June 19, 1914

THE COLLIEBY GUARDIAN.

1409

Notes from the Coalfields.

[Local Correspondence.]

South Wales and Monmouthshire.

Serious Strike of Marine Engineers—Great Sale of Mineral
Property—Senghenydd Prosecution Starts—Insurance
Gards and the Boycott of Workmen—American Com-
petition—Pit-head Baths in the Rhondda—Prosecution
at Mountain Ash : Pit Ponies and “ Roofing ”—Boring
against Water.

The marine engineers’ strike, which commenced at noon
on Wednesday, opens up a very serious situation, and unfor-
tunately opens it suddenly for the South Wales coal trade. It
is estimated that over the whole country no fewer than
600 vessels have been held up, and in South Wales the effect
dependence upon “ tramp ” steamers—which specially are
affected. Lor a day or two loading will continue; but
unless the vessels can move away from the tips, and others
be brought under,' shipments must stop, with, of course,
consequent stoppage of the collieries. The number of vessels
in South Wales at the present time is reckoned at about 350.
Every tide brings more, and inasmuch as about four-fifths of
the marine engineers are included in the organisations which
have declared the strike, the situation could not be more
grave. Many thousands of dock workers will be rendered
idle, as well as railway men, coal trimmers, tippers and
colliers, for at least two-thirds, if not three-quarters, of the
output is carried away by ships. Further, the ship-repairing
yards will be held up, it being stated that once a strike was
declared the work of repairing would also be stopped; and
here again, in addition to those directly on strike, many
thousands of other wage earners will be rendered idle. The
demand is for an increase of about 10s. per week for chief
engineers, and 7s. 6d. per week for those of lower rank. Till
Wednesday, matters had been kept in a general condition of
secrecy, local shipowners having no direct demand made
during the two or three weeks that the matter has been under
public discussion. The rate of wages now paid has been in
force for about two years, and considerable anxiety is felt
as to the actual origination of the present movement.

One of the largest sales of mineral property ever held in
South Wales took place on Tuesday at Swansea, when Mr.
Evans Bevan, proprietor of the Onllwyn, Seven Sisters, and
other pits in the Dylais Valley, secured more than 8,000
acres of mineral land for the sum of £325,000. The striking-
feature of the auction sale was that bidding, which opened
at £150,000, rose to £200,000 at once, and the final bid was
given within five minutes, the sum realised being £45,000
above the reserve. The sale was of the Miers Estate pro-
perties situated in the Amman and Dylais Valleys, the
seams being already worked from Crynant and the places
already named. They are anthracite except some of the
upper seams to the south, which are steam coal, and all is of
good quality. Some of it—that which is contained within the
parish of Llanguicke—is said to be the finest anthracite
produced. Mr. Evans Bevan is owner of the Vale of
Neath Brewery, to which are attached about 200 public
houses. Last year he held the position of high sheriff of
Breconshire, and he has been a prominent figure in
Glamorgan public life. In the Dylais Valley the total thick-
ness of seams is estimated at about 58 ft., and several of
them are being worked.

The coal trimmers of Cardiff, Penarth and Barry have
balloted upon two questions—as to political action, and as to
linking themselves with the Transport Workers’ Federation.
Upon both issues, a large majority decided in the affirmative.

Owing to heavy falls in the North Amman Colliery,
Garnant, 160 men were imprisoned in the mine for 20 hours,
a journey of trams having run wild and knocked away
timbers. No one was hurt.

Caerphilly magistrates commenced on Wednesday the hear-
ing of the charges brought by the Home Office in respect of
Senghenydd explosion. There are 21 summonses, four being
against the company, and the remainder against the
manager.

The medical officer of health at Ebbw Vale warns the
Council that a thousand additional houses are necessary; and
within four miles of Ystrad Mynach over 2,000 are required.

A singular statement, originating in a miners’ meeting—
that men had been refused work at another colliery because
their insurance card showed they came from Ebbw Vale—has
been promptly contradicted. The question was productive of
keen interest, because of the idea that it revived the old
“ discharge note ” controversy, which in former years aroused
so much resentment among workmen. But, as a matter of
fact, not only has there been no attempt to boycott Ebbw
Vale men, such as was indicated, but the insurance card does
not, and cannot, show where a man comes from. It is a
purely personal document, having no indication of where
the insured person works. Moreover, it would be contrary
to the regulations for any such indication to be furnished
by the card; and all that a complainant would have to do if
his card possessed any such mark of identity, would be to call
the attention of the Commissioners to the fact; and a prompt
remedy would be forthcoming. The original statement was
made at the Bedwellty Board of Guardians Belief Com-
mittee; and it was stated in the guardians’ meeting that
the insurance card held by the men prevented their getting
work elsewhere. An allegation was made that a steel worker
from Ebbw Vale had been prevented from starting work,
although he had signed on, because his insurance card showed
he came from Ebbw Vale. Mr. Woolley, manager at
Markham Colliery, contradicts the statement absolutely. He
regards the charge made at the meeting of the guardians as
a serious one. Both he and the manager of another colliery
in the district stated that only the name and address of the
applicant is on the insurance cards. . Mr. A. S. Tallis,
managing director of the Markham colliery, has also issued
a contradiction, stating that after enquiries had been made
he found the assertion to be entirely without'foundation.

The purchase of American coal by the Italian State Bail-
ways administration has revived protest against labour dis-
turbances in South Wales. It is once more pointed out that
foreign buyers are obliged to have regard to regularity, of
delivery; and that, as they cannot rest assured of securing
their needed supplies from this district, they go elsewhere
with their orders. Especially at the present time, with
threats of onerous demands next spring by “the triple
alliance,’’ heavy purchasers have to safeguard themselves in
their contracts forward; and the foreign seller—American,
German, or other—can adjust his price so as to compensate
for inferior quality, and thus secure the business, which

means to South Wales the loss of shipping freights as well as
coal sales.

Mr. David Davies, M.P. (chief of Ocean and Wilsons
Limited, employing probably as many as 11,000 men in con-
nection with the coal trade in South Wales), takes a very
active part in all matters affecting public welfare. His
munificent donations established the Welsh Memorial, which
is the national organisation for combating consumption
throughout Wales, and the contributions of himself and
family to that purpose alone cannot have totalled less than
£150,000. He is taking an active part in the provision of
pit head baths; and, addressing a meeting in the Bhondda
on Monday, urged those present to approve of the system.
He said that tne baths being erected by his company at
Treharris would be ready in about five months’ time.
They would provide accommodation for 600 men, and the cost
would be about £7,000. The building would be about 160 ft.
long and 70 ft. wide, and there would be 64 cabinets for
men, 16 for boys, and six for officials. He considered that
the pit head bath scheme should go hand in hand with the
erection of better houses on garden city lines. Mr. D.
Lleufer Thomas, stipendiary of the Bhondda district, who
was one of the speakers, said that on the question of pit head
baths all the argument was on one side. There was nothing
on the other side but indifference, apathy and prejudice.

The Home Office instituted prosecutions against the
Mynachdy Colliery Company, the manager of the colliery,
and against two horsekeepers, for offences in respect to pit
horses, and the charges were heard at the Mountain Ash
police court. Horses were used on an underground road of
insufficient dimensions; there had been failure to provide
refuge holes of sufficient dimensions ; horses had been worked
in an unfit condition; and also failure in appointing a com-
petent person to have care of the horses. A plea of guilty
was entered, and extenuating circumstances wTere set forth;
and penalties were imposed—£10 and costs in respect of each
of three summonses against the company, £2 and costs in
respect of each of five summonses against the manager, and
small fines against two horse keepers.

The serious news from Greece in regard to Turkey has had
its effect on the market for Welsh coal, inquiries from
Turkey for heavy additional quantities having already come
in, and the market having hardened in response, especially
as the holiday stoppage and the expectation of similar
inquiry from Greece makes the visible supply insufficient.

The gold medal given by Sir W. J. Thomas for the
student attaining highest place in the Glamorgan mining
classes examination has been gained by Mr. Arthur E.
Morgan, assistant manager at Lletty Shenkin Colliery. Mr.
Morgan is 22 years of age, and there were 79 competitors,
the standard of examination being high. He was articled to
Mr. E. M. Hann, of the Powell Duffryn Company, and has
acted as assistant surveyor at Bargoed. Mr. Morgan was
second in the gold medal competition for surveying, in which
Mr. W. W. Samuel (Neath) is the winner, this also being
the gift of Sir W. J. Thomas. Mr. Samuel won the
Carmarthen Council £100 scholarship, and holds the diploma
in mining and metallurgy from South Wales University
College.

Misrepresentation as to a material fact was alleged in a
case heard at Cardiff County Court, when a shipowner sued
Cardiff coal merchants. The manager of defendants’ com-
pany negotiated for a vessel to carry 500 tons of coal to
Shoreham, it being understood that the vessel, which draws
14J ft. when loaded, would have 16 ft. of water for dis-
charging alongside the wharf at Shoreham. She ran
aground, however, near the wharf, and had to discharge by
lighters and long-armed cranes, these difficulties causing loss
of seven days. Judgment was given for the shipowner for
£92, his Honour remarking that it was clear that if plaintiff
had not been told there was 16 ft. of water at Shoreham he
would not have made the contract.

The transfer of a large area of minerals in the Llansamlet
district is reported to be in contemplation, the British Bed
Ash Collieries Company of Newport acquiring property
recently worked by the Duffryn Llantwit Company; and it
is stated that considerable developments will take place.

The judges in the practical mining competitions recently
carried through by the Glamorgan Council have spoken very
highly of the value of the work done by the students, and
they also bear testimony to the indebtedness of the mining
community to the council for inaugurating the contests. In
their judgment, this preparation of young men to fill
important official positions, and the encouragement of miners
to make themselves more skilful and more conversant with
Home Office requirements as to shot firing, etc., cannot fail
to add to safety and have a generally beneficial influence.

Sir W. J. Thomas (Ynishir) has added to his benefactions
by making a donation of a thousand guineas to the Seamen’s
Hospital, Cardiff, for the endowment of.a bed.

The verdict of a coroner’s jury at Killay was to the effect
that they “ considered it very desirable that the section of
the Mines Act referring to boring when approaching water
should be strictly adhered to.’’ Evidence in the case had
relation to the death of two colliers, drowned while working
the Dunvant-Penllan Colliery through a sudden inrush of
water. It was stated that at the place where the water
broke through a barrier had been put up to support the
pillar that was keeping the water back, and the workman
who put up the posts said he put them down 12 in. . He
agreed that it was usual to put them down 30 in., but said he
had not considered the work was intended to be permanent,
and that the ground was so hard he feared firing because it
might have injured the pillar. He had not thought the
matter sufficiently serious to call the manager’s attention to
it A fireman, questioned by Dr. Atkinson (divisional
superintendent), stated he had not thought it necessary to
drive boreholes.

Northumberland and Durham.

Collieries and Housing—A Men's Inspector for Ashington—
A Shifter's Death—Mr. A. F. Pease on Mining Costs.

Steps are being taken to develop an excellent seam of
semi-anthracite coal that has been exposed on the Nenthead
royalty, near Alston.

It was stated at the last meeting of the Lanchester Bural
District Council that the colliery company had decided to
erect houses at Craghead to relieve the congestion. The
company has offered to build 25 a year, in addition to those
already in course of erection, but the council are going to
insist that 50 of the houses shall be built this year, and 50
next year.

Out of 99 applicants, Mr. Walter Bitson, of Langley.Park,
has been appointed men’s mining inspector for the Ashington

and North Seaton group of collieries. The position carries
with it a salary of £3 per week. The other three candidates
left in the final vote were : Messrs. Frank McKay, Blucher
Pit; B. Emmerson, Sunderland; and J. Maughan, Ashing-
ton. Mr. Bitson is 39 years of age, and is at present
employed as a coal hewer at Langley Park Colliery.

Judge Bonsey awarded £203 16s. lOd. to the widow of
Joseph Anderson, a shifter, who was employed at the
Shildon Colliery of Messrs. Bolckow, Vaughan and Company,
after adjourning his decision for a month. His Honour held
that the man had died from undue exertion in the mine, and
that it came within the principle recently laid down by Lord
Loreburn.

Tests of the electric engines on the railway between
Shildon and Newport are being carried out at present. The
new stretch of electrified railway will pass through that
portion of the Durham coalfield worked by Messrs. Bolckow,
Vaughan and Company, and Pease and Partners. The new
scheme has led to considerable discussion amongst the rail-
way. workers of Darlington and Shildon.

Mr. Austin Kirkup, agent for the Lambton Collieries
Company, made some interesting remarks at the ceremony
of unfurling the new banner of the Lumley New Winning
Colliery Miners’ Lodge. The fact that he had been asked
to that ceremony, he said, was an indication that there was
a friendly spirit between the management and men, which
he hoped would continue. Management and men were not
necessarily antagonistic. He found that where a spirit of
conciliation prevailed, and masters and men endeavoured to
work in harmony, they had most mutual success. At a
colliery where a state of warfare existed between masters
and men he found affairs being carried on to the mutual
disadvantage and loss. When he had complained about the
men not working more regularly he had been told the remedy
was more houses. He did not think that was so far wrong,
and he was pleased to say the colliery company would go
on building more houses—and good ones, too. He concluded
by hoping that the new colliery would be as good as the
average colliery in the county of Durham.

The Northumberland and Durham Colliery Fire and
Bescue Brigade was called out last week to a fire at the
Philadelphia Colliery Power Station, but its services were not
required as the local brigade had extinguished the outbreak
and distinguished itself. A cable store, however, was
entirely destroyed. Thanks to the local brigade the flames
never reached the main building.

In response to the announcement that 21 permanent sick
visitors were to be appointed by the Northumberland and
Durham Miners’ Permanent Belief Fund, 1,858 applications
were received. The appointments have now been made, and
many of the successful applicants are well-known men in
mining circles in the two counties.

Twizell Colliery, owned by Messrs. Joicey, was idle last
Thursday morning owing to a rather serious shaft accident.
Twelve full tubs got amain and fell from the Busty seam to
the Brockwell seam—a distance of about 18 fathoms. The
tubs alighted on the cage, but, fortunately, the cage was
empty, though had the accident happened a few minutes
earier, the backshift boys would probably have been injured,
they having just descended. The foreshift lads were delayed
down the pit for two hours, having to ride by another shaft.

A serious charge was brought against three Chopwell
miners at Gateshead Police Court last week. John Milburn,
Fenwick Milburn and Bobert Thompson, were charged with
having done wilful damage to the amount of £3,000 by
setting wagons amain on the private line of the Consett Iron
Company, between High Thornley and Winlaton Mill, on
December 9 last. The defendants, all young men, were
arrested on Wednesday night last. The affair took place
during the progress of a strike at the Chopwell Colliery of
the Consett Iron Company. The prosecuting solicitor asked
for a remand, which was granted, and bail was allowed at
£20 each, and a security of a similar sum.

The circumstances of the death of Alfred Horne, 52, a
shifter, who died as the result of injuries received in the
Percy Pit, Lemington, were the subject of an inquest con-
ducted by the city coroner, Mr. Alfred Appleby, at the
Central Police Station, Newcastle, last week. James
Thompson, under manager at the Percy Pit, of the Walbottle
Coal and Fire Brick Company, said that on Sunday, deceased,
who was a shifter at the colliery, went down the pit at 3.30
to look after the pump, which was about a mile from the
shaft bottom. When witness went to find the cause of the
accident, at a turn about 150 yds. from the pump he found
the sheath of an engine plane had been displaced. From the
articles he found about, he thought the sheath had been tam-
pered with. The likely thing was that deceased was inter-
fering with the sheath, which was probably wrong, and the
top had come off. The rope suddenly became taut and cut
his legs clean off. The rope would be travelling about five
miles an hour. Witness agreed that at a place like that it
was desirable to have more than one sheath. A lighted lamp
was found near the sheath. The accident would be due to
the collapse of the sheath. A verdict of accidental death was
returned, the coroner asking Mt. Thompson to convey to the
management the opinion of the inspector and himself that,
at corners like this, it would be a desirable precaution to
have two sheaths. Mr. Thompson said that had already been
done. The coroner also asked the under-manager to see that,
if any accidents occurred in the future, he should be supplied
by the officials with a drawing of the scene of the accident,
and with a copy of the inspector’s report.

Mr. Arthur Walsh, who for nearly 12 years was assistant
manager at Silksworth Colliery, was presented with a gold
hunter watch and a silver-mounted oak tray on Saturday
night. Mr. Walsh has taken up the position of under-
manager at Byhope Colliery. A pleasant feature of the pro-
ceedings was when six driver lads of the Hutton seam
entered and presented Mr. Walsh with a silver-mounted
fountain pen.

A sensation has been caused in the Northern mining and
motoring circles by the disappearance of Mr.Lawrence Austin,
secretary of North of England Inst.of Mining and Mechanical
Engineers. Mr. Austin has not been seen in Newcastle for
about eight weeks, and the disappearance is all the more
mysterious as Mr. Austin was in good health and spirits when
last seen, and has left the books and affairs of the institute
in perfect order. Prof. J. H. Merivale, the hon. secretary
of the institute, has taken over the duties of Mr. Austin for
the time being. Mr. Austin was officially connected with
several motor clubs, and was a motorist of more than average
skill, having won several motoring competitions. He is a
bachelor.

Speaking at the annual meeting of Messrs. Pease and
Partners, Limited, at Darlington, Mr. A. F. Pease said that,