January 11, 1918. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Prices f.o.b. for prompt shipment. Current prices. 30/ -32/6 .29/6-32/ 25/6-28/ | L’st week’s I Last year’s j prices. ! prices. 30/ -32/6 29/ -30/ ) 29/6-32/ 28/6-30/ I 25/6-28/ ' 22/6-25/ Steam coals:— Best, Blyths (D.C.B.) ... Do. Tynes (Bowers,&c.) Secondary, Blyths ..... Do. Tynes (Hastings or West Hartleys) ... Unscreened ............ Small, Blyths ......... Do. Tynes............ Do. specials......... Other sorts: — Smithies............... Best gas coals (New; Pelton or Holmside) ■ Secondary gas coals j (Pelaw Main or similar) i 23/6-26 / Special gas coals ......• 26/6-29/ Unscreened bunkers, | Durhams! 26/6-32/6 j 26/6-32,6 Do. do. | ! Northumbrians! 26/6-27/6 26/6-27/6 Coking coals..........I 24/ -27/6 24/ -27/6 Do. smalls ....! 24/ -27/6 ! 24/ -27/6 House coals ..........j 28/6-32/6 ■ 28/6-32/6 Coke, foundry ..........’ 42/6-45/ ' 42/6-45/ Do. blast-furnace......; 42/6-45/ i 42/6-45/ Do. gas ..............j 35/ -37/6 I 35/ -37/6,32/ -33/ 27/ -29/6 ! 27/ -29 6 • 24/ -26/ 23/6-27/6 23/6-27/6 20/ -22/6 20/ -22/6 “ ' ’ ‘ ’ 18/6-21/ 20/6-23/ 25/ -33/6 25/ -27/6 20/ -22/6 18/ -19/ 18/6-21/ ! 17/ -18/ 20/6-23/ i 20/ ; 25/ -33/6 j 20/ -22/ j 25/ -27/6: 26/ -28/ i 23/6-26/ I 26/6-29/ ! 22/ i 32/ -34/ • 19/ -22/ i 19/ -21/ ] 20/ -22/ ; 18/ -20/ 27/6-30/ 40/ -45/ 40/ -41/ Sunderland. COAL. No alteration in the general position presents itself. The market opened this week with a dull tone and poor prospects. Tonnage is still urgently needed, and stemmed boats are delayed by the severe weather. Several pits are consequently working on short time. Requisition ship- ments are fair but not large, while neutral business is very meagre, so that the collieries are still mainly dependent on the home demand. Fortunately, that demand is a good one, and continues to absorb full supplies of house and manufacturing coals and coke, including nuts and peas. Steam smalls are dull to depression, and bunkers are lifeless, the enquiry being chiefly for a better class screened coal; seconds are neglected. There is an expanding demand for gas coke ; prices throughout are nominal and unaltered. It is understood a new schedule will shortly be issued regarding the sale of coal ; it is also thought the Controller may increase the price of coal. Prices f.o.b. Sunderland. Current L’st week’s Last year’s Gas coals:— prices. prices. prices. Special Wear gas coals 29/ -32/6 29/ -32/6 32/6 Secondary do. House coals:— 25/ -27/6 25/ -27/6 22/ Best house coals 32/6 32/6 30/ Ordinary do Other sorts:— 30/6 30/6 24/6 Lambton screened 31/ -32/6 31/ -32/6 30/ South Hettbn do 31/ -32/6 31/ -32/6 30/ Lambton unscreened ... 26/6 26/6 19/ South Hetton do. 26/6 26/6 19/ Do. treble nuts ■22/6 22/6 23/ Coking coals unscreened 27/6 27/6 27/6 19/ Do. smalls 27/6 18/ Smithies 27/6 27/6 20/ Peas and nuts 27/ -28/6 27/ -28/6 23/ Best bunkers 27/6 27/6 19/6 Ordinary bunkers Coke:— 26/6 26/6 18/6 Foundry coke Blast-furnace coke (did. 42/6-45/ 42/6-45/ 42/6 Teesside furnaces) ... j 42/6-45/ 28/ -35/6 28/ Gas coke 1 35/ —40/ 35/ -40/ 32/ Middleebrough-on-Tees. COAL. As trade has resumed its normal course after the holidays, home demand for coal has assumed its former heavy proportions, and generally supplies are rather eagerly bought, but dealing with needs is regulated by circumstances. Official absorption is as large as conditions permit. Enquiries from neutrals are only quiet. On home account gas and manufacturing fuels are in greatest request, steam smalls being still in only very moderate demand. Bunkers are comparatively quiet, though good kinds find a market. Coking coal continues to be fairly well taken up. Best Durham gas coal is 27s. 6d., second quality 26s., and Wear special 29s. Unscreened Durham bunkers coal runs from 26s. 6d. to 27s. 6d. Small steams are 21s to 23s. Coking coal keeps in the neighbourhood of 27s. 6d. Demand for coke for shipment shows improvement, whilst home requirements for all kinds are as heavy as ever. For the Allies, beehive and patent oven coke make 43s., and for neutrals the price of b.th descriptions is 45s. Gas house product is in very good request for export and commands 40s. f.o.b. For home use foundry coke is 38s., the average blast furnace quality 33s., and low phosphorus description 35s. 6d. The heavy local requirements are met by very ample supply. IRON. There is not much new to report concerning the various branches of the iron and steel industry. The number of blast furnaces in operation in this district has been increased by the blowing in of two for the production of steel making iron, which makes the number now blowing 78, of which 32 are making Cleveland pig, 28 are turning out haematite, and 18 are manufacturing spiegel, basic and other special irons. There is a large business passing in Cleveland pig iron on home account under the very liberal January allocations, but means of distribution are still such that it is feared it will be impossible to fully carry through contracts. Hope is expressed, however, that railway transit will be sufficient to execute large deliveries this month. Rather better accounts are given of the position as regards exports. New business is small, but shipments to France are proceeding steadily, and there is a little more cargo space available for export to Italy. For home consumption No. 3 Cleveland pig, No. 4 foundry and No. 4 forge are all quoted 95s. and No. 1 is 99s.; and for shipment to France and Italy Nos. 3 and the lower qualities are all put at 114s., and No. 1 is 119s. Recent holidays at consuming works and increased output of other steel making iron, have to some extent eased the stringency in the east coast haematite branch, but supply of haematite is still considerably below what could be wished. Minimum home needs are met, but after these are satisfied, little iron remains for despatch to THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN customers abroad. Nos. 1, 2, and 3 are 122s. 6d. for home use, and 147s. 6d. for export to France and Italy. In finished iron and steel local plant is fully employed on Government work and material for the ship yards, and thus very little opportunity is afforded for transaction of ordinary commercial business. Quotations all round are stiff. Cumberland. Mary port. COAL. Conditions in the coal trade in this district are normal again. All the collieries are working regularly, and pro- duction is so satisfactory that all important users are now receiving all the coal they need. At one or two of the bigger pits it is stated that outputs are now fully from 30 to 50 per cent, higher than they were in 1915. Business is still very brisk, and the demand for coal is exceedingly keen on both local and coastwise accounts. The house coal trade is remarkably active; all the depots are busier than ever, and most of the agents have booked more orders than they will be able to cope with before the end of the month. The demand for all sorts for the Irish market is undiminished, but supplies of both works and house coal for export are still scarce. The tonnage to Irish ports this week is fairly satisfactory, but the bulk of coal shipped has been from collieries on the east coast. The demand on local account is now so strong and requests are so heavy, that very little Cumberland coal is now available for shipment. 'Coke is in heavy demand, and a full output from the Cumberland by-product coke ovens is being freely absorbed at the iron works in the district. There has been no alteration in either local or export quotations. Current quotations are as follow:— Current L’st week’s prices. Last year’s prices. prices. BestCumberl’nd coal at pit 25/10 25/10 23/4 Best washed nuts at pit... 24/2 24/2 21/8 Seconds at pit 23/4 23/4 20/10 Washed nuts at pit 23/4 23/4 20/10 Do. smalls „ 19/2 19/2 16/8 Do. peas „ 17/6 17'6 15/ Buckhill best coal at pit... 25 25/ 22/6 Do. double-scrned washed nuts at pit 23/6 23/6 21/ Oughterside best coal at rit 25/ 25/ 22/6 Oughterside best washed nuts at pit 23/6 23'6 21/ St. Helens (Siddick) best coal at pit 25/ 25/ 22/6 St. Helens best house nuts at pit 23/6 23/6 21/ BestCumberl’nd coal, f.o.b. 22/ 22/ 19/6 Best washed nuts, f.o.b. ... 20/ 20/ 17/6 Best bunkers (coastwise) 31/ 31/ 25/ Do. (for foreign-going steamers) 31/ 31/ 30/ Best works fuel 22/6 22/6 20/ Best coal for gasworks ... 22/6 22/6 20/ Best washed nuts for gas- works 21/6 21/6 19/ IRON. The imports of foreign iron ore at the Senhouse Dock for 1917 have amounted to 175,925 tons. No haematite pig iron has been exported, but during the year 3,200 of steel billets and 2,000 tons of ferro-manganese have been shipped to Continental ports. The haematite pig iron trade on the west coast continues to increase in strength. Production is still lower than it was towards the end of the year. The output of local iron ore is steadily increasing, but the supply is still inadequate. The demand for both special and ordinary iron is exceedingly keen. Prices of both special and ordinary iron are still quoted at the maximum. The market for ferro-manganese is very steady. There are 29 furnaces in operation in the whole district. _________________ South-West Lancashire. COAL. Cold wind and hard frost is bringing on a better demand for inland household fuel, which means that in many cases orders on the colliery books are getting further into arrear. With regard to shipping, requirements this week for ordinary bunkering and export are fairly average for present conditions. Bunkering is perhaps better, but exports are more and more restricted. As might be expected so soon after the holidays, supplies are only moderate, and there is little or no spare coal about. Prices, of course, are on the schedule basis. In the coastwise and cross-channel trade the shipments of household coal are sadly behind the merchants’ requirements, and pressure is being put on by the control authorities by every possible means to expedite tonnages for this branch of the trade. In slacks and small fuel of all grades it is with difficulty that demands are met, and in many cases manufacturers holding stocks are compelled to resort to them to some degree to make up for delivery deficiencies. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). House coal:— Best ...............: Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net)I Medium ............... Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) Kitchen ............___ Com. (f.o.b. Garston, net) Screened forge coal.... Best scrnd. steam coal f.o.b. Best slack ............ Secondary slack ....... Common do.............. Current prices. 23/6-24/6 26/ 21/6-22/6 25/ 20/6 24/ 20/6 30/6 18/6 17/6 16/6 L’st week’s! Last year’s prices. I prices. 24/6 ! 21/ -22/ 26/ i 1 25/6 21/6-22/ , ! 19/ -20/ 25/ ; ! 24/6 20/6 ! 18/ 24/ ; 23/ upwds 20/6 18/ 30/6 22/6-23/6 18/6 16/ 17/6 15/ 16/6 14/ ________________ South Lancashire and Cheshire. COAL. The attendance on the Manchester Coal Exchange on Tuesday was a fair one. The severe weather in evidence at the moment is naturally increasing the demand for house coal, which already is more than the supply, and that has been recently less than normal, in consequence of the holidays which have only just closed. Furnace coal and slack are brisk. Prices generally are as follow :— 79 Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). House coal:— Best Current L’st week’s prices, i prices. 24/6 24'6 22/ -23/ ! 22/ -23/ 20/6-21/ : 20/6-21/ 20/ -20 6 ; 20/-20/6 * ; * 18/6 upwds 18/6upwds 17/ upwds [17/ upwds |Last year’s ■ prices. 22/ -23/ 19/6-21/ 18/ -18/6 17/6-18/ 25/ —26/ 16/ upwds 14/6 upwds Medium Common ____________ Furnace coal Bunker (f.o.b. Partington) Best slack Common slack * As per official list. IRON. All works have started again after the brief holiday, and every ton of material is eagerly waited for by one or other of the Government departments. The Birmingham quarterly meeting takes place to-day (Thursday), but lacks interest under war conditions, and even a moderate attend- ance is hardly to be expected. ________ _______ Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Leeds. COAL. The market on Tuesday sharply contrasted with that of the previous week, there, being a very large attendance, including a number of traders from London, Hull and other distant places, and a great deal of activity in the enquiry for all sorts of coal. After the reduced output during Christmas week, and to some extent during last week, when considerable absenteeism was associated with New Year’s Day, colliery representatives were, as a general rule, not able to offer much, if anything, for prompt business. London representatives found this to be particularly the case in regard to house coal. The cold weather and the recent lower deliveries combined to quicken the demand considerably, and after meeting the needs of contractors and regular customers, as well as fulfilling the requirements of the Controller, there is nothing left for new business. In the coastwise branch matters are very quiet. Local merchants are fully employed, the public demand for supplies being very heavy, with difficulty in distributing the coal owing to the icebound state of the roads. What- ever stocks merchants were able to accumulate during the autumn have now disappeared, but fair supplies are coming to hand from the collieries, and in most towns the position may be described as satisfactory. More or less nominally, pit prices for the West Riding average:—Haigh Moor selected, 22s. 6d. to 23s. 6d.; Silkstone best, 22s. to 22s. 6d.; Silkstone house, 21s. to 21s. 6d.; house nuts, 19s. 6d. to 20s. 6d. With regard to gas coal, every ounce that can be raised is urgently needed. Contract requirements fully absorb all available supplies, and still fall below the present requirements, many gas engineers having to draw heavily upon their stocks. Arrangements made in a few cases to obtain gas coal from Durham have been successful, but the tonnage yet coming to hand is not sufficient to make much difference to the general position. The securing of wagons for this purpose is the main difficulty, but hopes are entertained of an improvement in the near future. Now that work is again in full swing in the industrial districts, consumption of manufacturing fuel is on a heavy scale, and there is keen enquiry for additional supplies, especially of the better qualities. Washed nuts continue to be absorbed by the special requirements of works under Government control, but, generally speaking, there is no shortage of manufacturing fuels, if there is no surplus. The scarcity of coking smalls has been accen- tuated by the holidays, but every effort is made by coke makers to maintain their output on account of the pressing need for the by-products for war purposes. The demand for coke is quite sufficient to prevent the accumulation of stocks^ Pit prices are to some extent nominal:— Current pit prices. House coal:— Prices at pit (London) : Haigh Moor selected ... Wallsend & London best Silkstone best ....... Do. house ......... House nuts ........... Prices f.o.b. Hull:— Haigh Moor best...... Silkstone best .'.... Do. house .......... Other qualities....... Gas coal:— Prices at pit: Screened gas coal.... Gas nuts.............. Unscreened gas coal ... Other sorts:— Prices at pit: Washed nuts........... Large double-screened engine nuts ......... Small nuts........... Rough unscreened engine coal.......... Best rough slacks..... Small do. ............ Coking smalls ........ Coke:— Price at ovens Furnace coke ......__ Current prices. 21/6-22/6 21/ -21/6 21/ -21/6 20/ -20/6 18/6-19/6 25/6-26/ i 24/ -25/ : 23/ -24/ | 20/6-22/6 | L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. 21/6-22/6 20/ -21/ 21/ -21/6 i 19/ -20/ 21/ -21/6 19/ -20/ 20/ -20/6 17/ -18/ 18/6-19/6 I 16/ -17/ 25/6-26/ ! 23/ -24/ 24/ -25/ j 22/ -23/ 23/ -24/ •! 20/ -21/ 20/6-22/6 ; 19/ -20/ 18/ -18,6 i 18/ -18,6 ! 16/ -17/ 17/ -18/ I 17/ -18/ ; 15/6-16/6 16/6-17/6 16/6-17/6 ■ 15/ -16/ ' i 18/6-19/6 18/6-19/6 i 17/ -18/ 17/6-18/6 16/6-17/6 16/6-17/6 15/6-16/6 13/6-14/6 14/ -15/ 17/6-18/6 j 16/ -17/ 16/6-17/6 j 15/ -16/ 16/6-17/6 ! 15/ -16/ 15/6-16/6 ; 14/ -15/ 13/6-14/6 : 12/ -13/ 14/ -15/ 12/6-13/6 i 32/. 32/ j 25/8 Barnsley. COAL. With the collieries again fully at work, the output for the week has been of a fairly average character. The demand for all descriptions of fuel continues to be very active, and the effects of the holiday stoppage have not yet passed off. The scarcity is more marked in regard to the smaller fuel, slacks and also gas coal. In many instances the stocks which were held prior to the holidays have been well nigh exhausted, and the daily deliveries do not permit of any material proportion going into stock. Special deliveries are still requisite to fully meet the increased needs of many gas concerns, and screened sorts are almost unobtainable. In regard to large steams, with the exports still on a low scale, the position is fairly well met, although a big consumption continues for home purposes. The supplies to the railway companies call for greater attention, stocks having been considerably reduced during the holi- days, and owing to the scarcity of nuts more use is still made of larger grade fuel. The difficulty of maintaining a sufficient supply of slacks for the' use of the coke-making plants has not passed away, and urgent efforts are still