126 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. January 21, 1916. Government to enlist active scientific assistance in national industries. It is true that the President oe the Board oe Education succeeded in securing the appointment of an Advisory Committee of the Privy Council to ascertain the best methods of securing the organisa- tion and development of industrial and scientific research. But faith in the sincerity of this display of interest is shaken by lamentable experience both of past and present action. Not many years ago a prominent member of the Cabinet then in being, at a meeting of the British Science Guild, was loud in acclaiming his zeal for precisely these same principles ; and almost at the same time he was also engaged, ostensibly from motives of presumed economy, in the practical destruction of some of the most essential scientific departments of the State. Even now, in a time of the nation’s urgent need, we understand that the services of fully qualified chemists, whose educa- tion has often cost more in time and money than that of many of our lawyer politicians, are but grudgingly recognised by the War Office and are offered on enlistment a corporal’s rank. We are told that one really eminent man, with the highest university distinction and acknowledged scientific attainments, was compelled to refuse an offer of a special military appointment because it carried with it only the status of a sergeant. This is indeed State recognition of science, and we refer to it here, not so much for purposes of protest, as to illustrate the kind of obtuseness and lack of appreciation in high quarters with which the Employers’ Association will have to contend. The whole attitude of the country towards indus- trial science has been fundamentally wrong, and the State has been indifferent accordingly ; for do we not get both the Government as well as the Press that we deserve ? There is, however, some hope that we may ultimately emerge from this condition of apathy and indifference to so vital a matter. Omitting certain established scientific departments of State, such, for example, as the Home Office Committee on Coal Dust Explosions, there have recently been appointed the following Government scientific committees : — The Advisory Council of the Privy Council, promoted by the Board of Education ; the Central Committee of the Board of Invention and Research; the Munitions Inventions Department; the Munitions Committee on Industrial Fatigue; the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries Committee on the Supply of Horses for Military Purposes; the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries Committee on Fertilisers; the Colonial Office Committee on West African Oil Nuts and Seeds. In addition to this the following committees are directly or indirectly recognised by the Board of Trade and other State departments : — British Dyes Limited technical and advisory com- mittees ; Royal Society Commitee on War Industries; Chemical Society committees on inventions and other industrial questions; Physical Society Register of War Specialists. Lastly, mention should be made of the newly-appointed Committee on Fuel Economy of the British Association, of which the chairman is Prof. Bone. From the above it is evident that from the point of view of the organisation of science for industrial purposes, a great show of activity is being displayed. But this will not of itself be enough. Sir James Dewar, in his presidential address to the British Association in 1902, said that “the really appalling thing is that the German population has reached a point of general training and specialised equipment which it will take us two generations of hard and intelligently-directed educational work to attain. It is that Germany possesses a national weapon of precision which must give her an enormous initial advantage in any and every contest depending upon disciplined and methodical intellect.’ ’ Does the nation realise this ? For not until it does shall we be able to ensure that State recognition of science without which all the committees under the sun will be but ploughing the sands. Sir Andrew' Noble, chairman of Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth and Company and the Bede Metal and Chemical Company, and a director of the Mond Nickel Company, who died on October 22 last, aged 84 years, left £734,418 gross and. £700,959 net personalty. THE COAL AMD IROM TRADES. Thursday, January 20. Scotland.—Western District. COAL. The coal market in the west of Scotland continues firm in tone, and values are still tending upward. A large business has been done in round coal for January, and, even although the licence difficulty is restricting exports, the output of the collieries is being fully taken up. Smalls, of all sizes, are now in strong demand at advancing prices. Shipments for the week amounted to 84,532 tons, compared with 55,547 in the preceding week and 98,766 tons in the corresponding week of last year. Prices f.o.b. Glasgow. Current L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. prices. Steam coal 18/6-21/6 18/6-22/ 12/6-14/6 Ell 21/6-22/ 22/ 14/ -14/3 Splint 24/ -32/ 24/ -30/ 14/6-17/ Treble nuts 20/6-21/6 21/ -21/6 13/9-14/3 Double do 19/6-20/6 19/ -19/6 13/ -13/6 Single do 18/9-19/3 18/ —18/6 12/ -12/6 IRON. The Scotch iron trade has now recovered from the holidays, and active conditions are once more in evidence. Producers of the ordinary brands of pig iron are securing a fair amount of business, but makers of haematite are not increasing their obligations at present as they are already well sold and also in view of the ever-changing level of prices. There are 68 furnaces in blast in Scotland at present^ compared with 64 in the preceding week and 73 in the corresponding week of last year. The prices of Scotch makers" iron have been advanced still further, and are quoted as followMonkland f.a.s. at Glasgow, No. 1, 99s. 6d., No. 3, 98s. 6d.; Govan, No. 1, 98s. 6d., No. 3, 97s. 6d.; Carnbroe, No. 1, 104s., No. 3, 100s.; Clyde, Summerlee, Calder, and Langloah, Nos. 1,105s., Nos. 3,100s.; Gartsherrie, No. 1, 106s., No. 3, 100s.; Glengarnock at Ardrossan, No. 1, 106s., No. 3, 101s.; Eglinton at Ardrossan or Troon, No. 1, 100s., No. 3, 98s. ; Dalmellington at Ayr, No. 1, 99s. 6d., No. 3, 97s. 6d.; Shotts at Leith, No. 1, 105s., No. 3, 100s. per ton. The pig iron warrant market has shown consider- able activity, a turnover of 20,000 tons for the week being recorded. The tone was firm throughout, and, after a few minor fluctuations, Cleveland iron closed on practically the same level as in the preceding week—at 78s. 3|d. per ton, cash buyers. The different branches of the finished iron trade are working under considerable pressure. Black sheet makers have booked a large number of orders and are finding it extremely difficult to overtake the work on hand, and are likely to experience an addition to the arrears already accumulated. The Glasgow warehouse price for 7 to 11 b.g. is now £17 10s. per ton, less 2| per cent. Malleable iron makers are busily engaged on home account and are only able to'accept a small proportion of the export business offering. “ Crown ” iron bars are quoted <£13 and upwards, less 5 per cent, for home delivery, and <£12 10s. net, f.o.b. Glasgow. Scotland.—Eastern District. COAL. Collieries in the Lothians district. are heavily contracted and have nothing of any consequence to sell, this month at any rate. Shipments for the week amounted to 18,792 tons, against 13,850 in the preceding week and 32,269 tons in the same week last year. Prices f.o.b. Leith. Best screened steam coal... Secondary qualities..... Treble nuts ............ Double do............... Single do............... Current prices. 22/ -22/6 21/ -21/6 22/6-23/ 20/ -21/ 18/6-19/ L’st week’s prices. 21/ -21/6 19/ -19/6 21/ -21/6 18/6-19/ 17/ -17/6 Last year’s prices. 12/9-13/ 11/6-11/9 13/3-13/9 12/3-12/9 11/9-12/ ■ Conditions in Fifeshire are satisfactory. Collieries have plenty of orders on hand, and tonnage is plentiful at present. Clearances ’ amounted to 59,758 tons, against 10,842 in the preceding week and 47,577 tons in the same week last year. Prices f.o.b. Methil or Burntisland. Current L’st week’s Lastyear’s Best screened navigation prices. prices. prices. coal 24/6-25/ 25/ -26/ 16/6 14/6 Unscreened do 22/ -23/ 23/ -24/ First-class steam coal 22/6-23/ 22/ -23/ 12/6-12/9 Third-class do 16/6-17/ 16/6-17/6 10/3-10/9 Treble nuts 22/ -22/6 21/ -22/ ! 13/6-14/ Double do. 19/6-20/6 18/6-19/6 11/9-12/6 10/9-11/6 Single do 18/6-19/ 17/ -17/6 The aggregate shipments from Scottish ports during the past week amounted to 163,082 tons, compared with 80,239 tons in the preceding week and 178,612 tons in the corre- sponding week of last year. Northumberland, Durham and Cleveland. Newcastle-upon-Tyne. COAL. During last week 93,878 tons of coal and 2,472 tons of coke were despatched from Tyne Dock, an increase of 34,707 tons of coal and 2,286 tons of coke when compared with the shipments for the corresponding week of last year. The Dunston clearances amounted to 35,523 tons of coal and 6,481 tons of coke, a decrease of 8,447 tons of coal and an increase of 2,344 tons of coke. The Blyth shipments totalled 53,438 tons of coal and coke, a decrease of 5,058 tons. Thus, the total shipments from the three places mentioned were 191,792 tons of coal and coke, an increase of 25,832 tons when compared with the figures for the corresponding period a year ago. When compared with the clearances for the previous week, the shipments show an increase of 11,019 tons. Prompt coal market conditions have undergone little change since last week, except that the difficulty in obtaining supplies for early loading is now so acute as to have brought spot business practically to a standstill Particularly so far as concerns Northumbrian coals, the only fuel offering is a few stray cargoes which had been freed by the non-arrival of steamers, and, as the weather has been rather more settled than was the case during the previous week, such quantities are very rarely to be had. The enquiry is exceedingly heavy, and, whilst Durham coals are offering in fair quantity, the tone of that section, like the Northumbrian, continues to be very strong. Nearly all the collieries are well supplied with tonnage for some considerable time ahead, and this circumstance has given additional strength to the bunker market. Almost the whole of the output, however, is going forward on contract and Government account, and collieries may be said to be out of the market for prompt business. Prices are largely nominal. The following variations in f.o.b. quotations for prompt shipment have occurred during the week:—Best steams, Blyths, 2s. 6d. advanced; Tynes, ditto; seconds, Blyths, 2s. up; unscreened, Is. to 2s. dearer; smalls, Blyths, Is. more; Tynes, ditto; specials, 6d. to Is. higher ; smithies, Is. increased ; gas bests, 6d. to Is. advanced; seconds, firmer; specials, Is. to 2s. up ; unscreened bunkers, Durhams, Is. dearer; Northumbrians, stronger ; coking coal, ditto; coke, foundry, Is. 6d. to 4s. 6d. up; blastfurnace, 3s. more; and gas coke, easier. Other sorts of fuel are steady. A moderate amount of activity is being displayed in forward business, and, whilst chief interest is centred in the South Metropolitan Gas Com- pany’s contracts - which, of course, will be fixed up at prices determined by the Price of Coal (Limitation) Act— enquiries from foreign consumers are attracting no little attention. The Russian Marine is understood to be negotiating for about 120,000 tons of steams for delivery to Archangel over the summer months. It is expected that the Russian authorities will be assisted in their purchase by the British Government. The Swedish State Railways are again in the market for prompt and forward coals, and, by reason of the fact that very little of the last coals enquired for were actually booked, it is probable that the request is for a considerable amount of fuel. It is generally believed that the railways will, in this instance, give guarantees that the coal is to be used for no purpose other than as locomotive fuel. Consternation was caused on the market on Wednesday of this week by the news that a well-known exporting firm had had an application for a licence returned to it from the War Trade Department with the intimation that there must be attached to the application a certificate from the colliery to the effect that the coals to be shipped were really steam coals and unsuitable for coking purposes. If this stipulation be generally enforced, it will, obviously, bring the coal trade of the two northern counties to almost a total cessation, for it is quite impossible to give such a certificate so far as the bulk of the coals produced in Northumberland and Durham are concerned. However, the matter has been placed in the hands of the Advisory Committee of the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce, and it is hoped that the negotiations of that very energetic body with the authorities will result in the withdrawal of this extraordinary proviso. Prices f.o.b. for prompt shipment. Steam coals :— Best, Blyths (D.C.B.) ... Do. Tynes (Bowers,&c.) Secondary, Blyths Do. Tynes (Hastings or West Hartleys) ... Unscreened Small, Blyths Do. Tynes Do. specials Other sorts:— Smithies Best gas coals (New Pelton or Holmside) Secondary gas coals (Pelaw Main or similar) Special gas coals Unscreened bunkers, Durhams Do. do. N orthumbr ians Coking coals Do. smalls House coals Coke, foundry Do. blast-furnace Do. gas Current prices. 25/ -27/6 25/ -27/6 21/ -23/ 21/ -22/ 20/ -22/ 13/6-14/6 11/6-12/6 15/ -16/ I 21/ -22/ 23/ 21/ 25/ 21/ -23/ 21/ -22/6 22/ 21/ 23/ -25/ 37/6-42/6 36/ -38/ 27/ -28/ L’st week’s prices. 25/ 25/ 21/ 22/ 19/ -20/ 13/6 11/6 14/6-15/ 21/ 22/ -22/6 20/ -21/ 23/ -24/ 20/ -22/ 20/ -22/6 21/ -22/ 21/ 23/ -25/. 36/ -38/ 33/ -35/ 28/ Last year’s prices. 13/9-14/ 13/6 11/6-12/ 12/ 11/ 9/ 8/ - 8/3 10/ 11/ 12/3-12/6 11/ -11/6 13/ 10/9-12/ 10/6 10/6-11/3 10/6 14/ -15/ 18/6-19/6 18/ 11/6-12/6 Sunderland. COAL. The exports from Sunderland last week amounted to 63,145 tons of coal and 1,855 tons of coke, as compared with 56,040 tons of coal and 1,955 tons of coke for the corre- sponding period of 1915, being an increase of 7,105 tons of coal and a decrease of 100 tons of coke. As the Admiralty are requisitioning supplies of all descriptions of coal, busi- ness is practically at a standstill, while for February shipment the enquiry is brisk, but owing to the uncertainty regarding Government requirements neither buyers nor sellers are disposed to operate ; in the circumstances the undertone is strong, with values nominally higher. There is a good demand for gas coals; coking unscreened and