October 9, 1914.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

779

flame was placed on the end of an aluminium rod, and
raised gently into the cavity. At a certain point a dis-
tinct elongation of the flame and increased luminosity
were observed. After repeating the operation, he
climbed up the cogging, and by means of a reduced flame
To in. high, a t in. cap was seen. Two officials witnessed
the test, which was repeated several times. The results
proved conclusively that a mixture which gave a i in.
cap on the standard testing flame could be detected even
at a height of 12 ft. above the floor by placing a lamp
on the end of a 9 ft. rod in the manner described. The
speaker proceeded to describe a telescopic gas testing,
rod. As was w’ell known, he said, a fireman’s duties
not only included examinations for the presence of gas
and inspections as to general safety, but they also
involved frequent measurements of the heights and
widths of roads, thickness of seams, clods, rippings, etc.
For this purpose he was usually provided with a stick
about a yard in length. Not infrequently, however—as,
for example, when high cavities were met with, or roads
of large dimensions required measuring;—the yard stick
was found to fall short of his requirements. It was
thought, therefore, that a light rod capable of extension
to about 9 ft., which when closed would be about 3 ft.
jn length, would be of great service to mine officials. Ah
instrument had been devised which consisted of three
aluminium tubes — an outer, intermediate, and inner
tube. The outer tube was 36 in. long, in. outer
diameter, and made of metal in. thick. The lower-
end was made solid and of brass to resist wear, and in
order that it might be used for testing the roof. The
inner rod carried at its upper end a brass loop to receive
a lamp hook when testing for gas.

The President suggested a uniform terminology
amongst firemen, who at the present time employed
different expressions for conveying the same thing in
their reports.

The discussion was closed, and the authors of the
paper were thanked.

Arching in Collieries.

Consideration was resumed of Mr. Robt. G. Clark’s
paper on “ Arching in Collieries.”

The President said he knew of cases where reinforced
concrete was used in underground pump chambers and
at other parts of the mine, but sufficient time had not
elapsed to enable a proper conclusion being arrived at.

Mr. Hugh Bramwell said the question of applying
reinforced concrete underground very largely resolved
itself into the place at which it was adopted. • In a
pumping chamber or engine house no doubt reinforced
concrete could be used to great advantage, but in under-
ground roadways, with night and day constant traffic,
the difficulty would be in providing forms in which to
put the concrete if ordinary small reinforcement bars
were adopted. In these circumstances the mining man
had felt obliged to fall back upon the use of rolled
joists, curved to the shape of the arch it was intended
to put in, the girder being used as the form for putting
in the concrete and left in permanently. Mr. Clark had
pointed out that this was not an economical method of
reinforcement, but it seemed to be the only practical
way of carrying out the work on a road over which
traffic w’as constantly passing.

Mr. Clark said he appreciated the difficulty about
roadways to which Mr. Bramwell referred, and had
alluded to it in his paper. In order to get over the diffi-
culty some people were putting in ordinary concrete
blocks, making a temporary arch, supported by shutter-
ing. The blocks were sufficient to take the squeeze that
might come on until the ferro-concrete at the back had
set.

Mr. Bramwell said he saw little improvement in this
suggestion upon the ordinary brick arch backed by ferro-
concrete work. It might be stronger than brickwork,
but there would not be formed that homogeneous mass
which was the great claim and feature of the ferro-con-
crete principle.

The discussion was further adjourned.

Methods of Manufacturing, and the Properties and Testing
of Portland Cement.

A paper by Mr. B. J. Day, M.I.E.E., A.M.Mech.E.,
on this subject, with a description of the works erected
by the Aberthaw and Bristol Channel Portland Cement
Company Limited, was next considered.

Mr. Clarence A. Seyler said the manufacture of
cement was a good example of the debt which industry
owed to the scientific chemist. The great progress of
the industry coincided with the researches in 1887 of
the distinguished physical-chemist, Lc Chatelier, who
disentangled from the previous confusion the main out-
lines of the theory of the process, sufficiently indeed to
guide the manufacturer in turning out a ' reasonably
uniform and reliable product. They might, he (the
speaker) thought, not unprofitably draw- an analogy
between the production of cement and that of basic slag.
In fact, blastfurnace slag, as was well known, by suit-
able thermal treatment, acquired hydraulic properties
comparable with those of Portland cement. In both
cases they had mixtures (or perhaps solid solutions) of
calcium silicates, with a characteristic lime component
—in the case of cement, calcium aluminate; in that of
basic slag, calcium phosphate. In both eases the
aluminate and the phosphate are basic compounds, but
the exact constitution could not be said to bo certainly
known. Apart from the constitution of the product,
there was the further problem of its reaction with water

LABOUR AND WAGES.

South Wales and Monmouthshire.

At the meeting of the Federation executive on Friday last
week the banksmen’s committee presented a report giving
particulars as to the cases that had been settled; and the
council expressed its satisfaction with the report so far as
regards those particular cases. The executive dealt also
with the question of electric lamps, which are being intro-
duced instead of the naked lights, at some of the house coal
collieries, and it was decided to discuss the matter further
at a future meeting.

Further progress was made on Monday at a/meeting of
the sub-committee appointed by the Conciliation Board to
deal with the conditions of employment of banksmen. The
proceedings were altogether of an amicable description, and
dealt (amongst others) with the Britannic-Merthyr, the Navi-
gation Colliery (Treharris), Gelli Steam Collieries, Resolven,
Ferndale, and Senghenydd. Altogether the sub-committee
signed agreements settling rates of wages, hours of work,
and duties to be performed by banksmen at about 20 col-
lieries, this making the settlements in regard to a total of
no fewer than 65.

The Pwllfaron Colliery, Glyn Neath, an anthracite under-
taking, is being re-opened after-two-months’ closure.

North of England.

The members of the West Auckland lodge of the Durham
Miners’ Association have passed a resolution that, seeing
that the members of the, Union are making great concessions,
both with their members and money, landlords should reduce
their rents while the war lasts..........

The Ashington miners have decided that, in aid of the
war relief funds, a levy shall be deducted from their wages
at the colliery offices of 3d. to the first completed pound gross,
with an additional l|d. for each half-sovereign above that
amount.

The number of hands the Whitehaven Colliery has lost
owing to enlistment is now 470. Further depletion of the
collieries is locally regarded as undesirable in the interests
of the continued running of the collieries. So far about 30
men have been taken on, chiefly from the Newcastle and
Durham districts.

The collieries in the Haltwhistle district are commencing
to work very irregularly. During last week the South Tyne
Colliery only worked one day (Wednesday), and the Blackett
Colliery was idle on Monday and Tuesday. The difficulty
that confronts the management is the- disposal of the small
coal.

Federated Area.

A dispute having arisen at the Askern Collieries, York-
shire, with respect to the wages of the deputies, the pit has
been set down. The dispute is entirely local in character.
The face workers having been placed on short time, the
deputies demanded to be paid the full rate.

Mr. H. Smith, presiding at the meeting of the executive
of the Yorkshire Miners’ Association at Barnsley on Monday,
said it was to be regretted that nothing had been done in
regard to the minimum wages question in West Yorkshire.
The owners still refused to pay according to the increased
award of Judge Ampthill on July. 21 last. This meant, said
Mr. Smith, that all the men affected by the minimum wage
were receiving 4d. per day and the boys from 4d. to Id.
per day less than was intended by the award.

His Honour Judge Moss has been appointed independent
chairman of the Joint District Board for North Wales under
the Minimum Wage (Coal Mines) Act of 1912, in place of
the late Mr. Francis Williams, K.C.

Owing to the closing down of the Phoenix Colliery, near
Mold, about 300 men were recently thrown out of employ-
ment, but through the mutually good offices of the coal
owners and the North Wales Miners’ Association, work has
been found for the whole of the men at other collieries in
the North Wales coalfield. In addition to work having
been found them, special arrangements have been made with
the Great Western and London and North-Western railway
companies whereby the men will be able to travel daily to
and from their new work at cheap rates. This arrangement
came into force on Monday last.

The executive committee of the Lancashire and Cheshire
Miners’ Federation, which has now some 80,000 members,
have passed the following resolution :—“ We emphatically
protest against the scale of payment for relief suggested by
the advisory committee of the county of Lancaster, and wb
consider the payments to those suffering through the indus-
trial distress caused by the war should be equal to the pay-
ments made by the Government to families and dependants
of those who have gone to serve in his Majesty’s forces.”

Scotland.

The monthly meeting of the executive board of the Fife
and Kinross Association was held at Dunfermline on the
1st inst., Mr. Archibald Adam presiding. Reports were
submitted as to the amount of work available for the miners
of the respective collieries in the county. From these it was
ascertained that an average of fully four days per week
had been obtained during the last three weeks. This, it
was pointed out, was a considerable improvement as com-
pared with the first four weeks of the war. It was agreed,
in view of the fact that a number of collieries were practi-
cally working full time., and that the trade was improving
all over, to revert to the former contribution of 6d. per week
per member, and it was remitted to the standing committee

and with carbonic acid, which was never absent, or with
saline solution, such as sea water.' In regard to cement,
the problem was the theory of setting and stability; in
regard to basic slag, it was the solubility and availability
of the phosphates when applied to the soil. Neither
process was well understood, and much room remained
for experimental research. One very interesting
geological point was brought out in Mr. Day’s paper—
an observation by Mr. Cooper that the Lias limestone
became less siliceous and more aluminous as one went
from west or north-west, ” as though the clayey particles
had been carried further east.” He (Mr. Seyler) would
not do more at present than point out the parallel to the
change from anthracite to bituminous coal in the same
general direction, and to express a hope that it might
perhaps help to throw some light upon that mysterious
change.

The author of the paper fully replied to the technical
comments made at the last meeting, and the discussion
was closed, Mr. Day being warmly thanked.

to deal with any particular colliery where the working time
obtained might not justify this step.

For some time a dispute has been pending at Woodilee
Colliery, Kirkintilloch. Originally a question between a
contractor and one of his men, whom he had dismissed and
refused to reinstate, the issue is now a much wider one,
and the men at Woodilee, and also at Meiklehill, belonging
to the same company, have lifted their “ graith,” justifying
their action as a resistance to partial reductions. Over 500
men are affected.

A meeting of the executive of the Scottish branch of The
Miners’ Federation was held in Glasgow on Thursday, the
1st inst., Mr. Robert Smillie presiding. It was decided to
hold a conference of the Scottish Miners’ Federation a month
hence, for the purpose of electing a committee and other
officials, presenting a balance-sheet, and finally adopting
the rules for the Central Scottish Miners’ Union. In. the
meantime circulars will be sent out to the districts asking
for nominations of office-bearers.

Iron, Steel and Engineering Trades.

Mr. Daniel Jones and Mr. W. Aucott, secretaries to the
Midland Iron and Steel Wages Board, publish the report of
the accountants for the two months ended July and August
1914, and announce that in accordance with the sliding scale
arrangements the wages for puddling during the months of
October and November 1914 will be 9s. per ton, and all other
mill and forge wages will remain unaltered from Monday,
October 5, and continue until Saturday, December 5, 1914.
In addition to the puddling rate of 9s. per ton under the
sliding scale, there will be an increase of 6d. per ton given
to the puddlers by resolution of the Wages Board which
met July 15, 1912. The increase applies to puddlers only,
and will make the total puddling rate 9s. 6d. per ton. The
accountants certify the average net selling price to have
been £6 16s. 4’35d. per ton.

Under the sliding scale operating in Cumberland, the
wages of blastfurnacemen have been advanced by 4| per
cent., and are now 29| per cent, above the standard. West
Coast haematite warrants averaged 63s. Id. per ton for the
quarter ended September 30, compared with 61s. for the
previous quarter, and 69s. 5d. for the corresponding quarter
of last year.

Owing to the increased demand for Cumberland haematite
iron, the average cash selling price of haematite iron war-
rants, according to the quarterly ascertainment under the
sliding scale in force in Cumberland, rose from 61s. per ton,
to 63s. lOd. per ton, and furnacemen’s wages are, accord-
ingly, advanced by 5 per cent, to 30 per cent, above the
standard.

Iron and steel workers’ wages in South Wales during
October and November will, according to sliding scale ascer-
tainment, be at the rate of 9s. per ton for puddlers, with 6d.
per ton added in accordance with the resolution of the Wages
Board. All other grades of men have their wage rate
unaltered for two months.

The ascertained average net selling price of No. 3 Cleve-
land pig iron for the months of July, August and September
was this week certified to have been 51s. 4T3d. per ton, as
against 51s. 0'70d. per ton in the preceding three months.
According to the usual formula, wages will be advanced by
0'25 (a quarter of one) per cent. Wages are nowT 24 per
cent, above the standard.

Trade Unions and the War.

The Board of Trade have announced that they are now
prepared to entertain applications for payment from the
Exchequer during the present emergency of special grants
to. voluntary associations which provide benefits for their
unemployed members. These emergency grants will be paid
by the Board of Trade as an addition to refunds of one-sixth,
payable under section 106 of the National Insurance Act.
The payment of the emergency grant will be subject to the
following conditions :—(1) That the association should be
suffering from abnormal unemployment; (2) that the asso-
ciation should not pay unemployment benefit above a maxi-
mum rate of 17s. a week, including any sum paid by way of
State unemployment benefit; (3) that the association should
agree while in receipt of the emergency grant to impose
levies over and above the ordinary contribution upon those
members who remain fully employed. The amount of
emergency grant, in addition to the refund of one-sixth
already payable, will be either one-third or one-sixth of the
expenditure of the association on unemployment benefit,
exclusive of strike benefit. The rate of the grant will be
determined by the amount of the levy. For example, an
association paying unemployment benefit at the rate of 12s.
a week, will, by imposing a levy of 2d. a week on the
employed members, be qualified for an emergency grant of
one-third of its expenditure—that is, a total refund of one-
half, taking into account the present refund of one-sixth.
The same association, if it prefers only to impose a levy of
Id. a week, will be qualified for an emergency grant of one-
sixth—that is, for a total refund of one-third. Associations
paying higher rates of benefit would have to impose higher
levies in order to qualify for the same proportionate refunds.
Applications will also be entertained for emergency grants
which will be subject to special conditions in respect of
expenditure already incurred by associations on unemploy-
ment benefit since August 4, 1914.

Mining Institute of Scotland.—A general meeting of the
Mining Institute of Scotland will be held in the Heriot-
Watt College, Chambers-street, Edinburgh, to-morrow
(Saturday), at 3 p.m. Mr. James Black’s paper on ” The
Rosehall Signal Indicator,” and Mr. Thomas Bryson’s paper
on ‘‘Fan Testing, with Special Reference to the Measure-
ment of Pressure,” will be discussed: a paper on ‘‘ Tests on
False Links for Cut-Chain Braes,” will be read by Mr.
John T. "Wight: and a demonstration and explanation of
the ‘‘ Meehan Mechanical Signalling Apparatus ” will be
given at the close of the meeting. The council have, owing
to the European War, decided that the annual dinner should
not be held this year.

Hull Coal Imports.—The official returns made by the
Hull Corporation's Coal Inspector, Mr. W. Herbert Truman,
show to what extent the coal trade of the port was affected
during the month of September. The total amount brought
into Hull during the month was 418,096 tons—384,751 tons
by rail, and 33.345 tons by river—as compared with 630.034
tons in September 1913. The totals for the first nine months
of 1914 and 1913 respectively are 4.532.315 tons and 6.081.058
tons. The exports coastwise during September reached
47.312 tons, the figures for the first nine months being
572.987 tons. Exports of coal to other countries in
September were 176,733 tons, as against 393.026 tons in
1913: 2,424,201 tons were exported in the first nine months
of the present year, against 3,357,691 tons last year.