762 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. October 11, 1918. THE COAL A*ND IRON TRADES. Thursday, October 10. Scotland.—Western District. COAL. There is great activity in all branches of the Scotch coal trade. Demands from all sources are fully maintained, and collieries find it impossible to overtake the business offered. The steady flow of home orders in the western district continues, but consumers received only a portion of their requirements, owing to large requisitioning on Admiralty account and the sustained shipping demand. Household fuel is very scarce. Shipments for the week amounted to 115,125 tons, against 115,662 in the preceding week and 108,396 tons in the same week last vear. Prices f.o.b. Glasgow. Northumberland and/or Durham best steams for delivery to the Norwegian State railways over November are expected in the course of a very few days. Nothing fresh has been heard regarding the Swedish State Railways’ enquiry for 10,000 tons of steams for November-December shipment. Later—It is definitely announced that the Swedish State Railways have withdrawn their enquiry for 10,000 tons of local steams for November-December delivery, the tendered prices being regarded as too high. It is believed that the Department will seek to obtain supplies from Germany. It is reported, but unconfirmed as yet, that the Norwegian State Railways’ contract has been placed locally at 70s. per ton for bests. Prices f.o.b. for prompt shipment. Current |L’st week’s Last year’s prices. 1 prices. prices. Steam coal 34/6 1 34/6 27/6 Ell 32/6-35/ 32/6-35/ 26/6-28/ Splint 35/ -37/ 35 > -37/ 28/ -30; Treble nuts 30/ 30/ 23/ Double do 29/ 29/ 22/ Single do 28/ 28/ 211 *IR0N. The Scotch iron works are fully occupied. All descrip- tions are in constant demand, and outputs are only restricted by the supply of labour. The pig iron market is very firm. Haematite is practically a Government mono- poly, and so many furnaces are now producing basic quality that both foundry and forge are in very poor supply. Uncontrolled values are firm and have an upward tendency. Approximate prices:—Monkland and Carnbroe f.a.s. at Glasgow, Nos. 1, 140s., Nos. 3, 135s.; Govan, No. 1, 135s., No. 3, 130s.; Clyde, Summerlee, Calder and Langloan, Nos. 1, 150s., Nos. 3, 145s.; Glengarnock, at Ardrossan, No. 1, 140s., No. 3, 135s.; Eglinton, at Ardrossan or Troon, and Dalmellington, at Ayr, Nos. 1. 145s., Nos. 3, 135s.; Shotts at Leith, No. 1, 150s., No. 3, 145s. per ton. Strenuous conditions prevail in the finished iron trade. .Malleable iron makers are fully booked to the end of the year, and the bulk of the output is war material. Private users have great difficulty in obtaining anything worth while, even with a priority certificate. Tube makers are unusually busy, and the call for rivets, bolts and nuts is quite unprecedented. Orders for machine tools of every descrip- tion are plentiful—particularly lathes and planers. The export trade generally continues dull. Steam coals:— Best, Blyths (D.C.B.) ... Do. Tynes (Bowers,&c.) Secondary, Blyths Do. Tynes (Hastings or West Hartleys) ... Unscreened Current prices. 37.' -70/ 36/6-70/ 32/6-65/ 34/ -67/6 30/6-40/ 27/ -45/ 25/6-40/ 27/6-45/ 32/ -40/ 32/ -50/ 30/6-45/ 33/6-55/ 31/ - 50/ 31/ -45/ 31/ -40/ 31/ -40/ 35/6-70/ 49/6-65/ 49/6-65/ 47/6 L’stweek’s prices. 37/ -70/ 36/6—70/ 32/6-65/ 34/ -67 6 30/6-40/ 27/ -45/ 25/6-40/ 27/6-45/ 32/ -40/ 32/ -50/ 30/6-45/ 33/6-55/ 31/ -50/ 31/ -45/ 31/ -40/ 31/ -40/ 35/6-70/ 49/6-65/ 49/6-65/ 47/6 Last year’s i prices. ; 30/ 29/6 25/6 27/ 23/6-25/ 20/ 18 6 20,6 25/ -30/6 25/ 23/6 26/6-30/ 24/ -25/ 24/ -25/ 24/ -25/ 24/ -25/ 28/6-30/ 42/6 42/6 32,6-35/ Small, Blyths Do. Tynes Do. specials Other sorts:— Smithies Best gas coals (New Pelton or Holmside) Secondary gas coals (Pelaw Main or similar) Special gas coals Unscreened bunkers, Durhams Do. do. Northumbrians Coking coals Do. smalls House coals Coke, foundry Do. blast-furnace Do. gas Current quotations. Current prices. L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. BestCumberl’nd coal at pit 28/4 28/4 23/4 Best washed nuts at pit... 26/8 26/8 21/3 Seconds at pit 25/10 25/10 20/10 Washed nuts at pit 25/10 25/10 20/10 Do. smalls „ 21/8 21/8 16 8 Do. peas „ 20/ 20/ 15/ Buckhill best coal at pit... 27/6 27 6 22/6 Do. double-scrned washed nuts at pit 26/ 26/ 21/ Oughterside best coal at pit 27,6 27/6 22/6 Oughterside best washed nuts at pit 26/ 26/ 21/ St. Helens (Siddick) best coal at pit 27/6 27/6 22/6 St. Helens best house nuts at pit 26/ 26/ 21/ BestCumberl’nd coal, f.o.b. 23/ 23/ 19/6 Best washed nuts, f.o.b. ... 21/ 21/ 17/6 Best bunkers (coastwise) 33/6 33/6 28/6 Do. (for foreign-going steamers) 36/ 36/ 28/6 Best works fuel 25/ 25/ 20/ Best coal for gasworks ... 25/ 25/ 20/ Best washed nuts for gas- works 24/ 24/ 19/ Scotland.—Eastern District. COAL. The Lothian collieries are very busy. Orders for ship- ment are numerous, and the Admiralty is taking large deliveries of most qualities. Fuel for local consumption is very scarce. Shipments were 17,034 tons, against 18,320 in the preceding week and 19,903 tons in the same week last year. Prices f.o.b. Leith. Current L’st week’s Last year’s prices. prices. prices Best screened steam coal... 33/6 33/6 26/6 Secondary qualities 32/6 32/6 25/6 Treble nuts 30/ 30/ 23/ Double do 29/ 29/ 22/ Single do 28/ 28/ 21/ . Trade in Fifeshire is much the same as in the Lothians. Admiralty and shipping demands account for the bulk of the output, and local users are badly placed for supplies. Shipments amounted to 40,376 tons, against 34,577 in the preceding week and 27,143 tons in the same week last year. Prices f.o.b. Methil or Burntisland. Best screened navigation coal Current prices. 36/ -38/ 31/ -32'/ 35/ 31/ 30/ 29/ 28/ L’st week’s prices. 36/ -38/ 31/ -32/ 35/ 31/ 30/ 29/ 28/ Last year’s prices. - 29/ -31/ 24/ -25/ 28/ 24/ 23/ 22/ 21/ Unscreened do First-class steam coal Third-class do Treble nuts Double do. Single do All prices quoted only apply to French, Italian and Portuguese shipments. The aggregate shipments from Scottish ports during the past week amounted to 172,535 tons, compared with 168,559 tons in the preceding week, and 155,442 tons in the corre- sponding week of last year. Sunderland. COAL. The coal market is quiet, and the tone somewhat irregular, due to shortage of shipping. Local collieries are losing time owing to the Houghton Feast. Neutral enquiries are numerous, but sellers have little to dispose of, and late prices are firmly maintained. Bunker coals are the turn easier, owing to the non-arrival of steamers. Coke is on the easy side for immediate loading. Quotations for open market sale are steady at the usual figures, which show no change. The Swedish State Railway Administration has refused to contract at the rates tendered, but merchants are indifferent. M i d d I esbrough-on-Tees. COAL. Little new is ascertainable concerning the fuel trade. Though there is considerable enquiry on neutral account, actual business is slow. Quotations up to the present, however, are firm. There is a very heavy demand, through official channels, on home and Allied account, for all classes of fuel. There is some slight improvement in the coke position, but the situation leaves much to be desired. Whilst the scarcity is not so active as it has been, and deliveries to the blast furnaces are undoubtedly better, there is still a marked shortage. Average furnace kind is 33s. at the ovens ; and low phosphorus quality, 35s. 6d. at the ovens. There are buyers of foundry coke on behalf of neutrals at 65s. f.o.b. Middlesbrough Dock. Gas- house coke for export runs from 47s. 6d. to 50s. IRON. Cleveland foundry iron continues scarce, and no small amount of difficulty is being experienced in placing orders to fulfil this month’s allocations to h >me customers. Consumers are pressing for iron, but producers show considerable reluctance to accept anything like heavy commitments, and several allocations have not yet been definitely placed. Some makers have stocks of No. 3, but labour to lift it is not easily secured, and they prefer using the limited number of trucks available for the despatch of forge iron direct from the pig beds to lifting stored iron. Provision of more steamers for conveying iron to Scotland has relieved the pressure on the railways, but there is as great a cry as ever for more trucks. Forge iron is plen- tiful and is selling freely, both on early and forward account. Shipments of Cleveland pig to the Allies show improvement—more tonnage now being available. For home consumption No. 3 Cleveland pig, No. 4 foundry and No. 4 forge all stand at 95s., and No. 1 is 99s.; and for shipments to France and Italy No 3 and the lower qualities are 122s. 9d., and No. 1 is 127s. 9d. As regards East Coast haematite iron, subject to the variations in the truck position, deliveries to home customers are well maintained, and as tonnage becomes available shipments are promptly arranged for th© Allies. Nos. 1, 2 and 3 are L22s. 6d. for home use, and 147s. 6d. for export to France and Italy. There is great activity in manufactured iron and steel, and a strong demand for all descriptions. Quotations all round are very stiff. South-West Lancashire. COAL. In the house coal trade orders increase without any increase in the supply, and so the only outcome is a longer list of arrears. Gas companies continue to press for such quantities as will enable them to add some tonnage, no matter how little, to their stocks to prepare for the winter. With regard to shipping, things have not yet quite got back to the position they were in before the coalheavers’ strike and the railway stoppage. The arrival of steamers is gradually becoming what is for these times more normal, and although there is no immediate shortage of coal for bunkering and export, the supply at the same time is not over plentiful. The anxiety of merchants and authorities to get a freer supply into the coastwise and cross-Channel trade continues, particularly in regard to consignments to Ireland. In all grades of manufacturing fuel, slacks, nuts and unscreened, there is the difficulty in meeting the acute call. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). House coal:— Best .............. ... Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) Medium ................ Do. (f.o.b. Garston, net) Kitchen ............... Com. (f.o.b. Garston, net) Screened forge coal...... Best scrnd. steam coal f.o.b. Best slack .... Secondary slack Common do. Current prices. 27/6-28/6 29/ -30/ 25/6-26/6 28/6-29/ 24/6 27/ -28/ 24/6 __* L’st week’s prices. 27/6-28/6 29/ -30/ 25.6-26/6 28/6-29/ 24/6 27/ -28/ 24/6 ______* 22/6 21/6 20/6 Last year’s prices. 21/ -22/ 25/6 19/ -20/ 24/6 18/ 23/ upwds 18/ -t 16/ 15/ 14/ * New schedule, f As per official list. South Lancashire and Cheshire. COAL. There was a good attendance on the Manchester Coal Exchange on Tuesday. Little if any improvement has occured in the supplies of coal for housd and manufacturing purposes, and they are not equal to the demand. The call for shipping coal is still brisk, and here again it is not met by the supplies available. Prices generally are as below. Prices at pit (except where otherwise stated). House coal:— Best .............. Medium............. Common.......'..... Furnace coal......... Bunker (f.o.b. Partington) Best slack .......... Common slack ........ Current prices. 28'6 26/ -27/ 24/6-25/ 24/ -24/6 __* 22/6 upwds 21/ upwds L’st week’s prices. 28/6 26/ -27/ 24/6-25/ 24/ -24/6 Last year’s prices. 22/ -23/ 19/6-21/ 18/ -18/6 17/6-18/ 22/6upwds 16/ upwds 21/ upwds 14/ upwds * As per official list. IRON. There is no diminution in the volume of work that is parsing here. We have the signs that “ the duration ” is coming into focus; but as the Minister of Munitions told the Clyde people last night. 10,0JU tons of shell were being used up daily, there is plenty of work for some time. The amount of buying and selling outside Government work is very small. Prices are without change. Northumberland, Durham and Cleveland. Newcastle-on-Tyne. COAL. The coal trade has been maintained at full activity throughout the week. Practically all of the output of coal is swallowed up on Government, Allied and home accounts, and the miners are working well. The official and home demands continue to be so great that much more coal could be absorbed. Under these circumstances, neutrals are in a very poor position from the standpoint of ability to obtain supplies, albeit their enquiries are numerous, and the prices they offer are equal to the best hitherto paid. They can be readily accommodated so far as coke is concerned, supplies being plentifully offered at 65s. per ton for good foundry sorts —a price capable of being discounted to 60s. by shippers who have spot tonnage handy—but, as regards any description of coal, they have to be content with very small odd lots at high figures. The shortage of neutral shipping, accentuated by the comparative lowness of present rates to Sweden, which are persuading shipowners to withhold their tonnage at present, is adding to their difficulties, and prevents them from availing themselves of even the large supplies of coke which might otherwise be theirs. Replies in response to tenders of 8,000 tons of Cumberland. Mary port. COAL. Business in the Cumberland coal industry continues very firm, but the position throughout is one of increasing diffi- culty. Breakdowns and disputes have been responsible for a big drop in the output this week, and production at present is probably lower than at any time during the year. The bad weather of the past few days has prevented good time-keeping at some of the pits. Both shipping and landsale are on short rations, and very great difficulty is being experienced in coping with local manufacturing needs. There is a strong enquiry for coal for household purposes. Gas coal is firmer, but only home users can be supplied. Locomotive fuels for the home railways are in steady request, and all classes of bunkers are in very firm demand. There has been a slight increase in imported fuel this week. Cross-Channel shipments are fairly satisfactory. Irish consumers are barely receiving one half of the amount of coal they need. The shipments for the week have amounted to 3,160 tons, compared with 3,390 tons for the previous week, and 1,780 tons at the corresponding period of last year. Prices of all sorts are firm, but unchanged. Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Leeds. COAL. Supplies have improved a little, although the market is still a difficult one. Colliery representatives report a rather better output. A number of returned soldiers have resumed work at some of the pits, but not in sufficient numbers to have any appreciable effec so far. The extra supplies are welcome, as the pressure on the collieries is maintained on a heavy scale. Perhaps enquiry for steam coal for shipment is not quite so active as it was a few weeks ago. The position regarding house coal for London shows no material change. Railborne supplies are so closely regulated that material change is next to impos- sible. There is very little doing in the coastwise branch. The question of the allocation of supplies of house coal among coal merchants in the West Riding is demanding attention, and much difficulty is encountered in securing equitable distribution, in consequence of local supplies being requisitioned for London and elsewhere. Thus, while deliveries are supposed to be on a 75 per cent, basis, one merchant may be getting only 50 per cent., and another supplied by collieries little affected by official requisitions may be receiving nearly 100 per cent. Generally, merchants are heavily in arrears with orders. The bulk of manu- facturing sorts is taken by works engaged on war production, and among the rest the scarcity causes a good deal of diffi-