, and
Mr. R. D. Holt, M.P.

The Paris Journal says that explosives will shortly be
made with gas coke. Work has already been started, and
by the end of the month Paris, Lyons, Marseilles, and
Bordeaux will have contributed their indispensable quota to
the French war works. This innovation will mean an extra
output of explosives amounting to 55 tons a day. Paris
alone will be supplying 20 tons of explosives daily within
a few days.

At the meeting of the council of the London Chamber of
Commerce, on Friday last, it was decided to convene a
special meeting of the council to consider the whole question
of trade relations after the war between Great Britain, the
Dominions, and the Allies, as against present enemy
countries. The council, in view of the public interest in
the question of trade after the war, and while offering no
opinion, at the present stage, as to the advisability or other-
wise of a proposed Customs Union between Great Britain
and her Allies, has decided to organise a competition, by
means of essays, designed to show the best method of
forming such a Union having for its object the establishment
of mutual preferential trade relations between the Allied
countries and in restraint of trade between them and
Germany; such essays to include special consideration of
the relations which should exist under such a Union between
the countries interested and their colonies and dependencies,
if any. A special committee has been appointed to settle
details for the competition.

During the discussion on war expenditure in the House
of Lords on Thursday of last week, Lord Selborne remarked
that he had seen suggestions that the time had come for
another general rise of wages. He believed it was quite
impossible for this country to carry the burden of the finance
of this war if there was not to be an end of these cycles of
a general rise in wages. The Government had taken war
profits; and the workman could no longer say that he was
working for an employer who was securing huge profits
out of the war, in which he ought to share. He appealed
to the leaders of the trade unions for assistance in making
the men understand that the country could not bear an
indefinite cycle of increased wages, and that the question
of national economy was one for every man, woman, and
child in England of every class.

It is reported from Copenhagen that the Danish Govern-
ment has several remedies in mind for relieving the coal
shortage which has almost reached famine proportions owing
to the partial shutting off of imports from Great Britain.
For one thing it is proposed to allow the cutting of wood
from Government forest reserves. Steps are also being
taken to increase the peat production, and it is even sug-
gested that the coal deposits of Greenland, which have been
worked in an experimental way, may be developed on a much
larger scale. But this would involve the question of ocean
transportation, and if it were not for that obstacle, plenty
of coal could be obtained from the United States.

The promised Government Bill for the prevention of the
raising of rents in war time still hangs fire. The Workers’
War Emergency Committee have formulated a definite pro-
gramme. Their proposals are that legislation should proceed
on the following lines :—That rents should, for the duration
of the war, not exceed those in operation at the declaration of
war: and the institution of Fair Rent Courts, to which tenants
could appeal against increases in rent. They also desire that
notices of determination of tenancy should be made subject to
the provision of the Courts Emergency Act as if they were
notices of ejectment.

The comparative lack of supplies of coal in Spain forms the
subject of an article published by the Spanish Economista,
which states that in normal times about one-half of the coal
required is procured from Great Brita n. But in the first
quarter of 1915 the imports from that source declined by over
450,000 tons, and it is assumed that the deficiency as compared
with the customary imports will exceed 2,000,000 tons for the
whole of the year. It is considered that the deficiency cannot
be repaired either by a reduction in the consumption, which
would cause certain industries to restrict their activity, or by
imports from the United States or by the use of the stocks
which were accumulated prior to the war. During the first
quarter of 1915 the imports of English coal amounted to
500,000 tons, as compared with 992.000 in each of the corre-
sponding quarters in 1914 and 1913, and it is expected the
reduction will become accentuated.

The Indian Government has issued an ordinance couched in
broad terms, assuming powers of control over the manufac-
ture, etc., of all substances in India calculated to conduce to
the successful prosecution of the war.

THE TIM-PLATE TRADE.

Liverpool.

The situation is still very unsettled. Bars are firm, at
round £8 10s. per ton, and -deliveries are unsatisfactory.
Makers of tin-plate are proceeding very cautiously, and stand-
ing firmly to their quotations. Spot lots of small sizes are
being sold fairly cheap, but 28 x 20’s are in big demand,
and realise high figures. Quotations vary enormously just
now, but the following may be taken as about the general run
of prices at the moment :—Coke tins I C 14 x 20 (112 sh.
1081b.), 20s. to 20s. 3d. per box; IC 28 X 20 (112 sh.
2161b.), 40s. 3d. to 40s. 6d.; I C 14 x 18f (124 sh. 1101b.),
20s. 6d. to 20s. 9d.; I C 20 x 10 (225 sh. 1561b.), 29s. to
29s. 3d.; IC squares and odd sizes, 20s. 6d. to 20s. 9d.
basis. Charcoals are firm, at 22s. basis and upwards, accord-
ing to tinning. Terne-plates are firm, at 36s. 6d. to 37s. per
box of I C 28 x 20. Coke wasters are in good demand, and
prices firm, as follow :—C W 14 x 20, 19s. to 19s. 6d. per
box; CW 28 x 20, 39s. 6d. to 39s. 9d.; C W 20 x 10,
26s. 6d. to 27s.; CW 14 x 18?. 19s. 6d. to 20s.; CW
30 x 21, 43s. to 44s.; all f.o.b. Wales, less 4 per cent.