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THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

December 11, 1914.

Notes from the Coalfields.

[Local Correspondence.]

South Wales and Monmouthshire.

The Real Issue in the Colliery Companies' Action Against
Glamorgan Council—Pitwood Supplies and New Sources
of Shipment—How Higher Freights are Influencing
Trade — Colliery Re-assessments — Responsibility for
Safe Loading of Coal—Honouring Prof. Galloway.

In the action which has been brought against the Glamor-
gan Council and the Standing Joint Committee by the
Glamorgan Colliery Company and the Powell Duffryn Com-
pany, the real issue has been brought more clearly to light
by what occurred on Monday at the meeting of the Standing
Joint Committee in Cardiff, when it was stated that the
decision of the judges’ had not been given yet. The action
involves a sum of between J-23,000 and £24,000, and is a
claim by the two colliery companies mentioned for the cost
of housing and maintenance of outside police at the time of
the coal strike. Mr. Mansel Franklin, clerk of the peace,
informed the Committee that one case (which had been taken
under the Riot Act) had been dismissed; but in the two other
cases, although the decision had not been announced, there
was an indication of judicial opinion adverse to the Com-
mittee, and therefore they must expect an adverse decision.
He thought it would be wise for the Committee, in the event
of an adverse decision, to consider whether they would
appeal; for it was a very serious thing if it were decided that
a Secretary of State, or the Chief Constable, was entitled
to call in any number of extra police, and then that the
cost should be imposed upon the county. It was resolved
that a sub-committee should be appointed, who would con-
sider whether or not an appeal should be made. It may
be noted that one member of the committee appointed is Mr.
Watts Morgan, the miners’ leader.

Although there has been a heavy drop in pitwood imports
into South Wales, the collieries are by no means short of
supplies, notwithstanding the German declaration that weed
is contraband of war, and the consequent restriction of
exports from Sweden. Taking the present year as far as it
has gone, there has been a decline of probably as much as
one-sixth in the quantity of pitwood brought in, and the
month of November is exceptionally bad; even as regards
the Southern European ports there having been a serious
falling off. This fact gives all the more importance to the
endeavour to open up a trade with Eastern Canada. In
present circumstances the high rates of freight operate most
adversely to the development of any such trade, for it would
only occasionally be the case that a vessel could take an
outward freight. Consequently the rate charged upon pit-
wood from Eastern Canada would have to include the
expense of a number of vessels going out in ballast. At
the present time, even apart from winter difficulty, it would
be practically impossible to divert tonnage in that direction.

Difficulties attendant upon the high rates of freight for
coal have their compensation at the present time; for, not-
withstanding the barrier to business which arises, there is
the hard fact that business competitors are in an even more
unfavourable position. Shortage of ships, -added to high,
rates, the merchant not being able to get prompt tonnage,
although willing to pay the price demanded, has its counter-
part across the Atlantic, whence coal trade competition was
most to be feared. Indeed, the shipper from the United
States is in a far more difficult position, seeing that the
rates he is asked have at least doubled, and that, even on
those figures, sufficient steamers are not available. Where
the South Wales seller would have to pay 16s. per ton to
Genoa or Malta, the American would have to find 25s. or
more, probably 30s.; and therefore the higher rate is not
altogether detrimental to the British merchant, seeing that
it operates as a heavier handicap against his rival. Apart
from this, the situation has no favourable feature; for the
outlook does not promise, at any rate for some appreciable
period, any relaxation in the stringency of the market. New
vessels are being launched, and orders for other new ones
given out: but the market is not yet within sight of relief
th rough this agenev. Meanwhile, business in coal on c.i.f.
basis is particularly risky; and purchasers hold off from
trading f.o.b. owing to their inability to gauge what the
c >al will ultimately cost them in the foreign port.

The Merthyr Guardians, after unsuccessfully calling a
conference of South Wales Unions on the question of colliery
rating, and inviting the colliery companies to the conference
also without success, decided to re-value certain properties
bv an expert valuer, and this has been done in the case of
Qie Plvmouth-Merthyr, Messrs. Nixon’s Navigation, and
Powell Duffryn (Bargoed) collieries.

At Barry on Friday of last week, the Ocean Coal Company
were summoned by the Home Office for neglecting to have
the combings of a hatch, not in use, of sufficient height or
securely covered. A coal trimmer who had been subpoenaed
said that the bunker hatch was open, although the place was
dark. The hold was 30 ft. deep, and there had been an
accident at the spot. For the company, it was said that the
men were working in No. 2 hold 75 ft. away. The Ocean
Company had nothing to do with the bunkering, and did
not know who was doing the bunkering. A man had been
killed, and the ship owners had paid compensation to the
d-nendants. The onus of protecting the hatch did not lie
with the defendant company. The magistrates failed to
agree, and the case was adjourned.

At a meeting of the Rhymney Valley district of miners
on Wednesday of last week, it was stated that an arrange-
ment had been made between the Federation and the Coal
Owners’ Association and the Prince of Wales’s Fund Com-
mittee to hand over to the Federation sufficient money to
meet unemployment relief. It has to be borne in mind that
the miners have been under levy for some time for the
Prince’s Fund, and to make the arrangement in a consti-
tutional manner the South Wales Miners’ Federation had
been created a unit in the Fund organisation.

On Thursday of last week the Monmouthshire and South
Wales Coal Owners’ Association honoured Dr. William
Galloway, presenting to him his portrait in oils, and at the
same time the South Wales Institute of Engineers, in recog-
nition of Dr. Galloway’s valuable researches into the action
of coal dust in explosions, gave him a gold medal, with the
seal of the institute on the obverse. Dr. Galloway is the
retiring president of the institute. The meeting was a
joint one of members of the association and institute. Mr.

H. T. Wales presided. Mr. E. M. Hann, on behalf of the
Coal Owners’ Association, said Dr. Galloway had taken a
prominent part in the investigations into the action of ccal
dust, and his name would be perpetuated among mining men
all the world over. He had introduced the greatest reform
in mining since the coming of the safety lamp—the placing
on a scientific basis of the danger of coal dust in explosions,
and in the production of explosions. It had taken, said
Mr. Hann, half a century for this idea to sink into the
minds of the community, and it was during a railway
journey in 1878 that Mr. Galloway first informed him of the
results of his experiments. Then the ideas were emerging
from suggestion to actual fact; and to him Dr. Galloway
had submitted the ideas in the early days. Mr. Hann then
unveiled the portrait, amid cheers.

Mr. Hugh Bramwell, vice-chairman of the CoaT Owners’
Association, said that in honouring Dr. Galloway they were
honouring themselves; and he hoped that that gentleman
would accept the gift in recognition of his great work. Dr.
Galloway had been a pioneer, and had fortunately lived
long enough to receive recognition.

The presentation on behalf of the institute was
made by Mr. H. T. Wales, who said that he had
known Dr. Galloway for many years. When South
Wales was a prey to calamitous explosions, their retiring
president had devoted much time to research work; and
thanks to his labours, a practicable means had been found
for dealing with coal dust, and danger had been materially
reduced. It was an honour to the institute that one of its
members should have accomplished such work for safety;
and it was an example to the younger men. Principal E.
H. Griffiths, of the Cardiff University College (the new pre-
sident), said that Dr. Galloway had achieved his object by
a variety of cross tests, and had found the cause of explo-
sions as well as the remedy. It was work accomplished, as
was often the case, in the face of opposition, and there were
men alive at the present who but for Dr. Galloway’s work
would have been victims of explosion.

Dr. Galloway, after expressing his thanks, said that, when
he commenced his investigations, explosions were much more
frequent than now, and when the mystery that enshrouded
their occurrence hung like a pall over the industry of coal
mining. With the help of Mr. Robt. H. Scott, F.R.S., of
the Meteorological Office, he had been able to interest the
. Royal Society in the subject, and to secure monetary assist-
ance from the Government Grant Committee for the buying
of apparatus to carry out experiments with sound waves and
safety lamps. When he was appointed assistant inspector
of mines for South Wales, he found ccal dust everywhere
in dry mines, and thought that it might be this and not fire-
damp alone which was responsible for explosions. After the
Lian disaster in 1875, he was certain that he had found a
clue to the mystery, but he had to break dowm the belief
that firedamp was the one agent to be grappled with. He
proceeded, however, assisted by the Royal Society, the
Government grant, and the late Mr. Hood and his sons, and
other experimenters and writers following. The Coal Mines
Regulation Act of 1887 contained rules regarding shot-firing,
which, if they did not wholly meet the case, greatly miti-
gated the evil. A long dark night of 20 years followed, and
further progress seemed arrested. After the great Courri&res
explosion, however, fresh interest was shown, and experi-
ments on an international scale followed. The law was
strengthened by the Mines Act, which, if faithfully carried
out, promised to land them at the goal for which they were
striving. Their valuable gifts to him were proof that better
days had come.

Mr. Edward Riley, of Bisham, Berkshire, who died on
September 12, left estate of the gross value of .£177,774, the
net personalty of which is £108,040. It will be remem-
bered that the deceased, who had reached the age of 83,
was chemist to the Dowlais Works, and conducted experi-
ments which revolutionised the manufacture of iron. He
bequeathed £2,000 to the Institute of Mining and Metal-
lurgy, and £1,000 to the Institute of Chemistry of Great
Britain and Ireland.

Mr. Arthur Phillip Noel, of Messrs. Thomas and Davey,
coal agents, who died on August 1, at the age of 48, left
estate to the gross value of £13,406, and net personalty
£8,769.

Northumberland and Durham.

Miners and the Board of Trade Grant—Disastrous Fire at
B eb side—Extensions at Jarrow.

The Northumberland miners have done an almost
incredibly foolish thing. Their association is almost bank-
rupt, owing to drains on its funds for unemployed benefit;
yet, rather than pay a levy of 6d. per week in order to
rehabilitate the union’s funds as quickly as possible, the
miners have, inferentially, refused a Board of Trade grant
of between £4,000 and £5,000. In so doing they have
/ejected the advice of their own financial secretary (Mr. John
Cairns), who informed them that the imposition of the levy
and the consequent grant of money by the Board of Trade
appeared to him to be the only way out of the present finan-
cial difficulty. When the grant was applied for the Board
stipulated that the members must levy themselves as stated.
A ballot of the members has been taken and, by a narrow7
majority, the members have voted against the proposition.
Another vote on the question of the miners registering them-
selves at Labour Exchanges resulted in a negative majority
also. This, however, is not so surprising, as the Northum-
berland miner, despite his fondness for fiery Socialistic
speeches at the annual picnic, is a very stern individualist,
and dislikes State intervention as a general proposition.

Mr. Reece Gittens, under-manager at Newton Cap
Colliery, has now severed a 43 years’ connection with the
colliery life of the district, and has been presented by his
colleagues and workmen with a gold w7atch and chain, a
purse of gold, and a ring, with a silver coffee pot for Mrs.
Gittens.

Half-a-dozen pit ponies owned by the Ashington Coal
Company, straying on the colliery railway line last week,
were knocked down by the “ tankey ” engine attached to
the train conveying workmen from Linton Colliery. The
animals were all killed.

On Friday of last week the crank of the winding engine
at the Hastings Pit, New Delaval, broke, cutting off com-
munication with the pit by the main shaft. The whole of
the men and boys on the back shift were at work. but were
safely brought out bv the relief shaft. This breakdown
has laid the pit idle for some days, until repairs
can be effected. On the following day an even more serious
occurrence rendered work at the Bebside Pit impossible for

some time to come. A fire broke out in the engine room
containing the colliery ventilating plant, and, fanned by a
high wind, the flames soon secured a good hold, rapidly
spreading to the adjoining building, in which was housed
tiie machinery for driving the underground haulage system.
Both buildings were entirely gutted. Being pay Saturday,
there were, fortunately, no workmen in the pit. The ponies
in the stables near the shaft bottom are stated to have taken
no harm, ventilation being aided by the lighting of a large
fire at the bottom of the upcast shaft. The Blyth Fire
Brigade, the Durham and Northumberland Collieries’
Brigade from Ashington, and a large party of Royal Engi-
neers stationed near by, assisted the colliery officials in fight-
ing the flames, and succeeded in preventing their extension
to the winding engine house and other erections on the
heapstead. The damage is roughly estimated at £10,000,
and the number of men and boys laid idle will not be far
short of 1,000.

The directors of Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company
Limited, having, with the consent of the debenture holders,
made satisfactory arrangements with the company’s
bankers for the loan of the necessary money, have put in
hand extensive improvements and additions to the plant,
which the company has for some time been desirous of
carrying out. The improvements and additions concern
primarily the iron and steel works at Jarrow, and they have
been devised with the object of effecting large savings in
the cost of steel production. The improvements already
undertaken include :—A large gas-driven power house, in
which will be installed approximately 15,000 b.h.p. of gas
engines, all driven by the waste gases from the blastfurnaces.
A new lay out of the heavy cogging mill, which it is intended
to drive electrically, together with the conversion of all the
steel works auxiliaries from steam to electricity, by which
large savings in the cost of coal will be effected. A new
gas producing plant for the steel smelting furnaces, together
with modern soaking pits for same. It may be noted that
the installation of gas engines and gas cleaning plant is the
largest hitherto ordered in this country.

During last month six new branches of the Northern
Under-Managers’ and Colliery Officials’ Association were
formed, bringing the total up to 30, with over 1,000
members in all.

The task of construction of the new coal loading staiths at
West Dunston is now practically completed. An experiment
has been made with the loading of the steamer “ Black-
wood ” with a cargo of Holmside coal. The operation w’as
conducted very satisfactorily. The staiths have three berths,
with two sets of spouts, each sufficiently high to enable it
to deliver into the highest hatchways of big vessels at high
water.

The old proverb that “ As one door shuts another opens ”
is exemplified by the condition of mining work at Hartley at
present. The Hastings Pit, New Hartley, is temporarily
shut down owing to an accident to the w’inding gear, but the
Old Pit at Seaton Delaval, near by, which has been closed
since the outbreak of war, has been re-opened this w7eek.

An interesting presentation of a solid gold watch chain
was recently made at Low Beechburn to Mr. E. H. Suggett,
late under-manager of Low Beechburn Colliery, near Crook.
Mr. R. Robson, the manager, made the presentation, and
spoke very highly of Mr. Suggett’s abilities as an official,
and wushed him every success in his new position as under-
manager at Rainton Colliery.

The Seaton Delaval Coal Company’s Old Pit at Seaton
Delaval Colliery, which was closed down at the outbreak
of war, has now been re-opened.

Cumberland.

Home Office Prosecution : Electric Locomotives in Metal-
Mines.

At Hackthorpe -Police Court on Monday, the magistrates
were occupied for a considerable time in hearing two cases
brought by the Home Office against the Greenside Mining
Company Limited and Mr. W. H. Borlase, the manager,
who were charged with offences against the Metalliferous
Mines Regulation Act, 1872, by using an electric locomotive
with overhead wires without the written consent of the
Home Secretary. On November 2 last the defendants were
similarly charged, and the cases were dismissed on the alle-
gation that the special notices had never been received. Mr.
S. Pope, barrister, Manchester, instructed by Mr. R. S.
Holmes, Newcastle, agent for the Public Prosecutor, con-
ducted the prosecution, and Mr. W. Proctor, barrister,
instructed by Messrs. Brown, Auld and Brown, Whitehaven,
defended. Both cases were by agreement heard together.
Mr. Pope, referring to the case when it was previously befoie
the Court, said that in order to clear up the matter fresh
proceedings were taken. The date of the offence in the
former case was August 19, but in this case it was
December 1, in consequence of a visit paid by the assistant
inspector, who found that the electric locomotive in question
was still being used without the written consent of the Home
Secretary. The Home Secretary took the view7 that his posi-
tion should not be left in any doubt. He could propose
special rules for any mine, and if an owner or his agent
did not raise an objection within 20 days the rules became
established. The law merely required that the notice should
be sent by prepaid letter post. All the steps for establish-
ing these special rules at Greenside had been carried out,
and it could not be a defence that the defendants did not
receive them. When the inspector visited the mine some
time after the rules were put in force, he observed several
violations of the special rules. He W’rote to the company,
who replied that several of the matters mentioned were being
remedied, and asked for an exemption with regard to the
special motor. Nothing was then said about the rules not
having been received, so that it could not be a defence now7.
If they w’ere allowed to do so, it would strike at the root of
all special rules in this country, because if a mine owner
w7as called upon to do something he did not want to do, he
might turn round and say, “ I never received your rules.”—
Mr. Proctor : Suppose, in fact, that he never did receive
them?—Mr. Pope said it would not make any difference.
He believed the Greenside Company recognised the import-
ance of these special electrical rules, and to a large extent
they complied with them.—Henrv Tutt, clerk in the Home
Office, proved posting the special rules and covering letter
to the ow’ners of the mines in which he was given a list.
The letters were all put into a special bag at the Hom*'
Office and removed bv a postal servant. — Mr. W. J.
Charlton, assistant inspector of mines, said he visited Green-
side mines on December 1, and found that the electric motor
was still being used. Mr. Borlase showed him that he was
acting in accordance with the special rules.—Evidence of a