1258 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. June 21, 1918. South Staffordshire, North Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Birmingham. COAL. Demand for all descriptions of fuel keeps very strong, while supplies to meet it are diminishing. Munition establishments, and others engaged on essential national work, are kept going at the expense of private traders, and at many of the large works reserve stocks have to be drawn upon. These stocks are replaced with difficulty. All kinds of smalls are scarce, especially nuts, while it is almost im- possible to get anything like an adequate tonnage of the best quality of slacks. Local merchants find themselves compelled t) decline orders for domestic fuel. They have only a certain amount to distribute, and they are doing that as fairly as possible among customers. The air will be cleared when the rationing scheme comes into force. Prices at pit. THE WELSH COAL AND IRON TRADES. Thursday, June 20. Monmouthshire, South Wales, Ac. Newport. COAL. There was a slight easing in the market this week, due to some extent to a smaller arrival of tonnage. For the most part collieries were strong with orders. There was a little “free*’ steam coal for merchants to supply to neutral markets. Small coals drooped a trifle. There was still a large demand for coke and patent fuel. Gas coal was con- siderably in request, and so also was house coal. For the present all classes of output are on the former schedule of prices. Prices f.o.b. cash 30 days. Current L’st week’s Last year’s Staffordshire (including Cannock Chase) :— prices. prices. prices. 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/ 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 IRON. Current L’st week’s Last year’s Steam coals: — prices. prices. prices. Best Black Vein large... ; 32/6 32/6 27/ -29/6 Western-valleys, ordin’y 31/6 31/6 25/ -26/ Best Eastern-valleys ... i 31/6 31/6 24/ -25/ Secondary do. 1 30/6 30/6 20/ -21/ Best small coals I 23/6 23/6 17/ -18/ Secondary do ! 22/6 22/6 10/ -13/ Inferior do 20/6 20/6 6 6- 9/ Screenings 25/6 25/6 17/9-18/6 Through coals 29/6 32/6 29/6 20/ —21/6 Best washed nuts 32/6 Other sorts:— Best house coal, at pit .. 35/6 35/6 25/ -26/ Secondary do. do. ... 33/3 33/3 22/ -23/6 Patent fuel 32/6 32/6 27/6-30/ Furnace coke 47/6 47/6 * Foundry coke 47/6 47/6 * * Nominal. Manufacturers and consumers are making the best of the abnormal conditions. The deficiency of foundry pig iron is actually felt, supplies being sufficient for no more than im- mediate purposes. Smelters make deliveries as fast as the iron leaves the furnaces, and in this way the foundries are kept going, although sometimes there are delays. Forge grades are not so stringent, a larger proportion being turned out. There is an urgent demand for scrap to supplement pig iron, and it is understood that preliminary consultations have taken place with a view to cast scrap being brought under control, thereby bringing it into line with other de- scriptions. Recently the tendency has been for cast scrap to harden in value, the range being from <£5 7s. 6d. for light qualities to £6 17s. 6d. for best marine engine scrap, the quality largely called for for foundry iron purposes. In consequence of the freer supply of steel billets the demand for second-hand material for rolling down has fallen off. The price of billets is <£10 7s. 6d. at makers* works, and in their anxiety to get supplies consumers were willing in I some instances to pay more than this for the second-hand material. The relief extends to steel sections, though not in a marked degree, and to plates. Those used in this dis- trict come from the north-east and from Scotland, and there seems now no difficulty in getting wants supplied. The maximum prices of <£11 10s. and <£12 10s. for tank and boiler plates respectively expire at the end of June, and it is expected they will be renewed. Tube manufacturers are working at high pressure. A considerable demand exists for second-hand solid drawn tubes suitable for drawing down into hand rails, electrical conduits, &c.; and as much as £18 to £19 has been paid for this material. Tube strip makers book slowly at £15 5s., and makers of puddled iron are also careful not to overburden their books, preferring to distribute their output among regular customers. Practically the whole of the sheets made in the district are diverted into Government channels, and in order to facilitate their dis- patch across to France they are not painted here. IRON. There is little change in the position of the iron and steel industries of the district. All the works are fully supplied with orders, chiefly on Government account. Prices are consequently nominal. A large quantity of iron ore continues to arrive, keeping the furnaces well supplied. There is a fair amount of activity in the tin- plate trade, many of the makers having heavy bookings for the French Government. The demand for waste wasters (the only plates which can be dealt with—without a permit) continues good. Pitwood arrivals have been moderate, the price remaining at about 65. Forest of Dean. Lydney. COAL. The demand for the house coals of this district continues very strong. Merchants complain of the general shortage, and it is already evident, in view of the restricted supplies, that a check upon the purchasing powers of the public was necessary and inevitable, AU the collieries are on full time, but supplies are a long way below requirements. Steams continue in excellent demand, and the collieries are hard pressed to keep up deliveries. Prices at pithead. Cardiff. COAL. There is a distinctly easier tendency in the general posi- tion, and conditions are more comfortable than they have been for a couple of months. This is attributable to two causes. The arrivals of tonnage have not been so numerous over the week end, and the production from the collieries is steadily increasing. This is not what it was in the early months of the year, but still the output is improving, and it is hoped that the communication which Sir Guy Calthrop has addressed to the collieries will have the effect of stimulating those concerned to still greater effort in the future. The falling off in the supply of tonnage does not mean that there is a shortage, but the delays complained of in recent weeks do not now exist, and there is appa- rently greater despatch in loading and proceeding to sea. The demand for best quality coals is as great as ever, and practically the whole output is reserved for Government and Allied purposes Second qualities are rather easier, and during the last few days small parcels of these have been released for shipment to neutral destinations. It is not expected that any considerable quantity will be avail- able for export or private account before the end of the month, by which time many of the arrears will have been overcome. There is little demand for smalls, and these are steadily accumulating in the sidings, especially the inferior grades. Banking has not yet been resorted to, Washed coals are in good demand, and there is a good enquiry for the better grades of bituminous and household coals. Coke producers are also busy, chiefly on home trade account. The compromise on the brokerage question was discussed at a largely attended meeting on ’Change on Tuesday, and a general desire was expressed that British coaling depots, such as Gibraltar, Port Said, Malta, etc., should be placed on the same basis as in the case of ship- ments to France and Italy. This, it was pointed out, would enable exporters to maintain the brokerage custom on the greater proportion of the coal shipped from the Bristol Channel, especially as the exports to neutrals were now prac- tically negligible. The president of the Chamber of Com- merce, Mr. T. J. Callaghan, was instructed to place the views of the exporters before the Coal Controller. All prices remain in accordance With the fixed schedule. IRON. Shipments of tin-plates last week were about the lowest on record, and only amounted to the insignificant figure of 225 boxes. Receipts from works, on the other hand, were greatly in excess of recent production, and amounted to 37,418 boxes, compared with 24,969 boxes in the preceding week. Stocks in the docks warehouses and vans now total 138,670 boxes compared with 101,477 boxes the previous week and 98,658 boxes at the corresponding date of last year. Supplies of bars are satisfactory, and all the mills are busy. Orders are plentiful, especially on home account, and most makers are fully booked for several months ahead There has been no change in the price of block tin, which remains at £328 to £329 for cash and three months, and the quotations for Bessemer standard cokes is now about 32s. 6d. to 33s. per box, with other sizes in proportion. In the galvanised sheet trade there is no alteration, and all works are engaged in the manufacture of black plates and painted sheets for Government purposes. Iron ore supplies continue satis- factory, and production is maintained at a high standard. Steel works are hard pressed to cope with the demands upon their outputs, and both rail and bar mills are working at top pressure. Big extensions are contemplated in the Swansea district by Baldwins Limited, and it is stated that a large area known as the Crumlyn Burrows has been secured for the erection of steel works as well as colliery development. The capital required for this purpose is in the neighbourhood of a million sterling. Scrap metals are scarce and firm. All prices are in accordance with the fixed maximum schedule. Swansea. COAL. The trade of the port during the past week was consider- ably less active. The exports of patent fuel were larger, but the coal trade was exceptionally quiet. The shipments of coal and patent fuel together amounted to 61,099 tons. There was a good attendance on 'Change, and the anthra- cite coal market opened very quietly. All descriptions, with the exception of beans and peas, were freely offered, but owing to the shortage of ready tonnage, very little business was transacted. Steam coals continued strong in all directions. Llanelly. uOAL. There is a slight easing in the activity of the local market, and owing to the tonnage position some anthracite qualities are not doing so well as last reported. Collieries have generally, however, been working good time, so that outputs are well maintained. Large anthracite qualities are distinctly easier, and buyers are able to get “spot lots’* freely for any immediate business. Cobbles and nuts are also not so firm, with qualities available for early clearance of wagons. Beans and peas are, well maintaining their position, and spare parcels are few in number. Culm and duff both unchanged, with good quantities available. Steam coals on the other hand continue to hold their own and the better qualities of large are scarce. Through coal are in good demand,' with outputs well booked up. Smalls are also an improved market Bituminous coals are in good demand, and spare lots of the better grades are diffi- cult to secure. There is a steady inland demand for prac- tically all qualities on the market, but collieries find it difficult to give good despatch to orders. Prices f.o.b. 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 L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. prices. / 24/ 26/ 26/ } 23/ J23/3 (.21/6 15/6 15/6 13/ 22/6-23/6 22/6-23/6 20/ -21/ 18/ -19/ 18/ -19/ 16/ Steam coals:— Best Admiralty st( coals ............. Superior seconds .... Seconds ........... Ordinary .......... Steam smalls No. 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5 . 6 . 7 . 8 . Prices 2s. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. The annual autumn meeting of the Institute of Metals will be held in London on September 11. Use of Peat.—In a paper read before the Societe Vau- doise des Sciences Naturelies, B. Laurent gave an account of the natural formation of peat. The peat is dug with a special tool having two cutting edges at right angles. There are also machines in use for the purpose, which the author describes, such as the Aurep-Svedala type, of Swedish origin, and the Dolberg and Wielandt type, of German origin. He then describes various methods of briquetting and drying. The present price of coal of a calorific value of about 13,000 B.Th.U., delivered at Lausanne, is £4 16s. per ton. Assuming that the peat has a calorific value of about 6,100 B.Th.U., and for various reasons, such as difficulty in transport and in use, that two thermal units in peat are only equal in practice to one unit in coal, then the corresponding value of peat should be 22s. 7d. per ton, while the actual prices are said to be higher than this figure. Do. ! Do. ; Do. Do. i Do. I Do. Do. I Best dry coals .... Ordinary drys .... Best washed nuts Seconds ......... Best washed peas. Seconds ....... Monmouthshire— Black Veins .... Western-valleys .... Eastern-valleys .... Inferior do......... Bituminous coals:— Best house coals (at pit) Second qualities (at pit) No. 3 Rhondda— Bituminous large.... Small .............. No. 2 Rhondda— Large............... Thr ough-and-thr ough j Small .............. Best patent fuel ....... Seconds................. Special foundry coke ... Ordinary do. ........... Furnace coke ........... Pitwood (ex-ship) ...... Current prices. L’st week’s prices. 35/6 35/6 34/ 34/ 33/3 33/3 32/6 32/6 24/ 24/ 1 23/6 23/6 j 23/ 23/ ) 22/6 22/6 j 22/ 22/ ) 21/6 21/6 j 21/ 21/ ) 20/6 20/6 ) 32/6 32/6 31/ 31/ 32/6 32/6 31/ 31/ 29/ 29/ 28/ 28/ 32; 6 32/6 31/6 31/6 31/6 31/6 30/6 30/6 35/6 35/6 33/3 33/3 33/3 33/3 28/6 28/6 29/6 29/6 1 24/6-26/ 24/6-26/ 19/6-21/6 19/6-21'6 32/6 . 32/6 ' 32/6 32/6 50/ 50/ 50/ 50/ 50/ 50/ 65/ 65/ * Nominal. Last year’s prices. __* 28/ -291 27/ -28/ 16/ -17/ 13/6-15/6 10/ -13/ 8/6-10/ 29/ -30/ 27/ -28/ 29/ -30/ 28/ -29/ 27/ -28/ 26/ -27/ 28/ -29/ 27/ -28/ 26/ -27/ 25/ -26/ 25/6-26/6 23/6-24/6 27/ -28/ 18/ -19/ 23/6-24/6 18/ -19/ 12'6-13/6 30/ 28/ -29/ 47/6-50/ 47/6-50/ 47/6-50/ 75/ Current prices. L’st week’s prices. Last year’s prices. Best malting anthracite... 30/ 30/ 24/6-25/6 Seconds 29/ 29/ 21/6-23/ Thirds 27/6 27/6 — Red Vein large 25/6 25/6 18/ -19/ Machine-made cobbles 42/6 42/6 32/6-35/ 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 36/ 36/ — Machine - broken beans (best) 35/ 35/ 28/6-30/ Seconds 34/ 34/ — Thirds 33/ 33/ — Red Vein beans 31/ 31/ — Peas (all qualities) 20/ 20/ 20/6-22/ 10/6-11/6 Rubbly culm 13/ 13/ Red Vein culm 11/ 11/ — Breakers duff 8/ 8/ — Billy duff 6/6 6/6 5/3- 5/6 Steam:— Best large steam 30/ 30/ 25/6-26/6 Seconds 27/ 27/ — Cargo through 23/6 23/6 20/9-22/3 Seconds 22/ 22/ — Bunkers through 23/6 23/6 — Smalls 19/ 19/ 9.6-13/ Second smalls 17/ 17/ — Bituminous:— Bituminous through ... 27/ 27/ — Smalls 24/ 24/ 17/6-19/ Gas through 23/6 23/6 — Gas smalls 21/ 21/ — Coalfields of the Ukraine.—About 70 per cent, of the coal supply of Russia is derived from the Ukraine. The coal seam of the Donetz basin is capable of furnishing twice the quantity available in the seams of Belgium, but they cannot be compared with the coal wealth of Upper Silesia, Westphalia, England, or Pennsylvania. They are a deposit of the second order, and must therefore be sparingly worked. This is a limiting condition for the South Russian iron industry. The seams are thin, averaging only one metre; they never reach two metres in thickness. Moreover, some of these lie at a considerable depth. Hence the Ukraine coal mining industry cannot attain to very great importance. The output of the mines in recent years has amounted to about 25 million tons, or one-eighth of the production of Germany.