1036

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

November 13, 1914.

the year for the port of Hull generally, and for coal exporters
particularly, was the opening of the magnificent King George
Dock on June 26 by their gracious Majesties the King and
Queen, for never were facilities more urgently needed to
adequately deal with the growing exports of coal. The Joint
Dock Committee quite rightly held out great, expectations
of the development of Hull as a vast coal port, but to the
regret of the association, the North-Eastern Railway Com-
pany decided that the rates on coal from certain collieries
on its system in the West Riding of Yorkshire for shipment
at the King George Dock should be more than the rates
to the company’s Hull docks, although coal from all the
other collieries in Yorkshire and the North Midlands brought
to Hull by the North-Eastern Railway Company was carried
without any difference in rates between those in force to
the company’s old docks and to the King George Dock;
indeed, higher rates to either point would deplorably injure
the traffic. The association protested most strongly by reso-
lution and by deputation to York and by further correspond-
ence, giving copious reasons against the proposal, which
could only result in grievous splitting and diversion of traffic.
The railway company responded with a partial concession,
and exporters are quite confident that when normal work is
resumed the proposed anomaly will fall into the limbo of
regrettable experiments. On the question of the Chamber
of Commerce coasting coal charter, the Scottish Coal
Exporters’ Association and the Newcastle Chamber of Com-
merce are still in negotiation on the matter. The Scottish
Association had expressed the view that the charter ought
to be re-considered, and the Hull Association has not officially
recognised the charter, and the matter is in abeyance. A
proposed arbitration tribunal for the Humber ports, to deal
with disputes under the “ Baltcon ” charter, had been con-
sidered by a special committee appointed, but the European
crisis had led to the postponement of the proceedings and
deliberations. As a result of their negotiations with the
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and the Imperial
Consul for Russia at Hull, the Russian Customs authorities
agreed, in lieu of the present regulation requiring a legalised
certificate of each mine, to accept the legalised certificate of
the inspector of the South Yorkshire Steam Coal Owners’
Association for coal shipped from their different mines, but
shipped in one steamer. Substantial reductions in the
towage charges of the port had been secured. Successful
opposition was proffered to a proposal by the combined rail-
way companies to make an extra charge for the shipment of
alternate small parcels of coal into vessels. The president
during the year has been Mr. E. J. Adderley, and the vice-
president Mr. R. Moorby.

A case of considerable importance came before the King’s
Bench Divisional Court on Tuesday, w7hen Justices Darling,
Scrutton, and Sankey heard an ex parte application on
behalf of the Thin Seam Owners’ Association in West York-
shire under the Coal Mines Minimum Wage Act. Mr. A.
M. Latter (for the applicants) said he wished to move for
a rule nisi, calling upon his Honour Judge Amphlett, as
chairman of the West Riding District Board, to deal with
an application by the association against an award made in
June 1912. The first award was made in June 1912, and
after the necessary lapse of time the Thin Seam Owners’
Association applied for the award to be varied. One of the
provisions of the Act was that separate rates might be settled
for a group of mines with a distinguishing feature, and the
distinction between thin seam mines and thick seam mines
was that while 16 cwt. of coal could be obtained from a thin
seam, two tons could be obtained from a thick seam mine.
The Act further provided that if the Joint District Board
failed to deal with any application, the chairman should
deal with it. The Thin Seam Owners’ Association, in this
case, felt that they had been unfairly treated by the award.
Consequently, in March last, they applied to the chairman
and secretaries of the Board for leave to make an applica-
tion as representing a considerable body of employers, and
claiming to have the award varied. The Board sat on July 6
to deal with other matters, and no notice of the sitting was
given to the Thin Seam Owners. A day or two afterwards
they were informed by Mr. Day (the secretary to the
emplovers’ branch) that the men’s representatives had
refused to hear any third parties, and they would not deal
with the application at all. Consequently no part of the
application was dealt with. Subsequently the Thin Seam
Owmers’ Association wrote to Judge Amphlett asking him to
deal with the matter as chairman of the Board, and his
Honour replied that he thought the association’s only course
was to apply to the Board of Trade for an alteration of the
respresentation of the employers on the District Board.
Counsel submitted that that wTas not a correct view. Their
lordships granted the rule asked for.

Lancashire and Cheshire.

The Streets Committee of the Westhoughton District
Council are to seek legal advice upon the question of the
recovery of damages done to roads and sewers by mining
operations.

Driver William Chadwick, of the 9th Battery. Royal
Field Artillery, who was working as a collier at Messrs.
A. Knowles and Sons’ Pendleton Colliery, near Manchester,
when war broke out, but was called up as a Reservist, has
had conferred upon him the red ribbon of the French Legion
of Honour for a conspicuous act of bravery.

Mr. Jesse Wallwork, mining agent to the Earl of Elles-
mere, has given notice to the Little Hulton District Council
that his lordship intends to work the following mines under
the Council’s pines and sewers :—Arley Mine, under Whar-
ton-lane; Plodder and Yard Mines, between the Kenvon
Arms and Greenheyes: Yard Mine, under Wharton-lanc
and between Manchester road, the Lancashire and York-
shire Railway and Hilton-lane.

The local District Council in the mining township of
Swinton, near Manchester, have decided to spend between
£7,000 and .£8,000 on the provision of houses for the work-
ing classes there. The Tyldeslev Council, too, are also
adopting an ambitious housing scheme for their township,
which is essentiallv a coal mining one.

Dr. Sergeant, the Lancashire county medical officer of
health, in his annual report, just issued, recommends the
provision of houses for working classes at Astley, where
extensive new coalfields are being opened out; also the
adoption of a better system of scavenging there.

Notts and Derbyshire.

Decline of a Derbyshire Colliery—A Visual Signalling
Apparatus.

Verv interesting details concerning the state of affairs at
the Oxcroft Collierv, Bolsover, are contained in a letter
written by Sir A. B. Markham, M.P., to the local Council
School managers, who view with some disfavour the pro-

posal of the Derbyshire Education Authority to build a new
school at Shuttlewood, to cost between £3,000 and £4,000.
After describing the proposal as “ inconceivable folly,” Sii
A. B. Markham continues : “ The output of this colliery
(Oxcroft) was formerly 10,000 to 11,000 tons per week; it
is now about 3,000 tons. Owing to the numerous faults met
with in the workings we have had to give notice to a con-
siderable number of men, and when the present workings
in the north district reach the faults, which they will in the
course of the next two or three months, more men, I fear,
will have to leave. We sunk to the lower seams of this
colliery, but unfortunately they proved of a quality and
character quite unworkable. There will be very little hard
coal left in the collieries in the district after the next 15
years, and if the lower seams prove equally unsatisfactory in
these collieries, the large mining population, outside alto-
gether the question of Oxcroft, will have to find employment
in other districts. The position of the ratepayers then left
in Bolsover will undoubtedly be a serious one.”

An interesting exhibition of a pit shaft visual signalling
apparatus in connection with winding operation was given
by Mr. James Strachan, the president, at a meeting of the.
Midland branch of the National Association of Colliery
Managers on Saturday afternoon at the Nottingham Univer-
sity College. The apparatus, which is the invention of Mr.
Joseph Richardson, a fitter employed at the Sutton-in-Ash-
field pit of the Blackwell Colliery Company, has been
designed to meet the requirements of the Coal Mines Act,
and to ensure greater safety during the winding of men and
minerals. It has been installed at collieries owned by the
Blackwell Company in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, and,
remarked Mr. Strachan, it was giving every satisfaction.
One of the principal points in connection with the apparatus
is that it can be applied to the existing bell wires, either
mechanically or electrically. Mr. H. R. Watson, of Codnor
(ex-president of the branch), congratulated the inventor and
makers on the production of the apparatus. Mr. R. Laverick
(Nottingham), secretary, stated that it had been decided to
postpone the higher mining lectures until the conclusion of
the war.

Owing to the breakdown of the ventilating fan, the miners
at the Watnall Colliery have had to stop working. The
breakdown being a serious one, a number of days must
elapse before work can be resumed.

It is anticipated that by March 1 the new Mansfield Rail-
way, which connects the Great Central main line at Kirkby
with that at Clipstone, will be ready for full traffic, both
passengers and minerals.

Councillor Joseph Hill was on Monday, the 9th inst.,
elected to the Mayoralty of Derby. Councillor Hill is well
known in the engineering world, being the proprietor of St.
George’s Engineering and Malleable Iron and Steel Works,
Derby. He is the inventor and patentee of the well-known
method of holding the saw on its spindle, known as “ Hill’s
patent flush side,” which is applied to all modern c< Id saw-
ing machines.

The Midlands.

South Staffordshire Mines Drainage—A Haulage Accident at
Walsall.

Considerable dissatisfaction has been expressed in the
Cannock Chase coalfield at the scarcity of recruits, while
there is a huge number of eligible single men with no
responsibilities. The dismissal of these miners has been
mooted. The fact of other coalfields having nobly responded
to the country’s call has also been advanced, and the
denunciation of the Cannock Chase inactivity has been in
the most condemnatory terms.

It has been very many years since such an important
statement affecting the South Staffordshire coalfield was
made as that of Mr. Geo. Macpherson at the recent meeting
of the South Staffordshire Mines Drainage Commission. An
Act was passed in the last session of Parliament by which
arrangements were made between the Drainage Commission,
the Birmingham Canal Navigation Company, and the
Public Works Loan Commissioners, that practically gave a
new lease of life to the old Black Country coalfield. Mr.
Macpherson drew attention to the accounts of the pumping
operations in the Tipton district, to show that the working
expenses of the engines exceeded the revenue from rates and
payment for water pumped into the canal, without including
anything for interest or sinking fund on the “ A ” or “ B ”
mortgages. The loss in four years has been as follows :—
1911, £1,685; 1912, £3,868; 1913, £5,745; 1914, £5,078.
To the ordinary mind, Mr. Macpherson (who is chairman
of the Mines Drainage Commission), points out that the
above figures might well be considered overwhelming, and
the crisis of the drowning out of the mines which has long
hung over the district appeared to all who had any acquaint-
ance with the district as imminent. The facts were clearly
and truthfully placed before the Public Works Loans Com-
misssioners and the Birmingham Canal Navigations by the
Commission’s staff, w7ith a view to showing to what extent
the mining and manufacturing interests were involved in
the question of the continuation of the pumping. The price
per lock to be paid by the canal company for water pumped
into the canal has been raised, so that it is now possible to
earn a maximum of £5,000 a year. A price has been fixed,
viz., £20,000, for the canal company to acquire, 10 years
hence, the freehold of four of the Commissioners’ engines,
paying in advance by instalments at the rate of £2,000 per
annum, which the Act directs has to be paid Mr. Edmund
Howl (the receiver), and used by him in the working cost
of the engines. Under the powers of the South Stafford-
shire Mines Drainage Act, 1894, the Loan Board advanced
an amount, the principal of which now stands at £84,278,
upon the security of the rates, revenue, and property of the
Tipton district, with a collateral contingent charge of 25
per cent, of the value of 9,253 acres of mine in the Tipton
district scheduled to the Act. The Loan Commissioners, on
the grounds of public policy, and realising the undesirability
of putting in force the collateral security without there being
at the same time any assurance that the pumping would
continue in operation, have undertaken in the recent Act
to make up any deficiencies which may occur in the account
for working the engines extending over a period of 10 years
to August 1, 1924, and have advanced an additional £12,532
—free from collateral security—to purchase freehold sites of
engines and make up losses incurred by the receiver in
working the pumping engines during the last few years.
Mr. Macpherson pays tribute to the patriotic way in whicfi
the Government have helped, and that every manufacturer
and user of coal, as well as every mine owner in the dis-
trict, owe them a deep debt of gratitude. The Commission
were also indebted to the Birmingham Canal Company for
having taken a broad and liberal view of the matter, but

however pleasant it was to give thanks, that was only a
poor response for the benefits received. They must go
further with their attempt to pay the “ A ” bondholders,
and make some impression on the enormous debt due to
the “ B ” bondholders. Mr. Macpherson appeals to every
mine owner, every lessee of mines, and everyone directly
interested in the mines, to do all in their power to wTork, let,
or sell the mines, so as to get the coal into the market. “ I
admit,” he says, “ that the uncertainty of the continuance
of pumping in the past must have prevented capital being
invested in the coal trade of the neighbourhood, but now
that a Government guarantee is given that the pumps shall
be continued for 10 years, this should act as an incentive
to the mine owners to work their mines, or let them at a
low royalty.” In concluding his statement, Mr.
Macpherson bore testimony to the indebtedness of the dis-
trict to Mr. Howl (general manager), Mr. Underhill (law
clerk), Mr. Purslow (secretary), and Mr. Priest (surface
engineer) for the able manner in which they had negotiated
the matter.

An inquest has been held at Walsall respecting the death
of Arthur Titley, who was injured whilst employed at the
Aldridge Collieries. It was stated that the lad had only
w7orked at the pit for three weeks, and that his duties con-
sisted in knocking “ snaps ” off the rope which was used
for haulage purposes. For this object he was supplied with
a small bar of iron, and had to strike the “ snap ” as soon
as a loaded tub reached the top of an incline. On the day
of the accident he was heard to cry out, and was found
lying near a loaded tub bleeding profusely from the head
and unconscious. An investigation showed that he had
failed to knock the “ snap ” off the rope, and that the tub
which it W’as gripping had run into another tub which was
stationary. The foreman of the jury said to release the
“ snap ” a blow had to be given to the nicety of a quarter
of an inch, and the instrument supplied to the boy did not
seem a proper one for the purpose. ( The jury returned a
verdict of “ Accidental death,” and censured the colliery
company for not providing a proper instrument for knock-
ing off the “ snap.” The deputy-coroner replied that if
this was a deliberate expression of opinion, it became a
question whether the responsible official would not have to
be committed for manslaughter. After further discussion
the jury withdrew their censure, and asked the coroner to
make representations to the colliery company. The fore-
man said the wdiole apparatus ought to be discarded, as it
was an absolute death trap.

Kent.

The adjourned meeting of the debenture holders in Kent
Coal Concessions companies unanimously confirmed the pro-
posal not to require payment of the debenture interest until
six months after the termination of the war. This decision
places the shareholders’ committee, who are carrying on the
undertakings, in a much happier position than has been the
case for several months past. The principal land owners
have also met the committee in a very praiseworthy manner,
having agreed to forego their dead rents during the continu-
ance of the war.

The Snowdown and Tilmanstone collieries are still raising
about 1,500 to 2,000 tons of coal weekly, and should the new
capital which is now being applied for amongst the share-
holders be raised, these tonnages would be considerably
increased during the next few months. Otherwise these
collieries will have to continue “ marking time,” as at pre-
sent, during the war period, even if the present level can be
maintained, especially in the case of the Tilmanstone
Colliery.

Scotland.

The annual meeting of Wilsons and Clyde Coal Company
Limited was held last week in Glasgow7, Sir John Wilson,
Bart., chairman of the company, presiding. The chairman
said that there had been, except for the last month of the
financial year, a fair demand for coal, but at lower prices.
In consequence of the war business had been rather dis-
organised, in Fifeshire especially, although up to the pre-
sent they had been able to keep the collieries nearly at full
time, largely owTing to storing of coal, and also because of
the diminished output owing to a very large number of their
workmen having left to join the Colours. There had been
a large outlay, chiefly in connection with their new7 colliery
at Douglas, and still more wTould be required for the erec-
tion of additional miners’ houses there.

At a meeting of the Dunfermline Town Council on
Monday, it was intimated that Messrs. Henry Ness and
Company, lessees of the Muirbeath Colliery, the property of
the Corporation, had intimated their intention to cease
working the colliery. The closing of the pits would, it was
stated, throw 160 men out of employment, and involve the
loss of £400 per w’eek in wages. The Council considered it
would be inadvisable to advertise the pit for sale mean-
time, and decided that they should be filled up.

An interesting installation for the transportation of coke
has recently been completed at Marley Hill Colliery,
Durham. The coke manufactured at a large battery of
patent by-product ovens has to be taken to a storage
ground some 1,590 ft. away, a difference of level of 19 ft.
having to be overcome. The installation consists of a tw7o-
cable ropeway designed for continuous automatic traffic, a
loading station, a double line over the storage ground, and
an automatic return station at the terminus. The depot
has a length of 1,315 ft., and railway tracks are provided on
its longitudinal side for taking up and rehandling the coke.

Proposals have been issued by the United States
Department for furnishing coal to steamers visiting foreign
ports during the calendar year 1915. No less than 82 places
are specified where tonnage is to be made available. Trade
names are to be specified and price quoted in pounds,
shillings and pence fpr a ton of 2,240 lb. free alongside, free
on board, and trimmed. Contractors also have to specify
minimum average quantity of coal as bid upon on hand at
port named which can be furnished on 24 hours’ notice.
Details as to methods of making delivery must be
mentioned, together w ith names of local agents and their
telegraphic addresses. Tw enty-nine Welsh coals are on the
list, wfliile as to American coals it is stated that they are to
be of the United States Navy standard from acceptable
mines of West Virginia, Virginia. Maryland and Penn-
sylvania. Bids will be received until November 30, but no
amount is stated as to local or total requirements.