June 13, 1913. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 1297 ■IHIHG AND OTHER ROTES. F Mining prospects are much brighter in the Haltwhistle district than they have been for some time. At Plenmeller a seam of coal 2 ft. 4 in. has been discovered at a depth of 133 fathoms. There are still about 30 fathoms to sink before the coal is reached, and it is anticipated that it will take six months before the shafts are complete. The colliery is situated on the Unthank estate, the royalty of which is an extensive one. Thirl wall Colliery, near Green- head, which was closed about three years ago owing to the men going on strike on account of a wages dispute, has been restarted, the new owners being the Thirlwall Coal Company Limited, with offices in Newcastle. Prof. William S. Boulton, B.Sc., Assoc.R.C.S., has been appointed by the council of Birmingham University to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Dr. Charles Lapworth as professor of geology. Prof. Boulton, who was educated at Birmingham, went to Cardiff in 1897 as lecturer in geology and geography, and in 1894 was appointed to the chair of geology in the University College, Cardiff. He is at present dean of the Faculty of Science, and has also acted as deputy-principal. The will has now been proved of the Right Hon. Godfrey Charles, first Viscount and second Baron Tredegar, of Tredegar Park, Newport, who died on March 11 last, age 81 years. He left property valued for probate at £446,277 17s. gross, with net personalty -8399,684 10s. This is presumably the value of the unsettled estate. Under the auspices of the Northern Under-managers and Colliery Officials’ Mutual Aid Association, a lecture on “ Ventilation in Mines” was delivered by Prof. Louis, of Armstrong College, Newcastle, before a large audience in the Lecture Theatre, Wood Memorial Hall, Newcastle, on Saturday evening. About 4 o’clock on Sunday afternoon flames were observed coming from the winding engine house of Messrs. Bitson’s Colliery, Annfield Plain. There was no one in the engine house at the time, the engineman having left about midday* when all was apparently secure. Local colliery officials, with police officers and a number of workmen, were soon on the spot and the flames were subdued within three-quarters of an hour of the discovery of the outbreak, there being a plentiful supply of water from the pipes of the Consett Water Company. The damage was comparatively small. It is understood that the Egyptian Public Works Depart- ment has, from among a list of tenders submitted by several leading British, French, German and Belgian structural engineers, awarded the contract for the strengthening and renewal of the Kasr-el-Nil Bridge to the Cleveland Bridge and Engineering Company Limited. The finances of the Northumberland and Durham Miners* Permanent Relief Fund were described at the annual meeting held in Newcastle as being “in a state of jeopardy.” Mr. Thomas Neville, who presided, said the present position was, to a large extent, due to the coal strike and to changes they had made in the rules with a view to giving greater benefits to their unfortunate fellows who required from time to time the benefits of the society. They were rather lavish, and while they extended the benefits they did not take care to proportionately increase the assets to meet the liabilities. Three months ago they had a report placed before them showing the position of affairs, and he hoped that in the meantime they would have considered this, and that they would now be prepared for an alteration in the rules, so that something might be done to relieve the present position. Lord Joicey was re-elected president. The neighbourhood of Leigh bids fair to develop into the most important coalmining centre in Lancashire in the near future. Developments on an extensive scale, in the shape of opening new collieries and the tapping of many new seams, are being carried out by Messrs. J. Speakman and Sons, Pilkington Colliery Company, Astley and Tyldesley Coal Company Limited, Messrs. Ackers, Whitley and Co., Westleigh Colliery Company, and the Tyldesley Coal Company Limited, and it is now reported that a powerful Wigan firm propose sinking new pits in the vicinity of the destructor works at Leigh. The architectural inspector of the Local Government Board states, in regard to the model village to be erected on the estate of Comrie Castle, Fife, consisting in the first instance of 390 dwelling houses, that if only colliery com- panies would insist that their tenants are not to sublet rooms to other families, as the Coltness Company are to insist at Comrie Castle, a great part of the housing evils in mining villages would be remedied. The site is declared to be most beautiful, and the ground extends to 34 acres, giving 12 houses to the acre. At a well attended meeting held at the Hull Coal Exchange recently, a branch of the Coal Trade Benevolent Fund was successfully launched. On the proposition of Mr. E. J. Adderley (the new president of the Humber Coal Exporters and Shippers’ Association), Mr. W. T. Marshall, one of Hull’s most respected colliery agents, was unanimously appointed the first president, and Mr. M. Regan was elected the first secretary. A strong committee was also appointed, viz., Messrs. E. J. Adderley, W. Bell, W. C. Bradley, W. H. Dearden, J. H. Hargreaves, G. W. A. Lutze, R. R. Mundell, R. Moorby, A. Milner, E. O. Ohlsen, R. Stonehouse, and R. E. Williams. As a result of the preliminary canvass, it was announced £422 13s. had already been subscribed. COAL AND COKE EXPORTED FROM PORTS 1H ENGLAND. SCOTLAND AND WALES During the month of May 1913, compared with the corresponding month of 1912.* Port. May 1913. May 1912. Coals. Coke. Coals. Coke. Coals. Coke. Increase. Decrease. Increase. Decrease. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Newcastle 884.872 21,939 936,219 14,486 — 51,347 7,453 — North Shields 76,954 302 73,006 441 3,948 — — 139 South Shields 132,714 603 171,796 790 — 39,082 187 Sunderland 257,493 2,529 296,277 1,222 38,784 1,307 — West Hartlepool 107,749 1,273 128,345 781 — 20,596 492 — Goole 88,573 1,358 100,362 1,124 —. 11,789 234 — Blyth 346,749 50 353,015 728 6,266 — 678 Newport 335,9'5 786 325,441 1,475 10,514 — — 689 Liverpool 35,267 1,126 35,859 602 — 592 524 — Methil 233,051 625 181,881 138 51,170 487 — Glasgow 179,654 2,396 173,676 6,334 5,978 — — 3,93S Kirkcaldy 8,213 — 10,417 — — 2,204 • — Burntisland 175,000 256 171,009 170 3,991 — 86 Cardiff 1,417,372 7,605 1,764,404 2,228 — 347,032 5,377 — Borrowstoness 57,682 44 59,443 743 — 1,761 — 699- Llanelly 21,772 — 17,495 — 4,277 — — — Middlesbrough 448 1,414 5,364 1,624 — 4,916 — — Seaham 76,763 84,498 175 — 7,735 175- Swansea 293,759 1,681 242,627 1,532 51,132 — 149 — Granton 4,074 1,037 6,014 498 — 1,940 539 — Port Talbot 160,744 — 145,705 107 15,039 — 107 Alloa 15,483 — 17,843 — — 2,360 — — Grangemouth 141,010 9,655 145,827 6,705 — 4,817 2,950 — fNeath 14,723 — 9,808 — 4,915 — — — Hull 381,593 2,102 344,181 400 37,412 —- 1,702 — Amble ' 48,874 — 49,022 — — 148 — — Troon 6,488 4,303 — 2,185 — — Grimsby 82,156 39 134,161 — — 52,005 39 —- Ayr 13,161 — 3,872 — 9,289 — — — Greenock 2,126 — — — 2,126 — — — Leith 140,347 — 141,585 — — 1,238 — — Ardrossan 6,018 — 8,419 — — 2,401 — — Stockton — — — — — — — — COAL AND COKE SHIPPED FOR LONDON AND OTHER PORTS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.* Port. May 1912. May 1913. Port. May 1912. May 1913. Coals. Coke. Coals. Coke. Coals. | Coke. Coals. Coke. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Newcastle 394,892 755 381,674 354 Ayr 87,530 — 60,552 — North Shields ... — — Irvine 12,590 9,284 South Shields ... 5,435 — 1,680 — Alloa 5,986 — 2,465 Blyth 19,355 — 22,670 — Whitehaven 27,991 — 22,667 — Amble 9,857 —- 4,290 Liverpool 156.803 —. 176,723 360 Sunderland 137,391 — 132,350 Grimsby 5',824 — 5,153 — Seaham 99,046 —- 93,733 — Granton 23,490 20,890 — Hartlepool 48,627 — 57,855 — Borrowstoness .. 14,290 17,733 — Stockton —. — 20 Burntisland 49,485 — 16,522 — Middlesbro’ 142 . 320 165 90 Kirkcaldy 3,380 2 7,046 — Hull 87,730 — 100,234 — Methil 20,010 — 36,500 — Goole 114,953 123,783 Port Talbot 10,155 50 p.f. 10,641 418c 1104pf Swansea 48,693 750 34,880 — Glasgow 53,038 920 39,947 823c 40pf Cardiff 359,746 260c 700pf 230,307 1210c 330pf Grangemouth ... 23,990 80 3,255 90 Llanelly 9,199 — 5,212 — Greenock .. 1,253 25 p.f. 1,400 80 Newport 78,585 — 63,986 18 Neath 14,402 — 8,324 — Troon 27,518 — 15,348 6 Leith 9,760 16 7,754 — Ardrossan 17,655 — 4,827 — * From Browne's Export List. t The exports of coal from this port in April were 15,611 tons. Amongst the recent orders received by Sir W. H. Bailey and Co. Limited, Albion Works, Salford, Manchester, for their Koster patent air compressors, are one direct-coupled electrically-driven set for 500 cubic feet per minute for Messrs. Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth and Co. Limited, Manchester, and two 150 cubic feet machines for sewage work for the Hornsey District Council. They have also received an order through their agents, Messrs. R. H. Longbotham and Co. Limited, Wakefield, for a direct- coupled electrically-driven air compressor, to deal with 1,500 cubic feet of free air per minute, for the Denaby and Cadeby Main collieries. The Scottish branches of the National Association of Colliery Managers and the Association of Mining Electrical Engineers had arranged for a joint excursion in the course of the present month. The idea has been abandoned in favour of an outing to be held later in the season, in which not only the members of the branches above referred to, but the Mining Institute of Scotland as well will take part. The excursion should bring out a record number of those holding prominent official positions in connection with Scottish mining. In view of his leaving Parkhead Collieries, Motherwell, where he has been manager for the past seven years, Mr. James Watson has been presented by the officials and workmen with a massive silver tea service, a costly clock, and a gold-mounted walking stick. The mining engineers to the town of Dunfermline, Fife have recommended that Messrs. Henry Ness and Co. Limited be given permission to engage in a partial working of the stoops in Muirbeath Colliery. Hitherto the Town Council has repeatedly refused sanction to work the stoops of coal which have been left in from former operations, on the ground that it was considered that the mine might be prejudicially affected thereby. In accordance with the announcement at the May meeting, the autumn meeting of the Iron and Steel Institute will be held in Brussels on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, September 1 to 4, 1913. Arrangements are in progress to enable the members to travel together on the outward journey at specially reduced fares, as well as for their hotel accommodation in Brussels during the meeting. It is stated that the Flimby and Broughton Moor Colliery Company, near Maryport, have abandoned the idea of restarting the old Bertha Colliery, near Broughton. An important seam has been struck in the new Bertha Pit, which will satisfy all their requirements for coking purposes for some considerable time to come. In their annual report the Water Committee of the Nottingham Corporation state that the colliery workings under the Best wood pumping station had caused grave anxiety, but there was now reason to hope that the anticipated subsidence would take place without any enforced suspension of pumping operations. An appeal is being issued for £10,000 for the provision of additional Aged Miners’ Homes in Northumberland. There are already in Northumberland 178 homes, and the com- mittee feel, with the thousands of miners in the county, that there is room for double this number of hostels for the incapacitated miner. I ^The Court of Appeal last week heard an appeal by the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire Tar Distillation Company Limited, of Leeds, against an order of Mr. Justice BucknilL directing that all proceedings should be stayed in an action brought by them against the Hasland Coking Company Limited, of Grassmoor Collieries, near Chesterfield. It appeared that in September 1910 a contract was entered into, whereby the Coking Company agreed to deliver to the plaintiff the whole of their surplus make of coke over tar for a period of three years from July 1911. Difficulties had arisen as to the taking delivery, and in March 1913 the defendants terminated the contract. In the end their lordships dismissed the appeal, the Master expressing the view that the dispute was one which came within the arbitration clause in the contract, and ought to be settled by arbitration in the usual way. The Udston Coal Company are now lessees of three coal- fiels in East Lothian—Riggonhead, St. Germains, and Penston—stretching from Seton Castle on the north to Winton Castle on the south, all adjoining and covering a space of about three miles in length. The management met recently to consider the question of erecting 200 or 300- workmen’s houses, half of them to be at Macmerry and half at Tranent. The Edinburgh Coal Company find themselves in somewhat similar circumstances. They are lessees of