October 30, 1914.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

935

674. The company were paying 10s. per week to each wife,
with Is. for each child under 14 years of age; and the pro-
portion of married men was such that this would entail an
outlay of £’7,000 to £8,000 in the current financial year, if
the war continued so long. Col. Wright also stated that
the liability of debentures upon Port Talbot steel works had
been discharged, and that the value of the works, collieries,
and assets was satisfactory to the valuers and auditors.

At commencement has been made with the construction of
new patent fuel works at Cadoxton, in close proximity to
the Barry Company’s No. 2 Dock. As previously men-
tioned in this column, the undertaking will be on an exten-
sive scale, and its equipment will embody the latest improve-
ments in manufacture and handling.

Once again the cost of maintaining the police during the
coal strike has become before the Courts. It raises the
question of the liability of the County Council of Glamorgan
to maintain those who were sent to guard the collieries dur-
ing the stoppage. The detachments of police from London
and elsewhere were lodged on the collieries, and the owners
now seek repayment of their outlay, but the Glamorgan
Council is resisting the claim. Application was made in
the King’s Bench Court on Tuesday that a day should be
fixed for the trial, so that the issue might be brought to a
decision.

Prospects in the anthracite trade are stated now to be
better than a month ago; and in reporting this at the
monthly meeting on Saturday last of the Anthracite Miners’
Association, the chairman said that several of the collieries
which had been stopped or only partially worked on account
of the war had already resumed operations. Unfortunately,
the dispute at the Tirbach Collieries still remained unsettled
—the price list being the difficulty.

Excommunication is being practised by the western dis-
trict of miners, for on Saturday last at ,the monthly meet-
ing in Swansea, after a discussion upon disputes at the
Ynisarwed and neighbouring collieries—where the miners
have disagreed between themselves—it was decided, so far
as the men working at Ynisarwed are concerned, “ to rule
them out of the assistance, benefits, and fellowship of the
Miners’ Federation.” Other lodges will be informed that
transfers from Ynisarwed are not to be accepted, and the
western district executive are writing to the central authority
of the South Wales Federation, protesting against action
that is being taken with regard to men employed at the
Bryn Lliw, Morlais, and Grovesend collieries, and asking
that a deputation be received so that the whole of the situ-
ation may be considered.

The Rhondda miners discussed on Monday the policy their
delegates should pursue at the conference of the Miners’
Federation of Great Britain in London, upon the subject
of allowances to recruits; and Mr. Watts Morgan, their
agent, said the South Wales Federation had already set out
its demands. They suggested £1 a week to widows of
soldiers and sailors, and 5s. for each dependent child: or
that at least the provisions of the Workmen’s Compensation
Act should be applied, to be based upon the earnings of the
men in their civil employment. Mr. Morgan referred very
appreciatively to the generosity of the leading colliery com-
panies in making allowances to the wives and families of
their employees who had joined the forces; but in the dis-
cussion which followed, several speakers pointed out that
three local firms were not makin^ any allowances. A reso-
lution was therefore adopted appealing to these companies to
take the same course as other colliery concerns in the Welsh
coalfield.

The Miners’ Federation of Great Britain conference took
place in London on Tuesday, and, after a lengthy discussion
on the question of separation allowances to wives and
dependants of men in the Army, considerable disapproval
was expressed at the present condition of affairs; and, in
addition, reference was made to the distribution of relief
among men who were unemployed owing to the war.

The colliers from the Rhondda who have enlisted to form
a separate battalion of the Welsh Regiment marched
through Cardiff on Saturday last, and the “ Mining Pals ”
were everywhere warmly greeted. Although very few were
in uniform, the physique and good appearance of the men
was generally remarked. The large majority are Welsh-
men, but the battalion includes a good number of English,
Irish, and Scotch. Nearly all the officers are from the
mining centres, there being owners, managers, mining engi-
neers, and miners’ leaders, whilst the commanding officer
is Col. Pearson, H.M. inspector of mines. The Rhondda
has yielded over 8,000 men for the Colours, and in other
parts of the coalfield the withdrawal of men from the mines
has been equally large in proportion. Mr. Watts Morgan,
leader of the Rhondda miners, has been commissioned as
lieutenant.

The suggestion that the amount realised by the miners’
levy should be paid over to the Federation instead of to the
Prince of Wales’s Fund Committee has provoked enquiry,
for there appears to prevail an idea that it may be the first
step towards introducing an unemployment subscription to
the Federation. The miners have voted against such a sub-
scription, and now that, in the Conciliation Board meeting,
request was made to the owners that they would pay over to
the Federation, for distribution, the amounts stopped from
wages under the levy, certain questions are asked by inde-
pendent observers. One wishes to know whether the Feder-
ation would make allowance to unemployed men irrespec-
tive of whether their idleness were or were not due to the
war; and a further query is whether the totals of the levy
would form a separate fund, to be continued after the war.

The Western Valleys Miners’ Council meeting at Aber-
tillery have instructed their secretary to ask that a general
conference of South Wales be convened in order to deal
with the question of the levies paid by the workmen to
the Prince of Wales’s Fund.

A notable incident in the working of tin-plate mills at the
present time is that some of them now show the highest
quantity of product, this being due to the fact that the men
are working short shifts, and consequently put greater effort
into their operations in order to raise their earnings to the
highest point. It is satisfactory also to state that the
number of mills at work has increased. In the galvanised
sheet trade, which has suffered in South Wales much more
than the tin-plate trade, business will shortly show an
improvement, seeing that the embargo on exports has been
removed for some time past, and that supplies of spelter
are coming forward from America.

The will of Mr. David Williams, colliery proprietor, of
The Park, Gowerton, has been proved at gross value
£60,773, with net personalty of £52,509. Testator left his

interest in the Berthllwyd and Cefngolan collieries, with his
other property, to his wife, with remainder to his children.

The officials and workmen of Sherwood Level, Llwynypia,
made a presentation of silver plate to Mr. Noel C. Evans,
the manager, on the occasion of his marriage.

Northumberland and Durham.

Twenty Thousand Miners Enlist in Durham — Another
Absurd Rumour—Collieries in the West Working Well
—Liability for Wages.

Dr. John Wilson, M.P., in his October circular to the
Durham miners, explains how the new Courts (Emergency
Powers) Act protects working people from distress caused
by the war. Continuing, he states that the Miners’ Federa-
tion has been enquiring as to how many members have
enlisted. He has asked the branches to send in a return on
that point. Up to the time of writing 43 lodges have not
complied. So far, however, he has received information
from 157 lodges that 12,970 members have enlisted. On
the supposition that the lodges not making a return have
been proportionately affected, he estimates that nearly 20,000
Durham miners have joined the Colours.

A ridiculous rumour recently obtained circulation on Tyne-
side that certain collieries in the Newcastle district had
been taken over by an alien enemy, and that there were
subterranean workings from these collieries under vital parts
of the city of Newcastle. The matter was taken up by
the authorities, and found to be quite baseless. Subter-
ranean workings under the city of Newcastle there undoubt-
edly are, but they are too far under to render it likely that?
any damage could be done from them to the surface.
Besides, the collieries which have such workings are in per-
fectly good hands. The authorities have found it necessary
to draw attention to the fact that anyone found guilty of
circulating such idle reports is liable to trial by court-
martial and to a sentence of penal servitude for life.

The South Tyne and Blackett Collieries, the stoppage of
which, because of slackness, was feared recently, appear to
be working fairly steadily. The men only lost one day last
week. At the new colliery at Plenmellor developments are
giving work to an increasingly large number of workmen.

At Hexham, Thos. Ogle claimed £10 wages from Chas.
Sharpe Magee, of St. Helen’s, Bishop Auckland, for work
done as overman of a colliery near Wylam. Thos. Ogle,
junr., claimed £4 5s., and John Hedley £5 16s. 2d., for
work done at the'colliery, and it was agreed that the case
of Thos. Ogle should be taken as a test, and should govern
the others. The point at issue was as to with whom the
contract of service was made. Ogle said it was made with
Mr. Magee personally, whilst the latter said he was merely
a co-director with a Mr. Summerside of the Whittle Burn
Colliery Company. Money had been lost over the colliery,
and negotiations were proceeding whereby the company
hoped to pay the men the amounts due for wages. If the
war had not broken out the colliery would have become
sold. Defendant said he believed that, if the property were
decently handled, it would pay handsomely. The magis-
trates decided there was a personal contract, and gave judg-
ment for the amount claimed.

Much discussion with reference to the question of coal
contracts entered into between merchants is taking place
on Newcastle Commercial Exchange at present, in view of
the new conditions brought about by the war. One party
contends that the contracts should be cancelled; a second,
that they should be fulfilled as usual. It is now suggested
that the best solution of the difficulty is for the sellers—
collieries and merchants alike—to declare the option which
they alone have in all coal contracts, either to cancel at
the end of each month or to suspend until things are normal
again. As to differences in price, it is contended that it is
obviously unfair for firms to demand delivery where they
had coal cheap enough to make delivery profitable to them,
and not to take coal when they are faced with a loss.

As a result of the gas explosion, whereby two men lost
their lives, at Newburgh Colliery, Northumberland, about
two months ago, the Home Office has decreed that locked
safety lamps must be introduced into the mine forthwith;
further, that, under the new Coal Mines Act, section (b) 2,
no more gunpowder has to be used in winning coal, which
has to be properly mined by pick, and that shots are only
to be fired by authorised persons with permitted explosives
and battery. Under these circumstances, the directors have
decided to close the colliery, and have given all workmen
14 days’ notice to terminate their service on October 31.
They state that the Home Office requirements would entail
an increased cost of production of at least 6d. per ton, and,
also, a serious decrease in the output, and that these two
factors would mean a ruinous expenditure on a colliery
which has not given a dividend to the shareholders for
some time. Therefore; the Home Office having refused an
exemption, the board has unanimously decided to close the
colliery. A mass meeting of the men has considered the
following motion : “ That the assistance of the Northumber-
land Miners’ Association be asked to, if possible, avert this
calamity. Also, they be advised to ask for a thorough and
careful inspection of the pit by (1) an inspector authorised
by the Home Office, (2) by inspectors nominated by the asso-
ciation, and (3) by the men’s representatives, and if, after
such examination, the inspectors are convinced that there
is no need whatever for the introduction of safety lamps,
under the present conditions, apart from the particular area,
but that the pit on the whole could be worked more safely
with naked lights than safety lamps, then the association
make an application to the Home Office, urging an exemp-
tion or modification, thereby preventing the closing of the
colliery, and averting a great disaster to the district.”
Only the first part of the motion has been adopted, however.
It has also been decided to send a deputation to Mr. J. H.
Merivale, the agent for the collierv, asking how many men
he can possibly put on at Broomhill from Newburgh. Some
1,200 men and youths would be affected by the stoppage,
and a serious drain on the funds of the association, in the
payment of unemployed benefit, would ensue.

Even the Daily Citizen can “ scarce forbear to cheer ”
the generosity of the Marquis of Londonderry in the allow-
ances he is making to the wives and families of those of
his employees who have joined the British forces. The
Labour newspaper states that these allowances are in aug-
mentation of what is paid by the Government and by the
Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Families Association, and in addition
to house, rent, and coal free. “ When.” it continues, “ it
is remembered that hundreds of miners from Lo^d London-
derry’s collieries in the county of Durham—Seaham, Daw-
don, and Silksworth—have either gone to the front or to

the various training camps, it will be seen that the expendi-
ture is considerable. The money is paid weekly at the
colliery pay offices or other pay offices, for the benefits are
not confined to miners, but apply to all workmen. Depen-
dants are also treated as being entitled to the allowance,
which is now extended to the wives of employees who have
joined the newly-formed Reserve Brigade of the 3rd North-
umbrian (County of Durham) Territorial Royal Field
Artillery, the headquarters of which are at Seaharn Harbour,
and among the recruits are more miners from Lord
Londonderry’s pits.”

It is stated that several of the local collieries have
decided to supply the Belgian refugees resident in their
district with coals free of all cost.

Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Bradwell have received a presentation
subscribed to by the officials and workmen of Roddymoor
Colliery, where Mr. Brad well was for nine years under-
manager. Mr. Bradwell received a gold watch, and his
wife a gold brooch.

The officials of Messrs. Strakers and Love’s Brancepeth,
Brandon, Oakenshaw, and Sunnybrow collieries have pre-
sented to Dr. Weeks, of Redcar, late of Willington, son
of Mr. R. L. Weeks, mining engineer, of Willington, a
chiming clock, drawing room tea table of inlaid mahogany,
and a dining room fireside copper curb as wedding presents.

One of the large reinforced concrete caissons, which are
being constructed by the River Wear Commissioners to act
as the foundations for a new coal loading appliance at the
South Docks, has now been successfully launched. A
feature of the caisson is a long vertical concrete shaft con-
nected with the roof, whereby the interior of the caisson can
always be reached, even when the structure itself is below
the level of the water.

Cleveland.

Some details of the new coke oven gas installation at
Middlesbrough appear in the Gas World. Under an
arrangement entered into some time ago between the Cor-
poration and the firm of Sir B. Samuelson and Company
Limited, ironmasters, the town is eventually to take the
whole of its gas supply from by-product coke ovens at New-
port ironworks; but the change is to be a gradual one, and
it will not be till after the present winter that the scheme
will come into anything like full operation. The Middles-
brough gas undertaking is one of considerable importance.
Its output last year exceeded 530,000,000cu. ft., and as the
Corporation have just acquired also the undertaking of the
North Ormesby Gas Company, following the incorporation
of that district within the borough, the aggregate may now
be put at about 580,000,000 cu. ft. Durham coal has been
consistently used, and gas has been put into the holders at
an average net cost of 8d. per 1,000 cu. ft. Some 25,00J
tons of coke has been made, and it has been necessary to
find export markets for from 5,000 to 10,000 tons each year.
In order to take a supply of gas from the coke ovens it has
been necessary for the Corporation to put down a 20 in.
main fromu Newport to the gas works, a distance of nearly
two miles (3,400 yds.). It has also been necessary to
sectionise ” the existing gas plant, so that part of it may
be employed so long as the supply from the coke ovens does
not wholly fulfil requirements. This has meant new capital
expenditure to the extent of about £10,000. The coke oven
gas has, of course, also to be put through the oxide purifiers
when it reaches the works. The cost of purification is esti-
mated at fd. per 1,000 cu. ft.; the burden of the new capital
expenditure has to be provided for; and the price to be paid
to Messrs. Samuelson is 4d. per 1,000 cu. ft. Reckoning the
new loan charge and interest as equivalent to |d. per
1,000 cu. ft. on the whole output, and adding this and the
cost of purifying the coke oven gas to the 4d., it would,
therefore, appear that when the scheme comes into full
operation the cost of gas in the holder will be 5|d. per
1,000 cu. ft., as against a former general average of 8d.,
and a little more than 8d. recently. With an output of
580,000,000 cu. ft. per annum, upon a favourable view the
saving should thus eventually aggregate £7,000 a year,
approximately. As time goes on, and the volume of gas
from the coke ovens increases to an expected maximum of
1,750,000 cu. ft. per day, the make of coke at the gas works
will, of course, correspondingly diminish, and customers will
have to look elsewhere. For about seven years sulphate of
ammonia has also been made at the Middlesbrough gas
works, and this, too, will, of course, gradually cease. In
the first instance, the agreement with Messrs. Samuelson
is for a period of 10 years, with renewal subject to revision
of terms. The resources of the Newport works are very
large in every way, and they have no fewer than 200 by-
product ovens in addition to the 46 Otto regenerative ovens
with which the connection is now made. The Gas Com-
mittee have also their own safeguard in the possession of a
carburetted water gas plant equal to the full requirements
of the town, for which an adequate stock of oil is always
in store, and which could be put into operation in a few
hours. The Gas Committee have now to conform to a
calorific standard only—the metropolitan standard of 540
B.Th.U., with a margin of 74 per cent.

Cumberland.

Sequel to the Clifton Colliery Explosion.

Mr. Joshua Martin, secretary to the Workington Bridge
and Boiler Company Limited, has been appointed secretary
to the Cumberland Ironmasters’ Association.

At the Workington Police Court on Wednesday, George
McDonald, Clifton Lodge, mine manager, was summoned by
John Robert Robinson Wilson, H.M. inspector of mines,
Gosforth, the charge being that on August 3 the defendant,
” being the manager of the William Pit, there situated, the
same being a mine within the meaning of the Coal Mines
Act, 1911, unlawfully did fail to cause within two hours
immediately before the commencement of work in a shift
therein inspection of every part thereof situated beyond the
station to a certain part of the said mine known as the Lick-
bank seam, in which workmen were to work or pass during
that shift, and all working places where work was tem-
porarily stopped within the ventilating district of the said
Lickbank seam in which men had to work, and did fail to
cause to be ascertained the condition thereof so far as the
presence of gas, ventilation, roof and sides, and general
safety were concerned, contrary to the Act.” Mr.
McDonald was also summoned for failing to cause a full
and accurate report to be made in a book without delay
specifying whether or not and where, if any, noxious or
inflammable gas was present in the Lickbank seam as to