January 26,. 1917. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 185 South Staffordshire, Horth Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Birmingham. COAL. The cold weather has increased the demand at the depots, and supplies are becoming shorter. There has also during the week been some delay in deliveries, so that stocks on the wharves are becoming depleted. Merchants, of course, are eager buyers, but are unable to get more than contract quantities, if so much, and there is no free coal at all on offer, collieries having an excess of orders. Prices at pit. THE WELSH COAL AMD IROM TRADES. Thursday, January 25. Monmouthshire, South Wales, Ac. Newport. COAL. Current L’st weeks Last year’s Staffordshire (including prices. prices. prices, Cannock Chase) :— House coal, best deep . . . 22/ <22/ Do. seconds deep 20/ . 20/ Do. best shallow 19/ 19/ — Do. seconds do. . 18/ 18/ — Best hard 18/6 18/6 ■ Forge coal 16/ 16/ — ■ Slack 11/6 H/6 — Warwickshire:— House coal, best Ryder.. 19/ 19/ . — Do. hand-picked cobs 18/ 18/ ■ Best hard spires 20/ 20/ Forge (steam) 16/ 16/ — D.S. nuts (steam) 14/6 14/6 -— . Small (do.) ...... 14/6 14/6 — The coal market is still in a very uncertain condition, and prices have further weakened. There has been an improve- ment in the arrival of tonnage, but it has not been sufficient to harden the market. The result is that sellers have been driven on to the horns of a dilemma—they must play the waiting game, or sell at a sacrifice. Both these features have characterised the market of late, and prospects do not indicate any immediate improvement; but the droop in prices may be expected to be removed when tonnage comes along in increasing volume. Prices f.o.b. cash 30 days. it was hoped that an acceptable modus vivendi would be arranged this week. In the meantime the strained position of, matters has brought into existence a new association with a combination of interests that will have to be reckoned with in the future. The shipbrokers of the port, who are a hard-working and influential body, complain that the new regulations, if allowed to pass unchallenged, will deprive them of their means of livelihood. A very strong association has therefore just been formed, and the Prime Minister has already been asked to receive a deputation, in conjunction with other organisations, with the object of lightening the lo^d, and making the burden much easier to carry. Prices f.o.b. Cardiff (except where otherwise stated). IRuN. The market revealed no radical changes in the iron and steel industries of the district. Values are firm, except in the case of one or two brands of pig iron, and the works employed directly or indirectly in producing essential material are going at full pressure, attention, of course, being closely centred on national requirements. Sales of pig iron are proceeding steadily to home consumers, although there is no abnormal animation, and consumers are showing some desire to make provision for the needs of next quarter. Maximum prices are obtained for practically all foundry sorts, but Northamptonshire forge qualities are inside the maximum. Plenty of enquiry exists for finished iron and steel, and there is a large accumulation of orders to work off. Maximum prices remain undisturbed, namely, marked bars, <£15 10s., less 2% per cent.;. unmarked bars, £13 15s.; North Staffordshire bars, <£13 15s.; steel 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, at pit... Secondary do. do. ... Patent fuel ......... Furnace coke........\.. Foundry coke ......... Current prices. 28/ -29/ 27/ -28/ 26/ -27/ 24/6-26/6 17/ -18/ 11/ -16/ 6/ - 9/ 18/6-19/6 21/6-22/6 33/ -35/ 24/6-25/6 21/ -22/ 35/ -36/ 47/6-52/6 57/6-60/ L’st week’s prices. 29/ -30/ 28/ -29/ 27/ -28/ 26/ -27/ 18/ -19/ 12/ -17/ 8/6- 9/6 17/ -18/ 23/ -26/ Last year’s prices. 34/6-35/ 34/ -35/ 33/ -34/ 32/ -33/ 17/6-18/ 16/ -17/ 12/-14/ 18/ 19/6-21/ 26/ -28/ 24/6-26/ 21/ -23/ 35/ -37/ 46/ -52/ 57/ -60/ 23/ -24/ 22/ -23/ 32/6-34/6 36/ -37/6 44/ -45/ IRON. The iron and steel trades continue to be very busy in all departments. The sheet bar mills work continues at full pressure, and the same conditions. apply in the rail mills, where, however, new business is at a standstill, as makers are now unable to accept orders for prompt delivery. The tin-plate market remains unchanged. After a good deal of hardening in price, pitwood is a little easier at 53s. to 54s. for best fir. Cardiff. COAL. joints and sections, for which there is a big enquiry, <£11 2s. 6d. Except in the case of marked bars, these prices are f .o.t. net at makers’ works. Few puddled bars are on offer, supplies for the most part being confined to regular customers. The figure mentioned for any small lots that may be going is £12 a ton. The firms are engaged on the output of billets for the most part, and for these they have orders covering. four or five months ahead. For small iron, three-eighths down to three-sixteenths, the enquiry for export seems insatiable. Current output is rapidly absorbed. The sheet trade remains weak, especially - on the galvanised side, and prices are unaltered at £28 10s. for galvanised and £19 10s. for black. Makers of gas strip find plenty of business at £15 and upwards. Steel makers are deluged with work, and are doing their best to cope with it. Near delivery, of course, is out of the question. The supply of semis is inadequate, and Americans are reluctant sellers, owing to heavy home requirements. Wire rods are still coming, but at the high price of £25 to £26 c.i.f. Liverpool, without war risks. Forest of Dean. Lydney. COAL. Great activity still prevails at the house coal collieries, and the orders coming to hand are very much in excess of what can be met. The accumulations of arrear Orders, too, are very heavy and merchants are complaining bitterly of the delay in despatching them. The severe weather of the past few days has increased the demand in the railborne trade and good consignments are sent away; shipments are not heavy. The available supplies of steam and manufacturing fuel are much less than at the corre- sponding period last year by reason of the larger quantities Which have to be delivered to establishments under Government control. All the pits—both house and steam— are employed full time. The disturbing influences referred to a week ago has not been entirely dispersed, but there is a more optimistic feeling abroad, and better times are hoped for in the near future. Arrivals of tonnage over the week-end have been more satisfactory, but owing to the uncertainty created by the recent regulations there has not been the demand that one might have expected, and buyers have been holding off the market in the hope of securing easier terms. For. February loading collieries are holding out for full rates, but in the meantime heavy stocks have been accumulating in the sidings, and sellers are making really substantial concessions to exporters with ready boats at their disposal. The market generally is more or less nominal, and all business appears to be on the basis of mutual arrangement according to the situation of the several parties. The accumulation of stock is becoming an increasing menace to regular working. Up to the present one does not hear of wagons owned by the colliery companies being commandeered, but where trucks have been working on simple hire agreement, the authorities have had no compunction in taking pc ssession and ordering the wagons to other destinations. No actual stoppages have been reported owing to this cause, but it is an undoubted fact that in some districts the pits have only been kept working with difficulty. These unsettling influences naturally have an effect upon prices, and the market generally is distinctly weaker than it was a few days ago. For instance, second Admiralties can now be obtained at 28s. to 29s., and ordinary steams at 25s. to 27s. The same position prevails with regard to Monmouthshire coals. Best Black Veins are 28s. to 29s., western valleys 27s. to 28s., and easterns 25s. to 27s., with inferior grades about Is. to Is. 6d. lower. In the small coal market there is little change, except that the demand is generally easier, with a consequent weakness in quotations. Best bunkers are 17s. to 19s., ordinaries 16s. to 17s., and cargo qualities 13s. to 16s. per ton. Dry coals are also easier at 23s. to 26s., according to description, and washed nuts and peas are also lower at 22s. to 26s. according to grade and quality. In the bituminous section there is little change, and prices Current L’st week’s Last year’s Steam coals:— prices. prices. prices* Best Admiralty steam coals * » * Superior seconds * * — Seconds 28/ -29/ 29/ -30/ 33/ -35/ Ordinary steams 25/ -27/ 28/ -29/ 32/ -33/ Best bunker smalls 17/6—19/ ' 18/ -20/ 19/ -19/6 Best ordinaries. 16/ -17/ ' 17/ -18/ 17/ -18/ Cargo qualities.... 13/ -16/ 14/ -16/ 13/ -15/ Inferior smalls .; 10/ -13/ 12/ -14/ 27/ -28/ 10/ -12/ 34/ -35/. Best dry coals 25/ -26/ Ordinary drys 23/ -24/ 25/ -26/ 32/ -33/ Best washed nuts 25/ -26/ 27/6-30/ 27/ -28/ Seconds 24/ -25/ 26/ -27/ 25/ -26/ Best washed peas 23/ -24/ 25/ -27/6 23/ -24/ Seconds 22/ -23/ 24/ -25/ 20/ -21/ Dock screenings — — .12/ -14/ Monmouthshire- Black Veins 27/6-29/ 29/ -30/ 34/ -35/ Western-valleys 27/ -28/ 28/ -29/ 33/ -34/ , Eastern-valleys . 25/ -27/ 27/ -28/ 32/ —33/ Inferior do. 24/ -25/ 26/ -27/ 31/ -32/ Bituminous coals Best house coals (at pit) 25/6-26/6 25/6-26/6 23/ -24/ Second qualities (at pit) 23/6-24/6 23/6-24/6 22/ -22/6 No. 3 Rhondda— Bituminous large 27/ -29/ 28/ -30/ 32/ -35/ Through-and-through 22/ -23/ 22/ -23/ 27/ -28/ . Small ........ 20/ -21/ 20/ -21/ 24/ -25/ No. 2 Rhondda— Large 24/ -25/ 25/ -26/ 27/ -30/. Through-and-through 18/ -20/ 19/ -21/ 23/ -24/ Small.... 15/ -17/ 17/ -19/ 15/ -16/ Best patent fuel 36/ -37/6 35/ -36/ 62/6-65/ 36/ -37/6 33/ -35/ 35/ -36/ 62/6-65/ 28/ -30/ . 42/ —45/ Special foundry coke Ordinary do. * 55/ -60/ 55/ -60/ 38/ -40/ Furnace coke 47/6-52/6 47/6-52/6 33/ -35/ Pitwood (ex-ship) 58/ -60/ .54/ -55/ 52,6-53/6 * Nominal. Prices at pithead. Current L’st week’s Last year’s House coals:— prices. prices. prices. Block 24/ 24/ 21/6 Forest 23/ 23/ 20/6 Rubble 23/3 23/3 20/9 Nuts 21/6 21/6 19/ Rough slack Steam coal:— 13/ 13/ 11/6 Large 20/ -21/ 20/ -21/ 18/ -19/ Small ... 16/ j 16/ 13/ -14/ Prices 2s. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. Devon, Cornwall, and South' Coast. Plymouth. COAL. Messrs. W. Wade and Son report that the railway supplies of house, steam and gas coal to the South of England are of more or less of a hand to mouth kind, and it is hoped that the railway authorities now fully realise the dependence that is being placed upon them. There is very little coal importation by sea at any of the coast ports owing to the demand for tonnage for other merchandise. Prices remain firm in consequence of the continued cold weather. Freights are unquoted. ' The Department of Commercial Intelligence’ invites British manufacturers or producers now in a position to supply . steel hooping, £ in., by 26 G, and f in. by 26 Gj to make appli- cation for the names of enquirers who wish to purchase these articles. ' are fairly well maintained, No. 3 Rhondda large realising 27s. to 29s., No. 2 24s. to 25s., and other grades in propor- tion. Patent fuel is steady at 35s. to 37s. 6d., and cokes are unaltered. There is a great scarcity of pitwood, and arrivals during the week have been small, with the result that importers are obtaining without difficulty 58s. to 60s. per ton. Shipments last week were not on a large scale, and only amounted to 237,470 tons compared with 360,133 tons in the corresponding week of last year, or a de- crease of 122,663 tons. From Cardiff alone there were exported 140,646 tons, against 198,531 tons in the corres- ponding week, or a decrease of 57,885 tons. France was the biggest consumer, taking 56,348 tons, Italy 19,692 tons, depots 51,175 tons, and 13,431 tons to neutrals. Newport shipments were 46,615 tons, against 59,066 tons, or a falling off of 12,451 tons. Of this quantity, France accounted for no less than 26,726 tons, and neutrals 13,006 tons. Swansea exports were 23,925 tons, compared with 46,071 tons, or a decrease of 22,146 tons, and no less than 23,368 tons went to France. From Port Talbot, the ship- ments were 26,284 tons, against 56,465 tons in the corres- ponding week of last year, or a decrease of 30,181 tons. Of this quantity France absorbed 21,514 tons. Patent fuel shipments were heavier than for some weeks past, the total being 30,861 tons, against 25,785 tons in the corre- sponding week of last year, or an increase of 5,076 tons. Chartering was on a very small scale, chiefly owing to the uncertainty prevailing with regard to the new Government regulations. The number of fixtures reported only totalled 2U,680 tons, compared with 43,050 tons in the preceding six days, or a falling off of 25,370 tons. These figures, of course, exclude all business done on Admiralty account. The difficulties with regard to the chartering of foreign tonnage, up to the time of writing, had not been definitely settled; but, as a result of several deputations which had been appointed to wait upon the Board of Trade, IRON. There is practically no change in the tin-plate trade, and production and exports remain relatively the same. The system of allocation of steel bars is looked upon satisfactorily, because makers know what they have to expect, and can make their arrangements accordingly. No definite figures are yet available, but it is believed that as a result of the new regulations about 40 to 45 per cent, of the mills will be kept going. On the munitions side there is a growing demand for men, and the combing out process is vigorously proceeding, with the result that many old tin-plate hands are being sent to steelworks, and the younger and single men are being absorbed by the military authorities. Prices are nominafi and unaltered, Bessemer standard cokes on A and B certificates being transferred at 27s. 6d. to 28s. per box. Other quotations are not now operative, as no sales are now permitted, whether out of stock or otherwise, without licence. Oil • plates are in the same proportion. In the galvanised sheet trade there is no change, but with plenty of war work available, such mills as are running are kept busily employed. Spelter is unchanged, and. there is also no alteration in the iron ore market and the pig iron section. Swansea. COAL. The total trade of the port last week displayed some improvement. With some increase in arrivals of tonnage, the coal and patent fuel trades were more active, the latter to a marked degree, the shipments together amounting to 65,683 tons. A good attendance assembled on ’Change, but there was no improvement in the general state of the coal trade. All grades of anthracite coals were slow in moving off, and no improvement seems possible while the shortage of tonnage continues. Many collieries find extreme difficulty in working at all regularly, and the advantage is with the buyer for anything like early shipment. Steam coals show no change from last week’s conditions. Prices are all net f.o.b. (cash in 30 days). Current L’st week’s [Last year’s Anthracite:— prices. prices. prices. Best malting large . (hand picked) 28/ -30/ 30/ -32/ 28/ -30/ Secondary do. 26/ -27/ 27/ -29/ 23/6-25/ Big Vein Valley large... 22/ -24/ 24/ -27/ •20/.-22/ Red Vein large 21/ -24/■ 22/ —25/ I 19/ -21/ Machine - made cobbles 31/ -36/ 37/6-40/ 40/ -42/ Paris nuts ■ - • • French do 34/ -36/ 37/6-40/ 42/ -44/ Stove do 33/ -35/ 36/6-39/ 1 41/ -42, Beans 23/6-24/6 27/6-29/ 32/ -34/ Machine - made large peas 20/ -22/ 20/ -22/ 19/6-21/ Do. fine peas — — ■ —- Rubbly culm 9/6-10/6 12/ -12/6 6/6- 7/6 Duff 6/6- 7/ 6/ - 6/6 2/9- 3/3 Steam coals:— 1 Best large 27/ -28/ 5.27/ -28/ 26/6-32/6 Seconds 25/ -26/ ! 25/ -26/ 24/ -27/6 Bunker throughs 18/ -22/ 1 20/ -24/ 19/6-24/ Small 11/ -15/ 1 12/ -18/ 12/6-14/ Bituminous coals:— No. 3 Rhondda— Large 28/ -30/ 281 -30/ 26/6-31/ Th r p'-an d-th r n* Small 18/ -20/ 18/ -20/ 18/ —21/ 34/ -35/ 34/ -35/ 26/ -27/6