January 8, 1915.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

91

Table C.

County.	Kind of ovens.												Total.
	Beehive.	Coppee.	Si mo’.-Carves.	Otto Hilgenstocks. 	J	Semet-Solvay.	Koppers.	Simplex.	Huessener.	Bauer.	Collins.	Mackay Seymour.	Other kinds.	
England :  Cumberland		186							323							509
Derby 		118	67	—	158	—	—	150	100	—			—	—	593
Durham		7,326	132	260	856	529	169	50	244	12			—	—	9,578
Gloucester		36	—	—	—	—	—	—		—			—	—	36
Kent		21	—	—	—	—	—	—											21
Lancaster 		640	—	25	—	230	—	35	—							—	930
Monmouth		322	759	—	72	—	100	—			—							1,253
Northumberland		44	—	—	—	—		—			—			—	—	144
Nottingham 		118	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—			—	—	118
Salop 		161	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—			—	—	161
Somerset		7	—	—	—	—											—			7
Stafford 		62	—	315	—	—			—							—	72	449
Worcester		2	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—			—		2
York				2,842	50	741	300	148	172	— .	80	—	45	32	74	4,434
Total for England		11,985	1,008	1,341	1,386	907	764	235	374	12	45	32	146	18,235
Wales :  Denbigh 		64			61										. __			125
Glamorgan		211	918	—	82	—	50	40	—	—	—	—	—	1,331
Total for Wa'es		305	918	61	82	—	50	40	—	—	—	—	—	1,456
Scotland :  Ayr 		80					___						40						120
Dumbarton 		163	—		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	163
Lanark 		122	—	—	105	60	—			—					—	. —	287
Linlithgow		26	—											26
Stirling 		486	—	—	24	140	—	—	—	—	—	—	69	719
Total for Scotland ...	877	—	—	129	200	—	—	—	40	—	—	69	1,315
Total in 19! 3 		13,167	1,926	1,402	1,597	1,107	814	275	374	52	45	32	215	21,006
Total in preceding year	13,833	1,900	1,141	1,283	1,128	757	240	310	52	45	32	355	21,076

BOOK NOTICES.

Surveying and Levelling Instruments. By William Ford
Stanley. Fourth Edition; revised by H. T. Tallack.
xv. + 606 pp.; 5 in. x 7J in- 5 433 figs. London :
E. and F. Spon and W. F. Stanley and Company.
Price, 7s. 6d. post free.

Mr. Stanley’s catholic experience in this branch of
science long ago elevated his work on instruments to
the dignity of standard authority. It is, therefore, a
pleasure to find that so competent a successor has been
found to carry on his work; for Mr. Tailack’s task has
been done most conscientiously and thoroughly.

The book largely consists of a description of the
instruments used in various branches of surveying work,
viewed both from a theoretical and practical standpoint.
The question of use is not elaborated, but such informa-
tion as is given is reliable and sound. As we might
expect, the value of quality is particularly emphasised.

Fuel, Solid, Liquid and Gaseous. By J. S. S. Brame. xv.

-p 372 pp.; 9 in. x in.; 73 figs. London: Edward
Arnold. 1914. Price, 12s. 6d. net.

This book is based upon courses of lectures delivered
by the author at the Sir John Gass Technical Institute.
It is intended, therefore, to supply such information as
would be demanded by engineers and other users of
power. The author makes no further claim than to
appeal to those technical men who are not fuel
specialists, but who require a good general knowledge
of the subject. Recent years have seen the question of
fuel supply and the economic use of fuel assuming an
ever-increasing importance, and the views of an
authority of the author’s standing will naturally claim
more than ordinary attention. But the book must be
read strictly from the point of view of the general power
user, and not from the standpoint of the fuel specialist.
For neither the requisite space at the author’s disposal,
nor the design of the work, have permitted him to
touch, at any great length, many of the questions which
are at present of interest to fuel producers. Thus, for
example, coal washing plant is not described in detail,
although readers are referred to other sources of infor-
mation upon the subject, which, however, are here
limited to a couple of papers published in the Journal
of the Society of Chemical Industry. In connection
with this subject, also, the author enjoins thorough
draining of the washed coal to avoid an excessive
moisture content, but we find no indication of what
amount of moisture in a washed coal would be regarded
as excessive, although quite at the end of the book, in
Table LIL, this information is forthcoming. This
question of moisture is an important point, both for
power users and for fuel producers. We call attention
to it here in order that the author may in a second
edition append a reference to a piece of important know-
ledge, necessary to a complete understanding of the
text, but otherwise liable to be overlooked by the reader
in the midst of the large amount of detail given in the
volume. It is, of course, obvious that under so com-
prehensive a title, comparatively few pages could be
utilised for the discussion of solid fuel. Within the>
somewhat slender limits thus imposed upon him, the
author has, however, contrived to pack a great deal of
excellently selected material; and he has brought his
information thoroughly up to date. But little can be
found for legitimate criticism in these first hundred
pages. One might, however, reasonably question the
value of the tables of analyses given on pages 60, 61,
and 62. It is difficult to conceive what possible use

can be made of a knowledge of the average composition
of coal in the different counties of England, Wales, and
Scotland, even when different classes of coal are
distinguished, as, for example, Durham (A) and
Durham (B). Would it not have been more profitable
to have selected for special treatment, as regards
analytical details, a few prominent seams, known
throughout the commercial world?

The subject of liquid fuel occupies Part II. of the
book. The author points out that in this country there
is little danger of coal being displaced from its prominent
position among fuels. For it is likely that the growing
demand for liquid fuel, consequent upon the rapid
development of the internal combustion engine, will be
at least partly met by the distillation of coal. The
latest types of Diesel engine are capable of using heavy
tar oil derived from coal gas and coke oven plants, and
it is clear that coal tar must be taken into serious
consideration as an important source of fuel for internal
combustion engines in the future. Moreover, benzol
has been proved to be eminently suitable for use in
petrol motors, and while at present the quantity avail-
able is small, this could be greatly augmented, and may
yet prove to be a powerful factor in preventing any
prohibitive increase in the price of petrol. Then, again,
in the last resort, there remains the position of alcohol,
which, wholly independent as it is of any existing fuel
substance, is perhaps destined before long to assume
an important place amongst the fuels of this country.

All these questions are admirably treated in the
volume before us. With regard to benzol, the author
quotes Mr. Butterfield’s figures showing that the yield
of this substance from tar amounts only to about 0’2
galls, per ton of coal carbonised. If we take the amount
of coal annually carbonised in Great Britain in gas works
and coke ovens as approximately 35*5 million tons, this
would give about 7 million galls, of benzol, provided that
all the available tar is utilised for distillation. Probably
this yield could be largely increased if we accept the
statement that in German coke oven practice as much
as 3 to 3’5 galls, of 65 per cent, benzol are recovered
per ton of coal.

Gaseous fuel is discussed in Part III., which is, in
fact, the largest division of the book. Amongst the sub-
divisions of the subject we find chapters devoted to coal
and coke oven gas, producer gas, water gas, Siemens
gas, Dowson gas, producer gas plants, and blastfurnace
gas. A useful chapter follows on fuel consumptions and
general considerations in power production, in which
there is given an interesting comparison between gas and
steam plants, and tables of cost of various classes of fuel
per b.h.p. per hour. These tables, and likewise Mr.
Snell’s figures for the comparative cost of generating
electricity by different means, add appreciably to the
value of the book as a work of reference for the engineer
and practical man.

Finally, in Part IV., the author discusses the subjects
of fuel analysis, calorimetry, and fuel control. Much of
this is, of course, more interesting to the analytical
chemist than to the ordinary purchaser of fuel, to whom,
however, the final chapter is more particularly addressed;
and here, as is always desirable in a well arranged work,
the maximum of practical interest-is reached. On the
whole, we conclude this notice with ihe express! or of
our entire approval of this volume, which cannot fail to
establish its position among the standard works upon
the subject.

The annual dinner of the Monmouthshire Colliery Officials
Association will be held at the King’s Head Hotel, Newport,
on Saturday evening, the 16th inst., at 6.30 p.m.

Notes from the Coalfields.

[Local Correspondence.]

South Wales and Monmouthshire.

Conference of Colliery Owners and Workmen with the
Admiralty : A Novel Incident — First Return of 1914
Coal Shipments : Barry’s Figures Estimated — The
Year’s Experience in Colliery Share Values — Under-
secretary of Home Office Descends the Mine — High
Freights and Shortage of Seamen—Control of Output by
Tin-Platers—Prospects of the Trade—Monmouthshire’s
New Teacher of Mining.

A conference of a novel character, probably unprece-
dented, took place at the Admiralty in reference to the
supply of coal to the Navy. Very large numbers of men
have left South Wales from the colliery districts to join
the colours—in all, probably 50,000 of colliers alone; and
it was in reference to the recruiting and to the loss of
labour in those pits which supply the smokeless steam
coal that the consultation took place. Mr. F. L. Davis
(of D. Davis & Sons, Ferndale), Mr. Hugh Bramwell,
Mr. E. M. Hann (of the Powell Duffryn Co.), and Mr.
Evan Williams represented coal owners; while the Miners’
Federation was represented by Mr. J. Winstone, Mr. T.
Smith, Mr. Noah Rees, and Mr. Oliver Harris. Dr.
Macnamara, M.P., was in the chair, and he was accom-
panied by the Director of Contracts (Sir E. Black), while
General Campbell represented the War Office.

It had been stated by , Captain Sir H. Greenwood that
there were thousands of men eligible for enlistment still
employed in the collieries that supply Admiralty coal,
and he had suggested that their places might be taken
by men who were not fit to enlist; and the discussion
ranged around this assertion and suggestion. Represen-
tatives of the Government pointed out during the Con-
ference the need of securing the largest number of
recruits; but the idea that the places of the colliers
should be taken by men from another district was by
no means endorsed, some of those who have knowledge of
the collieries regarding it as impracticable. Everyone
present was anxious to further recruiting as much as
possible; but one suggestion of moving married men from
other parts of the country, so that they might be em-
ployed in the Admiralty coal-pits of South Wales, the
removal to be at the expense of the Government, was
not endorsed. A free and full discussion took place, and,
although no definite resolution was come to, it is believed
that good results will ultimately be realised.

The trade of Barry Dock for 1914 has not yet been
officially declared, but a careful estimate shows that
the result is, notwithstanding the war, by no means un-
satisfactory. On the import side there has been actually
an increase; and on the side of the exports, which were
mainly coal, the record is very favourable. It is to be
remembered that the year 1913 was a record one, with
exports of over 11 millions of tons, the total of 1912
having been only 9| millions. The estimate now made is
that exports for 1914 will total at least 10| millions, not-
withstanding all the hindrances occasioned by the war,
both in regard to market demand and the shortage of
tonnage. Another serious factor has been that for some
time past in certain departments a shortage of labour
has prevailed ; and in this respect Barry resembles Lon-
don, where the pressure at the docks at the present time
is very great owing to the lack of men to handle the
cargoes.

A survey of values in colliery shares of South Wales
shows that, as was to have been expected, the general
direction has been downward, although not to such an
extent as was feared. The exceptions are the Ocean Com-
pany’s, which show a fractional advance, and also Great
Westerns, Lamberts, Powell Duffryns and United
Nationals; the two last-named being the more con-
spicuous, for Powell Duffryn rose 2s. 3d. per share to
48s. 9d., and United Nationals 2s. 6d. per share to
51s. 6d.

Mr. E. J. Griffiths, Under-Secretary, Home Depart-
ment, paid a visit last week to the Seven Sisters Col-
liery, near Neath, being accompanied by Sir Richard
Redmayne (Chief Inspector) and Mr. D. Lewis.

A cheque for over £5,000 has been received from the
Prince of Wales’s Fund by the Anthracite Miners’ Asso-
ciation ; this sum to be distributed amongst the mem-
bers on account of unemployment. Distribution of the
money was made on Friday, but it represents the re-
quirements only for the third, fourth, and fifth weeks of
the war. The levy which the whole of the Federation is
carrying out in favour of the Prince of Wales’s Fund ap-
plies to unemployment, as well as to other purposes; and
the fact that this has been recognised, and payments
made now, gives general satisfaction.

The manager of the New Rhondda Main Pits in Ogmore
Vale, owned by the Lewis Merthyr Company, will be Mr.
George Hawkins, who for 22 years has been at the Cwrt-
y-Bettws.

At Llanhilleth, on Saturday, a presentation was made to
Mr. Theo. Jones, late manager of Messrs. Partridge,
Jones & Co.’s colliery there. Mr. John Wilcox, on be-
half of the subscribers, handed Mr. Jones an illuminated
address on vellum, framed in oak; and to Mrs. Jones was
presented a dress ring and a silver tea and coffee service ;
among the other articles being a roll-top desk. Mr. Jones
commenced work at the same firm’s Old Brown Slope,
Cwmffrwdoer, and afterwards worked elsewhere in the
eastern valleys of Monmouthshire. He became overman
at Llanhilleth 17 years ago, was promoted to under-
manager, and on the death of Mr. Davies, in 1904, took
that gentleman’s position as manager. He has played an
active part in the public life of the district, having been
a member of the Abertillery Council and chairman of its
Education Committee, as well as in other departments of
public life in this rapidly-growing locality.

With reference to the high rates of freight, it has to
be admitted that the shipowners also have great difficulty
to contend with, notably, the shortage of seamen, heavy
increases of wages not having sufficed to attract enough
British men. Non-white “British,” such as West Indians,
Lascars, etc., are antagonised by the white men. Speak-
ing at a Newport meeting, Mr. George Jackson, secretary