June 8, 1917. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 1087 are well maintained. No. 3 Rhondda large is 27s. to 28s., No. 2, 24s. 6d. to 25s. 6d., and other grades in proportion. Patent fuel ranges from 28s. to 30s., according to quality. There is still a scarcity of pitwood, which readily commands 75s. per ton. Imports last week were rather heavier, Cardiff receiving 16,225 loads, Newport 684 loads, and Swansea 765 loads. A deputation of local pitwood importers is to wait upon Mr. Henderson to explain the serious position which now prevails owing to the restriction of imports. IRON. Outputs generally are being well maintained, and all the blastfurnaces and steel works are going at high pressure. The supply of steel bars has not been satisfactory, and temporary stoppages have occurred at some of the tin-plate mills owing to the irregularity of deliveries. All bar mills, however, are working to their utmost capacity, but the outputs are strictly controlled for munition purposes, so that until there is a slackening in the demand, the position in the tin-plate trade is not likely to be improved. Ship- ments last week amounted to 13,246 boxes, against 10,913 received from works, and this leaves 118,654 boxes in stock in the docks warehouses and vans, compared with 120,987 boxes in the previous week, and 252,309 boxes at the corres- ponding date of last year. So far as prices are concerned, the market is distinctly firmer, and for certificate work 34s. per box is being obtained for Bessemer standard cokes, 14 x 20, and other sizes in proportion. For “ free” parcels, however, which are mainly for home consumption, there is a strong enquiry, and sellers are realising 39s. to 40s. per box. In the galvanised sheet trade there is no change to report, the few mills working being mainly engaged in the production of black and painted sheets. Quotations are nominal, and the same remark applies to Welsh pig iron, which is all controlled. Iron ore supplies are satisfactory, and the market is unchanged. Scrap metals continue firm at maximum rates. Swansea. COAL. No change has occurred in the anthracite coal market. Machine-made sizes continue busy, but there was very little demand for large and duff. Steam coals were steady to firm, whilst bunkers were a little stronger. Llanelly. COAL. The local market is unchanged. Tonnage arrivals are far from satisfactory, and it is therefore impossible to give full clearance to orders. Stocks of anthracite large qualities are very heavy, so that supplies are offering freely and sellers find it difficult to maintain prices rigid. Cobbles are steady, and there is a firm demand for both nuts and beans. Buyers at times experience difficulty in securing the quantities required. Culm is in fair request, but duff is weak Steam coals have been rather irregular owing to the easy tonnage position, and supplies of large are obtain- able at slightly reduced figures. Throughs are fairly regular, but smalls are on offer at easier figures for prompt business. 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:— Large steam coal..... Thr ough-and-through... Small ............... Bituminous small coal... Current prices. 24/ -25/6 21/6-23/ 19/ -20/ 18/ -19/ 32/6-35/ 32/6-35/ 32/6-35/6 32/6-35/6 28/9-29/9 20/6—22/ 10/6-11/6 5/3- 5/6 iL’st week’s j prices. I 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 25/6-26/6 23/ -25/ 18/6-21/6 1 18/ -21/ 9/6-13/ | 10/ -12/6 17/6-19/ I 18/6-20/ Last year’s prices. 33/ -36/ 31/ -32/6 32/6-34/6 27/ -29/ 34/ -36/ 36/ -40/ 36/ -40/ 36/ -40/ 33/6-36/6 24/ -26/ 14/ —15/ 5/ - 5/3 48/ -50/ 37/ -39/ 21/ -30/ 30/6-35/6 THE BY-PRODUCTS TRADE. Tar Products.—The market tone is still quiet, and only a few of the quotations show any change. London sellers quote pitch slightly higher, at 27s. 6d. to 28s. per ton at works; and solvent naphtha in London has advanced to 2s. 2d. net and narked at producers’ works. Creosote commands a good sale. The basis of provincial prices is as follows:—Tar (gas works), 20s. 6d. to 24s. 6d. Pitch, east coast, 16s. 6d. to 17s. 6d. per ton; ditto, Manchester, 15s. 6d. to 16s.; ditto, Liver- pool, 16s. 6d. to 17s.; ditto, Clyde, 17s. to 18s. Benzol, 90 per cent., north, lO^d. to ll^d.; 50-90 per cent., naked, north, Is. 3d. to Is. 4d. Toluol, naked, north, 2s. 3d. Coal tar crude naphtha, in bulk, north, 6^d. to 6^d. Solvent naphtha, naked, north, Is. 8d. to Is. 9d. Heavy naphtha, north, Is. 2d. to Is. 3d. Creosote, in bulk, north, 3^d. to 3|d. Heavy oils, .in bulk, north, 3|d. to 4^d. Carbolic acid, 60 per cent., east and west coasts, 3s. 4d., naked. Sulphate of Ammonia. — In the absence of export licences the market is quiet and unvaried. The official quotation remains at £16 per ton direct to farmers, and £15 10s. to dealers in makers’ bags, carriage paid. Nitrate of Soda.—Firm prices are still quoted. The spot quotation is slightly higher, at 26s. per cwt. ordinary, and 26s. 6d. refined. THE TIE-PLATE TRADE. Liverpool. Prices are advancing daily. Plates are in short supply; most makers are fully booked, and decline to quote for new business at all. 33s. 6d. has been paid for cokes in IC 14 x 20, but 35s. to 36s. is being asked to-day, Class A only. In regard to squares and odd sizes, 35s. has been paid. There are very few sellers, and probably 36s. to 37s. 6d. basis would be quoted now for an approved speci- fication in coke finish. Charcoals are firm, at 40s. basis and upwards. il Free ” sizes in wasters are realising 38s. basis and upwards, and are quickly snapped up. Restricted sizes can be bought at about 33s. basis. All f.o.b. Wales, less 4 per cent. The late Mr. R. W. Bower, colliery owner (of T. and R. W. Bower Limited, Allerton Main Collieries, Woodlesford) left estate valued at £665,478. LAW IHTELLIGEWCE. COURT OF SESSION, SCOTLAND. SECOND DIVISION.—June 1. Before the Lord Justice Clerk, and Lords Dundas, Salvesen, and Guthrie. . A Subsidence Case. W. Donald v. J. and R. Howie Limited.—Judgment was given in the appeal for William Donald, farmer, Fardale- hill, Kilmarnock, in his action against J. and R. Howie Limited, coal masters, Hurlford, for £94 14s. 9d. as com- pensation for surface damage by coal workings under por- tions of the pursuer’s farm. The pursuer is tenant of the farm under a lease dated in July 1903 from the landlord, Baron Howard de Walden, and he founded upon clauses in the lease in support of his claim. The Sheriff-Substitute had dismissed the action, as reported in our issue of June 1. The Division affirmed the judgment of the Sheriff- Substitute, with expenses. Their lordships held that the tenant had not only discharged his claim against the land- lord for surface damage, but that he had also discharged any claims he might have against the mineral tenants for surface damage unless that damage was done by improper underground work. THE LOEDDK COAL TRADE. Thursday, June 7. The London coal market for the past week has shown a far more buoyant spirit than has been seen for many weeks past. The loaded wagons coming forward, and the improvement in the seaborne tonnage, has produced a more satisfactory state of affairs than has been known for a long time, and merchants have been able to cope with most of the pressing orders. The summer weather has naturally curtailed the actual consumption of house coal, and enabled the majority of the London traders to arrange the delivery, so that every order can be partially fulfilled, and the balance can come forward whenever the opportunity presents itself. Hard steam coals are still very scarce, and small nuts are difficult to obtain. War Office requirements are claiming first attention, and public utility concerns are also in urgent need, but the tonnage has so far increased that the ordinary requirements are fairly met. The carmen and loaders are working steadily, and the longer days render it possible to make up a satisfactory delivery quantity. The increased number of wagons arriving at many of the Midland collieries has unfortunately led to a number of the wagons being insufficiently loaded, and great complaints have been made upon this subject. The delay of many of the empty wagons on the return journey has also caused a good deal of friction, but, on the whole, the volume of trade doing is much more satisfactory than heretofore. The outlook at the present moment is much more favourable, but, in view of the shortage of the output, and as regards the prospects of the trade for the winter, the position is viewed, on all sides, in a very serious light. The large number of men called up, and the further decision to call up all unmarried men from the collieries who have been taken on since August 1914, make it very probable that the output may be still further reduced as the months go by. The increasing manufacture of munitions of all kinds, and the heavy calls from the Allied .nations, render it an absolute necessity to look upon a growing depletion for the London market. The Controller has given a certain promise, for the time being, that better supplies shall be sent into the London area, and the committee of the London traders are co-operating with him, but the question naturally arises, Are the collieries in a position to send any increased quantities to London ? Usually at this season of the year, in normal times, collieries are working only half or three-quarter time, and huge stocks have been known to be in hand at the colliery sidings, but since the war began the whole of this has been changed. The official notice from the Controller’s office lays great stress upon the desirability that all London householders should lay in a fairly good stock of coal in anticipation of the coming winter, and a strongly-worded scheme for making every reasonable provision has been widely circulated. The prolonged cold weather and bitter days of last winter aroused a spirit of unusual eagerness" amongst all the middle classes and the upper classes to be better prepared this year than has ever been the case before. Arrangements have been made for coal to be delivered for stocking purposes, providing that the total tonnage for current use and for stocking purposes does not exceed 20 tons for any one household in the period up to September 30 next, and for larger establishments and for blocks of flats, or tenements, in respect of which the coal is purchased collectively on behalf of all the occupiers, this quantity can be enlarged. Four-ton deliveries are advised, and merchants are urged not to make additional deliveries until other householders have received a proportion, and every household has to be dealt with in rotation. One of the difficult problems is that orders must only be placed with one coal merchant, and steps are to be taken which will prevent consumers from obtaining supplies through more than one source. On Monday last, the following notice was published on the doors of the Coal Exchange committee room:— Important. Coal Distribution Horses, “Tell Merchants we have induced Horse Utilisation Committee to restrict War Office taking any Coal Distribu- tion Horses.” “ Guant.” Copy of telegram received 7.30 p.m., May 31, 1917. The Gas Light and Coke Company’s works at Beckton are busy with a scheme for utilising coke breeze by making it into briquettes for household use. The output of each machine is reported to be 10 cwt. per hour, and one machine of the “ Eggite ” briquette is reported to yield 3 tons per hour of about 1| oz. in weight, which are said to burn freely in an open grate. The freight market is quiet, and ships are principally chartered for neutral destinations. Thirty-nine contract cargoes were returned on Monday’s market as arriving in the River Thames, and 12 for Wednesday. From Messrs. Dinham, Fawcus and Company's Report. Friday, June 1.—The seaborne house coal market con- tinued quiet to-day, with a good enquiry, but no sales reported. Cargoes, 10. Monday, June 4.—There was a good enquiry for seaborne house coal at to-day’s market, but the small supply available was not equal to the demand. No prices quoted. Cargoes, 39. Wednesday, June 6.-—There was no alteration in the seaborne house coal market to-day, the enquiry still keeping good, but no sales reported. Cargoes, 12. BOOK NOTICES. Kelly’s Directory of Merchants, Manufacturers, and Shippers of the World for 1917. 3,600 pp. 10 in. X 9 in. London: 182, High Holborn, W.C. Price, 45s. The 31st annual edition of this book has been pub- lished under circumstances of exceptional difficulty, owing to the continued depletion of the printing staff. The revision of the information contained has been done as correctly as possible, but certain countries (such as Germany, Austria, the Balkan States, and Turkey) have been shut out now for a considerable period, and there must be many businesses in those countries as to which no recent information has been obtainable. Nevertheless, with practically the excep- tion of the work done from Hamburg, and of that in Belgium, in the great industrial towns of the North of France, and those French towns and ports situate in or near the war zone, and in the Balkan States and in Turkey, the whole of the pages of the present edition fiave been largely corrected. The headings throughout are given in English and French, and further also in the commercial language of the country to which any particular section refers. The informa- tion given relates to 20,000 foreign and colonial cities and towns, and a quarter of a million trade classifica- tions are given. The indices, consisting of 320 pages, give some 150,000 references, and are so complete that a merchant carrying on any particular trade at any particular place can be found with equal facility by both English and foreign merchants, the indices to trades being given in the principal commercial languages of the world, Russian included. SOUTH WALES MIEIED TIMBER TRADE. In consequence of the representations of colliery pro- prietors and pitwood merchants, licences for the import of foreign mining timber have in a number of cases been granted. The importer has to name the vessel in which the proposed cargo is to be carried, and, provided no other cargo of more national importance can be carried, the licence is granted. Imports of foreign timber have been upon a fair scale, the following being the actual consign- ments into South Wales and Monmouthshire for the week ending June 2:— Cardiff {Barry and Penarth) :— To Loads. Morgan and Cadogan ......... 272 Lysberg Limited (two cargoes) .... 6,226 Budd and Company ................... 144 Lysberg Limited .................. 2,160 Budd and Company ................... 420 Morgan and Cadogan ................. 403 Franklyn Thomas ................ 625 Lysberg Limited .................. 1,920 Powell Duffryn Coal Company ...... 3,047 Tredegar Coal and Iron Company ..... 108 Total......... 15,325 Newport :— Powell Duffryn Coal Company ........ 684 Swansea :— Evans and Rogers .................. 300 W. Jenkins and Company ............. 225 Lysberg Limited .................... 190 W. Davies and Company .............. 200 Total.............. 915 Market quotations were nominally at about 75s. ex ship Cardiff for French fir. The imports of other wood in the district were poor, 318 loads of fir wood being received from Brunswick and 389 loads from Texas. No imports of mining timber have been received from Newfoundland for some time, and in all probability no licences will be issued for the import from this country owing to the neces- sity for the conservation of shipping tonnage. Great efforts are being made to increase the output of native timber, and the Director of Timber Supplies has issued an appeal to landowners and agents to sacrifice their woodlands. In this appeal it is hoped that proprietors of private estates will offer their timber, and the price to be paid will be the market rate prevailing at the time of pur- chase. Additional labour required for this purpose will be found by the National Service Department. Forms have been sent asking for information as to the lots or areas owned, the quantities, and descriptions of wood, and the labour and machinery available. In the South AVales, Monmouthshire, and adjacent districts, land owners have well responded to the call for home-grown wood, and many beautiful prospects have been disfigured by the heavy fell- ing which has been going on of late. There are a good number of lots which have not yet been thinned out, as the owners are reluctant. The dearth of hauliers is still one of the most serious difficulties with which the trade has. to contend, and adequate and regular deliveries are quite out of the question. Much business has been refused owing to the lack of transport facilities, and a good amount of cut wood is still awaiting delivery. In a number of cases very high figures have been demanded for standing timber, and this fact, together with the lack of haulage, has prevented business from maturing. The prices of mining timber of all classes are continually rising. The Monmouthshire and South Wales Colliery Owners’ Pit- wood Association Limited are increasing their deliveries, and the hope is entertained that very shortly the service to collieries will be more adequate and regular. Imports of Cornish and Irish mining timber continue good, but it is understood that larger quantities are being shipped to Lancashire from Ireland, owing to the better prices offered. Royal Statistical society.—The last ordinary meeting of the present session of the society will be held in the society’s rooms, 9, Adelphi-terrace, London, on June 19, commencing at 5.15 p.m. A paper on “ Statistical Aspects of Inflation of the Currency,” by Prof. J. S. Nicholson, will be read.