June 26, 1914. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 1483 The enquiry for fuel for industrial purposes is keeping up fairly well, and the demand for house coal, although somewhat quiet, is as satisfactory as can reasonably be expected. There is very little change in business at the landsale depots. Birmingham. COAL. The coal trade is pursuing its normal summer course, and the slackness is accentuated, as usual, by the end of quarter conditions. It is recognised that prices will not further decline, and negotiations at present in progress for renewal of contracts are based on last year’s rates. Prices at pit. Current L’st week’s Last year’s Staffordshire (including Cannock Chase) :— prices. prices. prices. House coal, best deep ... 17/6 17/6 18/ Do. seconds deep 15/ 15/ 16/6 Do. best shallow 13/6 13/6 14/6 Do. seconds do. 12/9 12/9 13/ Best hard 14/6 14/6 14/ Forge coal 10/6 10/6 11/ Slack Warwickshire:— 7/ 7/ 8/6 House coal, best Ryder.. Do. hand-picked 15/6 15/6 16/ cobs 13/ 13/ 13/9 Best hard spires 14/6 14/6 14/6 Forge (steam) 10/6 10/6 10/ D.S. nuts (steam) 9/6 9/6 9/6 Small (do.) 8/ 8/ 8/6 IRON. Thursday’s market produced a fair attendance, but at the same time it yielded few, if any, encouraging symptoms. There is, however, a hardening tendency, due in the main to the restriction of output caused by the hot weather. No substantial increase in prices can be expected before the middle of next quarter, though it is possible it may be accelerated by a demand on the part of the engineers of the district and trades affiliated to the Allied Trades’ Federation for an all-round advance of 5s. a week. Between 30,000 and 40,000 workmen are involved. Stocks of pig iron are not so large as recently, and makers from Derbyshire and North- amptonshire report that prompt deliveries are going forward. The higher class qualities used in the production of branded bars are firmly upheld on the basis of 125s., as the bar industry, if not buoyant, is at least steady, in response to a fair amount of activity in the engineering trades. For common bar iron the demand is restricted, and the best prices obtainable are .£6 7s. 6d. to £6 10s., delivered Bir- mingham. The market for lower qualities used in the manufacture of bolts and nuts is affected by the arrival of Continental material at from 15s. to 20s. under local rates. A much needed improvement has set in in the South American market for galvanised sheets, and the leading houses decline to budge from the minimum of £10 17s. 6d. for the best quality of sheets. Sales, however, in many instances are recorded at £10 15s. For the home trade the price is £11. Gas strip is in small request at recent rates, and iron and steel strip and hoops are quoted at prices varying, according to thickness and quality, from £6 5s. to' £7 a ton. An increase in orders for steel is the natural corollary to the recent drop in prices. Targets and billets are quoted at £4 12s. 6d. per ton Bessemer, and 2s. 6d. and 5s. extra for Siemens. Continental material is 2s. 6d. to 5s. less. Copper sheets have been reduced £1 to £16. Forest of Dean. Lydney. COAL. The house coal pits are not working any more regularly than has been recorded . during the past few weeks ; the majority of them, however, are still managing up to four days in the week with an occasional three. Fair shipments are made, and the bigger portion of the output goes to the dock just now. Railborne orders are scarce for all descrip- tions. The steam coal pits are making good time, and are keeping free from stock. Prices at pithead. Current L’st week’s Last year’s House coals:— prices. prices. prices. Block 16/6 16/6 16/6 Forest 15/6 15/6 15/6 Rubble 15/9 15/9 15/9 Nuts 14/ 14/ 14/ Rough slack Steam coal:— 6/6 6/6 10/ Large 12/6-13/ 12/6-13/ 13/6-14/ Small 8/ - 8/6 8/ - 8/6 10/ -10/6 Prices Is. 9d. extra f.o.b. Lydney or Sharpness. THE TIN-PLATE TRADE. Liverpool. Business is exceedingly dull, and orders are being keenly competed for by makers who are in want of specifications. The “ bears ” are also very active, taking all the business they can get hold of at 3d. per box at least below makers’ prices. Following are about the figures works are to-day quoting, although merchant sellers are possibly to be found at less money :—Coke tin-plates, IC 14 x 20 (112 sh. 108 lb.), Ils. 10|d. to 12s. per box ; I C 28 x 20 (112 sh. 216 lb.), 23s. 10|d. to 24s. per box ; I C 28 x 20 (56 sh. 108 lb.), 12s. 3d. to 12s. 4|d. per box; I C 14 x 18| (124 sh. 110 lb.), 12s. 3d. per box (nominal); ; I C 14 x 191 (120 sh. 110 lb.), 12s. 3d. per box (nominal) ; I C 20 x 10 (225 sh. 156 lb.), 17s. 6d. per box (nominal) ; I C squares and odd sizes, 12s. 3d. basis for usual specifications. Charcoal tins are in quiet demand, and are quoted 14s. and upwards, according to tinning. Coke wasters meet with a moderate enquiry. Quotations:—C W 14 x 20 Ils. 6d. per box, C W 28 x 20 23s. 3d. per box, C W 20 x 10 14s. 6d. per box, C W 14 x 18| Ils. 6d. (very scarce)—all f.o.b. Wales, less 4 per cent. LETTERS TO THE EDITORS. The Editors are not responsible either for the statements made, or the opinions expressed by correspondents. All communications must be authenticated by the name and address of the sender, whether for publication or not. No notice can be taken of anonymous communications. As replies to questions are only given by way of published answers to correspondents, and not by letter, stamped addressed envelopes are not required to be sent. THE DETERMINATION OF CO. Sir,—In connection with the paper on “ The Deter- mination of Carbon Monoxide in Air,” which appeared in your esteemed journal on May 15, 1914, I may point out that a method, which permits the rapid and exact determination of carbon monoxide in air, depending upon the oxidation of the former by iodine pentoxide and determination of the resulting carbon dioxide by Pettenkoffer’s process, was described by me in 1903,* and is in use in most of the colliery laboratories of Austria, Germany, and France. A. Fillunger. Mahr.-Ostrau, June 18, 1914. INERT DUST TREATMENT. Sir,—In the edition of your esteemed paper dated June 12, the chairman of the Coal Dust Experimenting Committee, during the course of an after-dinner speech is reported to have said as’follows :—“A number of the men seemed to have conceived the idea that putting the incombustible dust in (the mine) was likely to give them phthisis, and was dangerous to health. The com- mittee had investigated that at considerable length, and had pointed out that there was no evidence whatever of that being the case—none. Nobody, at present, had brought forward the slightest evidence to prove it. But so careful had they been upon the matter, that with the assent of the Home Office and the Government to find the necessary money, an invitation had been made to that eminent scientist, Dr. Haldane, again to make further investigations. In the meantime, one was justified in saying that anything like danger of phthisis was so purely imaginary, at present, that no one need be deterred from trying the remedy, at once, in his mine. ” As these remarks were made by the chairman of the Experimenting Committee they must be taken seriously, but one feels they would like to know exactly where the official record of the “ lengthy ” investiga- tion therein mentioned is to be found. The Experimenting Committee have nothing to say upon the matter except in their, first report, and in this they state such dusts as should be used must have no free silica as part of their constituents. Their fifth report shows that the dust recommended to be used con- tains 35 per cent, of free silica. There has been no attempt on the part of the committee to reconcile the disparity of these two statements. But the chairman of the committee says the committee have pointed out there was no evidence whatever of the use of dusts con- taining 35 per cent, of free silica being dangerous to health. Some time ago the writer pointed out certain analogous facts which showed the danger of using such a dust. The committee’s first report (the only report which treats in any way upon this matter) states that dusts containing silica would be dangerous. Drs. Reid, Legge, Haldane, and Shufflebotham have stated, and adduced facts, which show that silica-bearing dusts are exceedingly dangerous. Yet the chairman of the Experimenting Committee states that nobody has brought forward the slightest evidence to prove it. Is it to be seriously contended that the incidence of posi- tion will materially affect the action of such a dust, and by placing it in a mine this nullifies its deadly charac- teristics ? There is proof that strychnine is deadly if taken in the system either standing, sitting, or lying. So far as the writer’s knowledge goes, there is no proof of it being harmful if taken when a person is standing on his head. Therefore, is it reasonable to infer that it will be harm- less, providing a person takes it whilst in that position, keeping in view the facts that it has been proved harmful when taken in the other positions? The weight of evidence shows that the deadly nature of this substance is inherent in itself, and accident of position does not affect that nature. True, it can be so diluted that a small amount may be taken and be bene- ficial, but this is within strict limitations. Similar proof and reasoning are applicable to silica-bearing dusts, and further proof of its harmfulness in the mine will be forthcoming in due course. With regard to the committee’s invitation to Dr. Haldane, does not this tend to place the eminent scientist in a rather invidious position, for has he not already recorded his opinion upon this matter? It seems an unusual course to take to refer an appeal case to the one who has already passed judgment thereon? The ostrich-like trait as exampled in the latter remarks of the speaker do not need comment. Dr. Haldane has recently agreed that the particular shale about which he gave a “ reasoned ” opinion contained about 35 per cent, of free silica. It is about three years ago since the writer was charged in your columns with implying that Dr. Haldane was not master of his facts. With regard to a shale of a quite identical nature as the one afore-mentioned, and containing about the same amount of free silica, the eminent scientist said this silica may be in a colloid form. This statement is quite on a par with the notion that shales do not contain free silica,. * Dr. A. Fillunger, “ Kohlenoxydbestimmung in Gruben- wettern,” Osterreichische Zeitschrift fur Berg- and Huttenwesen, 1903, p. 216. for from actual analysis of this particular shale the writer found that out of a total silica contents of 58 it con- tained only about 1-6 of colloidal silica. If the Committee have found a shale that contains no free silica, they ought to say where this peculiarity occurs. But why this necessity to foist good charac- teristics upon material which has been incontrovertibly proved to be dangerous to health, and whose doubtful utility may be gathered from the records of the Experi- menting Committee? Their reports show that mixtures up to four of shale dust to one of coal dust are, more or less, capable of sustaining propagation. Is it not the fact that the best results of the Experi- menting Committee have been obtained by a substance in which silica is not a constituent? Further, it is a fact that material practically free from silica (about a-fourth of 1 per cent.) either free or combined can be obtained almost as cheap as shale in the vicinity of every coalfield, and which will certainly give as good results as the suggested palliative of the committee. E. O. Simcock. Hanley, Staffordshire, June 23, 1914. EXPLOSIVES IN MINES AMD SIGNALS. Sir,—I have read your leader of the 19th inst. on the above subject with interest, but wish you had gone a little further and dealt with the use of the explosive as well as the character. Under the Order of 1913, there are restrictions on the use of the explosive, which are causing an immense amount of anxiety and difficulty to mine owners. I quote below some of the principal difficulties which have arisen owing to these restrictions, and the mining engineers feel that it is impossible to carry on mining operations and yet literally to carry out the requirements of the Order. Under section 7 it is prohibited to do shot-firing in a mine or any road contiguous to a road upon which mechanical haulage is working or the tubs are being worked by gravity, unless there is a restricted number of persons in the mine. It was pointed out to the Home Office officials that such a restriction would prevent the replacing of ponies in mines by mechanical haulage, and that it was against the interests of safety in mines to have such a restric- tion. An amendment was granted allowing certain persons engaged exclusively in firing the ripping shots to remain in the mine. Again it was pointed out to the Home Office officials that such an amendment gave no relief, as the men were unable to remain in the mine owing to the Eight Hours Act. The present position is as follows :—In a mine working rise and dip coal, the men who are working on the rise side can keep their roads repaired by using ripping shots if they are using ponies for conveying the mineral gotten to the main haulage roads; and the men working on the dip side are unable to do repairs on their roads except on Saturday afternoon and Sundays, because the mine owner has introduced mechanical haulage for conveying the minerals from the face to the main haulage road instead of employing ponies. Another instance gives the position clearly :—A fault of 20 yds. throw is met with on a main road where mechanical haulage is used. The fault having a throw down of 20 yds., the mine owner decides to drive for- ward a head of one in six to foot the seam. He has hard ground to go through, and is prevented from blast- ing except on Saturday afternoon and Sunday, because the heading is contiguous to the main haulage road. There are other instances which can be given equally glaring, but I do not care to trespass on your space too much. The whole of these matters have been placed before the Home Office officials, and no relief in the Order has been given, although it has been repeatedly urged upon the above officials, as drawn, the Order is unworkable. The result is that mines are being worked to-day all over the country contrary to the letter of the Order, which is extremely unsatisfactory, and something ought to be done to enable the mine manager to carry out his duties without knowing that he is daily breaking an Order which is unworkable. With regard to your remarks on the “ Uniform Code ” which it is proposed should come into force on July 1 next, it must have come to the ears of the Home Office that no winding engineman or certificated manager feels he dare undertake the great responsibility thrust upon him by this regulation. The public may wonder why it was ever allowed to be included in the Coal Mines Regulation Act of 1911, if so great a danger existed by adopting it. As explained by you, the enginemen did not realise at the time what it meant. Since the regulation has been issued, many anxious meetings have taken place between those directly con- cerned, and the full force of the regulation has come home to them. However anxious both managers and men are to adopt proposals for ensuring greater safety in mines, they are unwilling to experiment with a rule which may mean loss of life or injury to persons, especi- ally when the regulation proposed does not mean that it will tend to lessen accidents in the future, but only that there may be a uniform code throughout the country. The company which I have the honour to serve has been in existence for over 100 years, and I cannot trace a single accident being caused through mistaken signals. Under such conditions, which must apply to hundreds of other similar companies, can it be wondered that those responsible firmly put their backs to the wall and refuse to carry out a regulation which every mine owner and winding engineman looks upon with horror. H. Eustace Mitton, M.Inst.C.E. Colliery Offices, Codnor Park, Near Alfreton, June 23, 1914.