April 28, 1916. 811 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. ________________________________________________________________________________ the uncertainty as to when the colliers who are now enjoying the fine weather will consent to go below again, colliery managers are not disposed to seek any new business, but prefer to await the course of events. Tonnage remains plentiful both in number and size, while the chartering market shows a very steady tone—not altogether expected when the amount of tonnage in dock and the scarcity of coal is taken into consideration. The condition of stems still retards business. Values of all better class coals remain remarkably firm. While smalls show easier by a shade, other qualities remain about the same. At the high prices quoted no quantity of coal can be said to have changed hands, excepting small lots desired to complete cargoes. The house coal trade remains unchanged, with an easier demand. Pitwood supplies are more abundant, with the consequence that French fir of good -quality has changed hands at considerably less money, around 34s. ex ship. Prices f.o.b. cash 30 days. Steam coals: — Best Black Vein large... Western-valleys, ordin’yj Best Eastern-valleys ... I 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. 45/ -50/ 45/ -47 /6 43/ -45/ 41/ -42/6 24/ -26/ 22/ -24/ 18/ -20/ 25/ -26/ 28/ -30/ 33/ —34/ 23/ -24/ 22/ -23/ 47/6-50/ 45/ -47/6 55/ -60/ L’st week’s prices. 45/ -50/ 45/ -47/6 42/6-45/ 41/ -42/6 22/ -24/ 18/ —20/ 15/ -18/ 23/ -24/ 26/ -28/ 31/ -32/6 Last year’s prices. 33/ -34/ 32/ -32/6 31/6-32/ 28/ -30/ 18/ -18/6 17/ -17/6 16/6-17/ 18/6 22/ -24/ 23/ -24/ 23/ -24/ 22/ -23/ 42/6-44/ 45/ -47/6 55/ -60/ 28/ -29/ 26/ -27/ 33/ -34/ 32/ -33/ 37/ -39/ IRON. The usual trend of business has now been resumed after the Easter holidays, prices generally being inclined upwards. Where no alterations in figures are reported, prices remain very firm. Business at tin-plate bar and rail mills continues to be hard to place, as all works are well booked for some time ahead, with prices remaining now at last quoted figures of £14 for either Bessemer or Siemens tin-plate bars, with heavy section rails at .£12. Whilst there are good enquiries for Welsh haematite, business continues difficult and values remain officially at £7 10s. Iron ore continues firm on a basis of 40s. for best rubio c.i.f. Newport. Tin-plates are still a very strong market, while values continue to move upwards. Latest quotations are on a basis of 35s. for IC 20 x 14 x 112. Cardiff. COAL. Throughout the holidays, business has been exceedingly quiet. Most of the offices closed from Thursdays evening until Tuesday, but the colliers took their vacation on the first two days of the week. The result was that on Tuesday morning there were considerable stocks of coal on the sidings, but with the large quantity of tonnage available there was no difficulty in clearing wagons, and by Wednesday there was little alteration in the general position. Charterings showed a big decrease, the total amount of tonnage taken up last week being 90,250 tons, against 123,300 tons in the preceding six days, or a decrease of 33,050 tons. Shipments also showed a large decline, the total for the four principal ports of the Channel being 272,561 tons, compared with 435,482 tons in the corresponding month of 1915, or a decrease of 162,921 tons. Cardiff alone exported 134,227 tons, against 264,007 tons, or a decrease of 129,780 tons; Newport 79,042 tons, or an increase of 18 tons; Swansea 24,469 tons, or a decline of 27,124 tons ; and Port Talbot 34,823 tons, or a decrease of 6,035 tons. Patent fuel exports were also down, and only amounted to about 15,000 tons. There are no new features except that the Great Northern Railway Company of Ireland has come into the market for the usual supplies of 60,000 to 120,000 tons of locomotive coal for six or 12 months respectively. As a rule Monmouthshire coal is taken, but the high prices now ruling may have the. effect of diverting contracts. At the present time there is a very great demand for all grades of Monmouthshires, and the average prices obtained are in excess of those realised for ordinary Cardiff steams. At the time of writing it is difficult to gauge the market, except to say that it is exceedingly firm, and sellers are unwilling to make concessions from the prices quoted a week ago. Tonnage arrivals over the week end were numerous, and it is estimated that there are enough steamers in dock to satisfy all requirements for a month to come. The fine weather now prevailing is bound to result in a large percentage of absenteeism from the collieries, but, generally speaking, the men are working well, and colliery managers agree that with a little laxity at the present moment the outputs will be more than made up at the end of the month. So far as prices are concerned, there has been a slight improvement on last week, but the holidays of the present week have prevented any material fluctua- tion. Best and inferior second Admiralties are still retained by the Government, and there is little free coal of other grades coming into the market. Ordinary seconds are 49s. to 51s., ordinaries 47s. to 49s., Black Veins 50s. to 51s., western valleys 49s. to 50s., eastern valleys 44s. to 46s., with inferior qualities about Is. 6d. less. The demand for small coals continues unabated, and even at the high prices now ruling supplies are difficult to obtain. Best bunkers are 28s. to 30s., ordinaries 25s. to 27s., and cargo qualities 19s. to 23s. One of the most remarkable features of the market is the strength of bituminous coals. Naturally a large proportion is being absorbed for the pro- duction of coke, but the prices realised are a long way in excess of the most sanguine anticipations. There is an undoubted shortage in production, and the suggestion made is that the military authorities have not paid due regard to the requirements of the manufacturing community in withdrawing men from the bituminous collieries. No. 3 Rhondda large now commands 48s. to 50s., No. 2 40s. to 42s., and other grades in proportion. In consequence of the high price of small coals, fuel is higher, best grades realising 50s., and secondary qualities 43s. to 47s. 6d. per ton. Coke is very high, but quotations are unchanged. Pitwood has been more plentiful, and realises 35s. to 36s. per ton. Prices f.o.b. Cardiff (except where otherwise stated). Steam coals:— Best Admiralty steam coals ? Current prices. * * 49/ -51/ 47/ -59/ 28/ -30/ 25/ -27/ 19/ -23/ 18/ -19/ 44/ -46/ 37/6-40/ 35/ -36/ 32/ -33/ 31/ —32/6 ' 28/ -30/ 20/ —22/ . 50/ -51/ 49/ -50/ 44/ -46/ 42/6-44/ 23/ -24/ 22/ —23/ 48/ -50/ 38/ -40/ 30/ -33/ 40/ -42/ 31/ -33/ 22/ -23/ 47/6-50/ 43/ -45/ 57/6-62/6 52/6-57/6 42/6-47/6 35/ -36/ L’st week’s prices. * 1 —* 'i 48/ -50/ 45/ -47/6 27/ -28/ 23/ -25/ 19/ -22/ 17/ -18/ 42/6—45/ 37/6-40/ 31/ —32/6 28/ -30/ 29/ —30/ 26/ -28/ 20/ -22/ 45/ -47/6 ■ 45/ -47/ 42/6-45/ 40/ -42/ 23/ -24/ 22/ —23/6 45/ -50/ 36/ -38/ 29/ -30/ 38/ -40/ 32/ —33/ 22/ -23/ 45/ -47/6 43/ -45/ 60/ -65/ 55/ -60/ 42/6-47/6 36/ -38/ Last year’s prices. # / 34/ —35/ 21/6—22/6 ! 21/ | 18/ -19/ 17/6-18/ / 35/ -36/ j 30/ —32/6 28/ 26/ 26/ 24/ 20/ 32/9-33/3 32/3 30/3 28/6-29/ 30/ 28/ -29/ 30/ ' 27/6 25/ * 25/ 1 22/6 20/ 37/6 35/ 43/ -45/ 38/ -42/ 32/ -34/ 34/ -35/ Superior seconds 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) * Nominal. IRON. There is little change in the tin-plate industry except that production is being more strictly limited in consequence of the shortage of labour. Shipments last week were only 86,763 boxes, compared with 56,095 boxes received from works, thus leaving 283,838 boxes in stock in the docks warehouses and vans. Production is likely to become less week by week, and prices are on the ascending scale. Bessemer standard cokes are now 34s. 6d. to 35s., and oil sizes 35s. to 35s. 6d., and 50s. to 50s. 6d. respectively. Welsh tin bars are not now officially quoted, but they are reported to be on the basis of .£13 10s. to <£14, although the official price has been fixed at <£10 17s. 6d. In the galvanised sheet trade there is no alteration, and 24-gauge corrugateds are <£28 per ton. Spelter is unchanged at <£103 per ton. Welsh pig iron is not quoted, and most manufacturers are altogether out of the market, in consequence of the whole of their output having been sold many months ahead. Iron ore is likely to be cheaper in consequence of the Govern- ment regulation of freights, but at the time of writing no definite information had been received. Good quality rubio was obtainable f.o.b. Bilbao at 14s. 3d., which, with a freight of 17s., would bring the price to 31s. 3d., but the latter is a variable quantity, and must fluctuate with the market quotations. Scrap metals are unaltered. Swansea COAL. Last week considerable depression was experienced in the trade of the port. Both the coal and patent fuel trades were inactive, and'the shipments together only amounted to 59,516 tons. There was a fair attendance on ’Change, but very little business was passing. Prices were nominally unaltered. Prices are all net f.o.b. (cash in 30 days). Current Anthracite:— prices. Best malting large (hand picked) 25/ -27/ Secondary do. 22/ -23/ Big Vein large 19/6-22/6 Red Vein large :. 20/ -25/ Machine-made cobbles 30/ -32/ Paris nuts - French do 31/ -32/6 Stove do 31/ -32/ Beans 31/ -32/6 Machine - made large peas 22/6-23/6 Do. fine peas — Rubbly culm 11/ -12/ Duff 4/3- 4/6 Steam coals:— Best large 36/ -42/6 Seconds 29/6-33/ Bunkers 32/6-37/6 Small 17/6-19/ Bituminous coals:— No. 3 Rhondda— Large 38/ -45/ Thro’-and-thro’ Small 23/6-29/ Patent fuel 38/ -41/ L’st week’s 'Last year’s prices, i prices. 23/6-24/9 ! 22/ -24/ 18/6-20/ ! 19/6-21/ 17/6-19/6 j 16/6-18/ 16/6-17/6 I 17/ -18/ 27/6-30/ | 23/ -26/ 28/6-30/6 ; 23/ -25/ 27/6-30/ ; 23/ -24/ 31/ -32/6 j 24/ -25/6 22/6-23/6 | 15/6-16/6 10/6-11/ j 10/6-11/6 4/3- 4/6 j 5/9- 6/6 36/ -42/6 ; 28/6-31/ 29/6-33/ ■ 24/ -27/ 28/ -35/ ! 23/ -25/ 16/6-17/6 i 16/6-20/ 38/ -45/ | 28/ -31/ 23/6-29/ | 19/6-22/6 38/ -41/ 32/ -35/ IRON. Remarkable pressure was evident at the blast furnaces, and the steel trade reports continued excellent. Shortage of labour was the complaint at the tin-plate works. The Mannesmann Tube Works were kept going at very high pressure, and an enormous output was registered. Moulders were kept busy at the iron and brass foundries, overtime being the rule, as was also the case at the engineering and fitting shops. There was a good shipment of tin-plates, which included a large consigment for the Far East. The shipments were 86,763 boxes, receipts from works 56,095 boxes, and stocks in the dock warehouses and vans 283,838 boxes. Llanelly. COAL. Not for many months has the position of the local coal market been so favourable for disposing of the various classes of coals. Anthracite coals in particular