284 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. February 8, 1918. South Staffordshire, North Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Birmingham. COAL. The prevalence of mild weather has relieved to some extent the pressure upon the depots, and merchants are in a better position than seemed possible a fortnight ago. Some of them report that supplies have been coming forward a little better, though still far from adequate. Deliveries, however, are a cause of great trouble, labour being short. Nuts are very scarce, and offers of slacks also remain inadequate. All sorts of smalls are in request, the needs of munitions and other industrial concerns being insistent. The collieries are in arrears with orders, and very little coal of any kind is being offered on the open market. Prices at pit. Current L’st week’s Last year’s Staffordshire (including prices. prices. prices. Cannock Chase) :— House coal, best deep ... 24/6 24/6 22/ Do. seconds deep 22/6 22/6 20/ Do. best shallow 21/6 21/6 19/ 18/ 18/6 Do. seconds do. 20 6 20/6 Best hard 21/ 21/ Forge coal 18/6 18/6 16/ Slack 13/6 13/6 11/6 Warwickshire:— House coal, best Ryder.. 21/6 21/6 19/ Do. hand-picked cobs 20/6 20/6 18/ Best hard spires 22/6 18/6 22/6 20/ Forge (steam) 18/6 16/ D.S. nuts (steam) 17/ 17/ 14/6 Small (do.) 17/ 17/ 14/6 THE WELSH COAL AND IRON TRADES. Thursday, February 7. North Wales. Wrexham. During the past week the whole of the pits in this area have worked full time, and the output, which has been well maintained, has found a ready market. House coal is still keenly sought. The market for gas making fuel, both coal and nuts, has a steady tone. There does not appear to be many complaints from buyers as regards delivery, and gas companies have a ready sale for all the gas coke produced. The tonnage of slack on the market is not very great. Good prices are realised. Best large house coal is quoted at from 21s. to 23s. 6d. Seconds at 20s. to 22s. 6d. per ton at pit. Large steam coal is making from 20s. to 22s. per ton, and large gas coal about the same figure, while gas nuts are quoted from 19s. to 22s. The retail price of gas coke is 25s. at the works. IRON. The iron and steel market remains strong all round, and sellers are in a minority at the weekly gatherings on ’Change. The adjustment in prices for merchant bars is being awaited with some anxiety. The difference between marked and unmarked bars is usually about 30s. a ton, but the recent advance of marked grades to £16 net, at makers’ works, raises the disparity to 45s. a ton. Meantime all business is subject to any alteration the Ministry may here- after authorise. In the present market stringency difficulty will be experienced in obtaining from customers any increase. Small rounds, squares and flats are firm at the enhanced basis of <£17 10s. for iron, three-eighths sizes, and <£18 10s. for steel. Home consumption absorbs the bulk of the output, export consisting mainly of the smallest sizes, for which heavy extras are charged, bringing the price in some instances as high as £21. Pig iron producers are sharing in the common activity, though transport deficiencies are a hampering factor. Some Derbyshire makers limit sales to lots of 100 tons. Both Derbyshire and South Staffordshire houses are paying chief attention to the demand for foundry grades, and considerable sales are made for Northamptonshire forge qualities. Difficulty continues to be experienced in obtaining sufficient supplies of scrap, particularly heavy wrought iron. Ready and extensive sales are made of plate shearings, which fetch the controlled price of £10 7s. 6d. a ton, and £10 12s. 6d. for lots cut to specification. Gas strip makers have heavy orders on hand, and some of them are not required to accept new business at present. Prices rule at £16 5s. to £16 10s., with a hardening tendency. Business in the sheet trade is practically all on account of essential needs, the supply of sheet bars not permitting of any margin for ordinary trade. A similar state of affairs exists in regard to steel. For the metallic bedstead industry, for instance, no steel supplies have been issued since August. Monmouthshire, South Wales, 4c. Newport. COAL. Though there was a fair arrival of tonnage at the beginning of the week, it was not sufficient to have any considerable effect upon the coal trade of the district. Inferior coals were much depressed, and smalls were almost unsaleable. They were in very heavy stock. Bituminous coals were in strong demand for household and gas purposes, and the supply scarcely equalled the demand. Now that coasting freight rates have been put upon a more satisfactory footing, the export coal trade to the ports round the coast, especially to Ireland, may be expected to improve. There has been a good deal of irregularity of late in colliery workings owing to the large number of wagons being held up. The immediate outlook is not promising. Prices f.o.b. cash 30 days. Steam coals:— | Best Black Vein large... Western-valleys, ordin’y Best Eastern-valleys ...1 Secondary do. Best small coals Secondary do ' Inferior do ■ Screenings • Through coals j Best washed nuts Other sorts:— Best house coal, at pit... Secondary do. do. ... Patent fuel Furnace coke Foundry coke Current prices. 32/6 31/6 31/6 30/6 23/6 22/6 20/6 25/6 29/6 32/6 35/6 33/3 32/6 47/6 47/6 L’st week’s prices. 1 32/6 31/6 1 31/6 30/6 23/6 22/6 20/6 25/6 29/6 32/6 35/6 33/3 32/6 47/6 47/6 1- x , Last year t prices. 26/ -27/ 25/ -261 23/ -24/ 22/ -23/ 16/ -18/ 9/ -15/6 6/ - 9/ 17/6-18/6 19/ -20/ 24/6-25/6 22/ -23/ 33/ -34/ 47/6-52/6 57/ -60/ Forest of Dean. Lytfney. COAL. Reports from the various collieries in this coalfield go to show that the house coal trade is still in a highly satis- factory condition, orders continuing to come in freely for all the coal raised. All sorts, blocks to nuts, are now lumped together and sold as large coal at an agreed figure, viz., the average price obtained for the various descrip- tions. All the steam coal pits are experiencing a big enquiry, and the collieries are having a busy time endeavouring to satisfy buyers. IRON. Prices in the iron and steel trades of the district remain nominal as most of the output is on f.o.b. account. There has been considerable improvement cf late in the plant of many of the works in the neighbourhood, with the result that the output was considerably increased. The supply of ore, however, gives cause for some anxiety, and a good deal of attention has been paid to the suggestion of Mr. J. Fox Tallis that the iron ore deposits of the district should be more freely tapped. It is for the present a question largely of man power and cost. Cardiff. COAL. Practically the only feature in the local market recently has been the publication of the new schedule of prices by the Coal Controller. It does not alter the position materially. The general market condition is a little more satisfactory. At the end of last week tonnage came for- ward in rather larger quantities, and the week commenced without the usual number of stoppages. The sprint, how- ever, is only temporary and the outlook is not promising. Over the week-end sailings have exceeded arrivals, and with stocks of nearly all descriptions of coal greatly in excess of transport facilities some stoppages occurred. No agreement has been come to on the suggested allocation scheme, although several conferences have been held, and amongst many exporters a general system of allocation is deemed to be impracticable. Beyond this the only other suggestions are the decrease in the number of working days, and the closing of the older and more expensive collieries. The Coal Controller has pronounced against the former and the latter is one which is still under discussion. The question of indemnity, of course, is an important one. A suggestion is now being made that the Coal Control has served its purpose, and that the Coal Controller should allow the trade to conduct its business the best way it can. There are abundant stocks, and any relaxation of control would not be likely to produce a shortage. The market generally is exceedingly quiet, and there is practically no movement outside Admiralty and official orders on account of the Allied Governments. The demand for household and gas-producing coals continues, and there is a difficulty in maintaining contractual deliveries. Patent fuel manufac- turers are busy, but the trade is hampered by the lack of tonnage. Supplies of pitwood continue to be moderate in quantity and the maximum price of 65s. per ton is readily obtained. For English grown timber it is stated that an agreement has been come to that it should be 65s. per ton at the pit, as against 65s. per ton ex-ship for the foreign product. IRON. There is a firm tone in the tinplate trade and shipments last week exceeded receipts from works by over a thousand boxes. The latter amounted to 30,849 boxes, whilst the exports totalled 31,902 boxes, thus leaving in stock and the docks warehouses and vans 175,719 boxes, compared with 176,772 boxes the previous week, and 219,234 boxes at the corresponding date of last year. The price of block tin continues steady, and quotations for Bessemer standard cokes are on the basis of 31s. 6d. per box f.o.b., with other sizes in proportion. There is a big demand for wasters, and complaints are made that permits are not granted as readily as they might be, especially as the enquiries largely concern home industries. Blast furnaces and rolling mills are working night and day. Supplies of iron ore are satisfactory. In the galvanised sheet trade there is no change. Swansea. COAL. Last week the trade of the port showed some improve- ment. The coal and patent fuel trades were more active, shipments together totalling 72,401 tons. On the Coal Exchange business opened quietly. There was little improvement in the arrival of tonnage, and as stocks were heavy, collieries will probably be working irregularly for some days. All classes of anthracite were plentiful, except beans. Steam coals were as slow as ever. There was a good demand for bituminous classes, especially for house and gas descriptions, for inland purposes. Llanelly. COAL. Tonnage arrivals still fall far short of the market’s requirements and so no improvement occurs in the state of the local market. Collieries are not working full time, and at some of them several idle days each week are reported. Stocks of most qualities are getting excessive, and this is hampering business generally. In anthracite qualities beans are the only active grades. Large kinds are offering freely for prompt business, and cobbles are also available. Nuts and peas are slow, and stocks of the latter qualities heavy. Culm and duff are inactive, and heavy stocks on hand are worrying holders. Steam coals are not at all brisk. Hence buyers have no difficulty in securing their requirements. Large kinds are not going off well, and throughs and smalls are sluggish, with heavy stocks standing. Manufacturing and house coals are both steady. There is a satisfactory inland enquiry for nearly all qualities, but short wagon supplies are not helping the execution of orders. Prices f.o.b. House coals:— Block Forest Rubble Nuts Rough slack Steam coal:— Large ... .. Small ... Prices at pithead. Large Current L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. prices. <24/ 26/ 26/6 >23/ j 23/3 (.21/6 15/6 15/6 13/ 22/6-23/6 22/6-23/6 20/ -21/ 18/ -19/ 18/ —19/ 16/ Prices 2s. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. THE TIM-PLATE TRADE. Liverpool. The merchant trade in tin-plate during the past week has been very quiet. The tone of the market rules firm, and the official maximum, now about 31s. 4^d. basis net f.o.t. at works, for cokes, is generally quoted by makers. Occa- sionally, favourable specifications may be booked at a trifle less money. Wasters in 28 x 20 lights and full weights are in demand, but other sizes are “ sticking,” owing to the tardiness with which permits are being granted. Terne-plates are slow. Current Steam coals:— prices. Best Admiralty steam coals 35/6 Superior seconds 34/ Seconds 33/2 Ordinary .....: 32/6 Steam smalls No. 1 24/ Do. 2 23/6 Do. 3 23/ Do. 4 22/6 Do. 5 22/ Do. 6 21/6 Do. 7 21/ Do. 8 20/6 Best dry coals 32/6 Ordinary drys 31/ Best washed nuts 32/6 Seconds 31/ Best washed peas 30/ Seconds 29/ Monmouthshire— ; Black Veins [ 32/6 Western-valleys i 31/6 Eastern-valleys i 31/6 Inferior do 30/6 Bituminous coals:— Best house coals (at pit) ( 35/6 Second qualities (at pit); 33/3 No. 3 Rhondda— I Bituminous large.... 33/3 Small .............. 28/6 Institution of Mechanical Engineers. — The annual general meeting will be held at the institution premises on February 15, commencing at 6 p.m. Partnerships Dissolved.—The London Gazette announces dissolution of the following partnerships : J. Colleran and M. Dever, trading as Colleran and Dever, coal dealers, Leyland; D. George and D. Clarke, trading as George and Clarke, tin-plate inspectors, Gloster Chambers, Swansea; and W. V. Stelfox and J. W. Adams, trading as the Coton Foundry Company, Chilvers Coton, Warwick. No. 2 Rhondda— Large................| 29/6 Through-and-throughi 24/6-26/ Small .............i 19/6-21/6 1 Best patent fuel ......I 32/6 | Seconds................i 32/6 Special foundry coke ..! 50/ Ordinary do. ............. 50/ Furnace coke ............. 50/ Pitwood (ex-ship) ....... 65/ L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. 33/ * 31/6 -* 30/9 > 26/ -27/ 30/ 24/ -25/ 21/6 ) 21/ 5 17/ -18/ 20/6 5 20/ j 16/ -17/ 19/6 ) 19/ J 12/ -16/ 18/6 > 18/ j 30/ 10/ -12/ 24/6-25/6 28/6 22/6-24/ 30/ 25/ -26/ 28/6 24/ -25/ 27/6 23/ -24/ 26/6 22/ -23/ 30/ 25/ -27/ 29/ 25/ -26/ 29/ 24/ -25/ 28/ 22/ -24/ 33/ 25/6-26/6 30/9 23/6-24/6 30/9 26/ -27/ 18/ -20/ 26/ 27/ 24/ -25/ 22/ -23/6 18/ -20/ 17/ -19/ 15/ -17/ 30/ ' 35/ -37/ 30/ 33/ -35/ 47/6 62/6-65/ 47/6 55/ -57/6 47/6 47/6-52/6 65/ 62/6-65/ Cardiff Prices f.o.b. (except where otherwise stated), plus 2s. 6d. per ton, except for shipments to France and Italy. Current prices. L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. Best malting anthracite... 30/ 30/ 28/ -30/ Seconds 29/ 29/ 26/6-27/6 Thirds 27/6 27/6 25/6 — Red Vein large 25/6 22/6-24/6 Machine-made cobbles 42/6 42/6 34/ -36/ Seconds 41/ 41/ — Thirds 39/ 39/ — Red Vein cobbles 36/ 36/ — Machine-made nuts 42/6 42/6 Seconds 41/’ 41/ — Thirds 39/ 39/ — Red Vein nuts Machine - broken beans 36/ 36/ — (best) 35/ 35/ 23/6-24/6 Seconds 34/ 34/ — Thirds 33/ 33/ — Red Vein beans 31/ 31/ Peas (all qualities) 20/ 20/ 20/ -22/ Rubbly culm 13/ 13/ 10/ —10/6 Red Vein culm 11/ 11/ — Breakers duff 8/ 8/ — Billy duff Steam:— 6/6 6/6 6/ - 6/6 Best large steam 30/ 30/ 27/ -28/ Seconds 27/ 27/ — Cargo through 23/6 23/6 18/ -20/ Seconds 22/ 22/ — Bunkers through 23/6 23/6 — Smalls 19/ 19/ 11/6-15/ Second smalls Bituminous:— 17/ 17/ — Bituminous through ... 27/ 27/ — Smalls 24/ 24/ 17/ -19/6 Gas through 23/6 23/6 — Gas smalls 21/ 21/ — Nominal. Mr. Thomas Greensmith, managing director of J. and G. Wells Limited, Eckington Collieries, is combining with his present duties those of managing director to the adjoining Renishaw Iron Works Company Limited. The latter com- pany was recently formed to carry on the old-established iron works at Renishaw, near Chesterfield. Two of the three furnaces have been put into commission on basic iron, and the third furnace is expected to be in working order in a few months’ time.