448

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

February 28, 1913.

organisation of underground traffic, he advocated the
training of a superior subordinate staff.

Mr. Thomson next alluded to the necessity of centrali-
sation and rapid output. Mechanical cutters for driving
out main roads would, he thought, pay handsomely, and
they had already done well in India, but he felt sure that
the forming of panels of suitable dimensions would prove of
greater advantage. Or again, if it was found that mechan-
ical cutters were economical they might look to a system of
double stall panels with wide stalls giving the machine a
wider face to cut at and so rendering the shifting
of the machines less frequent. As they got deeper,
he added, their conditions approached more nearly
to those in Europe. In conclusion, he especially
advocated the provision of ample redemption funds. The
new president came out to India some 18 or 19 years ago, as
an assistant of Messrs. Jardine, Skinner and Co., on behalf
of the East Indian Coal Company. He afterwards went to
the Lodna Colliery for Messrs. Turner Morrison.

Africa.

Transvaal Export Coal Trade.—Contrary to almost general
expectation, says our correspondent, the Is. per ton rebate,
which came into force on August 1, for export coal in South
Africa has added considerably to the coal exported, but
far from the same extent as an adequate rebate would
have done. To have enabled the Transvaal or Natal
coalfields to compete successfully for the Indian trade*
the rebate needed was at least double to that granted
and until the rebate is increased or the railway rate
on export coal lowered, there is not much prospect of the
South African collieries making much headway in the
export trade. Figures show, however, that since the Is.
per ton rebate came into force the export trade from
Delagoa Bay has more than doubled. For instance, during
the first six months sf 1912 the total tonnage of coal
exported from Delagoa Bay was 57,110 tons; whilst,
although the Is. per ton rebate only came into force on
August 1, the tonnage of coal exported was 120,119 tons,
making a total of 177,229 tons for last year. This total is
by far the largest exported in any year, and constitutes
a record, and it is confidently expected that the combined
totals of bunker and export coal during the current year will
easily reach half a million tons. During the latter months
of 1912 as much as 30,000 tons was shipped to India alone,
where the demand is said to be steadily increasing,
and with an increased rebate it is confidently expected
that India alone would absorb practically all the surplus
output of the Transvaal and Natal collieries. It may
be pointed out that with the small existing rebate
on export coal the price obtained at the pit's mouth is a
low one, and only the surplus output is available for export
purposes. The coal sold for bunkering purposes during the
last six months of 1912 actually declined, on account of the
imports failing to come up to the level of previous years.
During the first six months of 1912 the tonnage sold for
bunkering was 71,016 tons, whilst during the latter half of
the year the bunker coal fell to 67,793 tons. The December
figures likewise showed an all round decline, as only 20,237
tons were exported and 10,657 tons sold for bunkering
purposes, probably owing to transport difficulties many of
the vessels previously engaged in the coal trade being
temporarily attracted to other ports.

Canada.

Coal Mining in Alberta.—Our correspondent says :—" The
-coalmining industry of Alberta is growing very rapidly in
importance, and it is likely to become the principal
source of supply for the prairie provinces. John T.
Sterling, provincial inspector of mines, states that from
the returns received he estimates the increase in
the output of coal for 1912 at 4,000,000 tons over
that of any previous year. During the year four new
mines have been opened up principally in the Edmonton
district, and the older mines around Lethbridge and Crow's
Nest Pass have largely increased their output. A large
proportion of the coal mined was shipped to Manitoba and
Saskatchewan. A new up-to-date rescue station has just
been established at Lethbridge by the Provincial Govern-
ment.

LABOUR AND WAGES.

North of England.

A special meeting of the Northumberland Miners’
Council was held at the Burt Hall, Newastle, on Tuesday,
regarding the proposed strike to secure the abolition of
the three-shift system. The council was convened to
hear the reports of the delegates who conducted the
recent campaign in the county, and to ‘fix upon the
future policy.

During the afternoon sitting, the following resolution
was adopted:—

“That we request the executive committee of the
Miners’ Federation to convene a national conference
for the purpose of deciding what support, monetary or
otherwise, the Federation is prepared to give to
Northumberland in the event of the Northumberland
ballot vote of the three-shift question being in favour
of a strike; and that the taking of this ballot vote be
postponed until the decision of the Federation is given.”
It was further agreed that proposals regarding the
extent and nature of the support should be left in the
hands of the Northumberland representatives to the
national conference.

At Durham County Police Court on the 19th inst.,
134 workmen employed at the Brancepeth Colliery Coke-
yard were summoned under the Employers’ and Work-
men’s Act for having absented themselves from work
without giving the necessary notice on February 2, 3,
and 4. The case of John Matthews was taken as a test
case.

Mr. B. L. Weeks, agent of the collieries, said
Matthews was employed subject to 14 days’ notice on
either side, and he had never given any notice to leave.
On Sunday, February 2, the men left work without
notice, and did not return till the following Thursday
week. He received no notice of any kind till the Wed-
nesday before the men returned to work, when he got a
letter stating that they were willing to return to work.

Mr. Snagg, for the men, said the rules quoted did not
apply to Sunday labour, for none of the men need work
on a Sunday. He contended that there had been a
breach of agreement on the part of the employers, and
that it was not a case where the men could be asked to
pay damages.—The Bench decided to adjourn all the
cases for a fortnight, in the hope that a friendly settle-
ment might be come to. They suggested that the
plaintiffs might be able to waive their claim in respect
of Sunday, February 2, on the defendants admitting the
claim for the other days.

Federated Area.

At Skelmersdale, near Ormskirk, on Monday, nearly
3,000 colliers handed in their notices to “ down tools ” in
a fortnight, providing the non-unionists in the district
do not join the Lancashire and Cheshire Miners’
Federation. The dispute is at present confined to the
White Moss, Bickerstaffe, Glenburn, Crawford, and
Blaguegate (Lord Lathom’s) collieries. At Crawford
about 70 per cent, of the miners belong to the
“ Constitutional Labour Union,” and this fact is a sore
point in the dispute.

For seven hours on the 20th inst. the Derbyshire
Minimum Wage Board were engaged at Chesterfield in
hearing claims under the award of Judge Lindley. Mr.
J. Middleton (town clerk of Chesterfield) presided as
independent chairman. Three claims on behalf of
individual miners were considered, two being from
Grassmoor Colliery and the other from the Butterley
Colliery. They were in the nature of test cases, affecting
a large number of men. With regard to the Grassmoor
cases, one was whether an onsetter, working on a shift
other than the turning shift, could claim to be the first
onsetter within the interpretation of the award, and the
other concerned a boy who was represented by the
owners to be inefficient. The third claim was by a stall-
man under the Butterley Company. The umpire will
take time to consider his decisions.

Mr. J. G. Hancock, M.P., the agent, presented a
report at the monthly meeting of the council of the
Notts Miners’ Association, held on Saturday afternoon,
February 22, regarding the progress of negotiations
with the Babbington Coal Company in reference to a
revision of the price list for the soft coal seams at their
Broxtowe and Cinder Hill collieries. He was hopeful
that before the next council meeting a satisfactory
settlement would be arrived at between the company
and the workmen. An appeal was made by the work-
men at the Wollaton Colliery for permission to give
fourteen days’ notice to terminate contracts with a view
to abating the system prevailing at the colliery of inter-
mittently stopping odd stalls and not, as alleged,
paying men days’ wages for wages for work done. The
appeal was granted. The men employed at the Silver
Hill and Stanton Hill collieries applied for permission
to take a ballot vote on the question of handing in

THE TIN-PLATE TRADE
Liverpool.

The tone of the market has not improved at all. Only a
hand-to-mouth business is being done, and values are a
shade lower all round, with a drooping tendency. The
demand for forward shipment is very poor. Current
quotations are about as follow: — Coke tins: I C 14
x 20 (112 sh. 108 lb.), 14s. 4|d. to 14s. 6d. per box;
I C 28 x 20 (112 sh. 216 lb.), 29s. 3d. to 29s. 6d. per box;
I C 28 x 20 (56 sh. 108 lb.), 14s. 9d. to 15s. per box; I C
14 x 18| (124 sh. 110 lb.), 15s. per box (nominal) ; I C 14
x 19| (120 sh. 110 lb.), 15s. per box (nominal) ; I C 20 x 10
(225 sh. 156 lb.), 21s. 6d. per box (nominal); I C squares
and odd sizes, 14s. 9d. to 15s. basis. Ternes are easy at
25s. 3d. to 25s. 6d. for I C 28 x 20. Charcoal tins are in
quiet request; makers are quoting 16s. 6d. basis and
upwards according to tinning. Coke wasters are quoted
C W 14 x 20, 13s. 4|d. per box; C W 14 x 18f, 13s. 4|d.
per box; C W 20 x 10, 19s. per box ; C W 28 x 20, 26s. 6d.
per box—all f.o.b. Wales, less 4 per cent.

notices to secure better remuneration for men who had
been injured and recovered sufficiently to do light
labouring work on the bank. The application was
granted.

The Wharncliffe Silkstone Colliery Company brought
a case before the Barnsley West Riding Bench, on
Monday, against five of their workmen who were
charged with a breach of contract of service. On
January 26 one of the defendants named McDonald
failed to turn up at his work, saying he had overslept.
In accordance with notice given he was told he would
not be allowed to work on the following shift, whereupon
the other defendants struck.—Mr. Ellwood, manager of
the coke ovens, stated the strike last year cancelled the
agreement, and, cross-examined, he said the men were now
paid a daily wage. Witness was cross-examined at great
length to show that the management had altered the agree-
ment without consulting the men. With regard to Sunday
shift working, witness said he did not consult the men
before making the alteration, but when he issued the
notice there was no objection raised. On January 3
last, after consultation with Mr. Walker, it was decided
to stop a man from working a shift if he absented
himself. Mr. G. B. Walker, managing director of the
company, explained they had tried to avoid Sunday
working, but they could not do that. They now stopped
eight hours on the Sunday, which was a serious loss,
and they were prepared to suffer that, but they could
not allow interruptions in the work during the week.
Mr. Neal urged that the agreement had been broken by
the company owing to changes made without agree-
ment with the men. The chairman (Mr. E. G. Lan-
caster) said the Bench felt there was a case to answer,
but having regard to the fact that the question was
likely to be settled amicably, they would adjourn the
case for one month.

Trouble arising out of the working of the Minimum
Wage Act was again a subject for discussion at a
meeting of the council of the Yorkshire Miners’ Associa-
tion, which concluded at Barnsley on Tuesday. Mr. John
Wadsworth, M.P., referred to disputes in connection
with the working of the Minimum Wage Act, and said in
some cases difficulties had been settled in a very fair and
amicable manner. There was still a considerable number
of disputes, however, and the council hoped that at these
collieries a sensible view would be taken so that strikes
might be avoided. Consideration was given to the question
of wages at certain collieries which were looked upon as
concerns making “ tremendous profits,” the council
being of opinion that the prices were insignificant,
especially in the case of men working on night shifts
engaged in ripping and packing. Mr. Wadsworth was
authorised to apply to Mr. Ashton, secretary of the
Miners’ Federation, to submit a fdemand to the Coal
Conciliation Board for a 5 per cent, advance on account
of the price of coal and coke. The Wombwell Main
branch asked to be allowed to take a ballot on
the question of packing and ripping, it being
alleged that the management were proposing to
make such alterations as would affect the minimum
wage rate of pay to a considerable extent. The ques-
tion was adjourned in order that a joint committee
might be formed to deal with the matter. An applica-
tion by the Brierley branch for permission to take a
ballot on the question of demanding the formation of a
price list was sent to the district for a decision to come
before the next council meeting. It was recommended
that in the meantime an interview with the management
be sought. Non-union difficulties were reported from
Thornhill and Ackton Hall. In both cases permission
was sought to take a ballot, and the matter was referred
to the districts.

The Minimum Wage Act was criticised by Mr.
Stephen Walsh, M.P., at a public meeting held last week
at Hindley Green. He said the Act contained very
many imperfections. One defect was that there was no
means of enforcing the payment of the minimum wage
granted, except by the workman, or some organisation on
his behalf, taking his case to the law courts. Why,
asked Mr. Walsh, could not the Minimum Wage Act be
amended in such a manner as was consistent with the
Factory Acts of the present time ? A very great many
things were done in factories which were not in accor-
dance with the law. Time cribbing, for instance, if
found out by the factory inspectors, was punishable by
law, and surely, wage cribbing was quite as bad as time
cribbing.

Scotland.

A strike of over 1000 miners employed at the Hatton-
rigg and Orbiston Collieries, Bellshill, of the Sum-
merlee Coal and Iron Company, is imminent. The
trouble is over the question of the employment of non-
union labour.

A meeting of the Scottish Coal Trade Conciliation
Board, with Lord Balfour of Burleigh as neutral chair-