Juia 10 IS] 4

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

95

a somewhat friable nature, and therefore not particularly
suitable for household use. Presiding at a meeting of the
company last week, Mr. J. J. Clark said the cost of working
the Snowdown Hard was very slightly increased by the
greater depth and the extra profit derived from working the
deeper seam would not be less than 2s. a ton. Raising 2,000
tons per day, which the colliery was quite capable of doing
when properly equipped, they would have an additional profit
of £200 per day. The output of coal from Snowdown to
June 30, 1913, was 15,000 tons, in the next nine months
it was 22,000 tons, and in the three months to June 30,
1914, was 11,400 tons, making in all 48,500 tons to date.
He estimated that between £50,000 and £55,000 would be
required in order to carry on the colliery in the way it ought
to be carried on.

Scotland.

A prosecution of considerable interest to colliery firemen
was disposed of in Hamilton Sheriff Court on Thursday, the
2nd inst., when a fireman working in the Motherwell dis-
trict was charged with having contravened the Coal Mines
Act, 1911, by having knowingly made a false statement in
his report book, to the effect that the roofs in certain seams
which he had to inspect were in a good condition, whereas
they were defective in that certain of the straps were in such
a state that a pony working in the road rubbed against them.
Sheriff Shennan, at the close of the evidence, said he had
no doubt respondent was aware that the roof was so low
that the pony might rub against it. He also held the view
that the respondent had applied his mind to the existing
conditions, and was of opinion that nothing required to be
done to improve same. However, his lordship held that it
was the duty of the fireman on discovering any defect to
report it in the books, so as to throw the burden on the
manager of determining whether or not it required to be
remedied. The charge was found proved, but considering
that the case was the first of its kind to come before him,
Sheriff Shennan said he woul^ dismiss the respondent with-
out recording a conviction.

Mr. Thomas Lindsay McBride, B.Sc., son of the general
manager of the Wishaw Coal Company, Lanarkshire, has
been appointed one of H.M. junior inspectors of mines, and
has been posted to Wales.

LABOUR AND WAGES.

South Wales and Monmouthshire.

At Locket’s Merthyr Collieries, Mardy, where 3,000 men
are employed, notices expired on Tuesday, but it was
decided to suspend the notices for a further fortnight.

Ogmore Vale branch of the I.L.P. have pledged themselves
to endeavour to secure the return of a Labour member for
Mid-Glamorgan at the next election.

Work was resumed at Glenavon Colliery, Blaengarw, at
the beginning of the week.

Seven hundred men at the Bargoed House Coal Pit of the
P.D. Company refused to go to work on Monday, owing to
dissatisfaction as to the payment of the minimum wage for
abnormal places. Negotiations are proceeding, and it is said
that the men will soon return to work.

Eight hundred colliers are idle at Grovesend and Morlais,
owing to the question of a revised price list.

The Rhondda district of the federation at their meeting on
Monday, which was attended by delegates representing over
33,000 workmen, discussed the stoppage at the Gelli Colliery,
Ton, which has now lasted over three years. Mr. D. Watts
Morgan, the agent, said an offer had been made to reduce
the dead work from 20 to 18 in. at a cutting price of Is. 9|d.
per ton. They were not prepared to accept this, and he
regretted to say negotiations had been broken off again. He
added that the company were prepared to sink another seam,
and steps would be taken to see that no workmen would be
put on in the new seam until the old dispute had been
settled.

At a meeting of miners at Abertridwr, it was decided to
adopt the old hours of 6 to 2 and 2 to 10.

North of England.

At a council meeting of the Durham Miners’ Association
on Saturday, a resolution was carried in favour of demand-
ing a 10 per cent, advance on wages. The council sup-
ported the policy of five days’ work per week, and for May 1
to be a general holiday throughout the country. It was
decided to appoint two registration agents for two Parlia-
mentary divisions in Durham county.

The annual meeting of the Cumberland Coke Trade Con-
ciliation Board was held at the coal owners’ offices at Work-
ington last week. Mr. W. J. D. Bumyeat was elected
president. The appointment of neutral chairman was left
over.

Eollowing up their request for a greater output and a
10 per cent, reduction in wages, which the men have hitherto
declined to concede, the Flimby Colliery Company have
posted a notice terminating all engagements at the Water-
gate Colliery, Maryport, employing 300 hands. It is feared
this means closing the colliery. The company have already
closed Seaton Moor Colliery and some of the seams in the
Bertha Colliery, rendering idle two-thirds of the men. A
special meeting of the council of the Cumberland Miners’
Association was held at Workington on Monday, when it
was decided to advise the men not to concede any reduction.

At a meeting of the Buckhill miners’ lodge on Friday
evening, it was decided to ask the owners for an advance of
3d. per ton for the night shift hewers following on in the
Low Bottom seam at the Buckhill Colliery. It was also
resolved to make apnlication for 3d. per ton advance for all
hewers working in the “ Stoneyard ” district.

Federated Area.

At Wakefield 584 miners employed at the Wrenthorpe
Colliery have been summoned in respect of alleged breach of
contract—leaving work without giving the usual 14 days’
notice. A second hearing of the case took place on Friday
last, when the colliery was intimated that there was a likeli-
hood of the matter being arbitrated upon. The magistrates
agreed to adjourn the matter until a date to be fixed.

A strike is threatened as the result of a decision which
was made at the adjourned meeting of the Derbyshire
Miners’ Association on Saturday. It was announced that
the whole of the men working in the several pits of the
Blackwell Colliery Company had been balloted with a view
to giving in notices unless an agreement could be arrived at
with regard to the automatic weighing machines placed on
the pit banks and with respect to a difficulty at Shirland
concerning “ ripping.” The ballot was in favour of giving
in notices, and the council agreed that such notices be given

in on Wednesday, July 15, unless the grievances are remedied
in the meantime. Whilst the men were on holiday the
company, it is said, put in a new beam weighing apparatus
in one of the pits. The men objected and declined to go to
work one day.

Mr. H. Smith presided over a council meeting of the York-
shire Miners’ Association, Barnsley, on Friday. With
regard to the dispute at the Wrenthorpe and Low Laithes
Collieries, the council agreed that the officials should com-
municate by telegram with the management of the collieries,
with a view to arrangements being made for the men to
re-start work under the conditions prevailing prior to the
stoppage. A stipulation was made that none of the men
should be asked to act as deputies. It is expected that the
men will resume work at these pits at an early date. The
application of the men at Thurcroft Colliery for permission
to hand in notices to secure the reinstatement of an alleged
victim, was granted. The men at Glass Houghton Colliery
were granted permission to ballot on the question of giving
notice owing to the refusal of the management to recognise
the closing of the Saturday shift at noon. Permission was
granted to the men at Stanhope, Silkstone, and Hodroyd
Collieries to take a ballot on the question of giving notice
in order to obtain the reinstatement of alleged victims.

The executive council of the Lancashire and Cheshire
Miners’ Federation have resolved to ask the District Wages
Board to increase the minimum rate of wages for colliers in
their area from 6s. 6d. to 7s. per day. Since the present
minimum rate was fixed the mines have been granted three
5 per cent, increases by the Conciliation Board, and these
advances have raised the actual minimum to 7s. l|d. per
day. The men’s representatives consider that the properous
condition of the industry warrants the further substantial
increase in the minimum rate. At branch meetings of
miners held in the Manchester, Bolton, Leigh and Wigan
districts, resolutions urging their leaders to seek a fixed
increase of the minimum wage by 6d. per day have been
adopted. The application will come before his Honour Judge
Mellor, as independent chairman of the District Wages
Board.

Scotland.

The Scottish Coal Owners’ Association have lodged a
claim with the Coal Trade Conciliation Board for a reduc-
tion in the wages of miners to the extent of 25 per cent,
on the 1888 basis, which is equivalent to Is. per day. A
meeting of the Board will be held in the course of a fort-
night to deal with the application. The present wage is
7s. per day, and came in force in the middle of last week,
on the award of Lord Balfour of Burleigh.

The Knowehead and Broomrigg collieries’ workers, who,
to the number of several hundreds, have been idle since the
beginning of this week, have decided to accept the advice
of the executive of the Stirlingshire Miners’ County Union
that they should resume work at once if the employers were
willing to open the gates. The trouble arose over an alleged
grievance affecting a few in Knowehead Colliery, the other
collieries coming out afterwards.

A meeting of the Scottish Coal Owners’ Association was
held in Glasgow on Monday, to consider the question of the
four-day week policy which has been put forward by the
Scottish Miners’ Federation. The meeting was well
attended, representatives being present from every part of
the Scottish coalfield, and after considerable discussion the
following resolution was agreed to unanimously :—“ That
this meeting of the Scottish coal trade, having considered
the proposal of the workmen to reduce the working days at
the collieries to four days weekly, and being convinced that
such a restriction of output is unnecessary, and would
be seriously prejudicial to the coal trade and to the whole
industrial position of the country, unanimously resolves to
resist the proposal, and to resort to a lock-out of the work-
men at the collieries when and where the proposal is carried
out.”

In connection with the four days a week policy, the whole
of the members of the Fife and Kinross Miners’ Union
lodged their notices on Saturday in order that their position
might be legally sound for claiming the shorter working
week. According to the notices, the men are willing to con-
tinue at work after the expiry of the 14 days, provided that
the masters allow one of the clauses of the contract rules
to be altered to read that the men shall work eight instead
of 11 days per fortnight. The notices expire on July 18,
which marks the beginning of the midsummer holidays all
over the counties.

Miners’ Federation of Great Britain.

The executive of the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain
met at Manchester on Wednesday, to consider two matters
of grave import affecting the coal trade. The first was the
the threatened lock-out by the Scottish coal owners at those
collieries where the men attempt to enforce a four days’
working week policy, which may result in the complete stop-
page of the Scottish coalfield; and the other was the shutting
down for economic causes of certain collieries in the Bristol
district, by which about two-thirds of the men are thrown
out of employment.

The Scottish delegates stated that an application had again
‘been made by the Scottish coal owners for a 25 per cent,
reduction in wages, which, if granted, would bring wages
below the 7s. per day fixed as a minimum by the Scar-
borough Conference. The men had met to consider the
position, and decided to adopt a four days a week working
policy. The reply of the owners to this was the decision
to lock out the men at any colliery where the four days
working policy was put into operation. After full considera-
tion it was decided to call a general conference of the
federation to be held at Southport on July 21 to determine
the policy of the federation on the Scottish wage question.

The position in the Bristol district was considered on a
statement by Mr. W. Whitefield, miners’ agent for the
strict, that four collieries had been closed and 1,700 mem-
bers of the Bristol Association were out of work. It was
decided th^t the cnnfer°nce should consider the position.
4 temporary grant of £500 was made.

Workmen’s Compensation Act Order.—The Secretary of
State for the Home Department gives notice that on July 1.
1914. he made an Order under section 8, subsection 6. of
the Workmen’s Compensation Act. 1906, extending the pro-
visions of that section to ‘‘ epith el ioma tons cancer or ulcera-
tion of the skin or of the corneal surface of the eye, due to
tar. pitch, bitumen, mineral oil or paraffin, or any com-
pound. product, or residue of any of those substances,” and
revoking (except as regards cases arising before the date
of the new Order) so much of the Order of July 30. 1913. as
anolied to ‘‘ epithelioma tons cancer or ulceration of the skin
or of the corneal surface of the eye, due to pitch, tar, or
tarry compounds.”

PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—July 2.

Coal Mines Act (Monmouthshire).

Mr. Brace asked the Home Secretary if he was aware
that there had been a colliery at Blaina, Monmouthshire,
employing several hundred workmen, at a standstill for
weeks in consequence of the workmen having lost confidence
in some of the colliery officials, against whom it was alleged
that they did not carry out in a proper and efficient manner
their official duties as promised by the Coal Mines Regulation
Act; if his Majesty’s inspectors of mines have reported this
case to him; and what action, if any, he proposed to take in
connection with the business.

Mr. McKenna :I have had before me a report in this case
from the divisional inspector, who advised me that several
breaches of the Act had been committed. I have instructed
the Director of Public Prosecutions to take proceedings
accordingly against the several persons responsible.

Replying to Mr. Charles Duncan, Mr. McKenna said
instructions were given a fortnight ago. He asked for
information as to when the proceedings were likely to begin,
and had not yet had an answer. He had taken means to
expedite the matter.

Mr. Brace asked the Home Secretary if he was aware
that the Arrail Griffin Colliefy, Six Bells, Monmouthshire,
was at a standstill because of alleged defective lamps, the
workmen declining to go into the mine with them; and that
recently in the Rhymney Valley hundreds of workmen were
idle for the same reason; have these cases been reported to
him by his Majesty’s inspectors of mines; and what action
he proposed to take to prevent workmen’s lives and limbs
being endangered though the use of defective lamps in the
mines.

Mr. McKenna :The Divisional Inspector informs me that *
the Arrail Griffin Colliery case has not been brought to bis
notice, but he will make enquiry. As regards the other case,
in the Rhymney Valley, the inspector reports that he
enquired into this case, and found that the safety lamps
in use at the mine were of approved types which had passed
the Home Office tests. The sole question was as to the
maintenance of the lamps in good condition, and as to the
locking apparatus, fitting of glasses, etc. When the inspector
visited the mine, representatives of the men were examining
all the lamps, and had set aside twelve lamps because they
had too much ‘ ‘ play ’ ’ when locked; this did not show they
were actually unsafe, but that they required repair, or to
be discarded as worn out. The inspector believes the
necessary steps are being taken by the management to see
that the lamps are kept in good order, and are carefully
examined as required by the Act.

Kent Coalfield (War Department Land).

Mr. Fell asked the Secretary of State for War whether
he would state how much land the Government owned in
the neighbourhood of Dover; whether the Government geolo-
gists have reported that such lands are underlaid by seams
of coal; and if any tests of the value and nature of such
coal have been made by the Government.

Mr. Tennant, in reply, said the War Department owned
about 1,150 acres. So far as he was aware there have been
no expert enquiries or tests of the nature indicated in the
question.

Oil Shales in the Hebrides.

Mr. James Hogge asked the First Lord of the Admiralty
whether his attention had been called to the discovery of
oil in the Hebrides; and whether any steps were being taken
to estimate its value for naval purposes.

Mr. Lambert (the Civil Lord of the Admiralty) : It is
understood that deposits of oil shale have recently been
found in certain islands, but no reports have been received
as to the sinking of trial borings to test the extent of the
field and the quality of the shale. The Admiralty will not
do it.

July 3.
Provision of Explosives to Miners.

Mr. Duncan Millar asked the Secretary of State for the
Home Department, whether he could state the price charged
to miners of the various explosives in use in coal mines
immediately prior to the date of the coming into operation
of the provisions of the Coal Mines Act, 1911, and as at
the beginning of the year 1914.

Mr. McKenna : I regret that I am unable to furnish this
information. Before the present Act the men in many cases
provided their own explosives, and in the cases where the
explosives were provided by the owners the Home Office has
no information, except possibly in some isolated instances,
as to the charges made. Under the Act the price charged by
the owner may not exceed the actual net cost, but the actual
net cost will vary in different cases according to the explosive
used, cost of carriage to the mine, and other circumstances,
and no returns are furnished to the Home Office by the
owners on the subject.

Instructions Regarding the New Explosive “ Monarkite.”

Mr. Duncan Millar asked the Secretary of State for the
Home Department whether his attention had been directed
to the instructions issued along with the new explosive
“ Monarkite ” to the effect that in all cases after a blast
the material brought down or blown out ought to be care-
fully examined lest any cartridge or piece of cartridge
should remain unexploded; whether it was a condition of
the Home Office test that after the shot no appreciable
amount of the charge shall remain unexploded; and whether
he would consider as to making some further investigation
in order to ascertain whether the explosive in question con-
formed to the test, in view of the maker’s instruction as to
the possibility of the cartridges or pieces thereof remaining
unexploded.

Mr. McKenna : I have seen the instructions in question,
but I am advised that they are not peculiar to ‘‘ Monarkite,”
and that similar instructions are very generally sent out by
manufacturers of explosives, as a measure of precaution,
with each packet of blasting explosive. It is a condition of
the Home Office tests for permitted explosives that after the
shot no appreciable amount of the charge shall remain
unexploded; but in actual practice various circumstances
may arise which will prevent a charge from detonating com-
pletely, and accidents due to boring into the unexploded
residue or striking it while removing debris are unfortu-
nately by no means infrequent. It is accordingly very
desirable that, ^whatever may be the explosive used, the
examination recommended in the instructions referred to
should always be carried out after a shot has been fired:
and such examination is provided for in the general
requirement contained in clause 2 (g) of the Explosives in
Coal Mines Order.