1086 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. June 8, 1917. merchants for domestic fuel has declined somewhat in consequence of summer weather, the supplies required by the public is above the average for the time of the year. The output of the pits is readily disposed of, for merchants generally are anxious to secure full supplies on contracts, many of which are in arrear. Consequently the demand on collieries shows no appreciable reduction. In fact, all classes of households are willingly accepted, but it is anticipated that the position will become easier towards the end of the month. As regards steam coal, activity is well maintained, though the pressure for certain grades is not quite so strong. Nevertheless, collieries have no difficulty in disposing of the output. Slacks generally are in good demand, though there is not so keen a request as of late from the textile trades. Coke is in easier request just now, but supplies are rather scarce. Prices at pithead. Hand-picked brights ..... Good house coals......... Secondary do............. Best hard coals.......... Secondary do ............ Slacks (best hards)...... Do. (second) .......... Do. (soft)............. Current prices. 18/6-19/6 18/ -18/6 17/ -18/ 17/ -17/6 16/ -17/ 12/ -13/ 10/6-11/6 11/ L’st week’s prices. 18/6-19/6 18/ -18/6 17/ -18/ 17/ -17/6 16/ -17/ 12/ -13/ 10/6-11/6 I 11/ Last year’s prices. 18/6-19/6 16/6-17/6 16/ -16/6 . 17/ -1.7/6 16/ -16/6 ,11/9-1.3/ 10/6-11/ I HZ Leicestershire. COAL. No improvement is perceptible yet. The demand for manufacturing fuel for factories and works under Govern- ment control shows no abatement, and this absorbs an enormous proportion of the total output. Orders for all classes of household come to hand in greater numbers and for larger quantities, with the result that no progress can be made in the reduction of the arrears of deliveries. Public institutions are now pressing their claims very persistently, there being growing anxiety to get in supplies as soon as possible in order to make some provision for winter, but at present colliery managers are powerless. The further depletion of the colliery staffs by the Army authorities is seriously dislocating the management. Under the scheme of preferential treatment a good deal of coal is now being sent to the London district, but there is still a very full demand for all classes of household as well as deep and main cobbles and nuts. Small nuts for mechanical stokers are cleared off day by day. Country coal merchants are under a heavy handicap, and there are no reserves whatever in the station coal yards. Much valuable time is lost waiting for the arrival of full wagons. In every direction the difficulties of transport become more acute. Prices at pit. Best household coal ..... Second, hand picked ..... Deep screened cobbles ... Deep large nuts ......... Bakers’ nuts............. Small nuts............... Deep breeze ............. Peas .................... Small dust .............. Main nuts for London kitcheners............... Steams, best hand picked Steams, seconds .......... Main cobbles for kitcheners Main breeze............... Current prices. 16/6-18/ 15/6-16/6 16/ -17/ 16/ -16/6 15/ -15/6 14/6-15/ 12/9-13/6 12/ -12/3 61-H L’stweek’s • prices. 16/6-18/ 15/6-16/6 16/ -17/ 16/ -16/6 15/ -15/6 14/6-15/ 12/9-13/6 12/ -12/3 6/ - 7/ Last year’s 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/ 13/6-14/ 14/ -14/6 13/ -13/6 13/6-14/ 12/6-13/6 13/6-14/ 14/ -14/6 13/ -13/6 13/6-14/ 12/6-13/6 13/ -13/6 14/ -14/6 13/ -13/6 13/6-14/ 12/6-13/6 South Staffordshire, North Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Birmingham. COAL. Despite the warm weather, there is no perceptible easing of the situation in the matter of coal supplies. Arrears have to be made up. Household orders are not particularly urgent, but people are anxious to lay in stocks during the summer months. At the pits, there are many unexecuted orders, so that no supplies are available over ordinary contracts. Regarding works fuel there is a pronounced scarcity of some sorts, and new contracts, apart from munitions, are out of the question. Cartage difficulties, if less acute owing to the less urgent demand for house coal, are still great. Maximum prices for all grades of coal are firmly upheld. Prices at pit. Current L’st week’s Last year’s Staffordshire (including Cannock Chase) :— prices. prices. prices. House coal, best deep ... 22/ 22/ 22/ Do. seconds deep 20/ 20/ 20/ • Do. best shallow 19/ 19/ 19/ 18/ Do. seconds do. 18/ 18/ Best hard 18/6 18/6 18/6 Forge coal 16/ - 16/ 16/ Slack Warwickshire:— 11/6 11/6 11/6 House coal, best Ryder.. Do. hand-picked 19/ 19/ 19/ cobs 18/ 18/ 18/ Best hard spires 20/ 20/ 20/ Forge (steam) 16/ 16/ 16/ D.S. nuts (steam) 14/6 14/6 14/6 Small (do.) 14/6 14/6 14/6 IRON. As was foreshadowed, the return of the Midland Wages Board shows an increased selling price, having risen from <£15 Os. 8d. for January and February to <£15 4s. lid. for March and April. The difference is sufficient to give iron- workers, under the sliding scale, a further advance of per cent., raising the puddling rate to the extraordinary figure of 18s. per ton, including bonus. This is the third advance of a like amount since the beginning of the year. A gratifying feature of the return is the improved output. For the seventeen selected firms the total was 30,961 tons,, compared with 28,768 in the preceding two months, when, however, operations were interfered with by severe weather . Iron and steel generally show no change in the funda- mental conditions. An active call exists for pig iron, and for foundry sorts particularly smelters could sell much more than they have at disposal. Quotations remain firm at the top figure, but a good deal of dissatisfaction exists at the delay of the Ministry of Munitions in coming to a decision with regard to the application for an advance. Bar iron, which is by far the largest branch of the iron industry in this district—the recent return shows that it constitutes over 68 per cent, of the total output—is called for in increasing quantities. Order books, however, are already full, labour is scarce and the ability of producers to respond is consequently curtailed. The bulk of both best and common bars is absorbed on Government requirements at controlled rates, <£15 10s. less 2| per cent, for the former, and <£13 15s. for the latter, but a proportion is still being sold for general use at higher rates, the average net selling price having risen by 3s. a ton in March and April. Plates and sheets have jumped up 13s. a ton, and hoops and strip 3s. Angles and tees alone show a decline, and that the modest one of 2s. a ton. Scrap is an irregular market. Wrought iron material is coming forward slowly; cast scrap is more plentiful, and regular supplies of steel discards are arriving from South Wales, the price being <£10 2s. 6d. plus 2| per cent, commission for merchants. The sheet industry is quiet. Gas strip is in active request at <£15 to <£15 10s., and steel strip fetches <£18. .........—<&»■ -------- Forest of Dean. Lydney. COAL. Nothing in the enquiry for household coals calls for special comment. Business continues very brisk in all departments, and the collieries are busily engaged. A good shipping trade is being done, and stems are fairly long, in some cases, the waiting turn extending over a week or ten days. The demand from the inland districts is still exceptionally good. In the steam coal department the supply is not sufficient to meet the heavy enquiry. All the pits are working at full pressure. Prices at pithead. Current L’stweek’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/ 13/6-14/ Small ... 16/ 16/ Prices 2s. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. Devon, Cornwall, and South Coast. Plymouth. Messrs. W. Wade and Son report a good wholesale demand for house and steam coal, although there is no general desire evident on the part of the public to take in autumn stocks as recently suggested by the President of the Board of Trade. Coal is continuing to come on regularly, and the railways are working the traffic more expeditiously. THE WELSH COAL AHO IR0M TRADES. Thursday, June 7. Horth Wales. Wrexham. COAL. There has been little change in the general state of the coal trade of this area during the past week. All the collieries are working full time, and the output is quickly disposed of. Household trade is slow, but gas companies, railways and buyers for various works press for deliveries, and a fair trade is also done in bunkers at the Mersey ports. Nuts are scarce, but there is a fair tonnage of slack in the market. Prices remain very much the same as last week. There is no difficulty in obtaining 21s. to 23s. per ton for the best grades of house coal, and 20s. to 22s. per ton at pit for second grades. Retail prices range from 27s. 6d. to 30s. for best and 25s. to 27s. 6d. for seconds, while slack for domestic purposes is quoted at 15s. to 16s. 8d. per ton at the wharves. Large coal for gas, steam and shipping purposes is offered .at 19s. to 21s. per ton at pit; nuts 18s. to 20s., and slack at 12s. to 14s. 6d. at pit. Gas coke is making 21s. 8d. to 25s. at the gas works. The following is a full list of the week’s quotations : — Current L’stweek’s Last year’s Prices at pit f.o.r. prices. prices. prices. Best house coal 21/ -23/ 22/ -23/ 22/ -23/ Secondary do .% 20/ -22/ 21/ -22/ 20/ -22/ Steam coal 19/ -21/ 19/ -21/ 18/ -20/ Gas coal 19/ -21/ 19/ -21/ 18/ -20/ Bunkers 19/ -21/ 19/ -21/ 18/ -20/ Nuts 18/ -20/ 18/ -20/ 18/ -19/ Slack 15/ -16/8 12/ -14/6 11/ -13/6 Gas coke (at works) Prices landsale:— 21/8-25/ 21/8-23/4 23/4-26/8 Best house coal 27/6-30/ 27/6-30/ 27/6-40/ Seconds 25/ -27/6 25/ -27/6 25/ -27/6 Slack ... 15/ -16/8 15/ -16/8 14/2-16/8 Prices f.o.b. cash 30 days. Monmouthshire, South Wales, &c. Newport. COAL. The market in coal has been very uncertain for the past week. Conditions do not favour exactness in quotations, because for prompt shipment prices have been nominal. The tendency was towards an advance all round upon the figures named last week. Some of the higher quality steam coal was quoted as high as 30s. per ton, but it is doubtful if there were any considerable transactions at that price. Future operations were invested with a good deal of interest. There was a disposition to hold off for a very substantial rise in values. House coal and patent fuel remain unaltered. Smalls have considerably recovered their former value. Prices f.o.b. cash 30 days. Steam coals:— | Current L’stweek’s Last year’s prices. prices. prices. Best Black Vein large...' 27/6-30/ 26/6-27/ 51/ -53/ Western-valleys, ordin’yi 26/6-27/6 26/ -26/6 50/ -51/ Best Eastern-valleys ...i 25/ -26/ 24/ -24/6 48/ -49/ Secondary do. ...» 21/ -22/ 20/ -21/6 46/ -48/ Best small coals .. 18/ -18/6 17/ -18/ 27/ -29/ Secondary do 13/ -15/6 13/ -15/ 24/ -26/ Inferior do 7/ -11/ 6/9- 8/6 21/ -23/ Screenings 19/ -19/6 17/ -18/6 28/ -29/ Through coals 21/ -22/ 20/ -21/ 26/ -32/ Best washed nuts 30/ -35/ Other sorts:— Best house coal, at pit... 25/ -26/ 25/'-26/ 23, -24/ Secondary do. do. ... 22/ -23/6 22/ -23/6 22/ -23/ Patent fuel 27/6-30/ 27/6-30/ 50/ -55'1 Furnace coke -x 50/ -52/6 Foundry coke # | * 61/ -62/ * Nominal. IRON. Hardly anything new can be said about the iron and steel trades of the district. They are maintained at their highest tension, and it is gratifying to know that a satis- factory output is being kept up. The tin-plate trade is in an improved condition. Pitwood keeps up its value to about 75s. for best fir. Cardiff. COAL. A firmer tone prevails in most descriptions of steam coals, mainly owing to the probable increase in the minimum prices, to which reference was made last week. No official details have yet been published, but the work of classifica- tion is going on, and a special committee has been appointed to carry out the scheme. The subject is naturally a difficult one, and will call for the exercise of much tact and forbearance on the part of all concerned before the new schedule can be completed. All grades of coal are included in the classifica- tion scheme; and in a circular which has been issued, owners have been asked to specify the names of the collieries producing the various descriptions of fuel. When • this information has been obtained, the process of fixing the prices will be tackled, and it is in this respect the market experience of the past year will be valuable. Many anomalies have existed hitherto, but when the various grades have been classified it is hoped that many of these will disappear, and that the market will once more assume something approaching normal conditions. In the mean- time there is practically no new business, and such transactions as are taking place are for prompt shipment, for which material concessions can be obtained from the quoted figures. Notwithstanding the holiday last week, and the fact that a certain amount of absenteeism prevailed in the closing days, stocks were plentiful. The demands of the Admiralty and Allied countries were heavy, but as the supply of tonnage had not come up «to anticipations there was little free coal avail- able for neutral destinations. Chartering was slow, the amount of tonnage taken up being only 13,980 tons, com- pared with 11,830 tons in the preceding six days. A good start was made this week with 14,510 tons on Monday, but it dwindled to the nominal figure of 600 tons on Tuesday, and at the time of writing there was little sign of improvement. As already indicated, quotations generally are well maintained, and there is a disposition on the part of some collieries not to accept less than the limitation price of 30s. both for Cardiff steams and Monmouthshire descriptions. In isolated cases middle- men have taken lower figures, but the volume of business has been small, and not sufficient to have any appreciable effect on the market. Relatively speaking, Monmouthshire coals have commanded a higher price than ordinary Cardiff steams, and the demand has been such that there is only a slight variation between the rates asked for Black Veins, and best eastern valley coals. The former are quoted up to 30s., and eastern valleys have realised within Is. of this figure. The small coal market is easy, and stocks are accumulating, with the result that sales are being pressed in order to clear wagons. Best bunkers are about 15s. to 16s., and cargo qualities anything from 12s. to 14s., with inferior grades 8s. 6d. to 10s. There is little export demand for bituminous coals, but for home consumption there continues to be a steady enquiry, and prices generally Prices f.o.b. Cardiff (except where otherwise stated). Steam coals:— Current L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. prices. Best Admiralty steam coals * * * Superior seconds * * * Seconds 29/ -30/ 26/6-27/6 50/ -55/ Ordinary steams 28/ -29/ 25/6-26/6 48/ -50/ Best bunker smalls Best ordinaries 15/ -17/ 14/ -15/ 16/6-17/6 15/ -16/ 30/ -32/ 27/ -29/ Cargo qualities 12/ -14/ 13/ -15/ 20/ -22/6 Inferior smalls 8/6-10/ 8/6-12/ 19/ -20/ Best dry coals 29/ -30/ 27/ -28/ 26/ -27/ 47/ -48/6 Ordinary drys 24/ -25/ 45/ -47/ Best washed nuts 24/ -25/ 24/ -25/ 42/ -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 29/ -30/ 26/ -27/ 51/ -52/ Western-valleys 29/ -30/ 25/ -26/ 50/ -52/ Eastern-valleys 28/ -29/ 24/ -25/ 47/ -49/ Inferior do. 827/ -28/ 23/ -24/ 45/ -47/ Bituminous coals:— Best house coals (at pit) 25/6-26/6 25/6-26/6 23/ -24/ Second qualities (at pit) No. 3 Rhondda— 23/6-24/6 23/6-24/6 22/ -23/6 Bituminous large 27/ -28/ 27/ -27/6 50/ -55/ Through-and-through 23/6-24/6 23/ -24/ 40/ -44/ 36/ -40/ Small 18/ -19/ 18/ -19/ No. 2 Rhondda— Large 24/6-25/6 24/ -25/ 46/ -48/ Through-and-through Small 18/ -19/ 13/ -14/ 18/ -19/ 13/ -14/ 34/ -37/ 29/ -31/ Best patent fuel 29/ -30/ 30/ 50/ -55/ Seconds 28/ -29/ 28/ -29/ 48/ -50/ Special foundry coke 47/6-50/ 47/6-50/ 62/6-65/ 60/ -62/6 Ordinary do. 47/6-50/ 47/6-50/ Furnace coke 47/6-50/ 75/ 47/6-50/ 75/ I 50/ -55/ Pitwood (ex-ship) 47/ -49/ 1 ■ '■'/ ) • /