764 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN October 11, 1918. THE WELSH COAL AND IRON TRADES. Thursday, October 10. North Wales. Wrexham. COAL. There is nothing of importance to note in connection with the coal trade of this area during the past week. Every coal pit has worked full time, and strenuous efforts have been made by owners and miners to increase output, which has been well maintained. There is little or no change in the gas coal trade, and, generally speaking, the required quota has been fairly well met. The output of steam coal has been somewhat limited, and, as usual, the bulk has been requisitioned. A limited tonnage has been disposed of for shipment at Ellesmere Port and Birkenhead. There is not much slack available, and nuts are hardly procurable in the open market. The following is a list of the week’s quotations : — Current L’st week’s Last year’s Railborne:— prices. prices. prices. Best house coal 27/6-30/ 27/6-30/ — Secondary do 25/ -27/6 25/ -27/6 — Steam coal 27/6-30/ 27/6-30/ Gas coal 25/ -27/6 ** I 1 WV 1 25/ -27/6 Bunkers 27/6-30/ 27/6-30/ — Nuts 20/ -22/6 20/ -22 6 — Slack 17/6—19/6 17/6-19/6 — Gas coke (at works) 25/ -26/8 .25/ -26/8 — Landsale:— Best house coal 32/6-35/ 32/6-35/ — Seconds 30/ -32/6 30/ -32/6 — Kitchen coal . Slack 22/6-25/ 22/6-25/ — Monmouthshire, South Wales, Ac. Newport. COAL. No material change in market quotations occurred during the week. Tonnage arrivals have been satisfactory. The output of coal, though improving, has not been sufficient to meet the demand, and some delays have resulted. Best large steam coal has been commandeered for official purposes. Small has been selling in moderate quantities on a free market. The demand for house and gas coals has increased. Coke is scarce. Patent fuel has been somewhat hampered through lack of material. Prices f.o.b. cash 30 days. Steam coals:— i Current L’st week’s Last year’s 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. ...i 35/ 35/ 28/ Best small coals 28/ 27/ - 28/ 21/6' Secondary do 27/ 20/ Inferior do 25/. 25/ 18/ Screenings 30/ 30/ 23/ Through coals 34/ 34/ 27/ Best washed nuts 37/ 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/ 47/6 Foundry coke 52/ 52/ 47/6 IRON. The iron and steel trades of the district continue to be fully employed, with an increasing output due to plant improvements, and steady and continuous working. Prac- tically all of it is on official account. Prices are nominal. A number of tin-plate orders for urgent delivery have been placed in the district of late. The arrival of pitwood has been less than usual. Cardiff. COAL. The general position shows little change. Stormy weather at the end of last week interfered considerably with arrivals of tonnage, but there were sufficient vessels in dock to meet the current needs, and work has been maintained at all the collieries. All superior qualities of Cardiff prices f.o.b. (except where otherwise stated). Current L’st week’s Last year’s Steam coals:— prices. prices. prices. Best Admiralty steam coals 40/ 40/ 33/ Superior seconds 38/6 38/6 31/6 Seconds ... 37/9 37/9 j 30.9 Ordinary 37/ 37/ i 30/ Steam smalls No. 1 28/6 28/6 ) Do. 2 28/ 28/ j ! 23/ Do. 3 27/6 27/6 I 91 A Do. 4 27/ 27/ ) ^1,0 Do. 5 26/6 26/6 ) Do. 6 26/ 26/ ) Do. 7 25,6 25/6 ) Do. 8 25/ 25/ i 18/ Best dry coals 37/ 37/ 30/ Ordinary drys 35/6 35/6 28'6 Best washed nuts .. .. 37/ 37/ 30/ Seconds 35 6 35/6 28/6 Best washed peas 34/6 33/6 34/6 27/6 Seconds 33/6 26/6 Monmouthshire - Black Veins .. 37/ 37/ i ! 30/ Western-valleys ' . 36/ 36/ 1 29/ Eastern-valleys 36/ 36/ ; 29/ Inferior do 35/ 35/ ; 28/ Bituminous coals:— 1 J I Best house coals (at pit) 40/ 40/ 33/ Second qualities (at pit) 37/9 37/9 30,9 No. 3 Rhondda— ! 1 Bituminous large 37/9 I 37/9 30,9 Small 33/ 33/ 26/ No. 2 Rhondda — Large 34/ ! 34/ i 27/ Through-and-through; 29/ -30/6 i 29/ -30/6 i 25/ Small 24/ -26/ ; 24/ -261 : 20/ Best patent fuel ...! 37/' i 37/ ' ! 30/ Seconds i 37/ . ! 37/ i 30/ Special foundry coke 54/6 ’ 54/6 47/6 Ordinary do. 54'6 ! 54/6 47/6 Furnace coke '54/6 I 54/6’ 47/6 Pitwood (ex-ship) | 65/ | 65/ 70/ -72/6 coal are reserved for the Admiralty and Allied countries, the demands of which show no signs of diminution. Collieries producing best grades are generally well stemmed, but others whose outputs are of an inferior dsscription are not so fortunately placed, and at the commencement of the week the position gave rise to some anxiety. Since then tonnage has come in more freely, though not in the quantities anticipated, and work is carried on with a minimum amount of difficulty. Inland requirements continue heavy, and although there is ample coal available in this district for ordinary industrial purposes, the lack of transport facilities hampers deliveries, and recent accumu- lations have not yet been reduced to normal levels. This applies particularly to secondary grades of large and small coals, of which there are quantities in the sidings. Best steam smalls are readily absorbed for bunkering and coke making, but cargo qualities are a slow market and difficult to dispose of. There has also been a considerable falling-off in the demand for washed coals, the supply of which a few weeks ago was much below market requirements. The market generally is slow and without feature, and all prices remain in accordance with the Controller’s fixed schedule. Patent fuel makers are busy and well supplied with orders for several months ahead. IRON. All the iron and steel works of the district are working at high pressure, and with the many extensions and improvements which have recently taken place, record out- puts are being produced. Iron ore supplies are satisfactory, and deliveries of makes from the blastfurnaces well main- tained. In .the tinplate trade there is a strong demand ruling on home account, and makers are very busy, with the result that many buyers find a difficulty in placing their orders. Block tin remains steady at <£337 to £338 for cash and three months, and Bessemer standard cokes are quoted at 32s. 4|d. per box, with other sizes in proportion. Shipments last week amounted to 26,479 boxes, whilst receipts from works totalled 34,748 boxes, leaving stocks in the docks warehouses and vans at 126,577 boxes, compared with 118,308 boxes the preceding week, and 52,283 boxes at the corresponding date of last year. In the galvanised sheet trade there are no further developments. Spelter works are fairly busy, but supplies of ore are still on the short side, and several furnaces are idle or working irre- gularly. All prices are nominal. Scrap metals are unaltered, at official maximum rates. Swansea. COAL. A good attendance assembled on ’Change, but there was little alteration to report in the general condition of the anthracite coal market. The arrival of tonnage over the week-end was below expectations, and consequently supplies were fairly plentiful for prompt loading. Generally speaking, the better class large and machine-made descrip- tions were very steady, but second quality was easily obtainable. Steam coals were rather quiet, especially small. Bituminous maintained a good tone. Llanelly. COAL. The local market is not active, and as tonnage arrivals are not up to expectations, collieries are not able to work full time. There are also good stocks of some qualities under load, but sellers find it difficult to secure sufficient orders to meet with colliery outputs of these grades. Anthracite coals are irregular, with large kinds of the higher grades fairly well placed. There is a decided lack of enquiry for the inferior qualities, and stocks of these are accumulating. Nuts are firm and beans are in good demand. Peas are difficult to secure, as most sellers have their order books well filled ahead. Culm and duff are sluggish. Steam coals are not brisk, and outside the better sorts of large, for which there is a steady demand, little business is transacted. The dry qualities of small are in particularly poor request, and heavy stocks are standing. Manufacturing coals are strong, with local works taking heavy supplies, owing to the clearance ©f stocks during the railway strike. • Prices f.o.b. Current L’st week’s Last year’s Anthracite; — prices. prices. prices. Best malting large 37/ 37/ 30/ Seconds 36/ . 36/ 29/ Thirds 34'6 34/6 27/6 Red Vein large 34/6 34/6 25/6 Machine-made cobbles... 49/6 49/6 42/6 Seconds ... 48/6 48/ 41/ Thirds 46/ 46 / 39/ Red Vein cobbles 43/ 43/ 36/ Machine-made nuts 49/6 . 49/6 42/6 Seconds 48/ 48/ 41/ Thirds 46/ 46/ 1 39/ Red Vein nuts 43/ 43/ 36/ Machine - broken beans (best) 42/ 42/ 35/ Seconds 41/ 41/ 34/ Thirds 40/ 40/ 33/ Red Vein beans 38/ 38/ 31/ Peas (all qualities) 27/ 27/ 20/ Rubbly culm 20/ 20/ 13/ Red Vein culm 18/ 18/ 11/ Breaker duff 15/ 15/ 8/ Billy duff 13/6 . 13/6 6/6 Steam:— Best large steams 37/ 37/ 30/ Seconds 34/ 34/ 27/ Cargo through 1 23,6 Seconds — 22/ Bunker through 30/6 30/6 23/6 Smalls 24/ 24/ 19/ Second smalls 17/. Bituminous:— Bituminous through ... 34/ 34/ 27/ Smalls 31/ 31/ 24/ Gas through 23,6 Gas smalls — - - 21/ (Coke-oven) coke 54/6 54/6 An official statement shows that on a card vote York- shire, Lancashire, Leicestershire, South Derbyshire, North Wales and Scotland are against the appointment of permanent officials for the Miners’ Federation. The Council of the British Federation of Iron, Steel, Tinplate and Metal Merchants has passed a resolution opposing the establishment of a national selling agency, as recommended by Lord Balfour’s Committee on Trade After the War. SOUTH WALES MINING TIMBER TRADE. Supplies of mining timber were plentiful, South Wales collieries being well supplied. The imports of foreign mining timber were upon a good scale. These were largely supplemented by good supplies of Irish pitwood and by deliveries from the adjacent counties in the No. 6 area. Quotations in all cases were firm at the maximum for imported wood. The actual quantity of foreign mining timber imported during the week ended October 30 was as follows :— Cardiff (including Barry and Penartn) :— Date. Consignee. Loads. Sept. 24 Marcesche and Co............ 130 „ 27 Lysberg Limited ............. 84 „ 30 Morgan and Cadogan........ 168 Oct. 1 Lysberg Limited.............. 36 „ 1 Lysberg Limited......... 1,200 „ 1 Lysberg Limited ........... 840 „ 1 Lysberg Limited...........; 1,440 Total ............ 3,898 Imports from Ireland. The imports of Irish pitwood have been upon a good scale, but advices from Ireland indicate that supplies this winter may probably fall off owing to labour troubles, the rise in the cost of living, the scarcity of suitable labour, and the tendency for vessels to seek other trades in winter. Home Grown Supplies. Notwithstanding the bad weather, the delivery of home grown timber to collieries continues of a good character. Collieries are now well supplied, and most companies have taken the precaution of stocking so as to guard against any temporary shortage or falling off in de- liveries which may arise in the winter. Stocks of all classes of mining timber are most plentiful, and in some quarters it is suggested that there should be less exploita- tion of our woods and forests. This cannot be counte- nanced, inasmuch as the demand for timber is likely to prove heavier, whilst it is most prudential to have large stocks available against any possible contingency. The lack of hauliers is still most pronounced, and a large amount of timber is awaiting delivery. Re-Afforestation of South Wales. Mr. J. J. Bryson, managing director of the Penarth Pontoon Company, submitted a paper on “ Re-afforesta- tion in South Wales” to the Cardiff local Advisory Com- mittee. He pleaded for the planting of sufficient pitwood in South Wales to keep the Admiralty collieries going during the period of war without resorting to importation. He pointed out that the cost to this country of its im- ported wood, wood pulp and forest produce was nearly as much as the total export value received for all the coal exported to foreign countries, so that all the millions of tons of coal cut, handled and sent to foreign countries was only an approximate exchange for the timber we received. Re-afforestation in South Wales has been mooted for many, many years, but has never gone beyond the discussion stage. It is natural that capitalists should require an immediate return upon the money they invest, and a re-afforestation project is not an undertaking which would commend itself to the majority of investors by reason of the fact that it would be at least 30 years before a return was received on the capital invested. Mr. Bryson’s comparison between the annual value of our coal exports and our wood imports is open to criticism. There is a very large amount of wood which cannot pos- sibly be grown in this country, whilst it is well to remember that a vast proportion of our coal exports are utilised by British vessels in foreign ports, and supply means for interchange of commerce. Our coal exports in 1913 were valued at <£51,000,000, and our wood imports in the same year nearly <£34,000,000. A vast amount of the wood so imported could not have been produced in this country. A very large proportion of our coal exports abroad was utilised for bunkering our ships. Nevertheless the scheme of re-afforestation is a good one. There is a vast amount of waste area in South Wales which could be utilised. It is stated that the Timber Supply Department is making a surface and soil survey of South Wales with the object of replanting as soon as the necessary powers have been acquired. THE IRISH COAL TRADE. Thursday, October 10. Dublin. During the past week the coal shortage has assumed a very serious aspect, and owing to the unsatisfactory dis- tribution of supplies a large number of householders, as well as many of the poorer classes, are without fuel. The establishment of a rationing system is generally urged as the solution of the situation. Owing to the difficulty of obtaining supplies from merchants’ yards, and alleged favouritism shown to people of the better classes, the bell- men were ©n strike last week. The strikers complained that hoarding of coal has taken place in the city, and that large consignments are being sent to the country to the detriment of their trade. The strike is now settled, and the bell-men have accepted an offer from the Coal Merchants’ Association. For the future, applica- tions for supplies by the coal factors are to be dealt with at the new Central Area coal office in the city. Prices:— 59s. 6d. per ton for Orrell coal; Wigan, 57s. 6d., less Is. per ton discount; coke, 60s. per ton. The Irish Coal Controller has under consideration the prices to be charged for coal from Irish collieries. From July 1 to September 30, the total imports of coal into Dublin were 266,302 tons, the quantity imported during a similar period in 1917 being 352,454 tons, a decrease for the three months of this year of 86,152 tons. Last year’s imports to all Ireland showed a decrease (compared with 1915) of 340,702 tons. Belfast. Stocks remain very low, as any supplies arriving change hands at once, leaving no surplus for the merchants’ yards. Prices are as recently fixed—viz., 54s. 6d. per ton for best English coal and 48s. 6d. for Scotch, with Is. extra for credit transactions. At a Newry sitting of the Sub- committee on Transport, some local coal importers com- plained of the lack of railway wagons, and stated that a portion of the Scotch trade had to be withdrawn and sent by Belfast at a greater cost. The total number of coal- laden vessels entering Belfast port from September 15 to 28 was 134. The daily output of the Pas-de-Calais mines, according to a Press report, has increased to 25,000 tons.