June 12, IM TKE COLLIERY GU.AJ1DIAK. 1321 a total of .£19,016. Interest and income-tax absorbs £3,759. There has been paid an interim dividend on the preference shares for nine months to April 30, 1913, £4,790, and the directors recommend payment for further six months to October 31, 1913, £3,193, transfer to debenture redemption account £2,845, and carry forward balances £4,429. Newport-Abercarn Black Vein Steam Goal Company Limited.—For the year ending March 31, 1914, the profit was £25,542 14s. 5d., add balance from last year £2,897 Is. Id., making £28,439 15s. 6d.; deduct interim dividends paid £8,062 10s., depreciation of investments sold £800 19s. 9d., leaving available £19,576 5s. 9d. This amount the directors recommend dealing with as follows :—Dividend of 3f per cent, on the pre-preference shares (making with the interim dividend paid 71 per cent, for the year) less income- tax £2,812 10s., dividend of 3| per cent, on the preference shares (making with the interim dividend paid 7 per cent, for the year) less income tax £2,625, dividend of 6J per cent, on the ordinary shares (making with the interim dividend paid 10 per cent, for the year) less income-tax £4,875— £10,312 10s.; carry forward £9263 15s. 9d. The overdraft at the London and Provincial Bank Limited has been paid off, an issue of £100,000 debentures authorised by the share- holders having been made last month. Niddrie and Benhai1 Coal Company Limited.—The report for the year ended April 30 last states that the gross profit, including £3,542 brought forward, amounted to £27,147, and after allowing for debenture interest £3,000, and deprecia- tion £10,580, there remains £13,567. Out of this the direc- tors recommend a dividend of 5 per cent., absorbing £10,000, leaving to be carried forward £3,567. Rhymney Iron Company Limited.—The directors announce the drawing of debenture bonds for redemption, amounting to £4,000. Stanton Ironworks Company Limited.—The directors in their report for the year ended March 31 state that the balance to the credit of profit and loss (after providing for bad and doubtful debts and depreciation), including £18,807 12s. lid. brought from last account, amounts to £276,183 12s. 3d. Out of this the following payments have been made :—Interest on debentures £779 Is. 4d., dividend on preference shares for the half-year to September 30, 1913, paid November 1, £7,725 19s. 3d. ; interim dividend of 74 per cent, on the ordinary shares paid in December, free of tax, £42,153 12s. lid.; leaving a balance of £225,524 18s. 9d. The directors recommend that this should be dealt with as follows :—Dividend on preference shares for the half- year to March 31 (paid May 1), £7,725 19s. 3d.; final divi- dend of 12J per cent, on the ordinary shares, free of tax, £70,256 5s. ; bonus of 5 per cent, on the ordinary shares, free of tax, £28,102 10s.; reserve fund (making it £120,000), £100,000; balance to be carried forward, £19,440 4s. 6d. The death has occurred during the year of Mr. John Gilbert Crompton, and Mr. George William Crompton has been appointed chairman of the directors in his place. Tredegar Iron and Coal Company Limited.—The directors have declared a final dividend at the rate of 10 per cent., together with a bonus of 24 per cent., free of income-tax, on the “A” and “ B ” shares for the year ending March 31, 1914. They also recommended that £40,000 to carried to reserve, and £10,000 to depreciation. NEW COMPANIES. Domestic Coal Company Limited. — Private company. Registered office, 17, Ironmonger-lane, E.C. Registered June 3. Coal merchants, coal factors, manufacturers of and dealers in coalite, coke, and other products and by-products of coal and fuel of every description, colliery owners, ship owners, etc. Nominal capital, £2,000 in £1 shares. Direc- tors and subscribers (one share, each) :—E. W. Long, 104, Rusthall-avenue, Bedford Park, W. (merchant’s manager); P. H. Templeman, 35, Thornbury-road, Spring-grove, Isle- worth (merchant’s manager). Goswell Engineering Company Limited.—Private com- pany. Registered office, 294, Goswell-road, London. Regis- tered June 5. Electrical, mechanical, heating, lighting, gas, water works, automobile, and marine engineers and machinists, etc. Nominal capital, £2,000 in £1 shares. Directors and subscribers (one share each) :—A. Portway, 24, Palace-grove, Bromley (warehouseman); A. P. Portway, 291, Goswell-road, E.C. (engineer); E. G. Gumprecht, 294, Goswell-road, E.C. (engineer). Hammersmith Welding, Engineering and Electrical Com- pany Limited.—Private companv. Registered May 29. To acquire the business of T. PI. R. Heard and R. C. Heard, and carry on business as welders of metals, mechanical, elec- trical, and general engineers, etc. Nominal capital, £250 in £1 shares. Permanent directors and subscribers (one share each) :—T. H. R. Heard, 3, Station-road, Askew-road, Shepherd’s Bush, W. (engineer); A. H. Hunter, 78, Elsham- road, Kensington, W. (engineer). Molybdenum and Tungsten Traders Limited.—Private company. Registered office, 638, Salisbury House, London Wall, E.C. Registered May 29. To enter into agreement with C. Vautin, and to carry on business of refiners, smelters, assayers, metallurgists, and contractors, dealers in metals, minerals, and the concentration, reduction, and making mer- chantable of ores, metals, minerals, and metallic substances. Nominal capital, £1,000 in £1 shares. Subscribers (one share each) :—P. B. Smyth, Clock House, Wan stead (accoun- tant); A. E. Tester, 142, Stathyre-avenue, Norbury, S.W. (mercantile clerk). This list of new companies is taken from the Daily Register specially compiled by Messrs. Jordan and Sons Limited, company registration agents, Chancery-lane, E.C. North Staffordshire Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers.—An excursion has been arranged jointly with the North Staffordshire branch of the Colliery Managers’ Asso- ciation to the Colliery and Mining Exhibition at the City Exhibition Hall, Liverpool-road and Deansgate, Manchester, on Monday, June 15. Grimsby Coal Exports. — The exports of coal from Grimsby during the week ended Thursday, 4th inst., were shown by the official figures to total 13,316 tons foreign and 1,240 tons coastal, compared with 20,105 and 1,315 tons respectively during the corresponding week last year. Detailed shipments:—Foreign: To Christiania, 159 tons; Dieppe, 1,023; Esbjerg, 301; Gothenburg, 2,622; Hamburg, 475; Kallundborg, 1,212; Landscrona, 1,471; Lemvig, 555; Malmo, 977; Riga, 1,660; Rotterdam, 147 ; Stockholm, 1,060; and Sundswall, 1,654. Coastal : To London, 90 tons; Swansea, 650; and Lerwick, 500. ABSTRACTS OF PATENT SPECIFICATIONS RECENTLY ACCEPTED. 13104 (1913). Improvements in and relating to the Distil- lation of Coal. J. Stephenson, of 15, St. Paul’s-road, Fisherton, Salisbury, Wilts.—The object is an improved gas making plant of the kind in which vertical retorts .are combined with a water gas generator. A series of vertical retorts are provided which are surrounded by flues in which a pre-determined portion of the water gas generated from the generator is burnt by means of pre-heated air, though the actual combustion may take place in combustion cham- bers communicating with the heating flues themselves. The producer-gas obtained during the period when air is blown through the generator is utilised for superheating the air, and also for heating the flues for carburetting the water gas when required. It is preferable to employ water gas gener- ators so arranged that there is a continuous feed of the por- tions of the water gas which are pre-determined for heating 4- 2 43 purposes. At the same time there will be a continuous combustion of producer gas in the flues or chambers surround- ing the flues for superheating the air. This arrangement also presents the advantage of enabling continuous carbu- retting to be performed. According to the invention in its preferred form a series of continuously operating vertical retorts is provided, heated by flues communicating with combustion chambers into which is passed superheated air and water gas from one of two generators. The water gas from the generator is partly used to heat the retorts, and the other part may be used for illuminating purposes, pre- ferably after being carburetted; in this case the carbu- retting and superheating of the water gas takes place in flues or in a chamber adjacent to the flues in which the air is superheated. The accompanying drawing is a diagram- matic view partly in section and partly in elevation of the combined plant according to the invention. (Fifteen claims.) 13813 (1913). Improved Construction of Gas Washer or Scrubber. W. J. Fiddes, of 602, High-road, Tottenham, Middlesex. —Relates to that class of gas washer or scrubber constructed of a number of superheated compartments, the floor of each of which has a central opening with a wall around same, a vertical revolvable shaft passing through the openings in the bottoms of the compartments, a series of revolving ring trays of flat form or having upturned lips at the edges, provided with depending scoops for lifting the water from the bottoms of the compartments into the trays. In such apparatus the revolving of the trays flings the water contained in the trays, in spray form, against the walls MIN /s is— ^/2 ‘-'L 45 '"J: of the compartment, but the gas, in passing through a compartment, only passes under the trays and then through the spray, then over the trays to the next compartment. The object is to construct such a gas washer or scrubber whereby a more efficient washing or scrubbing of the gas is effected with a smaller quantity of liquid than is now the case, the principal feature being the construction of the agitators whereby the water is caused to be sprayed between the trays or plates, and the gas to pass between such plates or trays. The accompanying drawing is a sectional elevation of a complete apparatus. 14118 (1913). Improved Knife for Miners. W. Schnadt, of Rumelingen, in the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg.—Relates to a combination tool or miner’s pocket knife of the kind provided with a knife blade, and with a pincers arm adapted to engage a notch or notches formed in the knife casing. By the present invention a miner’s knife is provided with a knife blade engaging notches formed in lateral alignment with one another in each of the members of the knife casing. The pincers arm is pivoted intermediate its length between the members of the knife casing, and is adapted to engage with notches also formed in axial alignment with one another in each the members of the knife casing between the fulcrum of the pincers arm and one of the extremities of e * the knife casing. In lieu of a separate pincers arm, the knife blade may be utilised for the same purpose by providing a notch in the blade, adapted to register with notches formed in the knife casing on either side thereof, and adjacent the fuse cutting notches. A wire cutter may also be provided by forming a suitable notch or a pair of notches on the pincers arms adapted to register with a corresponding notch or notches in each of the members of the knife casing. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a combination tool or miner’s knife constructed according to the invention. Fig. 2 is a plain thereof, the blade being closed, and fig. 3 shows another embodiment of the invention. (Four claims.) 15094 (1913). Improved Method of and Apparatus for Measuring Gas. Julius Pintsch Aktiengesellschaft, of 72 and 73, Andreasstrasse, Berlin East 27, Germany.—The gas pipe or conduit is divided into two or more branches of equal size so that special accuracy is attained, and the various branches are rendered entirely independent of any deposits of dust, tar, water or the like, by fitting a heating body and thermometers in each branch, and by consecutively connecting all the branches, according to a regular system, with the measuring device. The indications of the meter multiplied by the number of branch pipes constitute a reliable record of the total passage of gas through the pipe. In order to avoid any interruption of the measurement, or an inaccurate indication whilst the branches are being changed, arrangements may be made whereby the measuring devices are not connected with the new branch until the previously connected heating devices have attained their normal con- ditions. If the necessary closing means for each pipe are provided it is possible to clean the branch pipes without having a by-pass and without interrupting the measurement. The accompanying drawing shows in longitudinal section one construction of gas meter embodying the invention. (Three claims.) 16340 (1913). Improvements in Grinding Mills. A. Leggett, and L. Turner, both of St. Peter’s Ironworks, Ipswich, Suffolk.—Relates to improvements in disc mills, vertical stone mills and the like, but more especially to that type of mill having for its grinding surfaces chilled metal plates. The object of this invention is to provide a mechanical arrangement, whereby it is ensured that the face of the revolving grinding plate, or stone face, shall always run perfectly true, as on this condition the successful working of the mill almost entirely depends. The revolving grinding plate carrier is mounted in such a manner that it is suf- ficiently flexible to adapt itself to any slight inaccuracies in either grinding surface. Fig. 1 is an end elevation of the plate carrier A, fig. 2, looking on the flanged bush C, the cover Z being removed. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation cut by the plane X Y in fig. 1. (Two claims.)