September 6, 1918. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 503 off orders booked two and three months ago, and the rationing scheme, though making progress, is not suffi- ciently advanced to have much effect. Gas coal causes anxiety, as stocks are very low and the winter approaching. The special attention which is being given to the needs of gasworks in the metropolitan area has led to more diversion of supplies from one or two Yorkshire works. The requisi- tioning of house coal for gas purposes is also to some extent a feature. As to manufacturing sorts, first attention is given, to munition and similar works, and the less essential industries are faced with a serious problem, especially as the scarcity of coking smalls involves an increasing use of nuts for coking. Even by these means, and the crushing of large coal also, coke makers find it impossible to maintain fully the output of coke, for which the demand is very heavy. Pit prices are nominal. Current pit prices. IRON. The iron trade is brisk in every department—work being abundant, principally on Government account. 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:— Pi ices at pit: Washed nuts............ Large double-screened engine nuts .......... Small nuts............ Rough unscreened engine coal........... Bost rough slacks______ Small do. Coking smalls __....... Coke Price at ovens Furnace coke _____... Current prices. 25/6-26/6 25/ -25/6 25/ -25/6 24/ -24 6 22 6-23 6 29/6 30/ 28/ -29/ 27/ -28' 24'6-26 6 22/ -22 6 21/ -22/ 20/6 21'6 22,6 23^ 21/6-22 6 20/6-21 6 20/6 -21/6 19/6-20/6 17/6-18'6 18/ -19/ 32/ L’st week’s Last year’s prices. 25'6-26/6 25/ -25/6 25/ -25 '6 24/ -24'6 22/6-23/6 prices. 20/ -21/ 19/ -20/ 19/ -20/ 17/ -18/ 16/ -17/ 29/6-30/ 23/ -24/ 28/ -29/ 22/ -23/ 27/ -28/ i 20/ -21/ 24/6-26 6 19/ -20/ 22/ -22,6 21/ -22/ 20/6-21/6 22/6-23/6 21/6-22/6 20 6-21 6 20 6-21 6 19/6-20 6 17/6-18'6 18/ -19/ 32/ 16/ -17/ 15/6-16/6 15/ -16/ 17/ -18/ 16/ -17/ 15/ -16/ - 15/ -16/ ; 14/ -15/ 1 12/ -13/ 12 6-13 6 25,8 Barnsley. COAL. Though there has been considerable improvement in regard to supplies with the pits again in full operation the effect is comparatively meagre. Obviously supplies needed for the Admiralty and the Allies cannot be left open to any doubt and concentration of effort in regard to these require- ments has not been relaxed The general conditions have not altered much from the past week, a big proportion of „ the output being taken for special needs and the surplus is disposed of as fairly as possible in regard to requirements. The coal supply to many industries continues to occasion much anxiety. Complaints are useless in regard to the quality of the fuel supplied in an emergency. The demand for all classes of steam kinds exceeds the tonnage available for home purposes, particularly screened fuel, which is scarce. The supply of gas coal has not improved, and little is left in hand. The pressure in regard to the supply of slack is exceedingly heavy. Though various sorts of coal are still being used to augment the supply to the ovens, the tonnage is short of the needs. The production of coke is rapidly cleared, and the pig iron districts are keenly pressing for large deliveries of coke, but these can hardly be given. Supplies of house coal are greatly in arrear, and the deliveries rapidly disappear from the merchants’ depots. Business continues to be only of a nominal description, at about the following quotations:— Prices at pit. Current L’st week’s Last year’s House coals:— prices. prices. prices. Best Silkstono 27/ -28 6 27/ -28 6 20/ -22/ Best Barnsley softs 25/ -25/6 25/ -25 9 18/6-19/ Secondary do 23/ -24/ 23/ -24* 17/ -17/6 Best house nuts 22/6-23/6 22 6 -23 6 16/ -17/ Secondary do 22/ -22/6 22/ -22/6 15/6-16/ Steam coals:— Best hard coals 24/ -25/ 24/ -25' 17/6-18/6 Secondary do 23/ -24/ 23/ -24/ 16/6-17/6 Best washed nuts 22/6-23/6 22/6-23/6 16/3-16/6 Secondary do 21/ -22/6 19/ -19/9 21/ -22/6 15/6-16/3 Best slack 19/ -19/9 12/6-13/ Secondary do 16/ -17/6 16/ -17/6 10/6-11/ Gas coals:— Screened gas coals 23/ -23/6 23/ -23/6 16/6-17/ Unscreened do 22/ -22/6 22/ -22/6 15/6-16/ Gas nuts 22/ 22/ 16/ Furnace coke 32/ 32/ 25/8 Hull. I COAL. The position in the export trade continues one of great stringency. The most encouraging feature has been the extra efforts to expedite deliveries. Very good progress has been made an this direction. Large steams especially are fully taken up, and screened sorts, generally speaking, are very scarce. The bulk of the small coal and industrial fuels move off freely into munition factories. Little neutral trade can be done, although there is a strong latent demand. Chesterfield. COAL. Supplies are totally inadequate to meet the demand, with no prospect of any improvement in the general situation. The position is a serious one. Orders for house coal are coming to hand in large numbers, and collieries are pressed to give prompt attention to these. This, in present circum- stances, is out of the question. Every class of steam coal continues in urgent request for manufacturing purposes, and, owing to short supplies, some works are compelled to come to a standstill occasionally. There is a marked shortage of cobbles and nuts suitable for gas producers. Slack for boiler firing is much wanted Some of the better kinds are unobtainable. The Admiralty requirements are heavy, and there is a substantial tonnage of steam coal going forward regularly from this district. The export trade is unchanged so far as this district is concerned. Coke is in active demand in respect of all qualities, but much difficulty is experienced in keeping the ovens fully at work, owing to the scarcity of coking slack. ________ ________ Nottingham. COAL. The pressure for all grades of fuel continues heavy, and the full output of the pits is insufficient to satisfy the demand. The distribution of house coal to local merchants is on a restricted scale. There is little change in the steam coal branch. Best grades are in big request, railway companies taking heavy supplies. Nuts and cobbles are only obtained in small quantities by ordinary customers. Contract deliveries are in arrears, and practically no fuel is to be secured in the open market. Gas coal is readily disposed of, and most grades of slacks find a ready market. Coke is in strong demand at top prices. Prices at pithead :— policy remains the same—namely, to avoid overloading themselves as far as the exigencies of the times allow. Prices are at the maximum—<£17 for marked bars and .£14 15s. for unmarked bars, both net, f.o.t. at makers’ works. The puddling branches are undermanned, but the cooler weather enables greater regularity to be observed, and a restricted output is maintained. The price remains at <£11 10s., and there seems no immediate prospect of a change. Nut and bolt iron is in strong request at £15 5s. 6d. delivered in Darlaston district; mills devoted to the pro- duction of small sizes of iron are working to their full capacity, and the -large home demand makes it impossible to accept all the overseas orders that are offered. This branch remains unfettered by control, and prices are £17 10s. for iron and £18 10sfc steel. Gas strip and steel strip are in good demand. ________________ Forest of Dean. Lydney. COAL. Hand-picked brights ... Good house coals......... Secondary do. __........__ Best hard coals.......... Secondary do ............ Slacks (best hards)______ Do. (second) .......... Do. (soft)............. Current prices. 25/ -26/ 24/ -25/ 22/6-23/6 22/ -23/ 21/ -2L/6 18/ -19/ 16/6-17/6 16/ -17/ L’st week’s nrices- 251-261 24il -25/ 22/6-23 '6 22/ -23' 21/ -21'6 18/ -19/ 16/6-17/6 16/ -17/ Last year’s prices.. 18'6-19/6 18/ —18/6 17/ -18/ 16 9-17/6 16/ -16 6 12/ -13'/. 10'6-11/6 ! n/ A very healthy demand continues in the house coal trade of this district. The situation is rendered difficult by the comparatively small output, in consequence of which all merchants are receiving less than the quantities allocated to them. In addition, there is much delay in forwarding supplies when due. Steam and manufacturing fuel, too, is short of the requirements of consumers, though all the pits are fully engaged. Prices at pithead. _______ _______ Leicestershire. COAL. Some relief has been experienced by the completion of the deliveries on French account; but, on the other hand, the pressure for speedy deliveries for large centres of popu- lation has become greatly intensified. The changes in the allocation, esseniial and necessary as they are, involve great difficulties in connection with the wagons through the great shortage of labour. ' The colliery sidings are overcrowded with empty wagons, and the task of adminis- tration is greater than ever. The demand for London and district is extremely heavy. Household, cobbles, large and small nuts, and small fuel for steam-raising purposes, are most urgently called for, but the arrears continue to accu- mulate. The advent of cold weather increases the demand all round. There are no reserves, either at the collieries or at country stations. ______ Prices at pit. Best household coal ..... Second, hand picked ____.... Deep screened cobbles ... Deep large nuts ......... Bakers* nuts __...... ... Small nuts............... Deep breeze .........____ Peas .................... Small dust .............. Main nuts for London kitcheners........... ___ Steams, best hand picked Steams, seconds ......... Main cobbles for kitcheners’ Main breeze_____________| Current prices. 23/ -24'6 22/ -23/ 21/6-22/6 21/6-22/6 20/6-21/6 20/ -21/ 19/ -20/ 18/6-18/9 12/6-13 6 19/ -20/6 19/6-20/6 18/6-20/ 19/ -20/6 18/9-19/6 L’st week’s prices, 23/ -24/6 22/ -23/ 21/6-22/6 21/6-22/6 20/6-21/6 20/ -21/ 19/ -20/ 18/6-18 9 12,6-13/6 19/ -20/6 19/6-20/6 18/6-20/ 19/ -20/6 18 9-19/6 Last year’s prices. 16/6-18/ 15/6-16/6 16/ -17/ 16/ -16 6 15/ -15/6 14/6-15/ 12/9-13/6 12/ -12/3 6/ •- 7/ 13/6-14/ 14/ -14/6 13/ -13/6 13/6-14/ 12/6-13/6 _________________ South Staffordshire, North Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Birmingham. COAL. Supplies continue short, but people in the trade expect September to be a good month. The holiday season is over, the influenza epidemic, which wrought such havoc a few weeks ago, has spent itself, and the miners are working well, according to reports. A considerable time must elapse before arrears are overcome. The reduced output is reflected in the number of empty wagons standing at the pits and at the wharves; indeed, so numerous are they that some of the collieries in the district decline to receive more. Industrial fuels, while they are not rationed, are distributed judiciously, and supplies are earmarked for munition works and other establishments engaged on essential war work. Prices are at the maximum. 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/ Do. seconds do. 20/6 20/6 18/ Best hard 21/ 21/ 18/6 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 22/6 20/ Forge (steam) 18/6 18/6 16/ D.S. nuts (steam) 17/ 17/ 14/6 Small (do.) 17/ 17/ 14/6 s IRON. Business in the iron and steel trades has during the week pursued a normal course. A proportion of the output, not less than three-fourths, is on account of the urgent needs of the Government or our Allies. The shortage of pig iron intensifies the difficulty under which the finishing mills are working. Supplies are delivered most sparingly, and orders cannot be placed to anything like the tonnage con- sumers want. This applies to foundry sorts more than forge. A lot of Derbyshire iron is now being sold as special iron. It has a low sulphur content, and fetches the extra 2s. 6d. a ton recently conceded for iron which meets certain stipulated conditions as to sulphur content. The regulations regarding cast scrap are now in operation, and should prove serviceable in regularising collection and preventing undesirable dealing in this class of material. Bar makers continue to be very fully engaged, and their House coals:— Block 'j Forest ( T Rubble C Larg0 ~ Nuts y • Rough slack ......... Steam coal — Large ............... Small ... ......... Current prices. 30/ 21/ 26/6-27/6 23/ L’st week’s prices. 30/ 21/ Last year’s prices. ( 24/ \ 23/ ) 23/3 (.21/6 13 6 26 6-27/6 23/ 20/ -21/ 16/ -16 6 Prices 2s. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. _________________ Devon, Cornwall, and South Coast. . Plymouth. COAL. Messrs. W. Wade and Son report that all contract supplies for Area 13 are still coming on very badly, and as a result several merchants are quite out of coal, while all the others are running perilously short. About a week’s stock is the most that can be reckoned on, while a year ago there were stocks in hand for six weeks to two months. The position is so serious that emergency supplies have been requested by the chief wholesale distributors. ______________________________________________________ THE IRISH COAL TRADE. Thursday, September 5. Dublin. Stocks are nominal, and there are at present only two qualities of coal obtainable from most of the merchants — Orrell, at 60s. per ton, and Wigan 58s. 6d., less Is. per ton discount. Coke last week was 57s. per ton, but at the time of writing, prices for September are not yet fixed. The quantity of coal discharged upon the quays from cross- Channel ports during the past week was only 19,240 tons, compared with k7,199 tons the week previously. At the usual weekly meeting of the Dublin Port and Docks Board, the Irish Coal Controller, in reference to coal shortage wrote that all the local authorities in Ireland have power under the Defence of the Realm Regulations to fix with the coal merchants the price of coal. The Board was assured that every possible step had been taken, and was being followed up, to procure the best supplies possible for Dublin and the county generally. It is stated that work has been commenced by the Board of Works at the meeting of the new branch line from the Cavan and Leitrim Railway terminus at Arigna. It is expected that the new line will be open for traffic by February. Efforts are being made in the Midlands and west of Ireland to establish depots for the manufacture of peat bricks. Belfast. Prospects for the winter months are poor, and all classes of coal are scarce in the port. Best Arley coals are quoted at 55s. 6d. per ton; Scotch house, 49s. 6d.; Orrell nuts, 54s. 6d.; Orrell slack, 51s. 6d.; standard coal, 48s. 6d. per ton. _________________________ THE TIN-PLATE TRADE. Liverpool. There has been a good enquiry the last few days for home trade requirements, but the difficulty is to place orders, most works having as much on their books as they care about for the next two to three months. The full official maximum price, now about 33s. per basis box, net cash, f.o.t. at works, has to be paid in all cases. Wasters are snapped up at top figures, as soon as they come on the market. Ternes are in fair demand, prices ranging about 28s. to 30s. basis, net, f.o.t. Irish Lignite Supply to be Utilised.—A correspondent writes : As a sequel to the tour of inspection made in the Counties of Antrim, Armagh, Tyrone, Derry, Carlow and other places in the North and South of Ireland by Mr. Edward Bath, B.Sc., consulting engineer to the Govern- ment of Canada, and to the French and Italian Govern- ments, the lignite deposits near Portrush, Co. Antrim, the great circle which surrounds Lough Neagh and various coal deposits in Carlow and Tyrone are to be developed without delay. The Tyrone coal field at Coalisland is also to be developed. The coal of the field gives out an intense heat, but as it is a good steam coal, and was formerly extensively used in that capacity, is more inclined to smoulder than blaze up. It has been decided to proceed immediately with the development of the lignite deposits at Lough Neagh and the coal deposits of Carlow. It is being arranged to instal a plant for the treatment of lig- nite at Lough Neagh, which will produce between 15,000 and 20,000 tons per week of fuel, and the plant at Port- rush will give 3,000 tons per week. Boring operations, are planned.