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WHATELEY'S "WHAT NOTS.")

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AMMANFORD NOTES.

AMMANFORD JOTTINGS.

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LEAVES FROM MY NOTE BOOK.

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CARMARTHEN BOROUGH POLICEI…

|LLANDOVERY BOARD OF j GUARDIANS.…

[No title]

THE MAGAZINES.

TRADE REPORT.

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TRADE REPORT. South Wales is now being visited in its turn by one of those labour troubles, which have been so prevalent in other parts of the country. Practically speaking, every man employed at the Swansea Docks is out on strike, and the whole part is paralysed. When the great London strike occurred last year, there were certain details in regard to the sub-division and distribution of work, which acted unfairly on the men, and which would probably have been rectified without the disastrous loss, which that prolonged fight entailed, if wiser counsels had t revailed in the ranks of the men. As far as we can learn the Swansea dockers have little or nothing to complain of, when their position, as compared not only with men engaged in similar employ- ment elsewhere, but with the general body of labour in the country. In fact, it is generally reported that the men have struck in opposition to the wishes of the heads of the Union in London, and it is beyond doubt that they on Monday, allowed a large steamer to remain under demurrage, when they were offered a handsome sum in addition to the ordinary rates of payment, and were begged to do the work by Mc'Orbell, one of the Unionist leaders, who is taking a prominent part in the present agitation. The men employed in loading vessels with coal earn frequently eight shillings a day, and JE2 a week is no uncommon average. Men engaged in other departments get wages varying from 30s. up to 45s. weekly. This is a very different state of things from that which existed in London, and it is greatly to he deplored that now that the trade of Swansea Harbour is undergoing a healthy expansion, and doing so I much for the benefit of the town, a dispute of this kind should be brought about by a body of men who are suffering, not from low wages, or i from want of work, but from an uneasy and excitable spirit, which is entailing very serious and lasting injury on our commerce. The metal markets show but little change from last week. Iron warrants are within a few pence of our last quotation. Tinplate bars are JE5 lOa. Od. and Ei-i, lii. (jd for Bessemer and Siemens qualities respectively. Steel rails are somewhat firmer with nnre enquiry. A limited business only is being done in tinplates, although enquiries are numerous, but 13s. 3d. a box is about the current price for 14'20. Bessemer cakes, although good brands, may command Ud more. Copper is very active, and the deliveries during the first fortnight of this month have been enormous something like 12,000 tons, and the price of Chili bars is up to £ 60. A large quantity of copper is now required for the manufacture of sulphate of copper, which is very extensively used for washing the vines in France aud Italy, where they are subject to the ravages of Thylloxera. In confirmation of the views we expressed last week on the subject of the copper stocks, we now quote some remarks made within the last few days by the Ironmonger a paper with excellent information, and very widely read. Nobody seems to know—or at all events the figures, if really known, are not plainly set forth —exactly how much copper is held by the French bankers, who took it from the Secrétltn combina- tion. In some quarters the quantity is said to be 60,000 tons. If those figures are correct, they show that heavy inroads have been made upon the stock originally acquired by the bankers, but so far as weare aware there is no reliable statement or evidence on the subject, and the total may be 100,000 tons or 30,000 tons for anything the out- side public knows to the contrary. Further, it is by no means clear that the whole of the French stocks are included in the monthly returns. Messrs Merton show a total of about 37,600 tons in stock at Havre, Bordeaux, Rouen, and Dunkirk, but they do not guarantee that these are the whole of the stocks in France. consequently the trade are quite uncertain consequently the trade are quite uncertain I whether the total of the copper in etoek and afloat on May 31st was 90,000 tons, or 120,000, or even 150,000 tons. Tin is somewhat easier, being £ 95 15s. Od to £ 96 for Straits. R96 for Straits. CARDIFF, The trade of the port has been very brisk during the past week, and the tonnage at present in port is the largest on record, amounting to upwards of 250,000,tons net register of shipping. The coal exports for the past week j amounted to 252,000 tons. The trade of the Bute Docks was as follows:-Coal, coke, and patent fuel shipments, 1.57,818 tons. Exports other than coal, coke, and fuel were 5,017 tons. The imports were 2fi,942 tons. The arrivals were 89 steamers of 118,371) tons register and 57 sailing ships of 18,074 tons register. The vessels in dock are 72 steamers of 99,893 tons register and 123 sailing ships of 60,092 tons register. There is a slightly better tone in the iron and steel trades of this district, although prices remain the same as last week. The Rhymney Iron Company, the Tredegar Company, and the Ebbw Yale Company have declared dividends. The coal tmde remains in a satisfactory condition, and the demand for steam qualities shows'no sign of abatement. The market was characterized by great activity, and buyers requiring prompt delivery experienced considerable difficulty in placing their orders. Prices ruled firm as follows, with a slight upward tendency:—Best steam, 15s. to 15s. 1 6d. good dry coals, 14s. to 14s. Od. he,t Monmouthshire, 14s. to 14s. 3d. and small, 9s. 6d. The house coal market was moderately firm. Xp, 3, Rhondda, was quoted at 14s. to 14s. 3d. No. 2, 12s. 3d to 12s. 6d. through coal, 10s. 6d. and No. 2 small, 9s. Patent fuel was in steady request at 14,. 3d. to 14s. 6d. and pit-wood was moderately firm at 15s. 3d. The coke market was quiet foundry was quoted at 21s. to 21s. Gd., and furnace at 18s. 6d. In the outward freight market steam chartering was moderately active and an average number of fixtures were reported. SWANSEA —Extraordinary activity continues to characterize the trade of the port. Heavy shipments of tinplates have again been made, bringing the shipments of the month to date up to 170,175 boxes, and reducing stocks in the same period by 32,884 boxes. The imports amout to 14,203 tons, and exports to 51i,489.tolls-total trade 70,092 tons, compared with 49,706 tons in previous week, and 44,947 tons in the corres- ponding week of last year. The shipments of coal were 41.491 tons. The shipments of tin- plates amount to 83,270 boxes, and receipt from works to 75,869 boxes stocks in the dock ware- houses and vans this day stand at 188,350 boxes, compared with 195,751 boxes this day week, and 139,255 boxes at the,corresponding date of last year. The tinplate quotations are unchanged, hut the market shows a tirm tone. Considerable business is now doin^, and many makers are booked up to the end of the year. The copper trade is very active, and Chili bars have advanced in the week about £4 per ton, being now quoted at .f¡)8 5s. Large quotations of copper produce have arrived here. The lighting of the dock offices and the whole of the harbour estate with electricity has now been completed.

A RAMBLING SKETCH OF THE FAR…

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