April 25, 1913.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

865

LABOUR AND WAGES.

North of England.

A reply has been received from the Northumberland
Coalowners’ Association agreeing to a meeting with
the representatives of the Northumberland Miners’
Association and of the Miners’ Federation of Great
Britain upon the question of the abolition of the three-
shift system. A date has not yet been fixed, and it is
subject to an arrangement being made with representa-
tives of the Federation.

The workmen of Chop well Colliery, numbering close
upon 2,000, are reported to have given notice to their
lodge secretary that they will cease work. The dispute
has arisen because of the alleged treatment of men who
are not able to earn the minimum wage. The question
of offtakes has also been a factor. Among other off-
takes have been charges for electric light, water and
coal leading, and the men hold that when they are
incapacitated from work by sickness, and have no pay-
ments to draw at the office, the payment for coal
leading should not be mad,e, and that the mdn should be
given the opportunity to pay arrears of light and water
by instalments.

Representatives of the Northumberland Miners’
Association met the coalowners of the county at the
Coal Trade Offices, Newcastle, on Saturday, Mr. Tom
Taylor presiding, to discuss two questions remitted from
the last meeting of the miners’ council, namely, that
men getting coal by machines be paid a basis wage of
5s. 8d. per shift, and that the working hours for surface
workers be limited to eight hours per day, and that a
minimum wage for this class of workmen be recognised.
The requests were discussed at length. The employers
will acquaint the men’s union with their decision at an
early date. The committee convened to consider the
question of the sliding scale postponed its sitting until
May 7. Mr. Taylor at the meeting expressed the deep
regret felt by the owners at the pending retirement of
Mr. Thomas Burt, M.P., from the general secretaryship
of the men’s association, and hoped, for the benefit of
both sides, that some arrangement would be come to
whereby Mr. Burt would continue to lend his counsel
at such conferences. Mr. Straker, corresponding secre-
tary of the men’s association, added his tribute to
Mr. Burt’s valuable qualities, and said Mr. Burt would
not sever his connection with the association as long as
he lived. The management committee, he added, rather
resented suggestions from the newspapers that Mr.
Burt’s retirement should be marked by some tangible
appreciation from the men. The management committee
had not lost sight of the desirability of that being done.
Mr. Burt said he should always take the keenest interest
in all matters affecting the two sides, and he trusted
that pleasant relations between them would continue.

A new phase of the medical difficulty at Northumber-
land collieries has now developed in regard to the recent
agreements on the question of fees, under which several
of the doctors agreed to accept 6d. per fortnight instead
of 9d. In some cases the miners’ secretaries have
received communications in which the doctors repudiate
the agreement, their explanation being that the British
Medical Association has pressed them to do so. Special
meetings of the men are being convened to consider the
situation.

The Conciliation Board for the Federated Districts
of England and North Wales having advanced wages in
its area, the wages of the underground workers in the
Cumberland collieries will be advanced under the agree-
ment by 5 per cent., and the surfacemen by 3J per cent,
from April 28.

The Cumberland Miners’ Association executive, at
Workington, on Friday, reaffirmed their resolution that
the surfacemen members of the National Amalgamated
Union of Labour, who are out on strike at the Cumber-
land collieries, shall not be allowed to resume work
unless they join the Miners’ Association. The men at
four collieries have already complied with this condition,
but 120 at Lowca and Clifton pits still remain faithful
to the National Amalgamated Union, and are still
unemployed.

At a joint meeting of Cumberland brickworks owners
and workers on Wednesday, at the St. Helens Coal
Offices, Workington, Mr. Lloyd Wilson presiding, it
was decided to establish a Conciliation Board to regulate
wages, conditions of labour, &c., in the brickworks
trade. Rules, &c., were drafted, one of these providing
that the brickworkers under the Board shall be members
of the Cumberland Miners’ Association. Mr. Lloyd
Wilson was appointed president, Mr. J. Scott, Camerton,
vice-president, and Messrs. J. P. Douglas and T. Cape,
miners’ agents, joint secretaries. It was unanimously
decided that Mr. G. A. L. Skerry, magistrate’s clerk at
Workington and coroner for the Egremont division, be
asked to act as neutral chairman. Mr. Cape presented

a claim on behalf of the workers for an advance of
wages, and this will be considered at a meeting of the
Board, which will be held within 10 days.

Federated Area.

A special meeting of the Cannock Chase Miners’
Association was held on Friday night at Hednesford.
Mr. Albert Stanley, M.P., reported that a sub-committee
of coalowners’ and workmen’s representatives had met
and discussed the proposal for the provision of a price
list. No rates had been suggested on either side. The
workmen’s representatives ’had been requested by the
employers to send a definition of what they considered
an abnormal place and the special difficulties for which
definite payment should be given. The workmen’s
representatives had done this, and the owners had
promised to consider it at their next meeting. It was
hoped that a further joint meeting would then be
arranged. The meeting resolved that a deputation from
the Cannock Chase committee should meet representa-
tives from the Pelsall committee and try to arrange
some plan for keeping the membership of the two
associations intact, so that similar friction or stoppages
as occurred recently should be avoided. The question
of holding a labour demonstration was discussed, and
it was decided to hold a great demonstration at Heath
Hayes in June.

Another conference between coalmasters and colliery
enginemen relative to working conditions took place on
Monday evening at the Priory Offices, Dudley. The
men are asking for an eight hours day, with a minimum
wage of 6s. 3d. for enginemen, and a rise of 6d. a day for
stokers. The conference lasted for 3J hours without
any settlement being arrived at. Various proposals
were made, and the conference was adjourned till
May 1, the employers’ and workmen’s associations to be
consulted in the meantime.

The council of the Yorkshire Miners’ Association met
at Barnsley on Monday. Mr. J. Wadsworth, M.P., the
general secretary, said the question of non-union men
had been dealt with as a county question, and unless
something was done at some of the collieries the proba-
bilities were in favour of a general county strike being
declared. It was decided that a ballot should be taken
of the men to ascertain whether they were prepared to
enter upon a county stoppage to settle the question. In
regard to the Lofthouse Colliery, Mr. Wadsworth said
a stoppage had occurred because the colliery company
refused to pay Id. per ton more to the men. Now there
was a lot of trouble in regard to the employment of non-
union men. There were also allegations that men were
compelled to sign out of the Minimum Wage Act, and
there were other 'alleged grievances. The men at the
Garforth No. 1 Colliery were given permission to tender
14 days’ notice to cease work unless a man who was an
alleged victim was reinstated. Applications for power
to take a ballot on that same question at the Garforth
No. 2 Shawcross (Dewsbury) and Castleford collieries
were sent before the districts to be voted upon.

His Honour Judge Mellor, K.C., has accepted the
invitation to become the chairman of the Lancashire
and Cheshire Joint Board in succession to the late
Judge Bradbury.

It was announced on Monday that a considerable
number of non-unionists employed at the Abram
Colliery Company’s pits in South Lancashire had now
joined the union, and it is confidently expected that the
threatened strike (14 days’ notices to cease contracts
were tendered on Saturday, April 18) will be averted.

Scotland.

A meeting of the Scottish coal trade Conciliation
Board was held on Monday in the North British Station
Hotel, Glasgow, for the purpose of considering the new
agreement which it is proposed to draw up for the
regulation of miners’ wages in Scotland. Mr. Adam
Nimmo presided. The matter was further considered,
but no decision was come to, and the Board adjourned,
to meet again on May 5.

A meeting of the executive committee of the Lanark-
shire Miners’ Union was held in Glasgow on Saturday.
A report was submitted as to a dispute at Nacherty,
Uddingston, in connection with deductions. The
matter, which it was stated, may lead to serious
developments, was continued meantime. A dispute in
connection with drawing arrangements was reported to
have occurred at Brochnie, Airdrie, and the agent was
empowered to stop a section of the colliery.

The executive of the Scottish Miners’ Federation met
on the 18th inst. in Glasgow. It was reported that in
most of the districts joint county committees of medical
and miners’ representatives had already been formed, and
that it was only on one or two points of national interest
with regard to which there was any difference of opinion.
It was agreed to request the doctors in mining districts
to meet again with the Scottish Miners’ Federation in

joint conference to settle outstanding points of national
importance.

The monthly meeting of the executive board of the
Fife and Kinross Miners’ Association, was held last
week. In connection with the gala, it was reported that
the coalowners had at the majority of the collieries in
the county been endeavouring to take a vote of the
miners on the question of abolishing the annual celebra-
tions, on the ground, it is believed, that the eight hours
day is established by statutory enactment and that the
occasion was made a prolonged holiday, and not one of
a day only. The executive expressed its strong
disapproval of the coalowners’ tactics, and agreed to
impress upon the members the desirability of refusing
to recognise any such vote. It was agreed that the
question of colliery firemen’s wages and hours of labour
should be discussed with the coalowners in the counties
at a meeting which in all probability will be held
shortly.

Iron, Steel, and Engineering Trades.

After a series of meetings between the joint com-
mittee of the Cleveland and Durham Blastfurnacemen’s
and Cokemen’s Association and the Ironmasters’
Association, it has been arranged that a shift and
a-quarter will be allowed for Sunday work at the blast
furnaces of the district. This is equal to an advance of
wages at the rate of 3| per cent., and about 5,000 men
are benefited. In granting this concession at the request
of the men, the ironmasters asked that the men should
work at least 48 hours in the long turn week, and they
also wanted power to reintroduce fines on the morning
shift. After discussion, the claim to reimpose fines was
withdrawn, and the men’s representatives agreed to the
48 hours condition. It was pointed out that the masters
suffered considerable loss through the holding of the
triennial demonstration by the men, and the union
representatives agreed to discontinue the demonstra-
tions."^ The higher rate of pay became operative on
Monday.

THE TIH-PLATE TRADE.

Liverpool.

The general position has improved a little during the last -
few days, buyers showing more disposition to cover their
requirements over the next three or four months. Stocks
have been considerably reduced, and works are not inclined
to go on making plates unless at an advance. Prices,,
however, are still well below cost of manufacture (so makers
assure us). Quotations for approved specifications and
early shipment may be called:—Coke tins, I C 14 x 20
(112 sh. 108 lb.), 14s. l|d. to 14s. 3d. per box; IC 28 x 20
(56 sh. 108 lb.), 14s. 6d. to 14s. 9d. per box; IC28 x 20’
(112 sh. 216 lb.), 28s. 3d. to 28s. 6d. per box; I C 14 x 19$
(120 sh. 110 lb.), 14s. 6d. per box; I C 14 x 18f (124 sh.
1101b.), 14s. 6d. per box; I C 20 x 10 (225 sh. 156 1b.),
20s. 3d. to 20s. 6d. per box; I C squares and odd sizes,.
14s. 6d. basis. Charcoal tins are firm at 17s. basis and
upwards according to tinning. Coke wasters are in fair
demand. Quotations:—C W 14 x 20, 13s. to 13s. l|d. per
box; C W 28 x 20,25s. 9d. fo 26s. per box ; C W 14 x 18|, .
12s. 9d. per box; C W 20 x 10, 18s. 6d. per box—all f.o.b.
Wales, less 4 per cent.

THE BY-PRODUCTS TRADE.

Tar Products.—The market is steady, though rather
quiet. There is really little or no change in prices, while
the general tone remains much about what is to be expected
at this time of the year. Benzols and pitch continue to-

hold firm. Nearest values are:—

Benzols, 90’s ..................................... 1/

Do. 50’s ...................................... /10|

Do. 90’s North.............................. /Il to /11|

Do.	50’s North............................ /10

Toluol..................................’..... /104

Carbolic acid, crude (60 per cent.) .......... l/o| to 1/6

Do. crystals (40 per cent.)..................... /5|

Solvent naphtha (as in quality and package) ...	1 /0j

Crude ditto (in bulk) ............................ /5|

Creosote (for ordinary qualities) ................ /3±

Pitch (f.o.b. east coast) .................... 49/6 to 50/

Do. (f.a.s. west coast) ...................... 48/ to 49/

Do. (f.o.b. gas companies) .................... 51/

[Benvols, toluol, creosote, solvent naphtha, carbolic acidf,,
usually casks included unless otherwise stated, free on rails at
makers’ works or usual United Kingdom ports, net. Pitch
f.o.b. net.]

Sulphate of Ammonia.—Prices generally are certainly on
the easier side, but more or less in a nominal way, especially
as regards forward delivery. In the face of the demand
and supplies it is not quite clear why there should be any
material decline, except in the case of isolated forced sale?,,
which are not really indicative of the market as a whole.

Closing prompt prices are:—

London (ordinary makes)........ ...... £13/2/6	to £13/5/

Beckton (March-April)................ £13/15/

Liverpool............................ £13/17/6

Hull ................................... JE13/16/3

Middlesbrough ....................... £13/13/9	to £13/15

Scotch ports......................... .£14 to £14/2/6

Nitrate of soda (ordinary) per cwt. ...	ll/10|

[Sulphate of ammonia, f.o.b. in bags, less 2| per cent, dis-
count; 24 per cent, ammonia, good grey quality; allowance'
for refraction, nothing for eacess.]