744 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. April 11, 1913. Fig. 4 shows the compact appearance of the Roto- plunge pump, in this case being direct-coupled to a petrol engine of standard make, and which runs at a speed of 350 revolutions per minute, the pump and engine being bolted to a strong iron portable bogie with four wheels, which facilitates the means of transporta- tion. The engine, it should be added, can be arranged to work either by petrol or paraffin. THE NEW GENERAL REGULATIONS. Objections. The draft of the new General Regulations which it is proposed to make under the Coal Mines Act, 1911, was issued in January, and appeared in the Colliery Guardian of January 17 and 24, 1913. In accordance with the requirements of the Act, if a “ general objection ”—that is, an objection by or on behalf of owners of minesemploy- Date of Coming into Force. The Mining Association at the outset urge that the Regulations should not come into force until the expira- tion of two calendar months after the Order shall be laid before both Houses of Parliament, in accordance with section 86 (4) of the Act. Other objectors seek to substitute various dates for the date cited in the Act— viz., April 1,1913. * Fig. 4. ■ ral z y- A • ■ Fig. 5. Our fifth illustration shows a 9 in. Rotoplunge pump at work at the Mount Stuart Dry Dock, Cardiff, in this case the vertical depth of the suction being 30 ft., with a total over-all lift, excluding pipe friction, of 37 ft. Doncaster and Town Planning.—A statutory meeting called last week by the Doncaster Rural District Council in reference to their application to the Local Government Board for authority to prepare a town planning scheme for the colliery districts of Askern, having an area of 5,170 acres, revealed the fact that the landowners in the Doncaster district are decidedly sceptical upon the subject, Mr. Robert Snow, of Adwick-on-Dearne, chairman of the Housing and Town Planning Committee, who presided, pointed out they desired, with the sanction of the Local Government Board, to adopt measures that would secure, as estates developed, modern standards of health and sanitation, the control of the laying out of all new roads, the widening of existing roads, and the effecting of other improvements. They would also endeavour to prevent overcrowding in new houses. They could not expect to carry out the scheme without some opposition. The clerk (Mr. H. M. Marshall), pointed out that the Rural Council controlled many villages and hamlets now rapidly developin g, and had to act almost at once. It had been suggested main roads should be 80 ft. wide, district roads 60 ft., and all new streets 42 ft. instead of 36 ft. It was necessary to start somewhere, and Askern was a rapidly developing colliery centre. The next scheme would be immediately to the south, coming well up to the Doncaster boundary, and extending as houses were built. The idea of the wide roads was to have grass verges and trees down the sides, and plenty of room for traffic. Several present ridiculed the idea of grass verges by the side of the road in a colliery village, whereupon the clerk remarked they wanted to beautify the district as well as give air space. Mr. Charlton said an 80 ft. road through a colliery village, with grass verges on either side, would mean that the sides would become repositories for all sorts of rubbish, and he was afraid the grass would not last very long. The chairman said the Council had been pressed into the matter by the Press and public opinion—(A Voice : “ The Arch- bishop of York ”)—but they also had a sense of their own responsibilities. They had seen new villages grow up in the colliery district, which were not as they ought to be, and it was high time they assumed the powers intended to be conferred upon authorities for preventing this kind of thing. They did not intend putting an 80 ft. road in colliery villages, or to enforce wide roads where they were not needed. Mr. Clough, of South Elmsail, described the proposals as a wilful waste of ratepayers’ money, and moved a resolution in opposition to the scheme. The chairman ruled him out of order, pointing out no resolu- tions were needed, and the conference terminated. ing not less than one-third of the total number employed at the mines affected, or by or on behalf of not less than one-third of the total number of men so employed—was made within 50 days, i.e., in this case before March 1, 1913, the objection may be referred to a referee appointed under section 117 of the Act. Further, the Home Secretary may refer to a referee objections relating to particular classes of mines, or mines in any separate area. As a result, two “ general objections ”—on behalf of the Mining Association of Great Britain and the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain respectively—were entered, and, in addition, 12 other “ objections.” These com- prised the following:—Jointly from the Cleveland Mine Owners’ Association and the Cleveland Miners’ Associa- tion. Owners: South Staffordshire and East Worcester- shire Coalmasters’ Association; Bedminster, Easton, Kingswood and Parkfield Collieries Limited, Ashton Vale Iron Company Limited, and Coalpit Heath Company (jointly). Officials: National Association of Colliery Managers ; Northern Undermanagers’ and Colliery Officials’ Mutual Aid Association; National Association of Colliery Deputies; Durham Deputies’ Mutual Aid Association; General Federation of Fire- men’s, Examiners’ and Deputies’ Associations of Great Britain; North Staffs Underground Colliery Firemen’s and Shotlighters’ Association ; and Notts, Derby, and j Leicester Mining Officials’ Association Committee. Enginemen, Boilermen, &c. : National Federation of Colliery Enginemen and Boilermen, and Northumber- land Colliery Enginemen’s and Firemen's Association. The text of these objections has now been issued as a White Paper, and we give below an analysis in a form lending itself better to assimilation by the reader. It will be seen that not only is it proposed to alter certain of the regulations in some cases radically, as in that of ' signalling, but also to amend certain sections of Part II. of the Act. In addition, suggestions have been made by some I of the parties, which do not properly come within the i scope of the regulations. Thus the Northern Under- managers’ and Colliery Officials’ Mutual Aid Association urge that some suitable scheme should be devised so that efficient, experienced and practical men who are at present holding responsible positions may be granted under-managers’ certificates of service. It is obvious that the specific objections now made do not represent a full and searching criticism of the Act but that attention has rather been concentrated upon i material defects and those in regard to which objections of a convincing character could be made. PART I.—General. 3.—At present the banksman or onsetter may not signal the cage away until the cage gates or fences are in position, and no person riding in the cage is to interfere with these. The Mining Association ask that the first provision shall only be required when men are in the cage, and, as regards the second part, ask (in common with the National Association of Colliery Managers) for exemption where the persons riding are engaged in examinations or repairs. 5. —The Mining Association and the National Association require, in the interests of safety, that the workman shall examine his working place “ at intervals ” during his work. The same associations recommend also that additions be made to this regulation, rendering the workmen responsible for the safety of their working places, preventing a man from delegating his responsibility to a fellow-workman engaged in the same place, and formulating the requirements as to the secure setting and resetting of sprags or holing props under an overhanging roof. The Durham deputies would substitute the “fireman, examiner, or deputy,” for the “ man in charge ” of a stall. 6. —The owners and managers ask that where it is necessary to cease work on account of apprehended danger, the requirement shall be limited to the “ part of the place where the danger exists.” 7. —Where a workman retires from a working place in order to report an insufficiency of timbering material, the northern under-managers’ would have him, before doing so, fence off the place. The Miners’ Federation seek to have the report entered in the official’s report. 10.—The South Staffordshire owners state that this rule, which is that “ no person shall brush or waft out gas,” is impracticable in the thick-seam workings, and suggest that it should not apply to the Black Country. 12.—The owners suggest a remodelling of the rule as follows:—“ No person shall place a safety lamp on its bottom unless it is necessary to do so for the safe per- formance of any particular work, or unless authorised by the manager; and in all cases whilst a person is at work it shall be placed at least two feet from the swing of the pick, hammer or other tool.” The managers would add : “ and shall be hung at such distance as to prevent it being struck by any coal or stone which the workman is in the act of removing.” The Miners’ Federation also raise the objection to the