1084

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

November 20, 1914.

Notes from the Coalfields.

[Local Correspondence.]

Miners Prevented from Enlisting : Wanted for Admiralty
Coal — The Serious Increase in Rates of Freight —
Colliers Undermine and Blow Up Germans—Newport's
Trade Experiences in the War—Miners' Levy and the
Prince of Wales's Fund : Allowance for Unemployment
— Fresh Boom in Recruiting — The Great Claim by
Colliery Companies for Maintaining Police During
Strike — Tredegar Company's Extensions — Tin-plate
Exports Prohibition.

South Wales and Monmouthshire.

The national importance of the South Wales coalfield, as
well as the conspicuous patriotism of the miners, are both
emphasised by a communication which, it is understood, has
been forwarded from the War Office to certain recruiting
stations. Of the 30,000 total of men enlisted from Glamor-
gan, the Rhondda Valley, and other parts of the area yield-
ing Admiralty smokeless coal, have contributed- the major
portion; and now intimation has come that recruits from
certain collieries are not to be accepted unless by certificate
from the colliery managers that they can be spared—and
a number of men have been refused because of failure to
produce such certificates. That the coal mine is the vital
force of the Navy could not be more clearly demonstrated.

The boom in rates of freight has been as sudden as it
is unwelcome to the shippers of coal; and whilst it is advis-
able to discount the anticipation of chartering clerks—seeing
that it is their business to “ talk up ” the market—there is
evidently a foundation for the idea that record rates, equal-
ling those of 1912, are to prevail for some time. Already it
has been pointed out that the destruction of German tonnage,
and the occupation of Norwegian in other trades, would
leave coal shippers more closely dependent upon the British
“ tramp,” and this at a time when British owners are
likely to find unusually heavy demands; but the expectation
was that this demand would not arise until the war was.
over. It was recognised that the tremendous destruction
of material wrought by the war would lessen the purchasing
power, as well as derange the industry and commerce of
Germany and Belgium, so that the demand for tonnage
would decrease to a certain extent. It was also clearly
recognised, however, that dependence upon British shipping
alone must, on the other hand, cause rates to advance
materially. Part of the increase demanded by shipowners
at the present time—and it is important to emphasise this
—is due to risk or semi-panic. Coal rates from the United
Kingdom to the eastern Mediterranean have during the past
month doubled in amount. Then, again, rates from South
America—-or, at any rate, from the River Plate—have also
doubled; and this furnishes an argument against a current
contention that the increase is due chiefly to war risks.
From the cotton ports in the Gulf of Mexico there is further
evidence of a tremendous increase, largely due to shortage
of tonnage. The general shortage already seriously affects
shipments from South Wales, and has even given rise to
protest on the part of workmen because they could not
(owing to lack of returned trucks) earn a full week’s wages.
Government charterings, not British only, but Russian and
French as well, have added to the trouble, for it is said
that anywhere between 1,000 and 1,500 vessels are off the
market on this account. It is early yet to reach any con-
clusion as to the effect which these heavier costs will have
upon the coal trade, but it is obvious that, when 9s. or 10s.
is added to the sea rate, the price per ton to the coal pur-
chaser on the other side must be so serious as to check con-
sumption. Fortunately, the American competitor cannot
get in, for when tonnage is so scarce in Great Britain, it is
far more scarce in the United States.

Seamen on the “ tramp ” steamers carrying coal from
South Wales have profited considerably by depletion of thc»
labour market, owing to enlistments, for the scarcity of men
of British nationality has enabled them to demand and
obtain increase of wages. Some are now receiving £6 10s.
per month, as compared with £5 10s. a few weeks ago, and
£4 10s. at a quite recent period; and there is talk of still
further increase, seeing that the high rates of freight enable
owners to be more liberal.

Among the stories told as to operations at the front is
one by a corporal of the 1st Rifle Brigade, who describes how
Welsh colliers undermined a German trench. He states
that the colliers volunteered to bore underground to the
German trenches, and this they successfully accomplished,
placed dynamite charges, and blew up a large number of
the enemy.

The Newport Harbour Board, in its report of coal exports
for October, shows that the decline of shipments has not
been so great there as in other places, their figures being for
October last : 307,807 tons, as compared with 318,238; and
at the same time the coastwise shipments were only 1,000
tons lower. There was a slight decrease in the export o?
patent fuel, but pitwood showed a very heavy reduction.
Mr. Robjent, the new Mayor of the borough, stated in the
course of some remarks, that he looked forward to the time
when definite steps would be taken to provide further ship-
ping facilities “ in the river.” These would be additional
to the company’s dock provision.

Mr. T. Richards, M.P., secretary of the South Wales
Federation of Miners, has three sons who have enlisted in
the Army. Two of them are to receive commissions as
second-lieutenants in the Rhondda battalion, one of these
(Mr. T. S. Richards) having hitherto been a surveyor under
the Ebbw Vale Company.

Mr. Vernon Hartshorn, miners’ leader at Maesteg, has
been appointed acting-treasurer of the Miners’ Federation
of Great Britain, the idea being that Mr. W. Abraham,
M.P. (who for so many years has been treasurer, but is
now in an unsatisfactory state of health) should have assist-
ance in dealing with the duties of such an important office.

Mr. Brace, M.P., introduced to the President of the Local
Government Board a deputation from the South Wales Con-
ciliation Board upon the subject of the miners’ levy. This
levy (fid. per week) is collected by the coal owners at the
request of the men, and handed over to the Prince of Wales’s
Fund; and the chairman of that fund (Sir George Murray)
was present with the President of the Local Government
Board. The deputation consisted of Mr. F. L. Davis
(chairman of the Conciliation Board), Mr. George Bram-
well, Mr. Evan Williams, and Mr. W. G. Dalziel (secre-
tary), with Mr. A. Gibson (assistant secretary); whilst from
the workmen’s side, in addition to Mr. Brace, came Mr. T.

Richards, M.P. (secretary), Mr. A. Onions (treasurer), and
Messrs. Winstone, Morgan, Hughes, and Jenkins. The
desire of the workmen is that tneir levy should be appro-
priated in accordance with the resolution passed by meir
conference, whereat the matter was originally decided, viz.,
that it should be applied in part to the relief of unemploy-
ment occasioned by the war. Their present complaint is
that as yet no distribution from the Prince of Wales’s Fund
has been made in respect of unemployment. The proceed-
ings at the interview were conducted in private, but the
position was disclosed subsequently at Monday’s meeting of
the Conciliation Board.

The workmen’s representatives brought before the Con-
ciliation Board on Monday this question of distributing the
money raised by levy in aid of the Prince of Wales’s Fund.
At a previous meeting of the Board, the men brought for-
ward their request that the levy should be applied partly in
relief of unemployment; but the employers did not see their
way to do any more than hand over the money to the fund
for which it was raised, and consequently the deputation
waited last week upon the Central Committee of the Prince
of Wales’s Fund. As a result of what then took place, the
matter was brought up at Monday’s meeting of the Con-
ciliation Board. The deputation presented their report of
the interview with the Central Committee, and it was
decided that the money raised by the levy should be handed
over to a Sub-committee of the central body, who would
from time to time transfer to the Miners’ Federation cer-
tain sums for distribution in relief of distress occasioned
by unemployments

The proposed brigade of miners wins general approval
in South Wales, one result being that a large increase in
the number of recruits has been experienced. Mid-
Glamorgan miners now aim at rivalling the Rhondda, their
strong desire being that they shall be allowed to have a
separate battalion in the Welsh Regiment. Recruiting is
‘‘ going strong ” at Maesteg, the young men coming up
freely to enlist.

The case in which the Glamorgan Coal Company and the
Powell Duffryn Coal Company sue the local authorities for
a sum of £23,000—expended by them upon maintenance of
Bristol and Metropolitan police imported during the strike
of 1910—has been continued from day to day in the High
Court. There are two cases, one by each company, and the
defendants are the Glamorgan Council, the Standing Joint
Committee, and the Chief Constable personally. For about
14 weeks police were billeted at the Glamorgan Company’s
Colliery, but the county repudiate liability; for one reason,
because the Home Office had been requested to send mili-
tary, and had sent down police instead. Their further con-
tention is that no undertaking had been given on behalf of
the county by the Chief Constable, as alleged. The facts
of the case have been already stated, the imported police
having been accommodated at the colliery after a tierce
attack at Llwynypia, there being no other place available.
Had military been sent down, as desired by the local autho-
rities, the expenses would not have fallen upon the county;
and the Chief Constable, in his evidence, said that he had
brought in extra police from elsewhere at the expense ofj
the county, and that at a meeting of magistrates subse-
quently he had been given power to call in the military,
and, therefore, he sent a request to London for military,
but police were sent instead.

For the defendants, Mr. Duke, K.C., argued that the
action must fail upon the evidence of the plaintiffs them-
selves, for police expenditure could be enforced only in a
statutory manner, and this had not been followed in the
present instance. Even if the Chief Constable made agree-
ment he had no power to do so; for the police were imported
under circumstances for which the Standing Joint Com-
mittee were not responsible. Counsel for the Chief Con-
stable argued that nothing would be more mischievous or
against public policy than that a Chief Constable under such
circumstances as then existed, faced with insurrection and
almost revolution, should have to ask whether in doing cer-
tain things he would be personally liable. The Chief Con-
stable, in the course of his evidence, stated that the colliery
company would not prosecute offenders, and added : ‘‘If we
could have dealt with this by getting good convictions, it
would certainly have brought the strike to an end earlier.”

Among the other witnesses called were Mr. O. H. Jones
(chairman of the Standing Joint Committee), Mr. Mansel
Franklen (clerk of the peace for Glamorgan), with officers of
the Metropolitan force and also of the Bristol police. At the
conclusion of the evidence, his lordship said that he had
formed strong impressions about certain points, and he put
these to counsel, whereupon those gentlemen argued at
length from the standpoint of their clients. Afterwards
Mr. Salter, K.C., contended that the plaintiffs’ claim had
been fully established, and that the question as to the
validity of the introduction of those police was immaterial;,
that the defendants had power to provide for them; and that
they had acknowledged indebtedness by allowing the claims
of other imported police. Mr. Salter’s speech lasted the
whole day on Tuesday, and he concluded by urging that if
persons dealing in all good faith with responsible officials in
times of stress could not look with confidence for payment,
no one would attempt to do anything in future.

The Chancery Court on Tuesday sanctioned the extension
of articles of association of the Tredegar Iron Company, sub-
ject to the clause that was suggested last week. It will be
remembered that this enables the company to extend widely
their manufacture of by-products, and otherwise develop
their industry.

Tin-plate exports to Denmark, Holland, and Sweden
having been prohibited, the first result in South Wales has
been a stoppage of works employing 300 hands, and this is
only a beginning, far more serious results being imminent.
The Welsh Plate and Sheet Makers’ Association met in
Swansea on Monday and considered the position, Mr. F. W.
Gibbins presiding; and after full discussion, a sub-com-
mittee was appointed to deal further with the matter. It
is understood that lately enquiries have come forward for a
class of tin-plate largely used by Germans. Ordinarily,
South Wales exports to Germany are very heavy, consider-
ably over 30,000 tons a year, but this is now stopped, of
course; and heavy enquiries from adjacent neutral countries
has provoked suspicion that an endeavour is being made to
secure tin-plates indirectly, Germany being known to be in
great need of packages for food, petrol, etc. Unfortunately,
the embargo has a serious effect upon employment, not alone
upon the tin-plate industry, which employs 29,000 men, but
also upon steel works producing bars for the tin-plafers, and
employing over 5,000 men. The embargo which previously
existed in regard to Norway was subsequently removed, the

manufacturers having undertaken to demand evidence of
ultimate destination before selling. October’s exports to
the three countries totalled 5,500 tons; and the Government
prohibition affects tens of thousands of pounds’ worth of
goods already in stock.

Northumberland and Durham.

Splendid Recruiting in Northumberland — Out-of-Work
Miners and the Relief Funds—A Shortage of Water in
November.

Mrs. G. A. Curry, wife of the local colliery manager, on
Saturday last declared open 12 aged miners’ homes at
Thornley. The houses, together with detached quarters for
single men, have cost .£3,000. Mr. G. A. Curry presided at
the opening ceremony. Dr. John Wilson, M.P., who is
chairman of the Durham Aged Miners’ Homes Association,
spoke of the amicable way in which collieiy owners and
workmen had worked together in the provision of these
homes, and said it was by such beneficent schemes that it
was brought home to them that employers and workmen
were not so antagonistic as they were believed to be. He
mentioned, also, that some 30,000 Durham miners had
enlisted, but, before going, had cheerfully paid levies in
respect of these homes.

In recognition of his services, Mr. Thos. McKenna,
general secretary of the Cleveland and Durham Blastfurnace-
men’s and Cokemen’s Association, has been presented by
the workmen at the Carlton Iron Works, South Durham,
with a handsome oak timepiece and bronzes.

Mr. Jos. Green, of The Crag, Ferryhill, mining engineer,
part owner of the Morpeth Moor Colliery, who died intestate,
has left estate of the gross value of £11,660 0s. 3d., of
which the net personalty has been sworn at £8,422 9s. 3d.

As a wedding gift, on the occasion of the marriage of Mr.
J. A. Dixon, agent and manager of the Shilbottle Colliery,
to Miss Farr, the workmen at the colliery have presented
Mr. Dixon with a handsome 14-day clock in crystal casing,
with enamelled bronze supports, bearing a solid gold plate
suitably inscribed.

The manner in which recruiting is proceeding amongst
Northumbrian miners is illustrated by the fact that up to
Thursday night of last week 2,185 recruits had been signed
on at Ashington Drill Hall. At Bedlington the total up till
last week-end was 950. A hundred miners, chiefly miners
in the districts north of the Wansbeck, have been enlisted
into the 7th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers for foreign
service. At a recruiting meeting held at Broomhill on
Friday week, Mr. J. H. Merivale, agent of the Broomhill
Collieries Limited, stated that, at these collieries, there were
1,200 men of military age. Of these 400 had enlisted. Mr.
Wm. Brayson, horsekeeper at Montagu Colliery, Scotswood,
has six sons who have joined the Colours.

When the Northumberland War Relief Fund Committee
met in Newcastle last week, Mr. McAndrew, of Broomhill,
brought forward the case of old men discharged from Rad-
cliffe Colliery, and unable to get work elsewhere, and asked
if these would come under the relief fund. He explained
that the colliery had not been closed down as a result of the
war, but on account of Home Office restrictions, and that
the few men on whose behalf he was appealing were not
members of the Northumberland Miners’ Association. The
Duke of Northumberland, who presided, said he did not want
to alarm anyone, but he was afraid of the possibility of the
fund not being large enough to meet the requirements of
the cases for the benefit of which it was founded. The
matter was referred to the General Purposes Committee.

The Weardale and Consett Water Company has at last
been enabled to give notice to manufacturers, colliery
owners, etc., in the area “ served ” by the company of the
resumption of half the usual supply of water for trade and
business purposes. For some weeks past there has been no
water supply at all for manufacturers, and industry has,
thereby, been severely crippled. There is surely something
very far amiss with the administration of a company which
in November is only able to allow its customers one-half their
usual water supply. It is small wonder that, under the
circumstances, an agitation is afoot for the local authorities
to take over the service in that particular district.

Whilst drilling holes for shot-firing was proceeding in
the Hutton seam of Tudhoe Colliery last week, flames burst
out, owing to the presence of gas. The quantity of gas
was not great, however, and the fire was soon got under.
During the extinguishing operations the deputy, Mr. Robson,
was severely burnt, and other members of the party suffered
to a lesser degree.

At a recent meeting in the South Moor Miners’ Hall, Mr.
R. W. Cooper, one of the directors of the South Moor Col-
liery Company Limited, presented the challenge cup and
medals won in the ambulance competition of the different
teams associated with the various collieries under that com-
pany. Mr. T. Y. Greener presided. Referring to recruit-
ing, Mr. Cooper stated that the company had already estab-
lished a scale by which the Government allowances or
separation allowances wTere augmented. He hoped that
what had been done would remove all obstacles for the man
who thought of enlisting. As far as the workmen at those
collieries were concerned, the owners wrould regard it as a
sacred duty, in the case of men who lost their lives or were
permanently disabled, to supplement the Government pen-
sion.

Harehope Quarry, Frosterley, which has been in the
market for some months, has been purchased by Messrs.
Pease and Partners Limited.

A somewhat extraordinary incident occurred at the Esh
Winning Colliery on the night of Tuesday of last week. A
hurricane of wind dislodged a large square of corrugated
iron from the boiler tops. In its fall the iron struck the
buzzer lever, and the hooter went off at full blast, bringing
colliery officials and miners post-haste to the pit, fearing lest
some calamitous accident had occurred underground.

Cleveland.

The Cleveland Institution of Engineers is celebrating its
jubilee, and Sir Thos. Wrightson, Bart., who was one of the
original founders, has very appropriately accepted the pre-
sidency for the year. On Monday Sir Thomas delivered an
extremely interesting presidential addiess, in the course of
which he reviewed at length the rise, progress, and develop-
ment of the commerce and industry of the district. Sir
Thomas said he was the only survivor of the original
founders of the institution, and pointed out the intimate con-