402

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

February 21, 1913.

the review isn’t signed—that is quite usual with decent
scientific reviews, more especially when the writer is
clearly hostile, for then your readers would know which
member of the family party and its friends who have
been running the mines for so many years is so well
up-to-date as to be able to criticise a book of this
character with so much assurance. It is a pity he
should hide his light, for there are so few of that crowd
that have any to hide.	John Harger.

Chemical Laboratory, Liverpool University,
February 18, 1913.

THE JHERRIA COALFIELD: A CORRECTION.

Sir,—With reference to my paper on “ The Jherria
Coalfield,” read before the North of England Institute
at their last meeting, and an abstract of which is printed
in the Colliery Guardian of February 14, I am writing
to draw your attention to the following mistake.

Column 1, line 6 from bottom—“ and the total at a
depth of more than 500ft.” should read “and the total
at a depth of more than 500 ft. and less than lflOOft.fi as
is stated in the details of available coal supply, given on
page 3 of the printed copy, and not as stated, incorrectly,
in the heading of Appendix III.

Poynton, Cheshire.	G. H. Greenwell.

February 17, 1913.

LABOUR AND WAGES.

North of England.

As a result of representations from a number of
lodges who are averse from moving too fast, the execu-
tive committee of the Northumberland Miners’ Associa-
tion has decided to call a special council meeting for
February 25 to hear reports from the delegates who
have been conducting the three-shift campaign in the
county. The original decision was to take a ballot vote
of the county immediately on the conclusion of the
campaign. The result may mean the postponement of
the ballot for some weeks.

An application for an increase of wages on behalf of
the miners of the county has been forwarded by the
Northumberland Miners’ Association to the Coalowners’
Association. It is expected that the request will be
considered at a meeting of the Wages Board of the
union and the coal owners at an early date. The last
increase was obtained in November—namely, 3f per
cent., being the fourth conceded in 1912, the total
increase for the 12 months having been 111 per cent.

Federated Area.

day, unanimously agreed to ask the miners’ section of
the Coal Conciliation Board for the Federated mining
districts in England and North Wales to make applica-
tion to the Board for a further advance of 5 per cent, in
the existing rate of wages.

The officials of the Derbyshire and Notts Enginemen
and Firemen’s Union and the Notts Miners’Association
and the members of the Federated Board conferred in
Nottingham on Saturday with reference to the new
rules of the Enginemen’s Association, which make
provision for increased contributions to provide for
increased out-of-work, strike or lock-out pay, payment
for children up to 13 years of. age, and the establish-
ment of a scheme of old age pensions irrespective of
the Government Old Age Pensions Act. These altera-
tions, it is understood, have been made chiefly with a
view to enabling the enginemen and firemen who are
now in the Notts Miners’ Union to transfer, if they
desire to do so, into an association comprised of men of
their own calling.

A conference between representatives of the Earl of
Ellesmere and the Lancashire and Cheshire Miners’
Federation took place on Thursday, February 13, at
the Bridge water offices, Walkden, respecting the surface
workers’ wages. As a result of the interview a
temporary settlement was effected in the matter of
increases which the surface employes at his lordship’s
various collieries are to receive. The new scale of
payment comes into operation this week, and is as
follows: Payment of Is. 8d. pei’ day for boys 13 years
of age, rising by yearly increases to 4s. 4d. per day at
the age of 21. The new scale represents an increase on
the old list.

At the adjourned annual meeting of the Lancashire
and Cheshire Miners’ Federation, held on Saturday,
Mr. Henry Rough ley, miners’ agent, Atherton, was
appointed treasurer in place of the late Mr. Thomas
Glover, of St. Helens, who had held the post for many
years.

The threatened strike of 400 miners at the Ellerbeck
collieries, near Chorley, which should have materialised
last week over the non-unionist question, has been
averted, the whole of the non-unionists employed at the
pits having now joined the union.

At an adjourned meeting of the executive council of
the Lancashire Miners’ Federation, held last Saturday,
in Manchester, Mr. Joseph Tinker, of Mosley Common,
Tyldesley, president of the Tyldesley Miners’ Associa-
tion, was elected miners’ agent for the St. Helens
district in place of the late Mr. Thomas Glover.

Minimum Wage Award

In regard to Viscount St. Aldwyn’s award to the
South Wales Minimum Wage Board and his lord-
ship’s decisions on questions referred to him
arising thereunder, the following were agreed to
by a joint sub-committee of owners’ and workmen’s
representatives on January 13, 1913, as embodying the
decisions:—

As to the Definition of Workmen Entitled to be Scheduled
under the Timbermen Class re Flatters end Proppers.

In a case brought forward from the Ocean Collieries,
Lord St. Aldwyn stated that there may be a case here for
the decision of an umpire. He could not say whether there
was or not, but he was not prepared to say that these men
ought not to be classed as timbermen.

As to the Number of Shifts to be Worked by Nightmen to
Enable them to Qualify for the Minimum Wage.

At collieries where the workmen have the option of
working five shifts a week, the workman to be entitled to
the minimum wage would have to work 25 shifts in any six
weeks. That would oblige him to work five shifts in one
week of the six, and four in each of the others. A workman
who has worked not less than 25 shifts in six consecutive
weeks is thus entitled to his minimum for any week in
which he loses not more than one shift.

The following instructions were agreed to by the
joint sub-committee on January 13, 1913, in reference
to questions arising under the award.

Division of Earnings of Pieceworkers on the Afternoon and
Night Shifts.

At collieries where six turns for five worked are paid to
day wagemen on afternoon and night shifts, in ascer-
taining whether a pieceworkers' earnings on afternoon or
night shifts are below the minimum or not the number of
shifts by which his total earnings are to be divided
shall be the number which would be paid to a day wage
worker on afternoon or night shift at those collieries who
had worked the same number of shifts as the pieceworker
may have worked. If such pieceworker shall have complied
with the rules so as to entitle him to his minimum wage,
he shall be paid his minimum rate for such number of
shifts.

This rule shall come into force as and from the 13th day
of January, 1913.

The method of paying pieceworkers at collieries where
the day wagemen are not paid six shifts for working five is
not varied by the foregoing provision.

Classification of Brakesmen under the Award.

In cases where the brakesmen are called upon to take the
place of the hauling enginemen at any time during the
shift, they are entitled to be paid the minimum rate for
hauling enginemen.

The annual meeting of the North Wales Miners’
Association was held at Wrexham on Monday, In the
report and balance-sheet, Aid. Edward Hughes, J.P.,
the agent, stated that at the end of the year there were
13,069 members, compared with 13,513 in 1911. The
total labour contributions were £16,607 Is. 9d., compared
with £13,642 13s. 0^d. in the pravious year. The general
treasurer had paid during the year £12,429 12s. 8d. in
strike pay, or a total of £15,89112s. 9d. in direct financial
benefits. The report referred to Judge Moss’s decisions
in various county court cases brought by the men
against their employers, and in regard to a Buckley
action, in which the defendants alleged a certain figure
in the agreed price list was a clerical error, accused the
judge of being “ monstrously unfair ” in believing such
evidence. The report and balance-sheet were adopted,
and the rules were amended so as to enable the
association to claim one-sixth of the unemployment
benefit. It was also decided, on the recommendation
of the executive committee, to prepare for a Labour
candidature in the next election, and to adopt Mr.
Hughes, the agent, as their candidate. A resolution
was also passed dispensing with the services of a special
doctor at a yearly salary (£200), so that in future
medical advice will be paid for per case. Mr. Thomas
Rowland, Llay Hall, was elected president; Mr. Thomas
Jones, Vauxhall, vice-president; Mr. John Lloyd
treasurer, and Mr. Edward Hughes financial secretary.
A further resolution was adopted recommending the
members of the association to refuse to take the places
of any firemen and shot-lighters who may come out on
strike for higher wages.

An interview took place on Saturday at Wrexham
between the North Wales Coalowners’ Association and
a deputation from the North Wales Miners’ Association
with a view to settling the dispute respecting the wages
of firemen and shot-firers employedin the North Wales
collieries. It is understood that, after discussing the

Assistant Timbermen.

When workmen are called out regularly to act as assistant
timbermen then they are entitled to be paid the minimum
rate for assistant timbermen, but when workmen are only
occasionally called out then they are only entitled to be
paid the rate for assistant timbermen for the shifts when
they are called upon to act as assistant timbermen.

Men Working at the Pit Bottom.

Any workman at the pit bottom who is called upon at any
time during the shift to do hitchers' work is entitled to be
paid the minimum rate for ordinary hitchers.

To Amend the Eight Hours Act.

The Miners’ Federation of Great Britain will, it is
understood, introduce in the House of Commons this
session a Bill to amend the Coal Mines (Eight Hours)
Act passed in 1908. The amending Bill has been made
necessary, from the men’s point of view, by the decision
of the judges of the King’s Bench in the action against

question, a suggestion was made that the notices should
be withdrawn on the coalowners agreeing to give an
advance of 2s. per week to firemen and 4d. per day to
shot-firers, making their maximum 6s. 6d. per day.

The Lancashire and Cheshire Miners’ Federation, at
its adjourned annual meeting at Manchester on Satur-

Scotland.

At a meeting on Saturday night of the Kirkintilloch
branch of the Scottish Colliery Firemen’s and Shot-
firers’ Association, it was stated that there was a proba-
bility of friction with the Scottish Miners’ Federation,
which in several districts were insisting upon firemen
being members of the Federation. It was stated that
there were now over 1,100 members in the new associa-
tion, and that a claim had been made for an advance
of Is. per day.

A meeting of the executive of the Scottish Miners’
Federation was held on Monday in Glasgow, Mr. Robert
Smillie, president, presiding. Mr. Gilmour reported
that the Royal Commission on Housing was about to
begin its work.

In the afternoon the Coal Trade Conciliation Board
met in the North British Station Hotel to consider the

masters\claim for a reduction of 12| per cent, in the | the management of the Braysdown Colliery, Somerset,
workers’ wages. The meeting lasted four hours, and was The manager of the Braysdown Colliery was prosecuted
ultimately adjourned without an agreement on the! by the inspector of mines of the district for a breach of
question being come to. The Board will meet in the Act, by employing workmen for a longer period than
Edinburgh on Tuesday of next week, with Lord Balfour, eight hours. The magistrates in Petty Sessions
of Burleigh as neutral chairman, to consider the imposed a fine for breach of the Act. An appeal was
application by the men for an advance of 25 per cent. ; entered against the decision, and the Quarter Sessions

A circular is being J issued to all the surfacemen quashed the conviction on the ground that there was no
employed at the collieries in Scotland in connection evidence of connivance on the part of the
with a movement for their united demand for improved; management of the colliery. The Home Office
wages. The Scottish Miners’ Federation have agreed to then carried the case to the King’s Bench,
admit all adult surface workers as members to the [ where the judges sustained the decision of Quarter
unions of their respective districts at an entrance fee of: Sessions that there had been no connivance by the
2s. 6d.; lads under 16 years, at half rate.	management in the breach of the eight hours law. As

The annual report and balance-sheet of the Scottish' there is no further appeal, any amendment of the law
Shale Miners’Association, just issued, shows that in I must be effected by an amended Act of Parliament,
the last six months as many as 1,500 men have joined. The crucial clause in the Act is as follows:—“If any
the union. The total amount contributed by members j person contravenes or fails to comply with any provision
during the year was £1,005, which is £341 more than of this Act, or connives at any such contravention or
the previous year, and the highest amount for the past failure on the part of any other person, he shall be
10 years. The reserve funds of the association now' guilty of an offence against this Act.” The intention

amount to £2,487. In his report to the men the agent; is to introduce a short amending Bill which will
(Mr. Robert Small) refers to the two advances of 3d. per : explicitly provide that the manager of any colliery who
day granted to shale miners in the course of the year,; knowingly permits workmen to continue below ground
and says that in view of the advancing prices for shale in their working place for a longer period than eight
products even higher wages will likely be obtained at hours in any 24 hours “ shall be guilty of an offence ”
an early date.	' against the Mines (Eight Hours) Act.