March 23, 1917. ___________________________________________ the quotable market at present, but other sorts have shown at least such an improvement that sellers have not been sacrificing below the market quotation for prompt business, as was the case up to a week or two ago. There is no change in house coal and patent fuel. IRON. Many of the iron and steel works of the district have installed new plant, and are providing a larger output than formerly. The new works of the British Mannesmann Tube Company are sending out tubes in a very satisfactory manner, and there seems every prospect of large develop- ments in this matter during this year. The scarcity of houses and labour, however, at Newport at present is being felt in a marked manner. There is little change in the tin-plate trade. Pitwood maintains a good price, best fir being quoted at 73s. to 75s. Cardiff. COAL. There is little change in the position of the Cardiff coal market, although the outlook is distinctly more promising than has been the case for some weeks past. Tonnage has been arriving in larger quantities, yet insufficiently for the requirements of the port, and stocks are still very heavy. The improvement noted a few days ago has been main- tained, and most of the collieries are more favourably situated than they have been for several weeks. Wagons have been liberated more freely, and there have been no reports of stoppages at the pits owing to shortage of trucks. Outputs are kept at a high level, and in the case of best descriptions Admiralty demands are absorbing practically everything that is brought to the surface. In other grades there is also plenty of enquiry, but the lack of shipping facilities appears to be the only drawback. The abandonment of the limitation rates in the case of neutral steamers has not had the desired effect, since all chartering must be submitted to the Franco-Italian Committee, and there is a strong feeling in many quarters that there will be no relief until the market is free, and open chartering resorted to. It is pointed out that the Allies want coal. The mineral is available in large quantities in South Wales, but without the necessary facilities for exporting it, no assistance or benefit accrues either to the exporter or the receiver. For many months past 75 per cent, of the coal, apart from Admiralty business, has been shipped in neutral vessels, and this is the only class of tonnage available. If more remunerative business is offering elsewhere, these steamers are not coming to the Bristol Channel to carry coal. At the present moment there is a call for 20,000 volunteers between the ages of 18 and 23 from the South Wales mines, but up to the time of writing the response has not been satisfactory. What the next step may be remains to be seen, but the suggestion is that the men will be balloted for, and a certain number taken from each district. These are some of the factors which make business extremely difficult, and nearly all forward contracting has come to ah end, except in the case of the big railway and steamship lines. In the present conditions, buyers able to take immediate delivery can virtually make their own terms, but for April loading colliery salesmen are unwilling to accept even the existing rates. The result is that the market is unsettled and irregular, but the general tone is more buoyant than has lately been the case. Chartering last week showed a substantial improvement, the amount of tonnage fixed being 30,900 tons, compared with 14,000 tons in the preceding six days, or an increase of 16,900 tons. So far as prices are concerned there is little quotable change. Second Admiralties still remain about 24s. to 25s., and ordinary steams 23s. to 24s. Bunker coals have been rather firmer, best qualities realising anything between 15s. and 16s., ordinary descriptions 14s. to 15s., and cargo qualities 12s. to 13s., with inferior grades 2s. to 3s. less: In Monmouthshire coals, practically the same conditions prevail, Black Veins being 24s. to 25s., western valleys 23s. to 24s., and the best easterns |22s. to 23s. In Rhondda bituminous coals there is little movement, except for home consumption, and the market is dull. No. 3 large is 24s. to 25s., No. 2 21s. to 22s., and other grades in proportion. Fuel is fairly easy at 27s. to 30s. Coke is unchanged. Arrivals of pitwood have been rather heavier, but the scarcity is very pronounced, and the prices now quoted are the highest yet reached, being 75s. to 76s. per ton. Prices f.o.b. Cardiff (except where otherwise stated). THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN _______________________ 587 _______________________________________________ IRON. The release of certain descriptions of tin-plates such as oddments and wasters, has led to an increase of business, and the market is much more buoyant than it was a few days ago. Exports, however, are still within strict limitations, and most of the transactions now taking place are either for export to allied countries, or for home consumption under Class A and B certificates. As . a result of a conference between employers and employed, in conjunction with military and national service representations, a considerable combing-out process is now going on, and many men engaged in the tin plate industry are now being transferred to steel works, where there is a shortage of labour, and where the services of the men employed will be much appreciated. The number of mills now in operation is 252, or 15 less than in January, and 145 less than a year ago. Exports last week amounted to 29,275 boxes, against 18,117 received from works, leaving 215,522 boxes in stock, against 299,036 boxes a year ago. In the iron and steel trades maximum outputs are being turned out, and all material is under control, including pig iron, steel bars and ingots. Prices are purely nominal, and no sales are taking place for ordinary commercial purposes In the galvanised sheet trade there has been a slight increase in the exports on French account, but otherwise the market is unaltered, and prices are nominal. The iron market continues satisfactory, and there is no change in scrap metals. Swansea. COAL. The returns at the docks last week were more favourable, the figures being about twice those of the preceding week, and more was doing in the coal and patent fuel trades, the shipments together amounting to 62,338 tons. There was a good attendance on ’Change, but in consequence of the unsatisfactory tonnage position there was little doing. Beans and peas were the only anthracite coals that were in demand. Steams also were quiet and unchanged. Prices are all net f.o.b. (cash in 30 days). Anthracite:— Best malting large (hand picked) ........ Secondary do. Big Vein Valley large... Red Vein large .....__ Machine-made cobbles Paris nuts ___________ French do.......________ Stove do.............. Beans ................ Machine - made large peas ...........__..... Do. fine peas .... Rubbly culm..........__ Duff...........________ Steam coals:— Best large _________ Seconds .............. Bunker throughs ......... Small ______.............. Bituminous coals:— No. 3 Rhondda— Large __............. Thro’-and-thro’..... Small Patent fuel Current Current prices. 26/ -28/ 22/ -25/ 20/ -22/ 19/ -21/ 33/ -35/ 33/'-35/ 33/ -35/ 26/ -28/ 20/ -22/ 9/ - 9/6 ■6/ - 7/ 23/ -25/ 22/ -23/ 18/ -20/ 10/ -15/ 27/ -29/ 18/ -20/ 28/ -30/ L’stweek’s T 4- Last year s prices. prices. 27/ -28/ 1 23/ -24/ 22/ -25/ 18/ -20/ 20/ -22/6 161 -17/ 20/ -21/ 17/6-19/ 83/ -35/ 27/ —28/6 33/ -35/ i 28/ -30/ 33/ -35/ 27/ -28/ 26/ -27/ 28/6-31/ 20/ -22/ 21/ -22/ 1 ■ 9/ -9/6 8/9- 9/6 6/6- 7/ ' 4/ - 4/6 24/ -25/ ; 31/6-35/ 23/ -24/ ! 26/6-28/ 18/ -20/ 21/6-25/6 10/ -15/ 13/6-16/ 28/ -30/ 1 31/ -35/ 18/ -20/ i 19/ -22/ 28/ -30/ j 32/ -34/6 THE LOISDOH COAL TRADE. Thursday, March 22. __________________________________ ________________ Trade during the week has changed but very little. The delivery trade is moving fairly regularly, but supplies are slow. Depots report that public orders are very pressing, and apparently no diminution in the demand is noticeable. House coals are exceedingly short. The attendance on the Exchange is distinctly good, and the bulk of the transactions are confined to factors and merchants buying from each other. So few of the colliery representatives are prepared to accept orders that only those merchants who are entitled to contract quantities are able to sell on the open market. Very little free coal is offering. Hard steam coals are also iscarce, and the heavy demand for factories and munition works absorbs the output. The seaborne market has had a fairly good supply; 26 vessels were entered in the River Thames for last Monday s market, and 11 for Wednesday, but all 'were contract cargoes. Freights remain high, and boats are exceedingly scarce. Reports from the Humber and the Tyne show that chartering is still very dull. In one case, as much as 21s. has been secured for a vessel from the Wear to London this week. The London. Coal Merchants’ Com- mittee, in their endeavour to carry out the recommendation of the Board of Trade to deliver only one ton of coal at one time to each householder, has caused a good deal of friction in some quarters. Some argue that the system is very wasteful; others hold that it is ineffective, as there is nothing to prevent a coal merchant from delivering one ton of coal to the same house every day for an indefinite period. Even the merchants report that a two-ton order may sometimes mean that, if the system is strictly followed, one ton would go out, while the remaining ton is waiting in the depot. Where the merchant is short of coal, the restriction is a great boon; but in cases where there is.a plentiful supply, the recommendation is causing trouble. In many directions the one-ton limitation is no new feature, for it has been in opera- tion for many months past. Pit prices on the London Exchange remain stationary, and the Price of Coal (Limita- tion) Act is recognised as a very fair standard, but there are many new collieries which have started since the war -began to which the new Act does not apply, and in these cases merchants have been known to outbid each other for a good share of the output; and the neighbouring collieries feel that they are placed in an invidious position. The serious delays to railway wagons, both loaded and empty, largely add to the cost of the railborne traffic. Business is very quiet and slow in the shipping department just now, and the restric- tion of licences, together with the difficulty of getting private wagons to run from the Durham and Yorkshire coal fields to the longer distance stations, has occasioned in many of the collieries a serious loss of time. In the South Wales trade a better supply of vessels has considerably helped, but the stormy weather has kept a good many outside, and stocks are still heavy. Seaborne prices are about as usual. Tyne prices are : Best steams, 30s. per ton f.o.b. ; primes, 28s. ; Wear gas, 27s. ; best bunkers, 18s. ; best foundry coke, 41s. to 42s.; gas coke, 31s.; blast furnace coke, 28s. The Humber prices are quoted at 28s. to 29s. per ton f.o.b. for brights, and the railborne prices for the London district are largely nominal, although in every case governed by the Price of Coal (Limitation) Act. South Yorkshire Silkstones, 19s. to 20s. per ton at pit; Barnsley softs, 19s.; South York- shire hards, 18s. ; Derbyshire hards, 17s.; Derby brights, 18s. ; bright nuts, 17s. 6d. to 18s. South Wales prices are : Best Admiralties, unquoted; seconds, 25s.; Monmouthshire Black Veins, 24s. 6d. ; Western Valleys, 23s. to 24s.; Eastern Valleys, 22s. 6d. ; Rhondda large coal, 24s. 6d. ; patent fuel, 28s. 6d. ________________________ Steam coals:— Best Admiralty steam coals __.............__ Superior seconds ....__ Seconds .........;____ Ordinary steams ...... 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 .............. prices. __* __* 24/ -25] 23/ -24/ 15/ -16/ 14/ -15/ 23/ -24/ 21/ -22/6 22/ -23/ 21/ -22/ 21/ -22/ 20/ -21/ 24/ -25/ 23/ -24/ 22/ -23/ 21/ -22/ 25/6-26/6 23/6-24/6 .24/ -25/ 20/ -21/ 18/ -20/ L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. __* 24/ -25/ 23/ -24/ 14/ -15/ 13/ -14/ 10/ -12/ 7/ -10/ 23/ -24/ 21/ -22/6 22/ -23/ 21/ -22/ 21/ -22/ 20/ -21/ __* __* 31/ -32/ 30/ -31/ 17/ -18/ 15/ -16/ 12/ -14/ 9/ -11/ 32/ -33/ 29/ —31/ 28/ -30/ 25/ -27/ 27/ -28/ 24/6-25/6 14/ -15/6 Llanelly. COAL. The state of the local market remains unchanged. Export business is practically at a standstill owing to the unsatis- factory supply of tonnage. Collieries are therefore forced to have many idle days through shortage of empties, and stocks are heavy both at collieries and docks sidings. Anthracite large kinds are very slow, and stocks heavy. Nuts and cobbles are also in poor demand, but beans and peas are sought after, and prices of these qualities are firm. For the other anthracite kinds concessions in values are easily obtainable for prompt clearance of wagons. Culm and duff are also a slow market. The steam coal section of the market is also affected by the tonnage position, and bunkers and cargoes, throughs and smalls are in poor demand. Large kinds are fairly steady, with the better grades in good demand from inland consumers. The inland enquiry is active for all qualities. Manufacturing coals and also house qualities are in strong demand. This week’s quotations are approximately as follow:— Prices f.o.b. From Messrs. Dinham Fawcus and Company’s Report. Friday, March 16. — The slight change in the weather caused an easier tone in the .seaborne house coal market, but no sales took place. Cargoes, 33. Monday, March 19.—There was a fair demand for sea- borne house coal, otherwise there was no alteration. No cargoes were on offer. Cargoes, 26. Wednesday, March 21.—Seaborne house coal was again in good demand, owing to the changeable and wintry weather, but no cargoes were on offer. Cargoes, 11. Current L’st week’s Last year’s No. 2 Rhondda— Large..........____ Through-and-through Small ............. Best patent fuel __..... Seconds __.............. Special foundry coke .. Ordinary do. .......... Furnace coke .......... Pitwood (ex-ship) ......... 21/ -22/ 16/6-18/6 13/ -14/ 28/ -30/ 27/ -28/ 62/6-65/ 50/ -55/ 45/ -47/6 75/ -76/ * Nominal. 24/ -25/ 23/ -24/ 22/ -23/ 21/ -22/ 25/6-26/6 23/6-24/6 24/ -25/ 20/ -21/ 18/ -20/ 21/ -22/ 16/6-18/6 13/ -14/ 28/ -30/ 27/ -28/ 62/6-65/ 52/6-55/ 45/ -50/ 73/ -75/ 31/6-32/ 30/ -31/ 28/ -29/ 27/ -28/ 24/ 22/ -23/ 28/ -31/ 26/ -27/ 24/ -25/ 26/ -27/ 21/ —22/ 15/ -16/ 35/ -37/6 32/ -33/ 55/ -57/6 50/ -52/6 42/6-45/ 46/ -47/ Anthracite:— Best malting large ...... Secondary do. ...... Big Vein large.....__ Red Vein do.......... Machine-made cobbles... Stove nuts........... French do............ Paris do............____ Machine-made beans ... Do. peas.......... Culm ........__.....__ Duff.............______ Other sorts:— Large steam coal...... Through-and-£hrough... Small __.............. Bituminous small coal... _____ prices. prices. 25/ -27/6 25/ -27/6 22/ -25/ ' 22/6-25/ 20/ -21/ 19/6-20/6 33/ -35/ 32/6-34/6 33/ -35/ 33/ -35/ 26/ -27/6 20/ -22/ 8/6- 9/ 6/ - 6/6 | 20/ -21/ j 19/6-20/ 33/ -35/ 32/6-34/6 33/ -35/ 33/ -35/ 25/ -26/6 20/ -22/ 8/6- 9/ 6/ - 6/6 prices. 21/ -24/ 19/ -21/ 15/6-16/6 16/6-18/ 27/ —28/ 27/ -28/ 28/ -29/ 27/ -28/6 28/ -30/ 20/ -22/ 9/ - 9/6 4/ - 4/6 _____________________ THE BY-PRODUCTS TRADE. Tar Products.—The market is steady, and as far as can be gauged is likely to remain so. Naphthas are keeping well to recent values. Nearest values are :— Rise ( + ) or fall (-) on the week. Benzols, 90’s 1/Oi ... - ,, 90’s North /10i—/llj ... - ,, 50’b North 1/3—1/4 ... - Toluol 2/3 ... — Carbolic acid, crude (60 per cent.)... 3/4 ... - ,, crystals (40 per cent.) Solvent naphtha, south (90% at 160 degs.), as in quality and package... 1/3 ... - 2/3 ... — Solvent naphtha, north (90% at 160 degs.), as in quality and package... Crude naphtha, north (in bulk) Creosote (for ordinary qualities) 1/8—1/9 ... — /6i-/6i ... - /3i-/3f ... - Pitch (f.o.b. east coast) .16/6—17/6 ... — ,, (f.a.s. west coast) 15/6—16/6 ... — *Tar (per ton ex works) 20/—21/ ... — * Midlands, 22/—23/. 23/ -24/6 18/ -20/ 8/6-11/6 16/6-18/6 24/6-25/6 30/ -32/ 23/ -24/ 21/6-23/6 9/ -11/6 14/ -16/ 16/6-18/6 20/ -22/ _______________________ Mining Resources of British Columbia—Mr. Brewster (Premier of British Columbia) stated in Toronto that financial assistance was being secured for the purpose of developing the mining resources of the province. An active entry into the field of production was planned, with a view to the removal of liabilities now hampering the develop- ment of the province. It was proposed to establish a steel plant, the operation of which is assured for years by known bodies of ore. [Benzols, toluol creosote, solvent naphtha, carbolic acids, usually casks included unless otherwise stated, free on rails at makers' works or usual United Kingdom ports, net. Pitch, f.o.b. net.] Sulphate of Ammonia. — The total stoppage of exports still continues, and consequently it is impossible to give dependable values for shipment, though £19 would certainly be the minimum. American values are rising briskly, owing to the shortage of imports, as well as their home production. Nitrate of soda dearer, 24s. ordinary quality. ____________________________ The Organisers’ Clearing House of London, in asking the opinion of trade unions on the subject, state that the incidence of public holidays, though hallowed by custom, is uneconomic and inconvenient both to masters and work- people. It is suggested that the Whitsuntide holiday should be dispensed with, and in its place a full week’s holiday during the summer or autumn months be substituted.