1288

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN

December 18, 1914.

Notes from the Coalfields.

[Local Correspondence.]

South Wales and Monmouthshire.

Christmas Holidays Fixed — Development of Llanelly for
Coal Shipment—School of Mining at Swansea—Colliery
Assessments in Pontypool Area—Colliery Developments
in Ely Valley—Home Office Appeal Dismissed.

Careful scrutiny is being made of the position and pros-
pects of South Wales companies, especially of those which
own iron and steel works in addition to collieries; and no
little comment is made upon the failure of investors to
recognise the business probabilities of the immediate future.
Share values have drooped, and are still drooping, with the
result that the securities of companies which have a good
record are falling away steadily from their intrinsic value,
quite unnecessarily, without any warrant except in tem-
porary market conditions. A comparison of current quota-
tions with those of a year or two ago would prove an admir-
able corrective of depression; and although so many good
openings for other investment may tempt holders to realise,
it is well to look closely into the prospects of the near future
concerning these South Wales industries especially. There
must be, commencing very soon, a heavy and continuous
demand for all classes of steel and iron; just those commo-
dities which Blaenavon, Ebbw Vale, Tredegar, as well as
Guest-Keen, Baldwin’s, and others, can produce. Chiefly
this is due to the failure of German and Belgian supplies,
while, in addition, will be the demand for repairing the
wastage of war. Collieries must benefit in due course by
the activity of the iron works, and though labour may not be
so plentiful as is necessary, no present manifestation of
paucity in this respect is to be noted. To sacrifice, as some
are doing, a holding in sound commercial concerns is a
mistake.

Further evidence of the rapid development of the Sirhowy
Valley by the sinking of new collieries is manifested in the
Local Government Board enquiry which was held at Pont-
llanfraith some days ago regarding the application of
the Mynyddislwyn Council for sanction to borrow .£11,351
for the construction of a new road at Ynysddu. The new
road would be through the Sirhowy Valley from Cwmfelin-
fach to Oakdale, joining the main road through Cross Keys.
The Road Board had promised £2,000 towards the new road,
and the County Council would contribute one-fifth, if not
one-third, of the cost. The Road Board grant was condi-
tional on the work being done at once to relieve unemploy-
ment. Four hundred were unemployed at Oakdale and Nine
Mile Point, and the Gelligroes Colliery had been closed
owing to the war. It was stated that the new road would
provide through communication with Tredegar, the popula-
tion of which district had increased from 3,337 in 1901 to
9,982 in 1911. Mr. W. H. Jones, agent to Messrs. Burn-
yeat, Brown and Company, said the proposed road would be
of much convenience to the men working at Nine Mile Point.
Mr. C. Edwards, assistant miners’ agent, urged the impor-
tance of proceeding with the scheme owing to unemployment.

At the Conciliation Board which met on Tuesday, it was
decided that Fridav and Saturday (Christmas Day and
Boxing Day) should be the annual Christmas holidays at
the collieries.

The question of utilising the enemies’ ships instead of
allowing them to lie idle in British ports will come up again
to-day (Friday) at a meeting of the Cardiff Chamber of
Commerce. Seeing that the rates of freight have risen from
50 to 75 per cent., and in some cases 100 per cent., the
matter will be verv keenly discussed. At present there are
said to be 156 enemy vessels in the different ports of the
kingdom; but all of these would not be serviceable for
ordinary “ tramp ” work.

The Llanelly Chamber of Commerce at its last meeting
had in the annual report a favourable forecast of the general
conditions of business. Notwithstanding certain adverse
conditions in the various industries of the town and district,
the works had been kept going, because the principal tin-
plate works had adopted special methods for meeting the
exceptional conditions, with the result that there had been
no distress. The trade of the port had been to a certain
extent affected, but the volume of trade had been well main-
tained. Encouraging reports were received with reference to
the progress of the scheme for improving the estuary; and
this is a matter of considerable importance in respect of
coal shippers, the harbour authority having for a long series
of years expended a large amount of capital and tried special
devices to deepen the approaches, and enable vessels of
larger tonnage to go direct to the town for shipment of
coal. The report of the Chamber stated that it was hoped
that with the expenditure of further capital already sanc-
tioned bv the ratepayers, there would at an early date be
continued progress in the scheme for deepening the channel.

The suggestion of a school of mining at Swansea seems
likely to be taken up seriously. Recently a deputation of
the Swansea Education Authoritv met the Glamorgan
County Council, and discussed the details. It is understood
that the County Council would contribute £1,000 per annum
towards apparatus and £100 per annum towards additions,
besides paying the salarv of one teacher, provided that
Swansea finds the necessarv buildings and pays the salaries
of the remainder of the staff; the control to lie between the
two authorities concerned. There is a likelihood that
Carmarthenshire may be asked to join in the scheme, but
much negotiation will be necessary before this can be
matured.

At the last meeting of the Pontypool Guardians, the
clerk said he was afraid that owing to depression in the
coal trade there would be a considerable reduction in the
colliery assessments next April, and asked that a special
committee be appointed to consider the matter. Unless
representations were made to the County Rate Basis Com-
mittee, the Board would be assessed on the present basis,
and the Union would have to find a considerably larger
amount than was fair. It was decided to convene a con-
ference for dealing with the matter.

Colliery development in the Ely Valley has led to active
onerations in respect of town planning; and a deputation
from the Llantrisant Trades Council waited upon the local
authoritiy in order to secure early action in laying out the
Elv and Tyrnant valleys for building. It was pointed out
that colliery development is proceeding at an exceptionally
rapid rate; that at Gilfach, Coed Elv, and Tyrnant hundreds
of additional men would be required in the immediate future
in connection with existing undertakings, and that a new

pit was to be sunk in the vicinity of Llantrisant. The depu-
tation described the powers of the Council and the action in
respect of town planning schemes elsewhere, one of the
speakers mentioning that the mansion and grounds of Lian
Ely, near Llantrisant, had been acquired by Mr. David
Davies, M.P. (Ocean Company); and it was understood that
a garden village is to be put up on the grounds. The Council
promised consideration.

As a result of the efforts made by the Welsh Plate and
Sheet Manufacturers’ Association and shippers to secure
licences for exporting tin-plate to certain neutral countries,
three licences for Holland have been granted. Further-
licences are, however, necessary, for tens of thousands of
boxes are still stored at Swansea docks, and whilst the trade
was steadily improving until the embargo gave it a set-back,
present conditions are interfering unnecessarily with exports.
One Holland firm has been taking 15,000 boxes a year for
use in making containers of goods to be supplied chiefly to
this country; and this firm’s business in tin-plates is
practically stopped.

Mr. Norman Samuel Roberts, of Talybryn, Ebbw Vale,
assistant manager of the Ebbw Vale Colliery, and previously
a director of the Womb well Main Colliery Company, who
died on July 19, at the age of 26, left unsettled property
of the gross value of £1,973, of which the net personalty is
£748.,

An important point under the Coal Mines Act came before
Mr. Justice Lush, Mr. Justice Rowlatt, and Mr. Justice
Atkin in the King’s Bench Divisional Court on Wednesday,
in the form of an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecu-
tions against the decision of the Abercarn justices in a
prosecution undertaken by him against David Aaron Jones
and John Macartney Wallace, manager and agent respec-
tively of the Celynen North new sinking of the Newport-
Abercarn Black Vein Steam Coal Company at Crumlin.
There had been summonses under section 59 of the Coal
Mines Act of 1911 for, on May 12, having failed to provide
two proper means of egress at a certain steam engine room.
The justices dismissed the summons on the ground that
the opening was not a steam engine room within the
meaning of the section, that the opening was only a tem-
porary one, and that the pump was only being temporarily
worked by steam pending the repair of the compressor.
Their lordships found that the question was one of fact, and
dismissed the appeal with costs.

Northumberland and Durham.

Reckless Conduct of a Shot-Firer—Tyne Coal Shipments—
Lord Joicey Further Extends his Interests in Durham.

Pte. J. Evelyn Carr, of the 1st London Scottish, who is
in hospital in France, was, prior to the war, manager of
Scremerston Colliery Company, and is also well known as a
breeder of Border Leicester sheep, which he rears on the
farm of Heathery Top, near the colliery. In his earlier
years he was a prominent Rugby playec, playing both for
the old Northumberland Club and for Northumberland
County. We are glad to be able to state that Mr. Carr’s
wounds are very slight, and that he expects to be able soon
to rejoin his regiment.

Mr. John H. Merivale, agent for the Broomhill Collieries
Limited, whilst offering no opinion whether young men
should play football or enlist, writes to a Newcastle news-
paper, commenting on some figures published'by the London
Football Association. He points out that, out of 1,183 clubs
applied to for information as to enlistment of players, 445
did not reply. Of the remainder, an average of 11’75 per
cent, was given of players serving with the Colours. He
continues :—“ I have no exact figures as to the number of
men who are serving from amongst the mining population;
but from enquiries I have made, I believe it to be about 13
per cent, for the counties of Northumberland and Durham.
From the collieries I am interested in, it was exactly 12 per
cent, at October 26 last, since which date, largely owing to
the closing of one of our pits on October 31, the number has
gone up considerably. There is, of course, no comparison
between football players as a class and miners as a class.
The football players are necessarily men in the prime of life
and physically fit. The miners include very many boys
under 19 and men over 38, not eligible to serve; and also men
physically incapable from one cause or another. Unless I
thoroughly misunderstand the figures, they prove that foot-
ball plavers have made a very poor response indeed to their
country’s call.”

In justification of the action of the Newcastle and Gates-
head Gas Company in raising the price of gas 2d. per
1,000 ft., Mr. Waddom, secretary of the company, states that
the chief reason is the bad market for the residuals, such as
coke, tar, and sulphate of ammonia. “ There is no advance
in the price of coal to us, although I will not speak of the
future on that point, but we are losing money in the market
for residuals. Coke has been lowered from 18s. 6d. to 14s. 7d.
ner ton delivered, but our biggest markets were Sweden,
Denmark, and Norwav, and excessive freights and war con-
ditions are crippling this market, Then, as to tar, this mainly
goes to one contractor, who distils it; but now he has practi-
cally no market. Belgium and France were the chief markets
before the war. The price of sulphate of ammonia has
dropped from £15 to £10 or £11 per ton. There are other
commodities made from it which are not now marketable.
Again, although there has been no increase in the price of
gas coal, there has been an increase for other things, such
as sulphuric acid, which is used in making sulphate of
ammonia,” Mr. Waddom adds that the loss to the company
will probably be sufficient to wipe out the £20,000 brought
forward from last year, and points out that, so far from
dearer gas meaning higher dividends, the Act of Parliament
provides that for every Id. increase in the price of gas, the
companv’s dividend .must be reduced by 2s. 6d. per cent.

On October 29, Edward Stephens, authorised shot-firer at
the Lambton D Pit, Fencehouses, charged and stemmed a
hole, but the charge misfired. He unstemmed it. and put
a second charge in. This also failed to explode. He again
unstemmed it, and, despite the great danger to himself and
to two men working near by. he proceeded to bore into the
detonator with the drill used for making holes. The result
was that the whole charge blew out. He was badly injured
about the face and shoulder, and was in hospital for six
weeks thereafter. Last week he was charged before the
HougMon-le-Spring magistrates with having unlawfully
removed the stemming from a shot-hole after the same had
been charged with a cartridge. He pleaded guilty, and
asked to be leniently dealt with, stating that the other two
men were out of the way of «the shot. He was fined 40s.
and costs.

Last week Lord Londonderry paid a visit to Silksworth
Colliery, to inspect the new electric installation plant there.
His lordship, who was accompanied by Mr. Malcolm Dillon,
was received by Mr. V. C. W. S. Corbett, chief colliery
agent; Mr. William Draper, manager; Mr. Geo. Birtley,
under-manager; and Mr. F. Reay, engineer.

His Honour Judge Bonsey, sitting at the Auckland
County Court last week, heard a case in which Robert Scarr,
farmer, sought to recover from Messrs. Hy. Stobart and
Company, colliery owners, the sum of £69, in respect of
subsidences in two fields on Station Farm, of which he was
the occupier, until this year, for 32 years. Mr. Richardson,
for the defence, stated that his clients had not worked any
coal under Station Farm. If the cause of the subsidence
was due to their predecessors in title (the Norwood Company)
plaintiff could not succeed against Messrs. Stobart and
Company. His Honour reserved judgment.

It is understood that the South Tanfield Colliery of Messrs.
James Joicey and Company Limited will be closed down
at the end of the present year. The colliery is situated at
Oxhill, and locally known by that name. The number of
men and boys affected will be about 300, but it is expected
that work will be found for most of these at other of the
Joicey collieries, at Beamish, Tanfield Lea, or White-le-
Head. It is just about a year since the East Tanfield pit,
belonging to the same firm, was laid in.

’ At a meeting of the River Tyne Commission, the docks
committee reported that the total quantity of coal shipped
from the Tyne in November was 987,314 tons, as compared
with 1,617,919 tons in November 1913. The total of coke
and coal was 1,014,801 tons, as against 1,642,309 tons in
November 1913. The figures for the past 11 months of 1914
were :—Coal, 16,125,616 tons, as compared with 18.283,351
tons shipped in the corresponding period of 1913; coke,
325,383 tons, against 281,739 tons in November 1913.

Lord Joicey. who a short time ago secured control of the
Hetton Collieries, and enlarged the title of his property in
the Fencehouses district to the Lambton and Hetton
Collieries Limited, has now procured a controlling, influence
in the North Hetton Colliery, and will take over the North
Hetton and the Hazzard pits at the new year. Lord Joicey
now controls nearly a quarter of the total output of coal
from Durham.

Great disappointment is felt in Seaham Harbour owing to
the decision of the Durham County Education Committee to
discontinue the evening classes there. For reasons connected
with the war the County Council has thought it advisable to
hold the classes at Ryhope.

Much praise is due to Mr. Robinson, the manager of
Bebside Collierv, for his successful efforts to keep the pit
going, despite the fire of a fortnight ago. Had the pit been
closed down for some months, as was expected, about 1,000
men and boys would have been thrown out of employment.
Considerable damage was done to the machinery, and the
ventilating fan was crippled. After the fire Mr. Robinson
immediately sent for the representatives of the men, and
informed them that he intended to keep the men in employ-
ment bv resorting to the old method of ventilation bv furnace.
Accordingly, the pit was restarted without the loss of a
single day’s work: indeed, more men had to be emploved in
order to maintain the output, as the coal cutting machinery
was disabled by the fire, necessitating more hand hewing.
This electrically-driven cutter cannot be worked, of course,
until the machinery at bank is replaced.

Some time ago the South Moor Ambulance Brigade,
together with most other of the district colliery brigades,
offered themselves for active field service. Many difficulties
were in the way of their going, but the principal one—the
cost of equipment and uniforms—has been met by the South
Moor Coal Company. The men are now leaving in batches
of five.

Mr. Ronald Weeks, son of Mr. R. L. Weeks, agent for
Messrs. Strakers and Love’s collieries, is now serving as a
commissioned officer with the Forces.

Mr. R. A. Howe, manager of the Brancepeth (Oakenshaw)
Colliery of that firm, has also accepted a commission.

Of the miners employed by the Ryhope Coal Company,
750, or 29’15 per cent., have enlisted, including 40’70 per
cent, of the hewers, and 64’36 per cent, of the putters.

Mr. Norman Forster Holliday, eldest son of Mr. M. F.
Holliday, agent for the North Brancepeth Colliery Company,
has been appointed assistant agent of that company.

Mr. A. Kerr, manager of Watergate Colliery, owned by
the Flimbv and Broughton Moor Coal and Firebrick Com-
pany Limited, who has been at Flimbv for over three years,
has been appointed to a similar position at Littleburn. Mr.
W. C. Fawcett has been appointed under-manager.

Mr. G. A. Philipson, at present manager of the coke oven
and by-product plant of the Cortonwood Collieries Company
Limited, near Rotherham, has been appointed to a similar
position at Littleburn Colliery, and will take up his new
duties next month.

Mr. W. Weir and Mr. W. Straker, agents of the North-
umberland Miners’ Association, have been in communica-
tion with Newcastle Chamber of Commerce regarding a
question of providing labour at Rouen. British labour is
needed at Rouen to unload vessels, and as there are a large
number of Northumberland miners idle at the present time,
the Chamber of Commerce suggested that men from the
county might volunteer to take up this employment. The
average working day is about nine hours, and the pay 9s.
to 9s. 6d. a day. All the Englishmen will be billeted
together in comfortable lodgings at reasonable rates. About
200 able-bodied steady men are needed, and it is probable
there will be work for two years. Some collieries in the
countv know already of the terms offered, and a good many
men have already offered their services.

Cleveland.

The Middlesbrough Education Committee on the 10th inst.
held a conference with representatives of the North Riding
of Yorkshire Education Committee to consider a suggestion
of providing means of better technical education in Middles-
brough. The conference, which was private, was called in
consequence of a report of inspectors of the Board of Educa-
tion. following an inspection of the technical classes at the
Middlesbrough High School. The report said the provision
at the High School was inadequate, and that the metal-
lurgical department was a blot on the technical education
system of the town. The local authorities were urged to
build a technical school with modern equipments and ample
accommodation. Some 10 years ago the Middlesbrough
Education Committee foresaw the necessity for new pre-