Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer — Friday 08 January 1904

South and West Yorkshire Coal Trade

Exports from Hull in 1903

Yorkshire colliery owners and Hull shippers are to be congratulated on the satisfactory increase in the coal trade in 1903. The amount of coal sent to Hull during the year reached 3,431,456 tons, compared with 3,170,976 tons in 1902, an increase of 260,480 tons.

Shipments to foreign parts, including the Channel Islands, reached 1,564,023 tons, against 1,374,165 tons in 1902, an increase of 189,858 tons. The coastwise shipments reached 295,531 tons, including 184,865 tons sent to London. The tonnage in 1902 was 291,285 tons.

An analysis of the exports shows that during the year the tonnage sent to Sweden increased by 80,000 tons, to North Russia by 24,000 tons, and the coal strike in the United States during the early months of the year resulted in an additional 100,000 tons being sent to that country. The business done with Germany only reached 187,170 tons, being a decrease of about 23,000 tons. About 33,000 tons more was sent to South America, but there was a reduction of 21,000 tons in the quantity sent to Belgium, whilst Denmark received about 12,000 tons less.

The output from the collieries was materially affected by the prolonged strike at the Denaby and Cadeby Collieries, which extended to the end of March. The strike at the Wheldale Collieries, which has extended over the year, prevented that company from sending more than 888 tons, against 12,384 tons in 1902. However the deficiency has been more than made up. It is increasingly evident that the bulk of the trade is falling to the more extensive and modern concerns, and the Hull and Barnsley Railway Company is proving the principal medium for the extended trade.

The following table shows the tonnage sent to Hull by Yorkshire firms during the past four years:—