January 23, 1914.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

205

MOTES FROM THE COALFIELDS.

[Local Correspondence.J
Northumberland and Durham.

An Ancient Working—Owners and Housing.

Coalmining as an industry in Northumberland several
centuries ago is evidenced by some interesting discoveries
recently made in the Linton Colliery, belonging to the
Ashington Coal Company. Some of the workmen
employed at the colliery have recently broken into some
ancient workings, in which the galleries are cut out of
the solid coal, the maintenance of the roof being obtained
by the process of arching along the whole length of the
galleries. The discovery is all the more remarkable,
because of the fact that no indications of shafts or drifts
in the locality have been noticed previously and, indeed,
the present discoveries throw no light on the method by
which access to the workings was obtained by the
ancient workers. Inside the workings was discovered a
primitive kind of sledge, by means of which, it is supposed,
the olden coalhewers carried the products of their labour.
This sledge is of a substantial, though rough, character,
and no evidence of iron can be found in its construction,
all the parts being held together by means of wooden
nails, while the runners are made of a particularly hard
kind of wood.

For a long while negotiations have been proceeding
between the Cramlington Urban Council and the Cram-
lington Coal Company, respecting several of the
company’s houses for workmen, and a few weeks ago
the Council gave notice that they would issue closing
orders for 220 houses. The company has replied that it
has constantly kept a number of men at work repairing
the older houses and erecting new ones, but they had
come to the position where no effort of theirs seemed to
satisfy the Council, anl they therefore suggested that
the Council should take into their own hands the question
of building houses for the people. Of course, the natural
result of that policy was that the people would have to
pay rent for the houses instead of, as at present, having
free houses provided for them by the company. In
response to this letter, the Council are leaving the matter
in abeyance, in the hope that the Local Government
Board will step in.

Cumberland.

Great Activity in the Iron Trade.

It is expected that the two furnaces belonging to the
Distington Iron Company at Distington, which were
put out of blast a‘fortnight ago, will be blowing in a
week or 10 days hence, whilst another furnace is to be
lighted at Barrow at an early date. There are at present
11 furnaces blowing in Cumberland—three at Moss Bay,
three at Derwent, two at Oldside, Workington, two at
Millom, and one at Cleator Moor—and eight in North
Lancashire—five at Barrow, two at North Lonsdale, and
one at Carnforth. The Cumberland iron ore trade,
which had been languishing for some time—quotations
having gone as low as from 14s. to 19s.—is sympatheti-
cally exhibiting recovery, business being done now at
from 14s. 6d. to 20s. for the various grades.

Lancashire and Cheshire.

The Burden of Legislation—Important Check-weighing
Case—The Home Secretary at Wigan—The Educa-
tion of Miners.

The first annual meeting of the Liverpool Association
of Coalowners and Merchants was held on Monday, at
Liverpool. The following officers were elected for the
current year:—Mr. R. G. Bradley, president; Mr.
Christopher Bathgate, vice-president; Mr. W. S.
Fowler, bon. treasurer. Mr. G. Y. Williamson was
elected to the committee. It was stated the association
has made steady progress.

At the second annual meeting of the Employers’
Parliamentary Association, held in Manchester, on
Friday, 16th inst., presided over by Sir Chas. W.
Macara, Bart., president of the association, Mr.
Vincent Btamall, president of the Lancashire and
Cheshire Coalowners’ Association, said' they had every
reason to be satisfied with the growth of their organi-
sation. Owing to the fact that employers had been
without such an organisation the Government did not
appear to have given a second thought to them, and had
passed measures without considering their effect on the
cost of production. The coal trade had been one of the
greatest sufferers, as by far the larger proportion of
the cost of production went in wages. Such measures
as the Insurance Act, the Minimum Wage Act, and the
Mines Act had largely increased the cost and reduced
the output, and he could not see that any commensurate
benefit had resulted. One effect of this type of legisla-
tion was bound to be the diverting of capital to other
channels.

At a special sitting of the Wigan county justices on
Thursday, 15th inst., Mr. Seth Blackledge, a miners’
check weigh man, summoned Mr. C. T. Eames, the
manager or agent of the Maypole Colliery, Abram, on
the ground that proper facilities were not afforded him,
as required by Act of Parliament, to carry out his
duties. When the case came up before the court pre-
viously it was stated that the colliery company had
written to Mr. S. Walsh, M.P., miners’ agent, to the
effect that they could not accept the appointment of a
second checkweighman; also that the accommodation
they provided was in accordance with the Act of
Parliament, and that the output from the colliery did
not warrant a second place of weighing. Only one
witness had been called, Mr. Walsh, when the magis-
trates’ clerk pointed out that the 23, the number of
those who voted for Mr. Blackledge, was not a majority
of the persons employed as required by the statute.
On that ground the summons was dismissed. A fresh

ballot was taken since, and Mr. Blackledge was elected
again. There was now a second summons against
Mr. Eames, the complainant being a collier named
Moses Collier, who stated that the mineral gotten by
him at the No. 1 pit was not weighed at a place near to
the pit mouth as was reasonably practicable.

Mr. Wingate Saul, for the complainant, said they
were asking the Bench to determine a case which, as
far as he knew, had never been determined up to now.
There was a probability that the cases might be taken
to a higher court. Proceeding with the history of
the May pole Colliery, Mr. Saul stated that from July
1904 until the disastrous explosion in 1908 there were
two checkweighmen. But when both pits (Nos. 1 and 2)
were in working order again, and the men were being
paid according to the weight of coal got by them, only
one weigh cabin was erected and the coal had to travel
a distance of 64 yards 2 ft. from the mouth of No. 1 Pit.
This, they contended, was not a reasonable distance and
they claimed that another weigh cabin should be erected
near to No. 1 Pit.

Mr. S. Walsh, M.P., stated that it was inevitable that
a certain amount of coal was lost every day through the
tubs having to travel such a distance from the pitmouth
to the weigh machine. It was not a very large amount,
but in the course of a year it was an appreciable amount.
Witness said he did not complain when, prior to the
men in both pits being paid tonnage rates, the weigh
machine was 40 yards away from the pitmouth.

Mr. Acton, for the defence, said no objection had been
taken to the weigh cabin on any previous occasion. The
real grievance had nothing whatever to do with the
weigh cabin being a certain distance from the pit, but it
was simply and solely because Mr. Seth Blackledge, who
was formerly check weighman at No. 1 Pit, had been
deprived of his position, because the colliery company
thought right to make one weigh place do for both pits
and consequently only requiring one check weigh man.
The case of Moses Collier was dismissed, and the case of
Seth Blackledge was adjourned until February 6.

The prize distribution in connection with the Wigan
and District Mining and Technical College took place at
the Wigan Technical College on the 15th inst. Mr. J. T.
Gee presided, and the principal speaker was the Home
Secretary. Supporting them on the platform were Sir
W. S. Barrett, Sir Thomas Ratcliffe-Ellis, Mr, Stephen
Walsh, M.P., and Mr. R. J. Nevill, M.P.

Mr. M‘Kenna said the Home Office touched technical
education, particularly in regard to matters relating to
health and safety. There was a very real connection
between technical education and health and safety.
Referring to the Coal Mines Act, Mr. McKenna said that
a large number of the provisions of the Act were passed
upon Lancashire experience. Much criticism had been
directed against the system of examinations, but the
objects of the central board had been to secure efficiency
and competence, although the figures in the recent
examination were very materially cut down. Apart from
the officials, too much could not be spent upon securing
that efficiency. But there were others who descended the
pits besides the officials, and he could not help expressing
his regret that great institutions had not been more used
by colliers. If they took the number of those engaged
in the colliery industry who attended those classes, they
would find the percentage very small compared with
those engaged in other trades. From figures supplied
to him by the principals of that college, he found that
of the men and boys under 30 years of age not more
than 5 per cent, attended classes; whilst similarly in
regard to engineers they would find that the attendance
was as high as 37 per cent. He had a very strong
opinion that were advantage taken of the facilities
much greater safety would be ensured throughout the
coal industry. There was no doubt that safety in the
mines was very much greater to-day than it used to be.
For the last 10 years the decline in the death-rate from
accidents had not been so great. It had been slight,
and pessimists pointed from that fact the conclusion
that the power of legislation had been exhausted. He
did not draw that conclusion, for with the general
extension of education and knowledge and understanding
risks would be decreased, and if the miner had more
theoretic knowledge of the nature of the material in
which he was working there would be a general improve-
ment. It was impossible to over-estimate the mining
industry of this country. It was claimed that in
other countries miners were able to turn out more
coal than the English miner. That statement he
rebutted, and if the German had not to turn out the
soft brown coal it would be found that the English
miner had it. In mining and engineering they were as
good as any in the world. Taking the figures for the
last 50 years, it was safe to state that mining was three
times freer from fatal accidents to-day. He had the
strongest hopes that as a result of their advances,
experiments, officially and privately, the time would
come when they would secure themselves from some
of the worst disasters which affected them.

The Home Secretary visited the Atherton Colliery of
Messrs. Fletcher, Burrows and Co., on Friday morning,
and made a trip down the mine. He first inspected the
spray baths on the surface, which have been built by the
firm, so that in an hour from 250 to 300 men can wash
themselves and change their clothes. Mr. McKenna
expressed his admiration of the arrangements, and
afterwards visited the separate dining rooms for men
and women. After seeing the coal-screening section,
Mr. McKenna entered the cage, and the party descended
440 yards into the Arley mine. They walked some dis-
tance, but not to the coal face, and returned to the
surface in about a quarter of an hour.

Mr. McKenna’s next visit was to the rescue station at
Howe Bridge, about a mile from the pit. Here he was
received by Mr. Charles Pilkington (chairman of the
management committee), Mr. Arthur Ellis (the secre-
tary), Mr. W. H. Hewlett, Mr. Dean, Mr. Joseph
Ramsden, Mr. Stone (Garwood), the two inspectors of

mines, Mr. J. Gerrard and Mr. Nicholson, and Dr.
Greene, medical officer to the rescue station. Mr.
McKenna afterwards went outside the station and
inspected the new motor car, which has been fitted up to
convey rescue teams to the scenes of disasters, and has
also two cylinders, each containing 500 ft. of oxygen.

The Abram Coal Company are sinking a new Arley
mine and effecting other improvements at their Abram
pits, near Wigan. There is an increased output from
the new Bickershaw six-feet mine.

Yorkshire.

There are 43 persons still receiving benefits from the
relief fund which was raised in connection with the
Thornhill Colliery explosion in 1893, 27 widows, four
rescued men, and 10 aged parents and other dependants.
From the time of the disaster there has been £36,394
paid to recipients of relief, but the calls upon the fund
have decreased by nearly 50 per cent, in ten years. The
fund now stands at £11,605, and it will only be depleted
this year by about £500, as the interest will yield nearly
£400 and the gross expenditure will probably not
exceed £900.

The annual dinner of the Yorkshire Coal and Coke
Trades Wagon Representatives, which took place at the
Royal Victoria Hotel, Sheffield, on Saturday last, was of
a very successful character, and was largely attended.
Mr. John Butler, of Doncaster, the Great Eastern
Railway Company’s district mineral agent, presided.
The company numbered about 120, and constituted a
record. After the loyal toasts Mr. Collinson submitted
his annual report.

The chairman, in proposing “ The Trades and Rail-
way Companies,” remarked that the object of the
committee of the dinner was in order to bring all
workers together for a convivial evening. Any balance
is used for assisting needy cases. Also, when the
committee considered an opportunity arose, a small
present was occasionally handed to a retiring member in
acknowledgment of interest taken in these dinners.
Turning to the toast, he remarked that collieries bad
had an exceptionally busy year, including requirements
for home consumption and abroad. There was continued
evidence, in the developments in the Doncaster district,
that it was becoming one of the most important coal-
fields in this country. Some of the new collieries they
had in their minds a year ago were now raising upwards
of 4,000 tons of coal daily. Other new pits were shortly
to commence sinking with similar preparations for
raising no less tonnage. Therefore they might look
forward to the town rapidly becoming a greater centre
and having an extensive connection with industry, and
to his mind Doncaster would in future be known for its
coal market and works. Geographically, it was in one of
the finest positions, accessible from north, south, east or
west, with quick train service to and from any point.

With regard to wagons and railways the various
companies had participated in the increased volume of
trade, and, having regard to the working of coal and
coke traffic during the past year, in his experience
every possible advantage had been taken in working
trains to and from the collieries expeditiously, and
although he was aware it had been suggested directors
of railways should double their lines in various districts,
he might say this matter had not been lost sight of. If
they reviewed the working since the demurrage charges
were adopted on trucks standing in private sidings,
they found relief had been given considerably in the
working of traffic in and out of important junctions, in
consequence of better access obtained in delivery into
private sidings and firms being in a position to accept
consignments freely, whereas previously it was no
unusual thing for sidings to be blocked with railway
companies’ wagons waiting indefinitely before they
could be cleared. Apparently the alteration had con-
tributed to the relief and assistance in the working of
traffic materially. They had commenced another year
not quite so hopeful in trade, but although in values
things might not be so bright, let them look forward to
good results. He hoped that labour disputes might be
amicably dealt with without strikes of any description.
For the “ Coal and Coke Trades ” Mr. J. W. Hadock
(Kiveton Park Colliery) responded. He said un-
doubtedly the trade had been passing through extra-
ordinary conditions of prosperity. He believed they
had not yet reached the top, although there was a
slight downward tendency at present. There were
certain things which spoke well for the future, and
they must not take too gloomy a view.—Mr. Moreton
(North Central Wagon Company, Rotherham) re-
sponded for “The Railway Wagon Trade.” He
sAd there had been a great outcry for safety, and the
builders and owners of rolling stock had been called
upon to spend money to this end. Such money, he con-
sidered. was well spent.—Mr. J. H. Williamson, of the
North-Eastern Railway, responded for“ The Railways,”
and said so far as his company were concerned they had
had a record year. The Hull and Barnsley and North-
Eastern had never shipped so much coal before as they
shipped in 1913, the quantity being approximately seven
millions. He believed on the other side of the Humber
they had shipped between four and five millions.
Goole, too, had had a prosperous year. During the
year 12 or 13 million tons of coal and coke had been
shipped from the Humber ports, which showed how
prosperous a time they had been enjoying.—Mr. O. C.
Gatenby, of the G.O.R., also responded.—The con-
cluding toast was that of “ The Chairman,” which was
proposed by Mr. Booth.

At its meeting last week, the West Riding County
Council were asked to sanction two items of expenditure,
amounting to £12,000 in each case, for the provision of
new schools in villages of South Yorks where pits are
being sunk, viz., Stainforth (Hatfield Main Colliery)
and Rossington (Rossington Main Colliery). The
County Council approved the expenditure.