May 2, 1913. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 915 ORE AND STONE MINING. By Sir C.Le Neve Foster, D.Sc.,F.R.S’ Seventh Edition, Revised by Prof. S. H. Cox, A.E.S.M. 28s. net- THE ELEMENTS OF MINING AND QUARRYING. By Sir C. Le Neve Foster, D.Sc. Revised by Prof. S. H. Cox. Second Edition. 7s. 6d. net. METHODS OF AIR ANALYSIS. By J. S. Haldane, M.D., LL.D. In Crown 8vo. 5s. net. THE AIR OF MINES. By Prof. J. Cadman and J. S. Haldane, M.D., LL.D. A TEXT-BOOK OF COAL-MINING. By H. W. Hughes, F.G.S., Fifth Edition. Revised and Enlarged. 24s.net. ELEMENTARY COAL-MINING. By George L. Kerr, M.E. Third Edition, Revised. 3s. 6d. THEODOLITE SURVEYING AND LEVELLING. By Prof. James Park, F.G.S. Illustrated. Second Edition. 7s. 6d. net. THE EFFECTS OF ERRORS IN SURVEYING. By Hi. Briggs. 5s. net. MINING GEOLOGY. By James Park, F.G.S., M.Inst.M.M. Third Edition. 6s. net. MINING LAW OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE. By Charles J. Alford, F.G.S. Cloth. 8s. 6d. net. LONDON: CHARLES GRIFFIN & CO. LTD., Exeter St., Strand. TUBES & FITTINGS. IRON AND STEEL Tubes for Gas, Water, Steam, and Compressed Air. Electric Tramway Poles, Pit Props, High Pressure Steam Mains, Ac. JOHN SPENCER LTD., Globe Tube Works, Wmdnesbuby. J. W. BAIRD AND COMPANY PITWOOD IMPORTERS, WEST HARTLEPOOL, TIARLY CONTRACTS KNTBRBD INTO WITH COL GFRRTTC® OSBECK & COMPANY LIMITED, PIT-TIMBER MERCHANTS, NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE. SUPPLY ALL KINDS OF COLLIERY TIMBER Tklsgrams—** Osbhcks, Nkwoastljb-on-Tynb.” ______________________________________ *** For other Miscellaneous Advertisements see Last Whitt Page. Forthcoming Annual Meetings. _______ International Geological Congress— August 21, 1913 (Toronto) North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers __________________ August 2, 1913 Manchester Geological and Mining Society— October 14, 1913 Institution of Mining Engineers— June 5 & 6, 1913 (London) Sept. 24, 25 & 26, 1913 (Manchester) Midland Institute of Mining, Civil and Mechanical Engineers __________________ July 20, 1913 Midland Counties Institution of Engineers, Sept. 1913 South Staffordshire and Warwickshire Institute of Mining Engineers_____________October 20, 1913 ___________________________________ W Colliery tardio. LONDON, FRIDAY. MAY 2, 1913. _________________ On Monday at a meeting of the wages com- mittee of the South Wales Miners’ Federation it was decided to ask for an advance of 2| per cent., bringing the general wage rate up to the maximum of 60 percent, above the 1879 standard. A special meeting of the Conciliation Board has been fixed for Thursday, May 8, in order to consider the matter. A much larger representation in Parliament is being aimed at by the Miners’ Federation, it is understood, and the various mining districts are being advised to choose their candidates and strengthen their organisation so as to be fully prepared. At the last General Election the miners had 21 candidates, and in the January election in the same year 26. Now it is pro- posed to run 42 candidates, the distribution being understood to be as follows : Yorkshire 9, Wales 8, Midlands 8, Northumberland and Durham 6, Scotland 5, Lancashire and Cheshire 6. ( Tuesday, May 27 has been fixed for the meeting of Northumberland coalowners with representatives of the Miners’ Federation and of the Northumberland Miners’ Association for a final conference on the three-shift system. South Wales miners’ notices in connection with the campaign against non-unionism expired on Wednesday, but in consequence of a vigorous propaganda the expectation was that very few collieries would not resume work after May Day, which, with the consent of the coalowners, was devoted to the annual demonstration of the Federation. At a conference of local authorities at New- castle this week, an interesting discussion on the housing conditions in the mining districts of the North of England took place. Some important evidence has been tendered this week at the enquiry by the House of Lords Committee into the Bill of the Cardiff Railway Company, by which it is sought to raise the company’s maximum dock dues. At a meeting of the Manchester Geological and Mining Society, on Tuesday next, a paper on the coalfields of China will be under discussion. On Monday, the members of the North Staffordshire Institute visited the up-to-date Birchenwood Colliery, which was last week visited by the King and Queen. A description of the plant appears in this issue. A meeting of the South Wales Institute of Engineers was held at Swansea on Tuesday, when matters relating to the tin-plate industry were discussed. The Ghent International Exhibition was opened on Saturday. At present it is far from complete. Four sinkers lost their lives and three were injured at the Britannia Pit, Gilfach Goch, near Cardiff, on Sunday night, owing to the collapse of the shaft side. The joint conference of the Mining Association and Miners’ Federation on the draft General Regulations will be resumed on May 21. It is stated that a 6 ft. seam has been struck at Ketham, near Newark. The Great Western Colliery Company have reached coal in their new pit at Llantwit Vardre. A Bill, promoted by the Smoke Abatement League, has been introduced into the House of Commons by Mr. Gordon Harvey. The purpose of the Bill is to deal with industrial smoke, and it proposes that exemptions may be granted from the penal conditions which it imposes to metal- lurgical and pottery works. Last week the Royal Commission on Housing in Scotland visited various mining centres in Fife and inspected the housing conditions. The 20th annual festival dinner of the Coal Trade Benevolent Association was held in the^ ____j_________ _______r___ ____ Hotel Cecil, London, on Monday, the Earl of nisation is non-political in character, and is Durham (president) occupying the chair. under the presidency of Earl Fitzwilliam with The Court of Appeal on Tuesday reserved a powerful and influential list of vice-presidents judgment in the two revenue appeals which (to support him. between them raised the whole question as to! It is sincerely to be hoped that the efforts of the way in which the mineral rights duty and the association may be successful in checking the super-tax should be assessed. These were the insidious attempt at the disintegration of the the appeals of the Crown in the cases of the’system upon which England’s prosperity has Duke of Beaufort and the Marquis of Anglesey. (been built. __________________________ Two men were killed in an explosion which ~ occurred at the Holbrook Colliery on Sunday | The London coal trade for the past week has been very night. I slow for all household qualities, but orders in hand have The 44th annual meeting of the Iron and! kePt collierie8 busy- Stock« ”« stiU low at tbe dePofcs- i i t i • i , i . , . . - I The summer-like weather has considerably lessened the Steel Institute was opened yesterday at thelpnWie order8 Mannfaoturing qualitiea are fairly strong, Institution of Mechanical Engineers, under the^a tbe shipping demand is fully maintained. Prices are presidency of Mr. Arthur Cooper. The Bessemer • unchanged, but the firm attitude of the past few weeks is medal was presented to Mr. Adolphe Greiner J slowly Siving w*y- The settlement of the lowest summer and a selection of papers was discussed. In the j Busine88 afc Newoastle ig brisk> and prioeB have advanoed. evening, the annual dinner of the institute was The Durham coal trade is quietly steady, but customers held at the Hotel Cecil. I seem to be disinclined to book far ahead. We greatly regret to announce the death of I The demand for Lancashire house coal has eased some- ir T , It i i p . i what, but the call in other directions is amply sustained. Mr. John Knowles, general manager or the; , ’ . v , .. . . , . ~ . ’ & & | In West Yorkshire the output has been affected by collieries of Messrs. Pearson and Knowles Coal absenteeism, and the market is very firm all round. and Iron Company, which occurred late on Wednesday night at Ince, near Wigan, at the age of 57. ________________________ Fables are the embodiment of Mineral knowledge of human nature, and Rents. as such are true for all time. They are, therefore, both reminiscent and prophetic. The second annual general report of the Mineral Owners’ Association of Great Britain recalls to mind in a pathetic way the ancient fable of the goose that laid the golden egg. Whatever views may be expressed as to the absolute right of the individual to property in land, and allowing that on occasion the exercise of such right may have been abused, no student of history can fail to see that the prosperity of this country has been intimately associated with the stability of landed interest. The prosperity of the landlord normally is the index of the prosperity of his tenants, and one of the functions of the former is to regulate and steady industry. In the fable, the periodical laying of a golden egg led avaricious people to the belief that the goose was a potential goldmine, and the poor bird was seized and slain, with disappointing result. Exactly the same tendency is showing itself at the present time in regard to land, and the campaign has been extended beyond the land itself, to the minerals beneath it. The effect and practical operation of our system of mineral ownership was very thoroughly investigated some years ago by the Royal Commission on Mining Royalties, 1890-1893, and much valuable infor- mation is contained in the evidence and reports. The conclusions of the Commission seem to point to satisfaction, generally, in the existing state of affairs, and that any drastic change was unnecessary and to be avoided. Our system has grown up with the country, and can certainly compare favourably with State ownership of minerals, where that exists. One of the principal witnesses, Dr. R. W. Raymond * gave it as his opinion : “ I have been accustomed to say at home over and over again that it would be better for the United States to-morrow to give up all its mineral land and deliberately convey it to individuals for nothing, in order to have somebody own it instead of the Government.” The Mineral Owners’ Association of Great Britain is the direct result of this raid, which has for its object the attainment by taxation of that which it was difficult to secure by a more direct attack. The association has done good work, as may be seen by reference to the report. The orga- ! There is a strong export demand in South Yorkshire, and manufacturing fuel is in excellent request. Coke is still sluggish. House coal is fairly well maintained. j Derbyshire house coal is quietly steady. Fuel for manu- facturing purposes is in pressing demand. At Cardiff, the output is well sold ahead, and the collieries are unable to entertain a great proportion of the business offering. Monmouthshire coals have lost strength to a slight extent. Coke continues quiet. The Scottish coal trade continues active in all branches. | * Formerly president of the American Institute of Mining Engineers and Government Commissioner of Mines and Mining in the States and Territories in and to the west of the Rocky Mountains.