904 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. May 3, 1918. South Staffordshire, North Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Birmingham. COAL. The steady call for miners for Army service affects output. Supplies are diminishing, and the outlook is not at all hopeful. Sometimes it has been possible for con- sumers to get hold of an occasional surplus lot to make up for the shortage; but nothing of this kind is now available, and the question reduces itself to one of economising supplies as far as possible. Transport is also a troublesome problem, as a large number of wagons have been taken from the district for use elsewhere in conveying coal to London by rail instead of by se'. The shortage of smalls and of the better class slacks is very pronounced. Finer slacks are available in fair quantities. THE WELSH COAL AND IRON TRADES. Thursday, May 2. Prices at pit. Current L’st week’s Last year’s Staffordshire (including Cannock Chase) :— prices. prices. prices. House coal, best deep ... 24/6 24/6 22/6 22/ Do. seconds deep 22/6 20/ Do. best shallow 21/6 21/6 19/ 18/ Do. seconds do. 20/6 20/6 Best hard 21/ 21/ 18/6 Forge coal 18/6 18/6 16/ Slack Warwickshire:— 13/6 13/6 11/6 House coal, best Ryder.. Do. hand-picked 21/6 21/6 19/ cobs 20/6 20/6 22/6 18/ Best hard spires 22/6 20/ Forge (steam) 18/6 18/6 16/ D.S. nuts (steam) 17/ 17/ 14/6 Small (do.) 17/ 17/ 14/6 ' Monmouthshire, South Wales, Ac. Newport. COAL. This week .there has been a continuance of the improve- ment in the coal market of the district reported in the previous two weeks. At some collieries orders are in arrear. Tonnage has arrived satisfactorily, and wagons have been released for prompt transport from pit to port. A shrinkage of output is due to the large numbers of young colliers who have flocked to the Colours of late. Colliery owners have been placed in the position of having to attend to the Allocation of Orders Committee, whose operations amount to a restriction of output, and on the other hand to the direction of the Coal Controller, who advises that there should be no stoppage of work and no restriction of output. The demand for almost all classes of steam coal has been well maintained. Better classes of smalls have also been in considerable request. House and gas coal supplies have scarcely been equal to the demand. Coke and patent fuel have shared in the prevailing boom. All prices are in accordance with the schedule of the controlling authority. Prices f.o.b. cash 30 days. IRON. The predominant factor is the pressure of activity, accompanied by extreme pressure for deliveries. Output and prices in most branches are under control. Gas strip is the latest branch to be thus regulated, after protracted negotiations between makers and the Controller. Recently market quotations have ranged from <£16 to <£16 10s. The controlled price originally suggested was <£14 7s. 6d , which the makers regarded as too low. An offer of <£15 was also unacceptable, on the ground that it would not leave a suffi- cient margin, and, after a deputation of makers had waited upon the Controller, a compromise was reached by fixing the price at <£15 5s. f.o.t. at makers’ works. The old price included delivery, so that the drop will average 15s. to 17s. 6d. *a ton. It was in the natural order of things that puddled bars, which are so closely related to strip that any change in one must necessarily affect the other, should also be readjusted—the price being reduced from <£12 10s. and upwards to <£11 10s. This has been done without the inter- vention of the Controller. The control of steel strip is also foreshadowed, and several members of the trade have had a meeting to consider the position. Recent sales have been made at from £17 15s. to .£18 10s., with <£18 to <£18 5s. as the market level. Output of bar iron is well sustained, and appropriations for national work are on an increasing scale. The prospects with regard to merchant business are, therefore, hopeless for the time being. The pig iron short- age is also accentuated, and users are not getting anything like the full quantities they require. The higher grades are more difficult to procure than forge qualities. Off-iron commands a ready sale at the full basic price of 97s. 6d., and, in a few cases, an extra shilling or so is charged for casting in moulds, in order to keep down the percentage of silicon. An active demand exists for all kinds of scrap, and more particularly for good best scrap to supplement pig iron. Steam coals:— Best Black Vein large... Western-valleys, ordin’y Best Eastern-valleys ...i Secondary do. .... Best small coals Secondary do Inferior do Screenings Through coals 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 l 31/6 1 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. 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 Last year’s prices. 24/ -25/ 23/ -24/ 22/ -23/ 21/ -22/ 15/ -16/ 10/ -12/6 8/6- 9/ 16/ -17/ 20/ -21/ 24/6-25/6 23/ -24/ 27/ -30/ * * * Nominal. yet been found to prevent these spasmodic stoppages, but the suggestion is made that the recruiting authorities might find a fruitful field where such conditions prevail. The present recruiting boom shows no signs of abatement, and whilst 1/0,000 men were asked for from the South Wales coalfield, it is computed that over 25,000 men have already been enrolled, chiefly by voluntary enlistment. The younger men are offering themselves in hundreds and the medical boards are hard pressed to cope with the sudden rush. The demand for coals, especially of the superior grades, has been so great that the Coke and Coal Supplies Committee have decided to make inoperative the allocation scheme for the first month, which expires on May 11. In the meantime, collieries are urged to maintain their maximum production, but there is no intention to abandon the scheme of allocation as soon as the pressure has been relieved. All the higher grade steam coals are in great demand, and the same applies to best quality bunker coals. The accumulations of inferior descriptions have been called upon to a considerable extent, and excess quantities in many districts have been materially reduced. There has been a steady demand for bituminous coals, patent fuels, and coke, supplies of which are deficient, owing chiefly to the quantity required overseas. Inland requirements at present are scantily complied with, but conditions are such that a busy time is expected during May. In the pitwood trade supplies are coming forward in moderate quantities, and the price remains steady at 65s. Forest of Dean. Lydney. COAL. The pressure for supplies of household coal continues very strong, owing to abnormal conditions. The output is considerably below the requirements of merchants, and all are short. There is still a heavy run of trade from the railborne districts, and in the shipping department a large number of boats await cargoes. All the steam coal pits are hard pressed for deliveries, the general demand for this fuel continuing well ahead of the supplies available. Prices at pithead. IRON. The iron and steel works of the district are kept con- stantly and busily engaged. There is an increasing output almost the whole of which is on Government account. Some of the industries of the district have already adopted the Whitley scheme and established committees. The tin-plate trade, hampered by many restrictions, including the high price of block tin, is struggling along heroically and making some headway. There is a good enquiry for waste wasters —the only plates which can be dealt with otherwise than by means of permits. Pitwood arrivals have been scanty. The price remains at the controlled figure, viz., 65s. for best French fir* Cardiff. COAL. There is very little alteration in the general conditions. The spurt which was referred to a week ago has been fully maintained, and collieries are experiencing a difficulty in keeping pace with requirements. The demands of the authorities have been unusually heavy, with the result that there is little margin for ordinary commercial con- tracts, and releases are only being very meagrely granted. Tonnage has been coming forward in satisfactory quan- tities, and in several of the docks there has been a waiting list to obtain loading berths, a condition of affairs that has not been prevalent for many months. The shortage of coal is due in some measure to unauthorised stoppages. For instance, in the Rhondda district, 2,500 men out of 3,500 went on strike against the penalty imposed on a man for seditious utterances. This lasted for several days, but the men have now gone back to work, without having achieved any object. They have lost wages, and the country has lost their output. No remedy seems to have Cardiff prices f.o.b. (except where otherwise stated), plus 2s. 6d. per ton, except for shipments to France and Italy. House coals:— Block Forest Rubble Nuts Rough slack Steam coal:— Large ... ... Small ... ... Large Current prices. 26/ 15/6 22/6-23/6 18/ -19/ L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. ( 24/ 26/ \ 23/ 7 23/3 (.21/6 15/6 13/ 22/6-23/6 20/ -21/ 18/ -19/ 16/ Prices 2s. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. The Coal Trade Benevolent Association has decided to abandon its annual dinner this year. A short Bill now before Parliament proposes to give an arbitrator power to allow claim for compensation in certain cases of illegal employment. Mr. Alfred Onions, miners’ agent, Tredegar, treasurer of the South Wales Miners’ Federation, and the prospective Labour candidate for East Glamorgan, has been elected chairman of the Monmouthshire County Council. Partnerships Dissolved.—The London Gazette announces dissolution of the partnership of J. Hampton, H. Dean (both of whom continue the business) and S. Hampton, trading as Hampton and Dean, bolt and nut manufac- turers, etc., Clifton Works, King’s Hill, Wednesbury; and R. W. Brosch (who continues the business) and J. E. Mappiebeck, metal merchants, Hospital-street and Frank- fort-street, Birmingham. ' German Coal Supply to Switzerland.—The negotiations between Switzerland and Germany for a renewal of the economic agreement which expired on April 30 are still unfinished. Germany has agreed to continue the existing agreement on the same terms until May 15. Meanwhile, Germany is endeavouring to interfere with the supply of coal to Swiss factories working for the Entente. Germany also proposes that an organisation similar to the Societe Suisse de Surveillance Economique should be set up for the control of German imports. Current L’st week’s Steam coals:— prices. prices. Best Admiralty steam coals 35/6 35/6 Superior seconds 34/ 34/ Seconds 33/3 33/3 Ordinary 32/6 32/6 24/ I Steam smalls No. 1 24/ Do. 2 23/6 23/6 j Do. 3 23/ 2