April 11, 1913.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

763

HIKING ANO OTHER NOTES.

A special meeting of the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce
was held at the Cutlers" Hall on Tuesday, at which Mr.
Edward Holmes lectured on the important subject of
“ Canals and Waterways."" Mr. Holmes advocated a
national scheme of canal improvement, and the suggestion
was afterwards made that the Corporation should take
practical financial steps to put the Sheffield and South
Yorkshire Navigation on a more satisfactory basis.

Major J. D. R. Phillips, who is relinquishing the position
of general manager to the Yorkshire Engine Company
Limited, was on Tuesday presented by the workmen with a
smoker"s cabinet, a pipe and a cigar case as a token of their
esteem.

The North-Eastern Railway Bill, to enable the company
to purchase lands on various parts of their system for the
purpose of improvements, came before the House of Lords
Committee this week. The only matter giving rise to
controversy was raised by Mr. G. P. Talbot, K.C., on behalf
of the Duke of Northumberland and the Earl of Eldon.
Mr. Talbot asked the Committee to say that justice should
be done if any part of his clients’ lands was taken, and the
mineral rights could not be worked. It was unfair that
men should be deprived of the right of working their land
containing minerals without being compensated. At the
present time, if a mineowner was stopped from working his
minerals within 40 yards of the line he was paid compensa-
tion, but if he was stopped working outside the limit of
40 yards because such a working was dangerous, he would
not be paid for it. The anomaly ought to be removed*
The Committee approved the preamble of the Bill, and said
nothing about the petitioners.

The Baltic and White Sea Shipping conference was
opened in Paris on Tuesday under the presidency of
Mr. Noble, of the firm of Cairns, Noble and Co. In
his inaugural address Mr. Noble said the general conclusion
he had arrived at was that they did not need to fear the
competition of either the oil or the gas engine for some
years to come.

Sir George Ask with, president of the Industrial Council,
and Mr. Sidney Webb, were the guests recently at the
inaugural dinner of the Production Managers" Association,
and took part in a discussion on “ Labour Problems."" Sir
George, speaking of compulsory arbitration, said he did not
think it could be enforced, or that it would be suitable to
this country. One of the best answers he ever heard on
that subject was that of a leader of one of the Welsh miners"
unions, when he said to a Cabinet Minister: “ Ye cannot put
600,000 men into prison."" “That,"" added Sir George,
“strikes you in the eye."" The alternative was an under-
standing between employers and employed. All the
evidence the Industrial Council had been taking showed
that the well-organised industries and the well-organised
unions would no more think of breaking their agreements
with employers than they would think of breaking the most
solemn methods and habits of their lives ; and he believed
that in the long run it would be found that the keeping of
arrangements and agreements entered into would be the
basis for industrial peace.

Considerable developments are taking place at the
Bedlington Colliery, in Northumberland, where two new
seams have been won—the Harvey and the Beaumont—and
are expected to prove of great value. The work of preparing
the seams for working is being pushed forward with
despatch, and some hundreds of additional men are
expected to be employed in the near future.

In the reports submitted at a meeting of the Mines
Drainage Commissioners, held at Dudley last week, with
regard to the works of the Tipton district, Mr. E. Howl
stated that the rainfall during the four weeks had been
4 33 in. The pumping had been 13,466,700 gallons per 24
hours, compared with 13,347,000 the previous month and
10,360,700 in the corresponding period of last year—the
largest quantity raised by the Commissioners" engines. The
water was now a little less.

Messrs. theMirrlees Watson Company Limited inform us
that they have recently received substantial orders for their
steam condensing plant. These include one set of surface
condensing plant with Mirrlees-Leblanc rotary air pumps
for the Sheepbridge Coal and Iron Company ; Mirrlees
multi-jet plants for the Summerlee Iron Company, the
Cambrian Collieries, the Flemington Coal Company, the
Tinsley Park Colliery, the Bargoed Colliery, the Weardale
Steel, Coal and Coke Company, the Londonderry Collieries
and the Powell Duffryn Steam Coal Company ; barometric
condensing plants with Mirrlees-Leblanc pumps for the
Birtley Colliery and the Powell Duffryn Company ; and
Mirrlees-Leblanc simple jet for the Denton Colliery ; and
low-level jet plants for the Sheepbridge Company and the
Dinnington Main Colliery

A correspondent hears that a syndicate have taken a lease
of the Gatacre Estate, and at Day well, near Oswestry,
boring is to be commenced. A company called the Border
Counties Coal Company has been formed, and they have
entered into a contract with a Scottish firm to carry out
the boring operations. Should coal be located in satis-
factory quantities, the colliery will be developed forthwith.
There are already two shafts which were put down seme
years ago, and it is hoped that success will attend the
efforts of the promoters of the scheme.

The Hon. F. S. Jackson, of Burnholme, York, son of Lord
Allerton, has been appointed a director of the Great
Northern Railway Company, in the place of the late Col.
Frank Shuttleworth.

The trustees of the late Captain Stewart of Williamwood
have entered into an arrangement with a syndicate for
boring operations to be commenced on the estate with a
view to ascertaining whether coal can be worked at a profit.
In the event of seams of sufficient thickness being dis-
covered, the trustees will lease the mineral rights to the
syndicate, who will thereafter sink a pit near the disused
William wood Quarry.

In connection with the development of their Blairhall
Colliery the Coltness Iron and Coal Company have decided
to construct a model village consisting of 400 houses.
When the village is established it is anticipated that there
will be a population of between 2,000 and 3,000. The new
village will be known as Blairhall.

A fire, fortunately unattended by loss of life, occurred on
the 3rd inst. at Lofthouse Colliery, near Wakefield. At about
3.30 smoke was noticed by the engineer (Mr. J. Haigh)
issuing from the wooden structure enclosing the headgear
of the B or “ No« 15"" upcast shaft, the ventilation shaft of
the colliery, but also used for drawing out the men. On
enquiry it was found that the pithead was on fire, and that
the two cages had fallen down the shaft through the
winding rope having been destroyed. The colliery fire
brigade succeeded in checking the fire until the Stanley
Urban Council’s motor fire-engine and brigade arrived. A
good supply of water was obtained from the pit dam, and
the fire was extinguished within half-an-hour. Not only
the main portion of the headgear was saved, but also the
adjacent engine-house and other buildings.

At a meeting of the Yorkshire branch of the National
Association of Colliery Managers, held at Wakefield, on
Saturday, Mr. Frank H. Waterhouse, of Denby Grange
Collieries, the new branch president, delivered his inaugural
address. Mr. Waterhouse thought colliery managers as a
body were firmly convinced that it was time the Govern-
ment called “ Halt"" with regard to legislation for mining.
He considered that a fair amount of credit for the reduction
of accidents during the last few years was due to the high
standard set up by colliery managers themselves. For
years he had held the view that something should be done
with respect to the education of persons working under-
ground. Some good might be done if the county councils
would provide lectures with lantern views, showing how
different kinds of roof broke with weight, the danger of pot
holes and slips, and how serious accidents did occur in spite of
the best plan of systematic timbering. He ad vocated improved
lighting of mines. The Minimum Wage Act was causing
the introduction of more machinery into mines to do the
hardest part of the work. One good feature of machine
coalcutting was that it enabled the management to have a
system of clearing the coal away from the face, by which all
machine colliers had an equal opportunity of earning good
wages. Mr. James Elce (Silverwood), the retiring presi-
dent, delivered a short valedictory address. It was
announced that the ballot for members of the council had
resulted in the election of Messrs. J. J. Eley, S. Gill, T.
Beach, G. H. Barraclough, R. Watkins, P. Darlington,
Jonathan Wroe, and S. R. Chadwick, in addition to whom
the past presidents are ex-officio members. Mr. J. Re
Wilkinson has been re-elected secretary and treasurer; Mr.
James Elce representative to the Sheffield University
Mining Committee; and Mr. John Gill representative to
the Leeds University Mining Committee.

A Fuel, Light and Power Exhibition will be held at
the City Exhibition Hall, Sheffield, from October 24 to
November 15 inclusive, under the auspices of the Sheffield
Health Association and the Sheffield Smoke Abatement
Society.

Mr. Robert Mackay, manager of Loanend Colliery, Cam-
buslang, was presented with various articles on his appoint
ment as manager of Tannochside Colliery, Uddingston.

The Harton Coal Company, South Shields, the owners of
four large collieries in the- South Shields district, have
acquired a considerable portion of land at East Boldon,
including the racecourse at Boldon Flats, and it is under-
stood that there will be no more racing at that place. It is
not the intention of the company, however, to sink a shaft
at East Boldon.

A movement i« on foot at Doncaster to erect a memorial
in the parish church to the late Mr. W. H. Pickering (his
Majesty’s chief inspector of mines for the Yorkshire and
North Midland District), who lost his life in the Cadeby
Colliery explosion last July. It is hoped to accomplish this
before the year for which Mr. Pickering was elected warden
of the church expires.

Mr. Miles B. Arnold, inspector of the Local Government
Board, held an enquiry in Doncaster, last week, into a
proposal to borrow .£5,282 for alterations and additions to
the Doncaster and Mexbro" Joint Infectious Hospital at
Conisbro, the alterations being required by the largely
increased mining population.

The following is the text of the Duchy of Lancaster
(Mining Leases) Bill, introduced by Mr. Hobhouse;—
1.— (1) The Chancellor and Council of the Duchy of
Lancaster shall, without prejudice to any other powers,
have power to grant mining leases for a term of years not
exceeding 99 years, notwithstanding anything in the Crown
Lan is Act, 1702, or any other Act. (2) The expression
“ mining lease "" has the same meaning as in the Settled
Land Act, 1882. 2. This Act may be cited as the Duchy of
Lancaster (Mining Leases) Act, 1913.

Mr. J. Cocks, recently appointed manager at the Cadeby
Collieries, Denaby Main, Rotherham, was on Saturday
night, at the Miners" .Hall, Madeley, Shropshire, presented
with a cabinet of cutlery by the officials and workmen of
the Madeley Wood Company, Madeley, Shropshire, with
whom he has been associated over six years.

Addressing a gathering of New Hucknall workmen on
Saturday night the general manager, Mr. Muschamp, made
interesting references to the new colliery, Welbeck, that the
company are sinking. He said that it would have one of
the biggest outputs in the world. Two shafts of 20 ft. in
diameter would be able to yield 420 tons per hour. The
winding machinery would be of the very latest type. With
regard to power, electricity would be used for lighting only.
The whole of the auxiliary machinery would be driven by
the exhaust steam from the winding engines, which would
be employed to drive a turbo-compressor plant. It was
hoped to get coal within 12 months.

At a meeting of Staffordshire Iron and Steel Institute,
held at the institute, Dudley, on Saturday, under the presi-
dency of Mr. Isaac Lester, a paper was read by Mr. David
E. Roberts on “ The Latest Developments of the Roe
Puddling Furnaces.""

It is announced that trustees for the first mortgage
debenture stock of Tannett, Walker and Co. Limited, of
Hunslet, Leeds, have appointed a receiver of the works and
property of the company, in Mr. J. W. Close, chartered
accountant, of Leeds. The firm of Tannett, Walker and Co.
is one of the best-known engineering firms in Leeds, and
has long been noted for the construction of hoisting
machinery. The authorised capital of the company is
£350,000 in £10 shares, £50,000 of these being 5 per cent,
cumulative preference shares and the rest ordinary shares.

On the 4th inst., on "Change, Lord Joicey was presented
with his portrait (by Mr. James Lavery)to mark his business
jubilee on Newcastle Quayside. Sir William Stephenson
presided over a very large assembly, and the portrait was
presented by Mr. Thomas Bell.

In connection with the recent agitation by shipowners
and traders in Grangemouth for more railway wagons and
better facilities for dealing with emergencies at Grange-
mouth Docks, Messrs. J. T. Salvesen and Co. have now
received a communication from the general manager of the
Caledonian Railway Company, stating that the company
have recognised that reasonable facilities should be given
in the matter of wagon supply, and that during the last
18 months they have placed orders for wagons to the value
of £300,000. Special arrangements have also been made,
by the appointment of an additional staff, to direct supply 1
of wagons at Grangemouth, and the directors of the railway i
company have decided and authorised that 11 additional -
cranes shall be installed at the dock.	j

The annual general meeting of the Scottish branch of the i
National Association of Colliery Managers was held in the <
Heriot-Watt College, Edinburgh, on Saturday evening— 1
Mr. Charles C. Reid, Cowdenbeath branch (president), in j
the chair. Discussion was resumed on the paper read at j
the last meeting of the branch by Mr. David Beveridge, i
Kelty, on “ Some Notes on Supporting Underground Road- 1
ways, with Special Reference to Steel Arches."" Mr. James j
Hendrie also submitted a paper, in which he dealt with j
some experiences of gob fires in the Fife coalfield.	i

COAL, IRON AND ENGINEERING COMPANIES.

Anglo-Bohemian Industry Limited.—This company has
been registered, with a capital of £200,000 in £1 shares, to
acquire and take over as going concerns all the property
and interests in the businesses (1) carried on by Josef
Geller von Kuehlwetter, in partnership with Comte de
Merveldt, and (2) carried on by the said Josef Geller von
Kuehlwetter, in partnership with Johann Hanrieder, as
proprietors of the industrial undertaking known as Triumph,
as well as various other properties and concessions relating
to the said business, to acquire any coal-bearing lands in
Bohemia or elsewhere, and to carry on the business of iron-
masters, steelmakers and converters, colliery proprietors,
miners, smelters, engineers, founders, &c. Minimum cash
subscription, seven shares. First directors, Lord Teynham,
30, Lowndes-street, S.W.; Sir W. F. Haynes-Smith,
K C.M.G., 26, Chester-terrace, Regent’s Park; Max Baron
de Wendland, Bernreid Castle, Bavaria; and F. F. von
Hildprandt, Blatua, Bohmen; and J. G. von Kuehlwetter.

Armstrong (Sir W. G.), Whitworth and Co. Limited.—
The annual report states that alter deducting depreciation
and adding £201,573 brought forward, there is a balance of
£877.099, which is reduced to £777,100 by the transfer of
£100,000 to general reserve. It is proposed to declare on
the ordinary shares a dividend of 2s. 6d. per share, free of
tax, of which Is. per share has been already paid as interim
dividend. This dividend, together with the payment on
the preference shares, will absorb £141,250, leaving a
balance of £335,850 to be carried forward. The directors
have had under consideration the question of capitalising a
portion of the amount standing to the credit of the reserve
accounts, and have decided that this should be done by
issuing to the ordinary shareholders 802,500 ordinary shares
of £1 each (to rank for dividend from January 1, 1913), to
be issued as fully paid up, and to be distributed in the
proportion of one new share to every four old shares. In
view of the large expenditure incurred upon the shipyard