June 2, 1916, .THE COLLIERY- GUARDIAN. 1051 ________________________________________________________________________________________ their yards are practically clear of stocks. Very strong complaints are being made by coal merchants. The supply of railway-owned wagons is very irregular, and there are no stocks of any kind at the pits. The following are the quotations, subject to special modifications, which are now generally in operation at the collieries in this district.— Prices at pit. THE WELSH COAL AND IRON TRADES. Thursday, June 1. ___________________________________________ Current Best household coal ____ Second,- hand picked ..... Deep screened cobbles ... Deep large huts __......__ takers’ huts ________ Small liuts......... A.......... Deep breeze .............. Peas .......;_____??...____ Small dust _________ Main nuts for London . kitcheners __..........: Steams, best hand picked Steams, seconds .........__ Main cobbles for kitcheners Main breeze..............__ prices. 16/6-18/ . 15/6-16/ 16/6-17/ 16/ -16/6 15/ -15/6 14/6-15/ 12/9-13/6 12/ -12/3 6/ - 7/' 13/'-13’6 14/ -14/6 13/ -13/6 13/6-14/ 12/6-13/6 L/stweek’s prices. 16/6-1.8/. 15 6-16/ 16/6-17/ 1.6/ -16/6 ■ 15/ -15/6 14/6-15/ 12/9-13/6 12/ -12/3' 6/ - 7/ Last year’s prices. 18/6-19/6 17/6-18/6 16/6-17/6 16/ -17/ 15/6-16/ 14/ -14/6 14/ —14/6 11/9-12/6 5/ - 5/6 13/ -13/6 14/ -14/6 13/ -13/6 13/6-14/ 12/6-13/6 15/9-16/9 15/ -16/ 14/ -15/ 15/9-16/9 13/6-14/6 __________________... South Staffordshire, North Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Birmingham. COAL. Enquiries on the coal market tended. to show that the position was slightly easier—not that supplies are more abundant, but demand is considerably less. That remark, of course, does not apply to munition and other works, which take all the fuel that is available for their purposes. The price restrictions have put a stop to export business, and this will have the very good effect of preventing the district becoming impoverished, as was at one time threatened. No new price lists appear to be sent out in the meantime, and there is no prospect of any reductions, even for the summer. Prices at pit. North Wales. Wrexham. COAL. The keen demand which has prevailed for some time past in the local coal trade still prevails, and every colliery is hard pressed to supply what is demanded from them. Con- sideration is now being given to the question of whether the men will consent to work on Whit-Monday. Orders for house coal are not plentiful, but the coal is easily- disposed of in other markets. The demand for steam coal is keener than ever. The railway companies in particular are pressing for supplies from all the collieries where they h^ve coptracts, and as a number of the large railway com- panies/ use ‘ North Wales coal, a large proportion of the output: is*, going for this class of trade. Orders come to hand freely for coal'for Government-controlled works, and for shipment. There isytherefore, very little coal available for ther general trade. ' Supplies are being kept up to the standard as regards' gas coal, and a few more contracts have been settled, but it would appear that a large proportion of the contracts yet await settlement. At Llanfyllin a public meeting of the townspeople'has been called to consider the question of substituting electric lighting for gas. The amount of slack raised has not increased, and buyers find it very difficult to get sufficient for their requirements. Prices continue to be on the strong side. The best large house coal is easily disposed of at prices varying from 22s. to 24s., and seconds at 20s. to 22s. per ton at the pit, the same coal being sold at the retail depots at prices from 25s. to 27s. 6d. Steam coal and gas coal prices average from 18s. to 20s., and coal for shipment is about the same figure, while nuts (which are very scarce) demand 17s. 6d. to 19s. per ton. The average price for slack is Ils. to 13s. 6d., and gas coke 21s. 8d. to 25s. per ton at the. works. The following is a summary of the prices— Current L’st week’s Last year’s Staffordshire (including prices. prices. prices. Cannock Chase) :— House coal, best deep ... 22/ 22/' 20/ Do. seconds deep 20/ . 20/ 19/ Do. best shallow 19/ 19/ 18/6 Do. seconds do. 18/ 18/ 17/6 Best hard ..... 18/6 18/6 16/6 Forge coal 16/ 16/ 14/ > Slack 11/6 11/6 10/ Warwickshire:— House coal, best Ryder.. 19/ 19/ 19/6 Do. hand-picked cobs 18/ 18/ 17/6 Best hard spires 20/ 20/ 18/ Forge (steam) 16/ 16/ 13/6 D.S. nuts (steam) . 14/6 ’ 14/6 14/6 Small (do.) 14/6 14/6 11/6 IRON. Prices at pit f.o.r. Best house coal ...... Secondary do.......... Steam coal............ Gas coal.............. Bunkers............... Nuts ................. Slack .......__........ Gas coke (at works)...... Prices landsale:— Best house coal ______ Seconds .............. Slack __............... Current |L’st week’slLastyear’s nriPAS I -nrir.nq prices. prices. 22/ -24/ '20/ -22/ 18/ -20/ 18/ -20/ 18/ -20/ 17/6-19/ 11/ —13/6 21/8-25/ 25/ -27/6 22/6-25/ 13/4-16/8 ' prices. 22/6-24/ 20/ -22/6 18/ -19/6 18/6-20/ 18/ -19/ 18/ -19/ 11/ -13/6 22/6-25/ 20/ -22/6 19/ -20/ 18/6-20/ 18/6-20/ 17/6-18/6 17/ -18/ 10/ -12/6 13/4-16/8 25/ -27/6 : 26/8-30/ 22/6-25/ J 22/6-26/8 ' 13/4-16/8 ! 13/4-14/2 Monmouthshire, South Wales, &c. Newport. COAL. The ascertainment ot the accountants of the Midland Wages Board entitles ironworkers to another advance, of 71 per cent, in wages, raising the puddling rate, with the bonus, to the unprecedented figure of 15s. 9d. per ton. The amount of business negotiated during the afternoon was not large, but it was of a steady, regular nature. The advance in gas strip, announced last week, has not restricted sales. Smelters are acting cautiously regarding sales of pig iron after June. They express their belief in an early revision of the maxima. There is a good deal doing in wrought iron piling scrap, which for rolling down purposes makes as much as <£8 a ton. Bars are firm at £15 a ton marked qualities, and £13 15s. unmarked net. Nut and bolt iron is about a similar figure, delivered Darlaston district. Con- ditions have not improved in the sheet trade. For galvanised sheets the Indian and Colonial branch has fallen to little or nothing, and practically the whole of the limited exports are for our Allies. The minimum basis is £28 f.o.b., black corrugated (painted) are £20, and plain £18 to £18 10s. Supplies of steel sheet bars are almost impossible to obtain. More semis, it was stated, are beginning to come :from America again, and are welcomed by consumers, even although the price has been put as high as £14 10s. to £15 delivered here. Gladly accepted, too, are some quantities of discard billets which South Wales sends into this district. In ordinary times these would not have been looked at on account of the high carbon, but with some neutralising they can be made useful for a variety of purposes. They vary in price from £10 10s. to £12 10s. Copper sheetshave .fallen £6 to £168. Uncertainty, has been the cause of the very small amount of business done this week. Supplies available for June loading are none too abundant, and while there is quite a fair demand for coal, shippers are moving very cautiously. Colliery stems remain pretty well congested. For a day or two chartering has ruled , easy, few steamers having been fixed, although rates show reductions in every direction. There was a lot of holding back, merchants’ ideas being several shillings below owners’ offers. Beyond a few small odd lots of coal there has been little done this week. The undertone keeps very firm. Pitwood continues in demand at last week’s big prices, good wood changing hands around 50s. ex ship. 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. 54/ -55/ 53/ -55/ 53/ -53/6 51/ -53/ 31/ -32/6 29/ -30/ 25/. -27/ 32/ -32/6 35/ -37/ ' 37/ -39/ 23/ -24/ 22/ -23/ 60/ -55/ 50/ -52/6 60/ -62/ L’st week’s prices. 54/ -55/ 53/ -55/ 53/ -53/6 52/ -53/ 31/ -32/6 29/ -30/ 25/ -27/ 31/6-32/6 35/ -37/ 37/ -39/ Last year’s prices. 35/ -36/ 33/6-34/ 32/ -32/6 29/6-30/6 19/6-20/6 18/6-19/6 18/ -18/6 20/ -20/6 22/ -23/ 22/6-23/ 23/ -24/ 22/ -23/ 50/ -55/- 50/ -52/6 60/ -62/ 28/ -29/ 26/ -27/ 33/6-35/ 33/ -34/ 37/ -38/ __________________ Forest of Dean. Lydney. COAL. Demand is still considerably in excess of the supply, and the colliery books are well filled with orders, many of them having been entered a month since. Full time is being worked, and everything possible is being done to satisfy the needs of buyers, yet merchants complain of delays. In the steam coal department the general demand continues to be well ahead of the supplies. The pits are fully employed, and there is a complete absence of stock. Prices at pithead. Current L’st week’s Last year’s House coals prices. prices. prices. . Block 21/6 21/6 21/6 .. . Forest ... : 20/6 . .20/6 20/6 ■ ’ Rubble 20/9 20/9 20/9 •' •’Nuts--' 19/ 19/ 19/ ' Rough slack Steam.coal:— , 11/6 11/6 14/ 1 . Large ..........5..L:....... 18/ -19/ 18/'-19/ 21/ -22/ ; Small ... .... . ........ 13,6-14/ .1376-14/ 15/6-16/6 Prices 2s. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. IRON. There is no material alteration to report in the local iron and steel trades. Now busines is increasingly difficult to put through, owing to the various restrictions and the shortage of labour. The trend of prices in all departments is still towards higher values. At bar mills work continues up to recent averages, with prices firm at £14 for either Bessemer or Siemens Welsh bars. Steel rails present no new feature. Enquiry continues good, but with very little free stock available there is hardly .any business passing. Values here show no alteration. Welsh hematite continues excep- tionally scarce, with little business maturing, so difficult is ..it-to get orders placed. Prices for pig iron and for iron ore are. nominal. Tin-plates show strong advances as stocks get steadily lower, latest ruling quotations being,. 37s. 6d. for 20 x 14 and 75s. for'28 x 20, either Seimens or Bessemer primes. . Cardiff. COAL. Since last week the main topic of discussion has been the proposed limitation of coal prices by the Government. The market generally is in a state of transition, and it is difficult to say what figures would represent the true values of to-day. Eortho most.part, collieries are fully booked for a month or six weeks ahead, and only small oddments are coming on to the open market. For these almost any price is obtainable, according to individual requirements. The greatest’ drawback is the diversion of orders from the Welsh market. Foreign coaling . stations have almost invariably taken their supplies' from Wales. Important coaling station^ in the Pacific are to be stocked with Japanese, goal, a factor that has never been reckoned with in the past. The fact that markets are being lost owing to the difficulty of supply and trans- port facilities is one that is giving cause to the greatest anxiety. Generally speaking, local. prices are without material alteration. Best Admiralties and superior seconds are retained by the Government, but there' is also a large demand for other descriptions which have not hitherto been sought for by the authorities. Ordinary second Admiralties are 54s.' to 55s., and ordinary steams 52s. to 53s. per ton. Drys range from 45s. to 50s., Mon- mouthshire Black1 Veins 54s. to 55s., western valleys about 6d. less, easterns 50s. io 52s. 6d., best bunker smalls 32s. to 33s., ordinaries 30s. to 32s., and cargo qualities 25s. to 28s. per ton. House coals remain stationary in accordance with the regulations of the Government last autumn. For bituminous coals there is a great demand chiefly for smithy and coking purposes, and very high prices are being obtained. No. 3 Rhondda large is 57s. 6d. to 60s., seconds 40s. to 41s., and smalls 36s. to 40s. per ton. For No. 2 qualities 46s. to 48s. is obtainable for large, 38s. to 40s. for through, and 29s. to 31s. for small. .The position of the fuel trade is” peculiar. Present quotations for general shipment are on the basis of 50s. to 55s. per ton. Ship- ments last week amounted to 446,750 tons, compared with 347,654 tons in the corresponding week of last year, or an increase of 99,096 tons. From Cardiff the exports were 239,950 TohSpafraihst '205,861 tons, or an increase of 34,089 tons ; from Newport' 62;366 tons, or an improvement of 8,279 tons-; troiri ' Swansea 96,828 tons, or an increase of 45,249. tonsand from ’ Port Talbot 47,606 tons, or an increase of 11,479 tons. Patent fuel exports were rather below the average, the decrease amounting to nearly 10,000 tons. .Chartering was not quite so brisk, the amount of tonnage taken up being only 109,180 tons, compared with 121,025? tonfe. in the preceding six days, or a decrease of 11,845 tons. Pitwood is steady at 48s. to 50s. per ton. • Prices f.o.b. Cardiff (except where otherwise stated). Current . L’st week’s T . > Last year s Steam coals:— • . • prices. prices. prices. Best Admiralty steam coals * * * Superior seconds : % - * Seconds 54/ -55/ 54/ -55/ —< Ordinary do 52/ -53/'' 52/’ -53/ 36/ -37/ Best bunker smalls 32/ -33/ 32/ —33/ i 22/ Best ordinaries 30/ -32/ 30/ -32/ 21/6 Cargo qualities’............ 25/ -28/ 25/ -28/ 19/ -19/6 Inferior smalls 22/ -25/ 23/ —25/ 18/ --18/6 Best dry coals 48/ -50/ ’52/6-55/ 36/ -37/ 43/ -45/ 47/6-52/6- 34/ -35/ _________ Best washed nuts ________ 42/6-45/ 42/6-45/ 29/ Seconds 40/ -42/6 40/ -42/6 27/ Best washed peas 39/ -41/ 39/ -41/ 26/ Seconds 37/ -39/ 37/ -39/ 24/ Dock screenings 20/ Monmouthshire— 1 . 1 Black Veins 54/ -55/ 54/ -55/ 1 33/9 Western-valleys 54/. -54/6 54/ -55/ 1 32/9 Eastern-valleys 50/ -52/6 52/ -55/ j 32/3 Inferior do 50/ -52/ 50/ -52/ : 31/6 Bituminous coals:— Best house coals (at pit) 23/ -24/ . 23/ -24/ i 30/ Second qualities (at pit) 22/ —23/ 22/ -23/ 27/6-29/ No. 3 Rhondda— Bituminous large 57/6-60/ 57/6-60/ 29/ Through-and-through 47/ -50/ 45/ -50/ I 26/6 Small 36/ -40/ 33/ -35/ 24/ No. 2 Rhondda— Large 46/ -48/ 4,11 -49 / ; 27/ Through-and-through 38/ -40/ 1 38/ -40/ 1 22/6-23/ Small 29/ -31/ 27/ -28/ ! 19/6-20/ Best patent fuel 52/ -55/ ' 50/ -55/ i 37/6 Seconds 50/ -52/ 48/ -50/ 33/ -35/ Special foundry coke 62/ -67/6 62/6-65/ J 43/ -4,1'1 Ordinary do.. 60/ -62/6 60/ -62/6 i 38/ -42/6 Furnace coke 52/ -57/6 50/ -52/6 32/ -35/ Pitwood (ex-ship) 48/ -50/ ?48/6-50/ 31/ -32/ * Nominal. IRON. The combing out process is exercising a detrimental effect on the production of tin-plates in South Wales, and there are indications that further stoppages will take place in the near future. A fortnight ago it was estimated that only 75 per cent, of the mills were working. To-day the percentage has gone down to 70 and it is calculated that within a fortnight it will fall to about 55 to 60 per cent. Shipments last week were 46,757 boxes, against 85,547 boxes, received from works, leaving 256,039 boxes in stock. Prices are unaltered, Bessemer standard cokes being 37s., and oil sizes 37s. 6d. and 53s. respectively. The galvanised sheet trade is unchanged. There is practically no new business except on Government account, and 24-gauge corrugateds are £28 per ton. Spelter is much lower, and is now offering at £80 per ton, with a considerable discount for forward business. Welsh steel bars are unaltered at £13 10s. to £14 per ton, and there is no change in pig iron, which is quoted as nominal, with short supplies. Iron ore is unchanged, and there is little freshfloing in scrap metals, quotations for which remain at high figures. Swansea. COAL. The trade of. the port still shows an increase, and the fixing of a maximum price for coal exports to France will, in all probability further augment the volume of trade in the near future. The coal and patent fuel trades were more brisk than last week, the shipments...together amounting to 118,896 tons. A good attendance assembled on ’Change this morning; both the anthracite and steam coal markets were without material alteration, and prices for immediate delivery were strongly held, whilst for forward there was no new business passing, pending the result of the negotiations with the Board of Trade on the limitation of prices.