June 22, 1917 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 1177 THE LOHDOH COAL TRADE. Thursday, June 21, Trade has settled down to a steady endeavour to procure as much stock as possible. The orders from householders have increased very heavily, and depots are filling them up as quickly as possible, but the quantity arriving does not increase to any satisfactory amount. Buying is still very keen, and the pressure to obtain coal for storage is strong. So much of the coal goes straight from the wharves and depots to the cellars of the public that very little can be retained to build up a stock. The seaborne market has been well supplied during the week; 59 vessels were recorded as arriving in the River Thames for Monday's market, and seven, for Wednesday. The latest circular from the Controller pressing householders to lay in a stock on or before July 31, and the veiled prospect that after that date the daily quantities may be seized for building up Government and municipal stores, has largely influenced the rush of orders from the public, and made the delivery trade intensely busy. Freights continue unusually high, and ships are very scarce along the coast. Freights from the Humber ports have slightly reduced, and the quotations now to London are 19s. to 19s. 6d. The Minister of Shipping has issued a notice to shippers that he has heard that arrangements have in some cases been made for the charter of British vessels, after the war, but he warns all concerned that there can be no assurance that national requirements will allow of any such arrange- ments being made when the time comes. During the past week there has been a good deal of talk between the Port of London Authority and the wharf holders on the River Thames about securing increased provision for deep water wharves on the riverside. Applications have already been sent in, and it is understood that licences will be lodged for constructing a large deep water wharf during the summer months. Wharfage charges are likely to be reduced, and special facilities for allowing the discharge of ships into railway wagons or barges along the north shore of Kent will be a special feature. From Messrs. Dinham, Fawcus and Company’s Report. Friday, June 15. — The seaborne house coal market remained quiet, with no cargoes on offer. Cargoes, 30. Monday, June 18.—In consequence of the exceedingly warm weather, the demand for seaborne house coal was easier, no sales being reported. Cargoes, 59. Wednesday, June 20.—There was no alteration in the seaborne house coal market, which remained quiet, with no sales reported. Cargoes, 7. SOUTH WALES MIKC TIMBER TRADE. The South Wales Pitwood Importers’ Association Limited have secured a definite concession from the Controller of Im- port Restrictions. The authorities intend to allow French and Portuguese timber to be imported at the rate of 80,000 tons for June and 70,000 for July. Of this quantity a proportion of five-eighths will be reserved for the agents for distribu- tion for the collieries on the Admiralty list, leaving three- eighths for the other importers. This month, therefore, the ordinary importers will receive a general licence for 30,000 tons, and for 26,250 tons in July, the idea being to gradually reduce the monthly quantities of foreign wood in propor- tion to the expected increase in the supply of home-grown mining timber. The granting of a general licence will necessitate allocation amongst importers, and a committee of the Pitwood Owners’ Association has been formed for this purpose. The allocation will proceed much upon the lines of the scheme for the supplying of coal to our Allies, and members will be given a proportion in accordance with their average imports during 1914 and 1915. Pitwood importers have sent in returns to the Association giving the quantities imported during those years, the date of import, the name of steamer, and the port of shipment and discharge. The arrangement at best is a cumbersome and difficult one, but it is far preferable to recent conditions. The regulations applv solely to the wood imported from France and Portugal. No licences are being granted for the importation of Spanish mining timber. The question of the supply of vessels to carry pitwood to South Wales is exercising the attention of importers. The Pitwood Committee of the Admiralty collieries are assisted in obtaining supplies of vessels for this purpose, and it is urged that colliery owners’ interests would be better served if the whole of the tonnage for the import of pitwood controlled by the Government were allotted in the same proportion as the wood. By this means there would be no competition for vessels, and the tendency for freight rates to rise to higher levels would be prevented. This would result in stopping the tendency for pitwood prices to be driven to still higher levels. During the past week the imports of foreign mining timber into South Wales ports amounted to 20,824 loads (17,355 tons), of which 15,335 loads were received by the agents for the Admiralty collieries, and 5,489 loads for the other importers. The actual imports for the week ending June 15 were as follow :— Cardiff {Barry and Penarth) :— Date. To— Loads. June 11 Lysberg Limited............ 660 „ 11 Budd and Company............. 720 „ 11 Lysberg Limited.......... 1,920 „ 11 Lysberg Limited.......... 2,400 „ 11 Morgan and Cadogan........ 840 „ 11 Morgan and Cadogan......... 576 „ 12 Lysberg Limited.......... 4,560 „ 13 £ E. Marcesche .............. 480 „ 14 Lysberg Limited ......... 1,800 „ 15 Morgan and Cadogan......... 300 „ 15 Lysberg Limited.......... 1,920 „ 15 Lysberg Limited.......... 1,200 Total......17,376 Newport• June 9 Powell Duffryn Coal Company 2,248 Swansea: — June 9 S. Williams ................. 125 Port Talbot:— June 11 Lysberg Limited.......'..... 875 The authorities apparently expect that by October the quantity of home-grown timber for mining purposes will materially increase. During October, only 40,000 tons of foreign pitwood will, be allowed to be imported into South Wales and Monmouthshire, of which 25,000 tons will be apportioned to the agents for the Admiralty, and 15,000 tons will be left for allocation amongst the various importers. This quantity is exactly one-half of the total which will be allowed to be imported this month. Home-grown supplies of the best qualities are realising high prices, up to 65s. per ton f.o.r. being paid, while supplies were procurable at 50s. f.o.r. in places. Considerable irregularity •occurs in the wood, and picked sizes command high prices. There is still a serious dearth of hauliers and horses, which makes transport the most difficult problem. CERTIFIED OCCUPATIONS. A new list of certified occupations has been issued. This list is confined to questions of exemption coming before tribunals, and is not affected by the schedule of protected occupations. Some men will cease to be engaged in a certified occupation in accordance with the present list, or will cease to be entitled to be treated as in a certified occupation, owing to (1) the removal of their occupation from the list; (2) the raising of the age limits; (3) the introduction of limit- ing words in a reservation ; or (4) the fact that men in category C 1 will no longer (on and after July 23) be entitled to be treated as in a certified occupation if they are below the age limits stated in the list. We append the changes which affect mining and allied industries: — General Reservations. Age limits.* Single. Married. Enginemen or engine tenters, including driver of works locomotive ........................... 31 ... 31 Power crane driver (other than electrical) ... 36 ... 31 tSteam boiler fireman ................... 41 ... 31 Mining and Quarrying Ganister mining and quarrying:—All under- ground workmen in mines ................... ■— ... — Foreman (above ground) at mines or quarries 30 ... 25 Getter or quarryman in quarries .......... — ... — Iron mining or quarrying:—All underground workmen in mines, getter or quarryman in quarries, surface workmen (all classes) ... — ... — Coal Trade (Wholesale and Retail Distribution). Porter; loader, trimmer; tipper ............. 41 ... 25 Carman (horse or power) ................. 30 ... 25 Timber (Home-Grown) Trade. Foreman .................................... 30 ... 25 Cutter (feller); haulier; sawyer ............ 22 ... 22 Firebrick Trade. All workmen, except unskilled men, engaged in furnace firebrick (including ganister and silica brick) manufacture ................. 30 ... 25 Gas Works, etc. Foreman ..................................... 31 ... 25 Retort house man; chief valve man, or governor house man; water gas man ......... 25 ... 25 Attendant on coal conveyors, elevators, and breakers, condensers, washers, scrubbers, and meters .................................. 31 ... 31 Man filling or emptying purifiers, slaking lime, breaking-up, screening, and spreading iron oxide for revivification ..................: 31 ... 31 All other classes of workmen inside the works 41 ... 41 Sulphate of Ammonia Manufacture. Foreman; overlooker ......................... 31 ... 27 Man in charge of any chemical process (including benzol and toluol recovery) .... 31 ... 27 All other workmen ........................... 41 ... 41 ■ * The age to be taken is the man’s age on April 4, 1916. I Where the man claiming exemption is under the age limit stated, and is the only man left in that position in his shift, he should be treated as in a certified occupation. Coal Mines. Cases of men in coal mines for whom exemption is claimed are dealt with by the colliery courts. THE TIN-PLATE TRADE. Liverpool. No special feature is in evidence. Plates which may be sold without restriction find ready buyers, and prices paid are in the neighbourhood of 40s. basis for coke finish, f.o.b. Wales. Makers are experiencing great difficulty in obtaining adequate supplies of steel and acids, and are all very shy of quoting even for Class A work. Where quotatior s are obtainable at all, 34s. 6d. to 36s. basis is generally asked for approved specifications of cokes, delivery possibly in about three months time. Wasters in 14 x 20 were done at 33s. per box, and in 28 x 20 full weights at 64s. 6d per box, but “free” sizes would realise quite 40s. basis. Charcoals rule firm at 40s. basis and upwards according to tinning, Class A only. All f.o.b. Wales, less 4 per cent. Miners for the Army. — A special conference of the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain was held at the Central Hall, Westminster, on Wednesday, under the presidency of Mr. R. Smillie. The business included the considera- tion of the rationing of food. Another subject was the recruitment for the Army at collieries. The scheme sub- mitted by the Coal Controller was that all unmarried Class A workers at present employed in mines who were of and above the age of 18 on August 1, 1916, but not over the age of 25 on January 1, 1917, with the exception of certain classes of employees, should be released. The executive committee’s proposals to the conference were as follow:—(1) That we accept the clause wage laid down under the scheme of the Food Controller; (2) that any taking of men from the mines for the Army must be done through the colliery recruiting courts; (3) that we ask the Coal Controller to furnish us with full information as to the proportion of men to be taken from the collieries in each district or county, based upon the number of men at present employed at the mines; (4) that the colliery recruiting courts, in deciding a man’s case, shall have due regard to his family circumstances; (5) that a full list of names who are to go before the military recruiting courts to make up the 12,183 additional men required be supplied to the workmen’s representatives; (6) that clause A, under the proposals of the Coal Controller, deal- ing with the exemption of underground putters and trimmers, be deleted. THE AMERICAN COAL TRADE. A cablegram, dated June 18, stated that Mr. Daniels, Secretary of the Navy, has ordered coal and oil pro- ducers to supply the enormous quantities needed by the Navy at prices to be fixed by President Wilson after the Federal Trade Commission has determined on fair rates. The Secretary of the Navy added that the coal owners proposed to supply coal at 2'95 dols. (Ils. lOd.) a ton at the mine. A tentative price of 2'33 dols. (9s. Id.) a ton has been allowed pending the report of the Federal Trade Commission. The Coed Age (May 26) reports a moderate reaction in bituminous coal. Transportation conditions fail to show any improvement, and the time consumed in the movement to some of the distributing centres is the longest in the history of the trade. Car supply to mines is also hopelessly inadequate. It is obvious that there will have to be some readjustment in the trade shortly, as some steam consumers who have not been able to increase their profits proportionately to the increase in their fuel bills, such as the public service corporations, for instance, are now sustaining heavy losses. An encouraging development has been the gradual straightening out of the labour difficulties in the Pennsylvania district. The Boston market is firm but dull. Clearfields coal alongside Boston (water coal) averages 10’75 to 11’25 dols., and Cambridge and Somerset 11 to 11’50 dols. f.o.b., Pocahontas and New River are quoted at 7'50 to 8 dols. f.o.b., Norfolk or Newport News, Virginia, for spot coal, and 12 to 13 dols. at Providence and Boston for inland delivery. Quotations in Philadelphia per gross ton, f.o.b. cars at mines, are as follow:—Georges Creek Big Vein, 6’75 to 7 dols.; South Fork Miller Vein, 6’50 to 7 dols.; Clearfield (ordinary), 6’25 to 6’50 dols.; Somerset (ordinary), 6'25 to 6’50 dols.; West Va. Freeport, 6 to 6 25 dols.; Fairmont gas lump, 6 25 to 6’50 dols.; Fairmont gas, mine-run, 6 25 to 6’50 dols.; Fairmont gas, slack, 5’75 to 6 dols.; Fairmont lump, ordinary, 6 to 6’25 dols.; Fairmont mine-run, 5'75 to 6 dols.; Fairmont slack, 5'75 to 6 dols. Current quotations at Hampton Roads foi’ Pocahontas and New River run-of-mine are 7'50 to 8’50 dols. per gross ton, for coastwise and foreign shipment. For bunker delivery around 8 to 8’50 dols. per gross ton, plus 15 c. trimming. For local consumption 7 to 8 dols. per net ton on tracks in carloads. The anthracite position is easier owing to the warnings of the Federal Trade Commission and the advancing season. Philadelphia prices per gross ton f.o.b. car at mines for line shipment are as follow:— Broken, 4’90 dols.; egg, 4’05 dols.; stove, 4’30 dols.; nut, 4’40 dols.; pea, 3 dols.; buck, 2’80 dols.; rice, 2 30 dols.; boiler, 2T0 dols.; barley, 1’80 dols. Freights to Europe have advanced to 100 dols. (about) foi West Coast of Italy and Marseilles. Spot coke is higher. Quotations :—Spot furnace, 8’25 to 8’50 dols.; and spot foundry, 9 50 to 10 dols. THE BY-PRODUCTS TRADE. Tar Products.—Tar is in request in London, but pitch is neglected, at 37s. 6d. to 38s. per ton at producers’ works. Solvent naphtha is in rather better demand, at 2s. 2d. to 2s. 3d. per gal. net and naked at works. No change in creosote is reported. In the provinces the various products are practically unchanged in value. 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. 6d.; ditto, Liver- pool, 16s. 6d. to 17s.; ditto, Clyde, 17s. to 18s. Benzol, 90 per cent., north, 10^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 3Jd. 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.—The new prices for direct sales to agricultural users are £15 7s. 6d. per • ton for June- September delivery, £15 15s. for October-December, and £16 7s. 6d. for January-May, net cash in makers’ bags, carriage paid throughout the United Kingdom. Mixers and distributors are allowed 10s. per ton. Nitrate of Soda.—Spot quotations are slightly easier, at 25s. per cwt. for ordinary quality, and 25s. 6d. refined. Government Emergency Coal.—A quantity of “ Govern- ment emergency coal ” has been placed on the market at prices which are subject to arrangement with the Coal Controller. It is understood that some of the coal offered in London comes from South Staffordshire. Dispute Regarding Cannel Coal.—In the City of London Court on June 19, before Judge Rentoul, Messrs. Cleeves and Company, coal merchants, 120, Fenchurch-street, E.C., sued Mr. F. Hawkyard, Gas Works, Upwell, near Wisbech, Cambridge, for £27 for Nottingham cannel coal supplied. When the case was last before the court, the defendant said that the coal delivered was not Notting- ham cannel coal, but shale. He had the coal for gas making, but it was poor in quality, and the smell was objectionable. Some of the coal caught fire through spon- taneous combustion. Mr. Finch, plaintiffs’ solicitor, said that the same coal was supplied with satisfaction to the Gas Light and Coke Company, the Tilbury Gas Company, the Southend Gas Company, the Hastings and St. Leonards Gas Company, the Maldon Gas Company, the High Wycombe Gas Company, and the Minehead Gas Company. There were large contracts with each of them. The case had been adjourned for the defendant to get legal aid, and to raise a counter-claim for damages for alleged misrepresentation. Mr. Finch now said that the defen- dant had not raised any counter-claim. Mr. Joshua Leech, manager of the Golden Hill Colliery, North Staf- fordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, said that the coal which they sent to the defendant was ordinary quality of North Staffordshire cannel coal. Mr. William Wright, secretary of the Wollaton Collieries Company, gave similar evidence as to the coal which they sent to the defendant. It was average quality of Nottingham cannel coal.. Judge Rentoul, K.C., gave judgment for the plaintiffs, with costs.