June 1, 1917. ^mna^cnasEsanmzBiaamaramaBSBsnannffl THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 1041 production, mainly in wages. The last increase granted to the South Wales miners in November last is estimated to amount to anything between Is. 9d. and 2s. 9d. per ton, and as is usually the case, this additional cost is being passed on to the consumer, who will in future have to pay an enhanced figure for the coal suoplied. Prices present practically no new features. In the absence of pressure either of supplies or for loading facilities, the market remains steady, and alterations are few. Best qualities continue to be reserved, and ordinary grades range from 25s. 6d. to 2?s. 6d. The small coal market is dull and stocks are heavy, but it is anticipated that these will be materially reduced within the next week or ten days. Best bunkers are obtainable at about 17s., with an occasional concession in order to release wagons. Cargo qualities are anything between 12s. 6d. and 15s. Heavy stocks of Monmouthshire coals have accumulated owing to the lack of shipping facilities, and temporary stoppages have been reported in several instances. The holiday is expected to relieve the pressure and to make the position of the collieries more comfortable. For home consumption there is a steady demand for bituminous coals, and quotations show little change. No. 3 Rhondda large is 27s. to 27s. 6d.; No. 2, 24s. to 25s., and other grades in proportion. There is no change in patent fuel, best qualities of which command 30s , and secondary makes 28s. to 29s. The supply of pit wood is still irregular, and the imports last week showed a decrease of nearly 3,000 loads, as compared with the corresponding week of last year. The price continues firm at 75s. per ton. The official returns published by the Statistical Office of the London Customs House, show that the coastwise shipments from the Bristol Channel during the month of April amounted to 99,533 tons, compared with 108,693. tons in the corresponding month of 1916. Of this quantity Cardiff despatched 30,860 tons, of which 17,269 tons went to Bristol; Gloucester 19,702 tons; Newport 35,056 tons, of which Dublin took 13,285 tons and Cork 7,680 tons ; and Swansea 7,854 tons, 2,039 tons of which went to Southampton. Port Talbot shipments were only 1,022 tons, and Briton Ferry 3,160 tons. Prices f.o.b. Cardiff (except where otherwise stated). Current L’st week’s Last year’s Steam coals:— prices. prices. prices. Best Admiralty steam icoals * * * Superior seconds * * * Seconds 26/6-27/6 26/6-27/6 ,54/ -55/ Ordinary s teams i 25/6-26/6 25/ -26/ 52/ -53/ Best bunker smalls i 16/6-17/6 16/ -17/ 32/ -33/ - Best ordinaries ! 15/ -16/ 15/ -16/ 30/ -32/ Cargo qualities 13/ -15/ 12/ -14/ 25/ -28/ Inferior smalls 8/6-12/ 9/ -12/ 22/ -25/ Best dry coals 26/ -27/ 26/ -27/ 48/ -50/ Ordinary drys . 24/ -25/ 24/ -25/ 43/ -45/ Best washed nuts 24/ -25/ 24/ -25/ 42/6-45/ Seconds 23/ -24/ 23/ -24/ 40/ -42/6 Best washed peas 23/ -24/ 23/ -24/ 39/ -41/ Seconds 22/ -23/ 22/ -23/ 37/ -39/ , Dock screenings — — -— Monmouthshire— Black Veins 26/ -27/ 26/ -27/ 54/ -55/ Western-valleys 25/ -26/ 25/ —26/ 54/ -54/6 Eastern-valleys 24/ -25/ 24/ -25/ 50/ -52/6 Inferior do. ...... 23/ -24/ 23/ -24/ 50/ -52/ 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/ -23/ No. 3 Rhondda— Bituminous large 27/ -27/6 27/ -27/6 57/6-60/ Through-and-through ■23/ -24/ 23/ -24/6 47/ -50/ Small 18/ -19/ 18/ -19/ 36/ -40/ No. 2 Rhondda— Large 24/ -25/ 24/ -25/ 46/ -48/ Thr ough-and-thr ough i 18/ -19/ 18/ -19/ 38/ —40/ Small | 13/ -14/ 13/ -14/ 29/ -31/ Best patent fuel i 30/ 29/ -30/ 52/ -55/ Seconds I 28/ -29/ . 28/ -29/ 50/ -52/ Special foundry coke 47/6-50/ 47/6-50/ 62/ -67/6 Ordinary do. 47/6-50/ 47/6-50/ 60/ -62/6 Furnace coke 47/6-50/- 47/6-50/ 1 52/ -57/6 Pitwood (ex-ship) 75/ 75/ 48/ -50/ * Nominal. IRON. The tin-plate trade continues very firm, and many makers whose order books are well filled are declining to entertain new business owing to the uncertainty prevailing as to the supply of tin-plate bars. Considerable irregularity has prevailed of late, and in consequence some of the mills have been rendered idle owing to the lack of material. Representations have been made to the Control Committee, but no improvement has yet taken place. Shipments last week were again materially in excess of production, and stocks are being reduced week by week. For Class A work 32s. is maintained for Bessemer standard cokes, 14 x 20, but for “ free” parcels there is no difficulty in securing 38s. per box, with other sizes in proportion. As before indicated, several of the restrictions imposed by the Ministry of Munitions have been relaxed, with the result that there is a better demand for the home trade. Where parcels, however, are sold from stock on Class A or B certificates, these must not be replaced, or the certificates made use of for obtaining further supplies of steel. At present the stocks in the docks warehouses and vans amount to only 120,987 boxes compared with 130,449 boxes a week ago, and 256,038 boxes at the corresponding date of last year. Shipments were 41,481 boxes, and receipts from works 23,019 boxes. In the galvanised sheet trade there is no alteration, works being mostly engaged in the manufacture of black and painted sheets. Quotations are nominal. Spelter is steady at «£54 per ton. Rail mills continue to be exceedingly busy, and all ordinary business is subject to Government permission. Blastfurnaces are working at high pressure, and iron ore supplies are satisfactory. All quotations are nominal. Scrap metals are firm, and there is a good demand at maximum prices. Llanelly. COAL. The tonnage position is still far from satisfactory, and business is therefore very dull in practically all qualities. Large anthracite kinds are still very slow, and as stocks are heavy, buyers can secure parcels for prompt business at slightly easier, figures. Cobbles are unchanged and the enquiry is fairly active for the other machine sorts. Large steams are irregular and supplies offering more freely. Throughs are firmer, but smalls inclined to be easier. The collieries are all idle for at least three days this week, so the market may be a little more active and firmer during the nelt week or so. Prices f.o.b. 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:— Current I prices. ! 24/ -25/6 21/6-23/ 19/6-21/ 18/3—19/ 33/ -35/ 33/ -35/ 33/ -35/ 33/ -35/ 27/ -28/6 20/ -22/ 10/ —11/6 5/3- 5/6 Large steam coal...... 23/ -25/ Through-and-through...! 18/ -21/ Small ................I 10/ -12/6 Bituminous small coal...I 18/6-20/ L’st week’s• Last year’s prices. prices. 24/ -25/6 33/ -36/ 21/6-23/ i 31/ -32/6 19/6-21/ i 32/6-34/6 18/3—19/ | 26/ -30/ 33/ -35/ J 35/ -38/ 33/ —35/6 ■ 37/ -40/ 33/ -35/ i 37/6-40/6 33/ -35/ 1 36/6-39/6 27/ -28/6 I 35/6-37/6 20/ -22/ i 24/ -26/ 10/3-11/8 14/ —15/ 5/3- 5/6 4/6— 5/ 23/ -25/ 45/6-48,6 18/ -21/ j 34/6-38/6 9/ -12/6 i 22/ -26/ 19/ -20/ I 30/6-35/6 THE IRISH COAL TRADE. Thursday, May 31. Dublin. Although the settlement of the dockers’ strike has relieved the congestion in the cross-Channel traffic to a considerable extent, it is still difficult to obtain coal supplies owing to the shortage of suitable steamers. Business is quiet upon the whole, particularly for household needs, prices being unchanged, as follow: —Best Orrell, 44s. per ton net; Yorkshire brights, 43s.; best Wigan, 42s.; best slack, 36s.; steam coal, from about 40s. per ton. Irish coal from Wolf hill Collieries, Queen’s County, are: Malting coal, 46s. per ton; house, gas, and steam coal, 40s.; lime culm, 16s.; fine culm, 12s. per ton—all f.o.r. A thy, the nearest railway connection with the mines. The coal vessels arriving in the port during the past week amounted to 60, as compared with 75 the week previously, the total quantity of coal discharged upon the quays being 22,500 tons, as against 28,208 tons in the previous week. Belfast. The country trade continues to show a slight improve- ment, but business locally is on the moderate side, prices of all qualities remaining unchanged at late rates, viz.:— Best Arley, 43s. 6d. per ton; Orrell nuts, 42s. 6d.; English house, 41s. 6d.; Scotch, 39s. 6d.; Orrell slack, 39s. 6d. The price of coke is approximately from 40s. to 48s. per ton. Irish coal at Craigahulliar, Portrush, Co. Antrim, is 14s. per ton at the pithead, and 30s. per ton delivered in Belfast. The guardians of some of the inland unions have now directed that Irish coal should be used in the work- houses. SOUTH WALES MIMING TIMBER TRADE. The South Wales pitwood trade has entered upon a very serious phase, and unless the authorities take the matter quickly in hand, disastrous results are almost sure to follow. Since May 15, foreign supplies have been pro- hibited by the Department of Import Restrictions. Even applications for special licences to import by importers supplying the Admiralty collieries have been refused. In a few cases licensed cargoes have arrived, and permission has been refused to forward the wood to the collieries. Supplies which should have been delivered days ago have been held up, and so far no ameliorative measures have been announced. During the week ended May 25, the quantity of foreign mining timber imported into South Wales and Monmouth- shire amounted to 19,678 loads, the following being the actual consignments :— Cardiff (Barry and Penarth) :— To , Loads. Morgan and Cadogan ................. 126 Budd and Company .................... 120 Lysberg Limited ..................... 696 Grant Hayward ....................... 174 Lysberg Limited ................... 1,200 Lysberg Limited ........................... 2,400 Mendieta Manzanos ..........:...... 1,080 Morgan and Cadogan .................. 156 Lysberg Limited .................. 1,320 Morgan and Cadogan .................. 643 Lysberg Limited ................... 2,160 Powell Duffryn Coal Company ....... 1,357 Lysberg Limited ................... 1,680 Budd and Company .................... 144 Lysberg Limited ..................... 840 Budd and Company .................... 270 Franklyn Thomas and Company .......... 80 Lysberg Limited ................... 1,440 Total........ 15,886 Swansea :— E. W. Cook and Company ........... 145 Grant Hayward .................... 240 S. J. Beynon ..................... 200 E. W. Cook and Company ........... 145 W. Davies and Company ............ 137 S. Williams ....................... 45 Lysberg Limited ................. 120 Evans and Rogers ................. 110 Morgan and Cadogan ............... 136 Grant Hayward .................... 240 Stone and Rolfe . ................ 274 Total.......... 1,792 Port Talbot :— Lysberg Limited ....................... 2,000 There were no imports reported from Newport. The bulk of these consignments represent cargoes which were loaded or which arrived before May 15. The prohibition of foreign mining timber will not con- serve much shipping tonnage. The bulk of the supplies come from the near French ports, and are assembled by coasting vessels, which take coal from Wales and pitwood home. If pitwood cargoes are prohibited, the vessels will make the return voyage in ballast, so that no shipping space will be saved. At the present time the French Government insist on French steamers and sailing vessels that discharge coal at the near French and Bay ports taking pitwood back to South Wales. The Controller of Timber and the Department for Import Restrictions have refused to grant licences for the import of mining timber, and the present anomalous situation has caused delay to vessels, and lessened the amount of available pitwood for collieries. The prime object of the Department for Import Restric- tions was to conserve shipping tonnage by the curtailing or stoppage of foreign imports and the utilisation of home- grown timber supplies. Unfortunately, the home-grown trade was not in a position to supply the requirements of the South Wales district. It is understood that the serious situation which prevails in the South Wales dis- trict with respect to timber supplies has been placed before the Prime Minister. THE LONDON COAL TRADE. Thursday, May 31. Trade has barely recovered from the holiday season, and very little actual buying and selling has taken place on the open market. Fortunately a good supply of seaborne coal arrived in the River Thames immediately prior to the holidays ; 46 cargoes were entered for Friday’s market, but as all were contract cargoes and principally gas coal, no dealings were reported on the Exchange. Very little house or steam coals were available for the ordinary trade, and the attendance has been comparatively small. On Wed- nesday 53 vessels arrived. A strong demand is everywhere present for all qualities of fuel, and the scarcity of steam coal for the local manufactories is felt very keenly. So much of the hard coal is required for the local Munition works and for the inland factories that the London district is constantly calling for more. The warm weather enables both merchants and householders alike to recoup the shortage of the past winter, and strenuous efforts are now being made to build up the depleted stocks. Very few collieries are able to accept orders outside contract deliveries, but reports from the various depots show that a good tonnage is coming forward, and every effort is being made to' overtake back orders, so that in the event of the weather for the coming winter being as severe as the last, London will be in a better position to deal with the pressure and to maintain a systematic distribution. Prices are unchanged within the Limitation Act. Collieries still report a heavy number of orders on their books, but the steady output is enabling them to gradually reduce them. Loaded wagons are brought to the depots with increasing regularity, but empties are often seriously delayed. The export trade is improving, and freights continue at the high rate. Gas coals are moving freely, but only a small percentage is offering on the open market. The better quality of slacks have a good demand, and double-screened nuts are very difficult to obtain. The renewal of contracts is steadily progressing. All of them are renewed at the same rates as last year, but in many cases with a reduced monthly tonnage. From the Tyne district more vessels are to hand for the coasting trade, and the outlook when collieries resume full work is distinctly encouraging, but very {little new business is recorded. South Wales best Admiralties are still reserved for Government use. Patent fuel is quoted at 30s. per ton f.o.b. Ships are short at the Humber ports. From Messrs. Dinham, Fawcus and Company’s Report. Friday, May 25.—The seaborne house coal market was steady, owing to the approaching holidays, but no sales were made. Cargoes 46. Wednesday, May 30.—The seaborne house coal market was very quiet, there being no available cargoes on offer. Cargoes 53. Licences for Manufacturing Sulphuric Acid. — The Minister of Munitions has issued the following Order :— No person shall as on and .from June 11, 1917, until further notice manufacture sulphuric acid except under a licence issued by or under the authority of the Minister of Munitions and in accordance with the terms and condi-' tions of such licence as to the quantities to be manufac- tured or otherwise. No person manufacturing sulphuric acid shall as on and from June 11, 1917, until further notice use during any one calendar month more than 10 tons in all of 95 per cent, sulphuric acid (or its equiva- lent in acid of other strengths) for the purpose of all other manufactures, trades and businesses carried on by him except under and in accordance with the terms and condi- tions of a licence issued by or under the authority of the Minister of Munitions. No person shall as on and from the day following the date of this Order until further notice supply sulphuric acid (including waste sulphuric acid) to any person except under and in accordance with the terms and conditions of a licence issued by or under the authority of the Minister of Munitions. Provided that no licence shall be required to supply not more than 56 lb. of 95 per cent, sulphuric acid (or its equivalent in acid of other strengths) to any person during any one calendar month. And provided also that any sulphuric acid sup- plied subsequently to the date of this Order in pursuance of written directions or requests given or made by or on behalf of the Minister of Munitions previously to the date of this Order shall unless and until such written directions or requests are cancelled or withdrawn be deemed to have been supplied under a licence issued under the 'authority of the Minister of Munitions within the meaning of this Order. As on and from the date of this Order until further notice no manufacturer of sulphuric acid or agent of such a manufacturer shall charge or receive in payment for any sulphuric acid supplied by or through him a price exceeding the maximum price specified for sulphuric acid. Provided that the maximum prices shall not apply to : (a) Sulphuric acid supplied to persons outside the United Kingdom under export licences : (5) sulphuric acid manu- factured outside the United Kingdom; (c) Sulphuric acid made wholly from brimstone ; (d) sulphuric acid specially purified for laboratory purposes. All persons engaged in producing, manufacturing, selling, distributing or storing sulphuric acid (including waste acid), or in any manufac- ture, trade or business in which the same is used, shall make such returns with regard to their businesses as may from time to time be required by or under the authority of the Minister of Munitions. For the purpose of this Order the expression sulphuric acid shall include sulphuric acid of all strengths up to 100 per cent. H.,SOt, but shall not include acid containing free SO3 (commonly called oleum or fuming sulphuric acid). All applications in reference to this Order (including applications for licences) should be addressed to the Director of Acid Supplies, Ministry of Munitions, Department of Explosives Supply, Storey’s-gate, Westminster, S.W. 1.