804 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. April 19, 1918. side. Throughs are not going strong, and both cargo and bunker qualities are plentiful. Large kinds are not active, and even the better grades on offer. Manufacturing coals are steady, with local works taking heavy supplies. Prices are unchanged from those given in our report last week. Swansea. COAL. During the past week the trade of the port continued quiet. The quantity of coal shipped was very small, but the exports of patent fuel, 30,330 tons, was about a record for one week. The shipments amounted to 63,539 tons. A capital attendance assembled on 'Change, but there was no alteration in the general condition of the anthracite or steam coal maikets. Both continued extremely slow. All classes were freely offered for immediate delivery, but very little business was transacted. Both rubbly culm and duff were absolutely devoid of enquiry. __________________________ SOUTH WALES MINING TIMBER TRADE. Although the home-grown trade has been considerably developed of late and deliveries of mining timber to the collieries have increased, there is still necessity for a greater speeding-up, especially if the authorities contem- plate carrying out their programme of increasing the production of home-grown wood by another million tons this year. The great drawback is the difficulty of trans- port, and, although efforts have been made to stimulate deliveries by offering additional inducements to hauliers, there are still many thousands of tons of mining timber in the forests and at the stations awaiting delivery to the collieries. The scarcity of hauliers and empty wagons is still most pronounced, and now the lack of ropes has caused traffic to be held up to a large extent. Pitwood in railway wagons has to be roped when stowed in the usual manner, 5 ft. to 6 ft. high, in accordance with requirements. An ordinary-sized train, therefore, of, say, 30 wagons of mixed sizes, requires about 45 ropes. Mr F. R. Howe, one of the leading pitwood merchants in South Wales, who is largely interested in the home-grown trade, appeals to colliery proprietors and managers to see that all ropes are released and sent back to the depots as soon as possible after the traffic is handed over by the railway officials. By this means much delay will be saved, and a larger production would result. Irish Pitwood Trade. During the past 12 months the trade with Irish pitwood has developed, large quantities being regularly sent from Ireland to South Wales. When the scheduled prices at which pitwood should be purchased by the collieries were fixed by the Controller of Mines, French, Spanish and Portuguese timber was scheduled at 65s. per ton “ ex ship South Wales ports?' Irish timber was quoted at the same figures, but delivery had to be made to the collieries. Representations were made by importers as to the unfair treatment accorded to Irish timber as against foreign timber, inasmuch as “ delivery to collieries ” meant anything from Is. to 8s. or 9s. per ton extra, according to distance from the ports. Losses were made, and importers being indifferent to the trade, the imports fell off at a time when supplies were greatly needed. Now, however, the authorities have placed Irish timber on the same terms as foreign wood, viz., 65s. per ton “ex-ship South Wales ports/’ and a revival of good business is anticipated. Foreign Imports Good. The imports of foreign mining timber for the week ended April 12 were upon a good scale, the total amounting to 14,996 loads, of which 8,064 loads were received by the Admiralty Pitwood Committee. The following are the details:— Cardiff (including Barry and Penarth) :— April 6 Vyvyan Kelly and Co....... 1,140 „ 6 A. Bromage and Co......... 2,040 „ 8 Morgan and Cadogan....... 420 „ 8 Vyvyan Kelly and Co....__ 3,120 „ 8 Lysberg Limited........... 264 „ 8 Lysberg Limited........... 1,920 „ 8 Lysberg Limited........... 1,680 „ 8 Morgan and Cadogan....... 120 „ 9 E. W. Cooke and Co........ 42 „ 10 Lysberg Limited........... 2,040 „ 12 Lysberg Limited........... 1,200 „ 12 Franklin Thomas and Co..... 50 Total..... 14,996 Quotations were at the scheduled levels, viz.: — 65s. per ton ex ship. French. Pitwood Abundant. Advices from France state that pitwood arrivals at all the stations between Bordeaux and Bayonne continue very excessive, all available quay space being taken up. These supplies are mainly for South Wales, and although good clearances are made, stocks continue to be extremely heavy. The scarcity of vessels is as pronounced as ever. Prices rule at 43 fr. f.o.t Bordeaux, and 40 to 42 fr. Boucan, so that a large margin of profit is still being made by exporters. With supplies of wood very heavy, it is considered as certain that if more adequate tonnage supplies were available, and the British Controller of Import Restrictions allowed wood to come in more freely, the prices in South Wales ports would be driven considerably below the maximum levels. During March the British Admiralty Pitwood Committee received about 30,000 tons at Bordeaux and about 20,000 tons at Bayonne, a total of 50,000 tons. Other exporters received about 20,000 tons between them. ________ Home Grown Timber Prices. The Board of Trade has issued a new schedule of maxi- mum prices. For standing timber the maximum for ash (except for aeroplane purposes) .is 3s. per cubic foot; oak, well-grown selected trees, 3s. 3d.; oak, well-grown, whole parcels, 2s. 3d.; sycamore, hornbeam and selected Spanish chestnut, 2s.; beech and inferior ash, Is. 6d ; larch, Is. 4d ; poplar, alder, lime and inferior oak, Is. 3d.; Spanish chest- nut and elm, Is.; Scotch pine and Douglas fir, lid. Com- mon hardwoods not mentioned are Is. These prices are per cubic foot, | girth Hoppus measure, tape over bark, with the customary allowance for bark. Regarding timber in the log delivered free on rail or barge at loading stations the maximum for ash (except for aeroplanes) is 5s.; inferior ash, 2s. 6d.; selected oak butts, 4s. 9d.; selected oak logs, 3s. 9d.; inferior oak butts, 2s. 3d.; selected sycamore and hornbeam, 4s.; other sycamore and hornbeam, 3s.; selected Spanish chestnut, 3s. 6d. other chestnut, 2s. 6d.; beech and selected larch, 3s.; poplar, alder and lime, 2s. 9d.; larch and elm, 2s. 6d.; selected Scotch pine and Douglas fir, 2s. 4d.; other Scotch pine and Douglas, 2s. Id. ; selected spruce, 2s. 3d.; other spruce, 2s. In every case allowance is made for bark, and the discount is 2| per cent, for cash within one month from date of despatch. ______________________ THE BY-PRODUCTS TRADE. Tar Products.—The outstanding feature of the current week's business is the decided fall in the average quota- tions for pitch in London. Business is reported on an easier basis than was current a week or two ago, and it seems possible now to quote 50s. or less, which represents an unmis- takable decline. Undoubtedly the decrease in transport facilities, a decrease which is about to be accentuated, is one of the difficulties in the case. The provincial quotations are unchanged, and beyond noting the steady tone in that direction there is little that needs comment. Tar is in request, and some of the differences of price in the Metropolitan area are interesting. Here, for instance, are the tenders sent to the Hammersmith Borough Council for refined tar for road use:—Brentford Gas Company, 4d. per gallon, delivered at Brentford gas works ; Gaslight and Coke Com- pany, 5d. per gallon at Beckton gas works, ditto 28s. 3d. per 40-gallon barrel at Chancellor’s Wharf; Wandsworth, Wimbledon and Epsom District Gas Company, 5d. per gallon at Wandsworth gas works. The market average for tar in London is 32s. 6d. to 35s., in the Midlands 27s. to 29s., and in North 28s. to 30s. per ton ex works. Solvent naphtha is higher in the North. Crude carbolic is inclined to be dearer in London, whereas aniline oil tends to be a shade cheaper. The movements, generally, are not important, but in some instances they are decided enough to show the week’s tendency. I ull quotations are appendedPitch: London, 48s. to 50s.; east coast, 26s. to 28s. f.o.b.; Liverpool, 22s.; west coast, 22s. to 24s. f.a.s. Crude tar: London, 32s. 6d. to 35s.; Midlands, 27s. to 29s ; North, 28s. to 30s. per ton ex gas works. Solvent naphtha: Naked, London, 90-190 per cent., 3s. to 3s. 3d.; North, 2s. 9d. to 3s.; 90-160 per cent, naked London, 4s. 3d. to 4s. 6d.; North, 4s. to 4s. 3d. Benzol: London, 90 per cent. Is. 0|d. naked ; North, 101 to Hid., 50 per cent., Is. 31d. to Is. 4|d., naked. Crude naphtha .- Naked, 90 per cent., 8|d. to 81d ; North, 63d. to 6|d. Refined naphtha- lene, .£30 to £32 10s.; salts, 80s. to 90s. Toluol: Naked, London, 2s. 4d.; North, 2s. 3d. Creosote : Naked, London, 4|d.; North, 4d. to 4|d. (Government price 75s. per ton f.o.b., equal to 4|d. per gallon) ; heavy oil, 4|d.; liquid, 4|d. Carbolic acid: Crude, 60 per cent., east coast and west coast, 3s. 6d.; crystals, 39-40, Is. 3d. Cresylic : Casks, 95 per cent, 3s.; 97-99 per cent., 3s. 3d. to 3s. 6d. ex works London and f.o.b. other ports. Anthracene : 40-45 A, 4|d.; 84-50 A, 6d., B, l|d. to 2|d. Aniline oil, Is. 3d., casks free; salts, Is. 3d., drums free. Sulphate of Ammonia.—Business is proceeding on the official basis of £16 7s. 6d. per ton' April-May, delivered net cash, or 10s. less at works. No change in the official regulations is notified yet. ____________________________________________ THE IRISH COAL TRADE. Thursday, April 18. Dublin. Stocks do not show any improvement, as all qualities are now very difficult to procure, owing to the very heavy demands being made upon the collieries at the other side. The ton- nage shortage has been accentuated by the diversion of a considerable number of vessels for other purposes. The Irish Coal Controller has issued a circular letter to prac- tically all the public bodies in the country, urging the necessity of economising in the use of imported coal, and the use of turf, wood and coal from the Irish collieries. Particulars of the average weekly consumption of coal are requested, along with the amount in stock and other details. Many drastic economies—fewer trains and slower speed—are to be effected on the principal Irish railways. Peat is already being used successfully in many industrial concerns, owing to the scarcity of coal. Prices in this port are unchanged, and the demand continues to be active. Quotations are: Best Orrell, 51s. per ton ; best Wigan, 49s.; standard coal, 46s. 6d. per ton, delivered; coke, 49s. per ton. Irish coals at Castlecomer pits: Best small coal, 30s. per ton; best large coal, 28s. 4d.; bottom coal, 25s.; breakage, 16s. 8d.; culm, 13s. 4d. per ton. The total quan- tity of coal discharged upon the quays from cross-Channel ports during the past week was 24,500 tons, compared with 26,181 tons the week previously. An experiment has been made at Midleton, County Cork, where, owing to local enterprise, a supply of coal from the Castlecomer mines has been obtained by rail for sale in small quantities to the working classes of the town. The Irish coal, as against British coal, is offered for sale at 6d. cheaper per 1| cwt. bag. Belfast. The position remains unchanged, and with the continued heavy demand from different sources it is found impossible to augment the supplies. Prices remain as fixed by the Coal Committee of the Corporation, viz. .-—Best English coal, 51s. per ton; English nuts, 50s.; English kitchen coal, 50s.; best English slack, 47s.; Scotch house coal, 45s.; standard coal, 44s. per ton net. Dungannon Urban Council have appointed two members to interview the authorities with a view to having the coal and shale districts of County Tyrone developed. Drogheda District Council protested against the borough not having representation on the advisory committee appointed by the Irish Shipping Con- troller to go into the price of coal, and it was decided to communicate with the Corporation and the Harbour Board. ____________________________ Lancashire and Cheshire Colliery Under-managers* Association.—At a meeting in the Pack Horse Hotel, Bolton, on April 13, the late secretary, Mr. Wm. Holland, was presented with a gold watch, in recognition of his services to the Association. A One-man Colliery.—Exemption has been granted to a man named Beardsley, aged 25, who is the owner and sole worker of a coal mine near Matlock. He mines 20 to 25 tons of coal weekly, and last year his output was 1,000 tons. He works 10 to 12 hours a day. Shipments to Norway.—It has been decided, with the approval of the War Trade Department, to alter the form of licensing, and to grant general licences, available for one month, for shipment in approved Norwegian or British steamers to Norwegian destinations. It will thus be necessary no longer for shippers to submit names of vessels to the War Trade Department, but merely to obtain the approval of the local Collector of Customs of shipments being effected by the vessels proposed. THE SUPPLY OF PITWOOD. ^Addressing a meeting at Carpenters’ Hall, London, on ‘‘British Timber Supplies and the Safety of the Realm,” Mr. M. C. Duchesne, F.S.I., the honorary secretary of the English Forestry Association and the Royal English Arboricultural Society, outlined a scheme calculated to secure for our collieries ample supplies of pitwood and other timbers suitable for national and local needs, as well as reserves of timber by afforestation here to meet any future emergency. He said the establishment of an organised scheme on broad lines was required, and it would be a necessary precaution to rely in future for this vital raw material on a portion of the British Empire rather than a foreign country. For example, take the case of Canada, including Newfoundland. In 1913 Canada supplied only 10 per cent, of our imports of coniferous timber and pit wood. That country had the largest reserves of probably the finest timber in the world, and of the varieties most suitable for our requirements. Was there any reason, apart from the matter of transport, why in the future the 10 per cent, should not be increased indefinitely ? In the past the cost of transport from the Baltic had been low in comparison with that from Canada, partly on account of return freights and other special facilities. Given cheap freights and special exchange of trade with Canada after the war, this com- parison might not stand in the future. Provided the transport difficulty could be met, an enormous benefit could be assured to Canada, and also to this country, by a large imperial scheme for utilising Canadian supplies of matured timber, and combining forestry in Canada with forestry in Great Britain. The speaker emphasised particularly the geographical position of Canada and its distance from the war area ; that lumbering was one of the principal industries of the Dominion and could be extended promptly and indefi- nitely ; and that Canada possessed exceptional natural facilities relating to water transport, and other advan- tages. It was unnecessary to dwell upon the desirability of developing the British Empire, and the chief policy of forestry in this country in the future must be the creation of reserves of timber to meet any emergency, and as an insurance against the stoppage of imported supplies from any cause. The timber which Canada would send us were the very trees which we could plant here on a large scale for afforestation. Alluding to the timber supplies during the war, Mr. Duchesne men- tioned that our imports of timber in 1913 amounted to 11,600,000 tons. In 1916 these were reduced to 6,300,000 tons, and a still further reduction took place in 1917. Between March and December last year, 3,300,000 tons of shipping were released from timber imports for food and important raw material requirements. In 1913, it was estimated that approxi- mately 1,000,000 tons of native timber were felled. In 1916 this had increased to 1.250,000 tons, and last year to over 3,000,000 tons, whilst the programme this year of the quantity required from this country amounted to 6,000,000 tons. During 1917,15,000 men were added to the forces engaged in timber production in this country. After hostilities had ceased there would be a transition period before normal conditions returned. During that time, unless our main supplies of timber could be obtained from Canada, we should be only one of the many eager competitors for the supplies from Russia and Scandinavia. Doubtless a large portion of the Scandinavian supplies would be forthcoming from sources developed before the war; but it was doubtful how far they would be able to meet our requirements, and at what cost it would be obtainable. It was pos- sible that the native timber supplies would help in some directions to meet the national emergency for a time after the war; but, of course, that depended on how long the war would last, and what timber would then be standing in this country. It was estimated that, by the end of this year, 1,090,000 acres of our woods, represent- ing one-third of our total area, would have been felled for war emergency. If they estimated that 3,000 trees per acre would be required for replanting, that repre- sented a total supply of 3,000,000,000 seedlings necessary for the area felled during the war. During only the first two years of the war the enhanced cost of imported timber over pre-war prices was £37,000,000. Whatever the cost of a scheme of afforestation, the increased cost of imported timber during the war would probably exceed the cost of any such scheme. _____________________ Imports of Pit Props.—The imports of pit props or pit wood in March amounted to 68,499 loads, valued at £252,645, compared with 87,180 loads, valued at £268,482, a year ago, and 196,422 loads, valued at £614,112, two years ago. Less Household Fuel.—A conference of Midland local authorities, summoned at the request of the Coal Controller to discuss the rationing scheme which will shortly come into operation, was held in Birmingham on Thursday. Mr. Frank Pick, who represented the Coal Controller, stated that it had been decided to apply the scheme to the whole country. A reduction in the use of coal would be secured mainly at the expense of the house- holder. In order to avoid the rationing of supplies for industrial purposes, it was hoped to effect an economy in household coal equal to the reduction in the output at the pits, which would vary from 25 to 33| per cent. Exports and Imports of Mining Machinery.—The value of imports and exports of mining machinery during March is given below :— , March. Jan.-Mar. ______________ ______________ 1917. 1918. 1917. 1918. £ £ £ £ Imports ......... 10,899 ... 18,990 ... 38,716 ... 49,228 Exports ......... 52,827 ... 37,794 ...205,547 ...142,937 These figures are not inclusive of prime movers or elec- trical machinery. The following shows the value of exports of prime movers other than electrical:— March. Jan.-Mar. _________________ _________________ 1917. 1918? 1917. 191?. All prime movers £ £ £ £ (except electrical)... 405.160 ...213,468...1,060,284... 756,912 Rail locomotives .... 173,608 ...101,813... 496,203... 406,855 Pumping ........... 60,845 ... 17,379... 135,663... 62,156 Winding ‘............. 857 ...^2,363... J3,551... 7,299