March 14, 1913. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 545 The Home Office investigation, which is of so much importance to the patent fuel industry, has been resumed this week at Swansea, Mr. Lush, the Com- missioner, sitting on Tuesday to take further evidence in continuation of his enquiry, which was adjourned about 18 months ago. The important appeal case raising the issue as to what is the proper period of notice came before the High Court in London on Wednesday. Originally, the collier employee claimed damages against the Glamorgan Coal Company because of dismissal at 24 hours’ notice, his contention being that one month’s notice should be given under the Conciliation Board agreement. The Rhondda stipendiary decided that four weeks’ notice, as a custom, should be given; but the company appealed, and the Miners’ Federation (acting for the man) did not resist the appeal. The employers had intimated that, pending the fixing of the minimum wage under the new Act after the strike, contracts for employment should be day to day; and the collier claimed that, after the minimum wage had been determined, the old practice of a month’s notice prevailed again. There being no evidence submitted on the question of fact as to what were the terms prevailing after the minimum wage award, the appeal was allowed, and their lordships entered judgment for the company. ' CONTINENTAL HIKING NOTBS. Austria. Coal and Coke Imports and Exports in 1912.—Coal imports 11,848,535 tons (10,873,799 tons in 1911); exports, 655,106 tons (509,736 tons). Coke imports, 915,547 tons (702,707 tons); exports, 349,384 tons (200,015 tons. Briquettes imports, 188,884 tons (56,596 tons) ; exports, 150,335 tons (133,917 tons). Lignite imports, 34,870 tons (34,381 tons) ; exports, 7,442,391 tons (7,063,981 tons). Belgium. A Bill has been introduced by M. Leon Mabille to enact an eight hours day for engine winders, with a 12 hours day on Sundays and holidays. By an Order issued on December 10, 1910, the hours during which engine winders were to be allowed to raise or lower men was fixed at eight, coming into operation on July 1, 1911. The Order, however, has been interpreted as only applying to active work on the levers, and the enginemen have been required to continue at their posts for carrying out certain subsidiary duties, such as lubrication and repairs to their engines, for periods in excess of the statutory limit. The Bill now proposed has already been favourably reported upon by a Parliamentary Commission. France. The production of coal in France in 1912 is estimated at 41,400,000 metric tons; 19,878,477 tons of coal, coke and briquettes were imported, whilst exports amounted to 2,320,349 tons. Stocks were reduced by about 800,000 tons. consequently the national consumption in 1912 was about 59,758,000 tons, as against 57,455,465 tons in 1911. The Eight Hours Day.—M. Besnard, the Minister of Labour, has informed representatives of the miners that he has decided to support, before the Senatorial Commission and the Senate, the Bill establishing a working day of eight hours in mines, which has already passed the Chamber of Deputies. The New Tax on Profits.—It appears that only about 40 deputies were present when the French Second Chamber approved the proposition to inflict a new tax of 14 million francs upon the French coalmining industry. Even now the consternation which it has created in the industry is somewhat modified by the belief that the proposition will be revoked in the Senate. The Minister of Finance, M. Klotz, appears to have treated the tax purely as a means of revenue, and a burden which it was necessary, as well as possible, for the prosperous coalmining industry to shoulder on patriotic grounds alone. M. Thomas, who moved the original proposition, which was afterwards modified, took seven mining companies and an equal number of iron and steel works and banks, and showed that on the basis of the original capital of these concerns the colliery companies had distributed in dividends 213 per cent, in the same period that the metallurgical establish- ments had distributed 12 per cent, and the banks 8 per cent. The Echo des Mines, however, points out that the capital in the Northern coalfields has been constantly reduced in rela- tion to the undertakings by the utilisation for development purposes of undistributed profits, instead of appealing, as in Germany, to the public for fresh capital whenever an extension of the undertaking has been contemplated. The tax, it is insisted, will press with exceptional severity upon the smaller concerns and those subject to the active compe- tion of British, German and Belgian coal. Germany. Exports and Imports of Fuel in 1912.—The following table shows the exports and imports of coal, coke, &c., from and into Germany respectively in 1912 and 1911:— Imports. 1911. 1912. Coal— Tons. Tons. Belgium 433,990 . 383,713 France 4,946 . 8,227 Great Britain 9,422,694 . .. 8,988,482 Holland 521,352 . 524,344 Austria-Hungary... 523,494 . 474,860 Russia 222 . — Other countries 7,250 . 856 Total (coal) 10,913,948 . .. 10,380,482 Lignite Coke— 7,069,064 . .. 7,266,116 Belgium 544,994 . 510,441 France 14,898 . 22,414 Great Britain 8,101 . — Holland 965 . 20,603 Austria-Hungary... 29,190 . 29,143 Other countries ... 810 . 7,112 Total (coke) Coal briquettes— 598,958 . 589,713 Belgium 56,898 . 32,203 Holland 34,492 . 19,596 Other countries 3,432 . 763 .. Total (coal briquettes).. 94,822 52,562 Lignite briquettes ... Coal— 116,111 . Exports. 135,174 Belgium 4,686,700 . .. 5,368,472 Denmark 149,483 . 261,802 France 2,842,736 . .. 3,057,502 Greece 70,994 . 50,975 Great Britain 6,305 . 67,251 Italy 515,963 . 724,482 Holland 5,950,581 . .. 6,543,642 Norway 18,939 . 56,659 Austria-Hungary ... 9,754,289 . .. 11,015,315 Portugal 47,064 . 7,212 Roumania 36,082 . 70,462 Russia 1,278,699 . .. 1.510.500 Finland 8,877 . 20,330 Sweden 28,197 . 95,688 Switzerland 1,362,969 . .. 1,508,790 Spain 86,010 . 160,027 Egypt 160,661 . 83,126 Algeria 65,697 . 94,398 British India 19,959 . 26,505 Argentine 32,754 . 28,737 Bunkers (foreign vessels) .. 236,150 322,145 Other countries 47,084 . 69,095 Total (coal) : 27,406,193 . .. 31,143,115 Lignite Coke— . 58,071 . 56,965 Belgium 505,416 . 755,357 Denmark 35,918 . 58,998 France 1,792,117 . .. 2,275,024 Greece 23,960 . 13,540 Italy 135,336 . 167,513 Holland 228,276 . 284,176 Great Britain 6,576 . 20,784 Norway 37,281 . 47,350 Austria-Hungary... 797,976 . 965,798 Roumania 7,721 . 16,087 Russia 333,536 . 431,935 * Finland 7,083 , 8,108 Sweden 109,762 . 204,978 Switzerland 314,814 328,797 Servia 20,601 . 16,650 Spain 2,318 . 37.010 Japan 17,742 17.984 Chili 49,043 71,6 6 Mexico 76,245 . 51,248 U.S.A 15,268 . 24,968 Australia 5,367 11,014 French Oceania 7,815 . 11,844 Other countries 29,804 28,211 Total (coke) Coal briquettes— 4,559,975 . ... 5,849,020 Belgium 261,436 . 349,027 France 292,969 372,754 Denmark 76,750 . 94,610 Greece 19,524 . 21,260 Great Britain — 8,889 Italy 215,728 . 137,478 Holland 218,555 . 279,875 Austria-Hungary .. 82,611 56,627 Russia 11,796 22,467 Switzerland 613,468 602,838 Algeria 50,760 . 66,852 Mexico 4,840 . 9,990 Egypt 43,432 . 45,270 Other countries 67,017 51,604 Total (coal briquettes) 1,958,826 \ ... 2,119,541 Lignite briquettes 518,666 626,995 Ruhr Coal Market.—The ample supply of railway wagons enables deliveries to be made to the full capacity of the pits, and the export figures are particularly large, both Holland and Belgium being extensive buyers, whilst English coal is almost negligible as a competitor. In South Germany business is giving signs of renewed activity, the demand for house coal being particularly good, and in excess of the supplies. Both industrial coke and coke remain in good request, and, in fact, deliveries of blastfurnace coke are falling into arrears. Coal Market in South Germany—The placing of contracts for Ruhr coal, now practically completed, has been very satisfactory to the trade, and the majority of consumers and retailers have placed their orders with the same firms as previously. There were few offers of English coal, and the competition between Syndicate and non-Syndicate coals was not very keen, the prices being about on a level. The Gas Coke Sales Association has begun selling, but, owing to the large local demand, the quantities offered by the gasworks are comparatively small and prices are consider- ably higher than last year. In consequence of the colder weather, retailers have been much busier of late, consumers Thorneycroft showed by sections of outcrops in Mull and being compelled to buy as their stocks became exhausted, the south-east of Skye that the ironstone had not been Owing to the active demand for house coal, it has not yet formed at the points visible, and that even if the iron ore been possible to lay by any large stock for sale. For I had been developed, it would have been rendered unworkable broken coke, sellers are requiring longer time to deliver, by the intrusions of igneous rock. and much delay is experienced in forwarding lignite briquettes. Coal Market in Upper Silesia.—The volume of traffic is unusually large. The home market is the biggest buyer, but the more remote districts and foreign markets are receiving extensive consignments, without their require- ments being fully satisfied, especially in the case of Russia and Austria-Hungary. Owing to the high price of English coals, there is little competition from that side in the northern districts. As regards the various grades of fuel, industrial coals are in most demand, especially coking coals, of which sufficient cannot be raised to content the iron- works ; and the coke market is in a very satisfactory con- dition, the whole output of blastfurnace and foundry coke finding a ready sale, though business is somewhat quieter in other kinds. Hamburg Coal Trade.—Mr. H. W. Heidmann, of Hamburg, reports that the imports of coals into Hamburg have been in February :— From 1913. Tons. 1912. Tons. Northumberland and Durham... 167,539 ... 134,867 Yorkshire, Derbyshire, &c 53,898 ... 35,868 Scotland 97,370 ... 95,167 Wales 3,289 2,186 Coke — ... — Total 322,096 ... 268,088 Russia. The Scarcity of Fuel.—The prevailing scarcity of fuel in Russia in the present time has already been commented upon in these columns. Not lonly have manufacturers and others experienced the greatest difficulty in procuring their necessary supplies, but prices have risen considerably* Thus ordinary boiler coals in the Donetz district, which in November 1911 were quoted at about 10s. 6d. per ton, had risen to 13s. 6d. on January 1 of this year, whilst at Moscow the same coals have increased from 22s. to 29s. per ton. In the Revue Economique Internationale M. Lauwick, of Ghent University, examines some of the causes of this crisis. In the first place he puts the general revival of industry, coming after a period during which the collieries have had small incentive to extend their opera- tions ; secondly, the coincidence of extraordinary Govern- mental orders, for political purposes, at a time when both output and stocks were low; this unusual situation was itself the result of high prices for liquid fuel, coinciding with a prolonged dislocation of labour in mines. Mr. Lauwick considers that the charge made against the Donetz mineowners of having purposely limited the output with the object of securing high prices is ill-founded. Vigorous steps have indeed been taken to augment the production, the most important being the increase in workmen’s trains and the transportation of workmen from the agricultural districts. The one thing still needful is the erection of attractive habitations in the coalmining districts. As these remedies cannot be expected to have their full infleence for some months yet. the present stringency may be looked for fur some time to come. Iron Ore in Raasay.—Before the Edinburgh Geological Society, recently, two papers were submitted, one bearing on the geology of the Island of Raasay, and the other on the discovery there of iron ore. The first was by Mr. H. B. Woodward, F.R S., who said that no palaeozoic rocks have been recorded in Raasay, but there is a splendid develop- ment of mesozoic strata ranging from the trias to the great oolite. He referred specially to his discovery of a band of oolitic ironstone near the top of the middle lias, and approximately on the horizon of the well-known Cleveland ironstone of Yorkshire. In his paper on the “Raasay Iron Ore,” Mr. Wallace Thorneycroft stated that Mr. Woodward had drawn his attention to the account of the discovery of the Raasay iron ore published in 1893. Having made arrangements with the proprietrix of the island, he began to prove the field by a series of bores, which were under the direction of Mr. Campbell as mining engineer, with the co-operation of Mr. Wedd, of H.M. Geological Survey. The results of these operations proved that the thickness of the ironstone was much greater than that indicated by Mr. Woodward, and that it covered a much larger area. By means of comparative vertical sections of the various bores, he showed that the thickness of the deposit ranged from 6 to 17 feet. The quality varied somewhat, especially in the contents of lime. Generally speaking, it appeared that the percentage of lime increased towards the outside limits of the deposit, and the percentage of iron increased with the thickness. When compared with the Cleveland ore, it was found that the Raasay stone contained more lime and phosphorus than the former, but rather less iron, and less silica and alumina. Mr. Thorney- croft stated that the horizon of the ironstone underlay the whole of the northern part of Skye, and extended under the sea as far as the islands of Eigg and the Shiants, but it remained to be proved whether any ore in that position was ever formed outside the limited area of Raasay. Mr.