556 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. September 13, 1918. Nottingham. COAL. The position of the trade in this county is much the same as a week ago, there being a sustained pressure for supplies in all departments. With the limited supplies obtained by merchants, householders have to be satisfied with whatever grades of domestic fuel are sent them. Steams of every description are in keen demand for manu- facturing purposes, and some firms have a difficulty in keeping their works going, owing to short supplies. Open market sales are out of the question. Contract obligations practically absorb the output of gas coal. Coke is rapidly disposed of at maximum rates. There is a strong tone in the slack market, and rates retain an all-round firmness. Prices at pithead :— 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/ -21/6 18/ -19/ 16/6—17/6 16/ -17/ L’stweek’s prices. 25/-26/ 24/ -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 I n/ Leicestershire. COAL. The preparations for the coal rationing scheme are being pushed forward very rapidly, but they are so complicated that some time must elapse before they can be in full force. The aggregate output at the collieries is increasing steadily, but it is relatively small. Difficulty is.experienced at present in manipulating the wagon supply, and the colliery sidings are crowded with empties. The demand for London and district is extremely heavy, and this takes a very large proportion of the daily output. The calls from large and populous centres where munition works and works of national importance are situated absorb heavy quantities, and the balance has to be subdivided to meet the general needs of merchants. There is a great demand generally for household, cobbles, large and small nuts, and small fuel for steam-raising purposes. At present, the pressure in administration is enormous; but it is hoped that the arrangements will soon settle down, so as to work more or less automatically. The local overseers and coal merchants are combining, as far as possible, to mitigate cases of hardship. There are no reserves at the pits 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 ............. 19/ -20/6 Steams, best hand picked 19/6-20/6 Steams, seconds .......... 18/6-20/ Main cobbles for kitcheners' 19/ -20/6 Main breeze............. .J 18/9-19/6 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 L’stweek’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 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/ 19/ -20/6 19/6-20/6 18 6-20/ 19/ -20/6 18/9-19'6 13/6-14/ 14/ -14/6 13/ -13/6 13/6-14/ 12/6-13/6 South Staffordshire, North Worcestershire and Warwickshire. Birmingham. COAL. Among industrial concerns the feeling of insecurity with regard to coal supplies is very marked, for although output is again about the normal of recent times, the shortage is acute, and interruption of operations by reason of delayed deliveries is frequent. The problem is one of insufficient output. For a considerable time past essential works, such as munition factories, steel works, blast furnaces, gas and electric works, have had preference, and even with this regular deliveries are not assured, but for this reason the more systematic administration which will accompany an official rationing scheme will be welcomed. Another matter of which complaint is made is the imperfect grading of the coal, though with the shortage of labour it is difficult to see how this can be avoided. Pit committees have been organised in Warwickshire and Staffordshire with a view, among other things, of stimulating output, and all accounts go to show that there is ample room for all their efforts in this direction. There is still a good deal of absenteeism. The demand for all kinds of industrial fuels is pressing, and, in the case of house coal, partial deliveries only are possible, merchants being greatly in arrear. 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 21/ Best hard 21/ 18/6 Forge coal 18/6 13/6 18/6 16/ Slack Warwickshire:— 13/6 11/6 House coal, best Ryder.. Do. hand-picked 21/6 21/6 19/ cobs 20/6 20/6 18/ Best hard spires 22/6 22/6 20/ Forge (steam) 18/6 17/ 18/6 16/ D.S. nuts (steam) 17/ 14/6 Small (do.) 17/ 17/ 14/6 IRON. The situation is in the main unaltered. Cool weather favours production, but operations are carried on under great difficulties in respect of labour and fuel, and close supervision continues to be exercised over the allocation of material. Smelters state that they cannot get the best out of their furnaces, owing to the inferiority of much of the native ironstone which is supplied to them, and some firms are taking steps for the construction of calcining kilns near the ironstone mines with a view to effecting some improvement and at the same time saving the carriage of useless stuff from the base to the furnaces. Foundry sorts continue in very active request, and steel- making irons are also in great demand, and continue to be allocated direct from the furnaces to the consuming works. There is not much South Staffordshire pig iron on offer. In the finished branches business is cramped by prevailing conditions. The mills are filled up with urgent work for an indefinite period, and merchants, whose cus- tomers include many small buyers, are not able to get hold of much material. Some bar iron is being sold outside the scope of the control at enhanced prices. Makers of small sizes concentrate their efforts upon high priority contracts, of which there seems to be an abundance, in addition to heavy French requirements An active business is passing in the wire branches—in rods at £21 10s. and wire drawn from them on the basis of <£24. Gas strip is in urgent request at <£15 5s. Puddled bars are no more plentiful. Forest of Dean. Lydney. COAL. The position of the house coal trade has not changed materially since last writing. The collieries continue to be pressed to the utmost in order to meet the heavy calls from their customers. Supplies, however, are difficult to arrange, and arrears are very numerous. Great pressure in regard to deliveries still prevails in the steam coal branch, the production at each of the collieries being short of the wants of buyers. Prices at pithead. 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/ 30/ 30/ \ 23/ J 23/3 (.21/6 21/ 21/ 13 6 26/6-27/6 26/6-27/6 20/ -21/ 23/ 23/ 16/ -16,6 Prices 2s. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. THE LONDON GOAL TRADE. Thursday, September 12. The conditions in the wholesale London trade show very little material change from the past few weeks. The tonnage coming forward to the London depots is far below the average, and as so little free coal is offering, the merchants and colliery representatives are very lax in their attendance on the Exchange. Stocks are very low, and considerable anxiety is everywhere prevalent as to the outlook when the colder weather sets in. The seaborne market is very firm, and the number of vessels arriving is fairly maintained, but the boats are not so large as formerly. Twenty-two vessels arrived in the Thames for Monday’s market, and 17 for Wednesday. None of the cargoes, however, are offered on the open market. The proposed Federation of Coal Merchants is already taking definite form, and some 20 associations have joined the Federation. A big meeting is called for Monday Sep- tember 23, at the Great Hall at Cannon Street Hotel at 3 p.m. to further consider the matter. The output of coal this year, as compared with last year shows a deficiency of 13,492,100 tons in the eight months, a net shortage of nearly 13^ million tons, and, as the Coal Con- troller points out, the shortage comes at a time when extra demands for many million tons more coal is re- quired for the American Expeditionary Forces, in addition to the military requirements for France and Italy, as well as our own Navy and munition use. The pressure for export coal, particularly for Italy, has been strongly emphasised by the Chief of the Italian Munitions in London, who reports that he has been notified that a number of munition works have been obliged to close down, some partially, some entirely, owing to lack of coal. It was bad last winter, but is worse now, as the wood supplies are more difficult to obtain. The recent report of the Port of London Authority shows that the register of shipping which entered and left the Port amounted to only 13,077,713 tons during the twelve months ended March 1918, as compared with 18,380,212 tons for the corresponding period of 1917. The economy order issued by the Office of Works as to the removal of all coal scuttles from the Government offices and rooms where centrally heated radiators are installed has given great satisfaction on the London coal market. No fires are to be permitted where radiators are in use, and any unauthorised fires will be regarded as a breach of discipline. From Messrs. Diliham, Fawcus and Company’s Report. Friday, September 6.—There was no alteration in the seaborne house coal market, which remained quiet, with short supply. No sales reported. Arrivals, 10. Monday, September 9.—There was again a good supply of seaborne cargoes at to-day’s market, but there did not appear to be any available house coal on offer. No sales were reported. Cargoes, 24. Wednesday, September 11.—The seaborne coal supply * of colliers was fairly good, but the house coal market was still kept very short, the arrivals having all been pre- viously disposed of. No fresh sales reported. Cargoes, 17. American Appeal to Miners.--Members of the United States labour mission now in this country, of which Mr. Gompers is the head, have issued a statement urging miners to increase the output of coal. It says : “ The early success of the armies of democracy depends largely upon the miners of Great Britain. They have done much— necessity demands they do more. . . . Make early vic- tory a certainty ! Help bring the boys home soon ! ” Whitley Councils and Trade Unions.—A conference, pre- sided over by Sir D. Shackleton, was held in London, on Monday, for the purpose of discussing the general position in the iron and steel trades after the war, with special reference to setting up industrial councils under the Whitley Report. Representatives of employers and trade unions in the trade were present at the invitation of the Ministry of Labour. The Iron and Steel Trades Confederation and the Scottish Millmen’s Association de- clined to take part, on the ground that unrepresentative unions had been invited. THE WELSH COAL AND IRON TRADES. Thursday, September 12. North Wales. Wrexham. COAL. There has been little variation in the state of trade in this area during the past week, and every effort has been made to maintain the output. An interesting feature has been the official opening of the main coal seam at Coed Talon Colliery, Mold, owned by the Welsh Coal and Cannel Company. The ceremony took place on Saturday last, when the seam was declared open by Mr. H. D. Nicholson, H.M. inspector of mines for Cheshire,Lancashire and North Wales. The first windings were distributed to local charities. The local merchants aie closely pressed for delivery of orders for house fuel. The bulk of the output of steam coal is quickly disposed of to works of public utility and railway companies, and the available tonnage is far short of the demand. The balance of steam coal is sent to Mersey ports for shipment, where it finds a ready market. The Liverpool locomotive enginemen and firemen tendered a request for a minimum increase in wages of 10s., and have intimated in a resolution to the Prime Minister that this sum is the irreducible minimum Gas companies appear to be able to obtain their allotted quota, in most cases, where they obtain supplies from the local pits; but complaints are being made of the high prices of gas-producing fuel. The demand for slack is moderate and the supply is very limited, but the available tonnage is making a good price. Prices generally remain unaltered from last week’s figures, and fixed quotations have been made on the following basis:— Prices at pit. Current L’stweek’s Last year’s Railborne:— prices. prices. prices. Best house coal 27/6-30/ 27/6-30/ 21/ -23/ Secondary do 25/ -27/6 25' -27/6 20/ -22/ Steam coal 27/6-30/ 27/6-30/ 25/ -30/ 19/ -22/ Gas coal 25/ -27,6 19/ -21/ Bunkers 25/ -30/ 27,6-30/ 19/ -22/ Nuts 20/ -22/6 20/ -22 6 18/ -20/ Slack 17/6-19/6 17/6-19/6 12/ -14/6 21/8-25/ Gas coke (at works) Landsale: — 25/ -26/8 25/ -26/8 Best house coal 32/6-35/ 32/6-35/ 30/ -32/6 27/6-30/ Seconds 30/ -32/6 25/ -27/6 Kitchen coal — — — Slack 22/6-25/ 22/6-25/ 15/ -16/8 Monmouthshire, South Wales, 4c. Newport. COAL. Stormy weather delayed tonnage arrivals. The increase in coal output was maintained—a great many miners who had been away on holiday having returned. Arrangements are in contemplation to assist railway traffic staffs in clearing wagons, so that there shall be no unnecessary delays for want of ready transport from pit to port. Prac- tically all the best quality large steam coal is still commandeered. Some of the lower grades were on a free market and were readily bought—premiums being paid in a number of cases. The demand for small coal for patent fuel making and gas and house coals has increased. There is also a strong enquiry for coke. All classes of coal are on the new schedule of prices. Prices f.o.b. cash 30 days. ' Current L’st week’s Last year’s Steam coals:— i prices. prices. prices. Best Black Vein large... ' 37/ 37/ 30/ Western-valleys, ordin’y 36/ 36/ 29/ Best Eastern-valleys ... 36/ 36/ 29/ Secondary do. 1 35/ 35/ 28/ Best small coals i 28/ 28/ 21/6 Secondary do ! 27/ 27/ 20/ Inf prior do i 25/ ' 30/ 25/ 18/ Screenings 30/ ■ 23/ Through coals 1 34/ 37/ 34/ 27/ Best washed nuts 37/ 30/ Other sorts:— Best house coal, at pit... 40/ 40/ 33/ Secondary do. do. ... 38/ 38/ 30/9 Patent fuel 37/ 37/ 32/6 Furnace coke 52/ 52/ i 47/6 Foundry coke 52/ 52/ } 47/6 IRON. Undiminished activity prevails in the iron and steel trades. Prices are nominal. The supply of iron ore has been well maintained. A good market continues for well graded scrap iron and steel. The tin-plate trade is still full of pressing orders on Government account. Owing to stormy weather the arrival of pitwood has been rather less than usual. Cardiff. COAL. There is little change in the general position. Outputs are being well maintained—in some instances increased— but the tonnage outlook is unsatisfactory. There are sufficient vessels in dock for immediate requirements, but many are behind time in arriving, due in most instances to stormy weather. The shortage of tonnage at the present time is making itself uncomfortably felt, and even Admiralty collieries are not too well stemmed. No actual stoppage at the pits has taken place, and every effort is being made to avoid such a condition of affairs, but the situation is one of great strain and anxiety. Most descriptions of coal are fairly plentiful, and the market continues steady, especially for the superior qualities, which are mostly reserved for Admiralty purposes. Other grades are in excessive supply, not because there is any lessening in the demand, but in consequence of the lack of shipping facilities. Stocks of ordinary and secondary descriptions are gradually accumulating in the sidings, and small coals are extensively banked at the collieries. Some attempt is being made to relieve the pressure by releasing coals for inland consumption outside the limits of the prescribed areas of supply, but this expedient has its drawbacks, owing to the fact that the trains make longer journeys and the wagons are absent from the collieries for longer periods than is customary. The authorities are urging the importance of increasing production. Some of the most prominent coal owners of the district hold that this can be obtained only by releasing miners from the