February 12, 1915.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

343

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS.

The Editors are not responsible either for the statements
made, or the opinions expressed by correspondents.

All communications must be authenticated by the name and
address of the sender, whether for publication or not.
No notice can be taken of anonymous communications.

As replies to questions are only given by way of published
answers to correspondents, and not by letter, stamped
addressed envelopes are not required to be sent.

HALF-WATT ELECTRIC LAMPS.

Sirs,—Since my last reply at the Doncaster meeting
of the Midland Institute of Mining and Mechanical
Engineei s, on Saturday, January 23, to the discussion
on my paper on ‘‘Electric Lamps Compared with the
Hailwood Combustion Tube Oil Lamp,” we have
purchased some lower candle, so-called | watt lamps,
and it may be interesting to your readers to have the
results of our tests on these lamps, which are rated at
6 volts, 3 amperes, and are marked “ Half-Watt,” and
are therefore supposed to give 36-candle power.

At 6 volts the current consumption was 3'7 amperes,
and not 3, as stated by the makers—viz., 23 per cent,
more current than stated. On the other hand, the
candle-power was only 25, full face—which is 33 per
cent, less than the makers state—and only 14*5-candle
power on edge view. The watts per candle-power in
this lamp, full face, was 0'89 watt.

Another sample tried at 6 volts took 3’44 amperes, and
only gave 19-candle power, full face, instead of 36;
which worked out at l‘O9 watts per candle-power, so
that, judging from these samples, it is obvious that the
small 1 watt lamp for miners is a myth.

Assuming that these lamps are representative of the
i watt lamps on the market (and we may say that they
were purchased from a very well-known and highly-
respected maker), it would appear that the makers are
practically 100 per cent, wrong in their calculate ns on
these small lamps, which is naturally a serious thing in
connection with a miner’s lamp.

The temperature taken with an ordinary thermometer
placed on the top of the bulb was 210degs. Fahr.,
whereas the temperature of the ordinary lamp bulb now
used in portable electric miners’ lamps is 90degs. Fahr.
The diameter of the bulb of this new so-called J watt
lamp is 2 in.

Even supposing the watts taken by the lamp was
J watt per candle, as stated by the makers, it will be
obvious that the employment of this bulb in a miner’s
lamp will be impracticable, as the existing lamp is
already considered extremely heavy, and the batteries
attached are generally hard-taxed to maintain the
necessary output of 0'8 to 1 ampere at 2 volts throughout
the ordinary shift, whereas the J watt lamp referred to
above, and which is the smallest we have so far come
across, would require three 2-volt batteries, and judged
on the above tests would, on the average, require about
21 watts, as compared with the existing portable lamp
consumption of from II to 2 watts.

From these results (altogether ignoring the enormous
cost of the 4 watt lamp, which per bulb costs more
than four times that of the present small bulb used in
portable electric miners’ lamps) it would appear that
this J watt lamp is still a long way from solving the
difficulties experienced by the miners’ electric lamp
makers and users, as the makers only give the number
of hours life of these lamps as 600 hours, and, as
makers’ statements are generally on the “ top-side,” it is
highly probable that the number of bulbs used per year
would be about double the number of bulbs used on
existing lamps, so that apparently the cost of bulbs per
yeai’ would be within the neighbourhood of 30s. to 32s.
per electric lamp per annum, which would work out at
about 7d. per lamp per week for bulbs alone.

These bulbs would no doubt be useful for other
purposes, but the writer can scarcely see how they will
answer the requirements of miners’ lamps.

It has been stated that a I watt lamp, by reason of
its burning in nitrogen, will not cause an explosion, and
no doubt your readers will be interested to learn that
to-day, in tests carried out at our works, in the same
apparatus as I employed on the tests mentioned in my
paper, on breaking the bulb I got one of the most
severe explosions that we have so far experienced in the
apparatus. Whether this was due to some slight
variation in the gas, or to the intense heat of the i watt
lamp filament having some effect on the ignition, I am
at present unable to say, but the fact remains that the
nitrogen did not prevent the explosion, and, as a matter
of fact, the filament kept aglow with a full light for
from 30 to 60 seconds after the main explosion, and the
filament was therefore glowing in an inert atmosphere
which will quench ordinary flames.

E. A. Hailwood

Morley, near Leeds, (Managing director of

February 3, 1915. Ackroyd and Best Limited.)

The half-yearly report of the South Metropolitan Gas
Company states that <£403,573 was expended on coal during
the six months, as compared with <£466,090 in the second
half of 1913. This is equal to 15'26d. per 1,000 ft. of gas
sold, aS compared with 16'87d. Altogether, 545,476 tons of
coal were carbonised, as against 557,553 tons, and the
gas yield was 12,614 cu. ft. per ton of coal, as against
12,734 cu. ft. The company made 266,723 tons of saleable
coke and breeze, 5,190,065 galls, of tar, and 209,138 butts of
ammoniacal liquor, the figures being in each case some
down on those for the previous year. The revenue included :
Coke, . <£151,089 (<£199,324); breeze, <£280 (<£3,805); tar,
<£29^690 (<£54,277); ammonia, <£56,259 (<£71,579). The
report states that the price of residuals was unsatisfactory,
but the markets for coke and ammonia show some signs of
recovery. Tar has, however, been affected by the disturbance
of the shipment of pitch for briquette making, caused by
the war.

LABOUR AND WAGES.

South Wales and Monmouthshire.

The Federation executive of South Wales Miners met in
Cardiff on Friday last to deal with the agenda which would
come before the conference next day, and they decided, after
discussing a wide range of subjects, to fix upon the abolition
of the maximum; the payment of six turns for five to the
afternoon and night shifts ; and an increase in the wages
of surface men. The executive decided to grant strike
pay to workmen at the Llanhilleth Colliery, who are on
stop, and also to the men at the Millfraen Colliery,
Bia ena von.

The conference of delegates sat on Saturday in Cardiff,
there being 274 present, representing 145,286 members—a
reduction of about 20,000—due, it is said, to the large
number of young men who have enlisted. Indeed, seeing
that from Glamorgan alone 42,000 men have gone, and
from Monmouthshire at least half as many more, there is
no matter for surprise at the decrease of 20,000 only. Mr.
W. Brace, M.P. (in the chair) stated the business, which
was, first to consider whether notice terminating the Con-
ciliation Board agreement should be given, with a view to
securing certain improvements. The Miners’ Federation
cf Great Britain had urged the importance of taking
simultaneous action throughout the country to enforce
reforms if that became necessary; and its committee had
decided that negotiations should be on the basis of a
minimum wage of 5s. per day for surface men, an improved
standard which should be 50 per cent, above the old
standard, with 10 per cent, of that new standard as the
minimum rate; that men on the afternoon and night shifts
should be paid a turn and a-fifth for each turn worked;
and that all hauliers, day and night, should be paid a
uniform rate of wages.

The report of the proceedings of the Miners’ Federation
cf Great Britain committee was presented by Mr.
Hartshorn and Mr. George Barker, and it was stated that
the suggested reform should be insisted upon, and that all
attempts at sectional arrangement be avoided. Alli agree-
ments terminated at the same time, and it was very impor-
tant that the advantage thus gained should not be lost, and
that any action taken should be of a national character, no
agreement being entered into without the approval of the
Miners’ Federation of Great Britain. Whilst different
■ agreements w’ould be required in different districts, it was
essential that they should be co-terminous. The discussion
that followed these statements was not lengthy, there being
a general desire that notice should be given terminating the
agreement as suggested; and some of the speakers com-
plained that there was no demand for abolishing the
maximum. With reference to the anthracite area, where
the standard is 5 per cent, below that in the steam and
house coalfields, no action was taken: for it is said that
the anthracite miners have, through the allowances which
they obtain, been put practically on a par with the other
workmen.

The conference unanimously agreed to the resolution sub-
mitted : and then the question arose as to increasing the
Federation contribution from Is. to 2s. per month, a strong
letter having been received from the secretary of the Miners’
Federation of Great Britain on this subject. It was decided
by a large majority that the contribution henceforth should
be 6d. per week, instead of 3d.; and upon a proposal that
the matter be referred to the men for ballot, the suggestion
was rejected by 209 votes to 60, it being fully recognised
that, inasmuch as all other districts connected with the
Miners’ Federation of Great Britain contribute 6d. per
week,. South Wales alone paying a lower rate, it was
necessary that the increase should be made.

The conference also dealt with the question of the Central
Labour College, and resolved on joining with the railway-
men in clearing off the mortgage, and also to undertake
future management and control.

It is understood that the executive will tender notices on
April 1 terminating the Conciliation Board agreement, and
that they will at once lay before the coal owners their
proposals with regard to a new arrangement. Also the
new rate of contribution will take effect in March.

A report was submitted to the conference by Mr. Tom
Bichards, M.P.. the secretary, with regard to the Prince
of Wales’s Fund. This stated that nearly the whole of the
arrears of unemployment benefit had been paid off, and that
a scheme was being prepared for utilising the surplus of the
levy, so that after meeting unemployment claims they
might make grants to .the dependants of soldiers and sailors.
A draft scheme that was presented to the conference by
the secretary is being printed.

An incident of the conference was a presentation to Aid.
Morgan Thomas and Mrs. Thomas (ex-Lord Mayor and.
Lady Mayoress of Cardiff), for their services rendered in
relieving distress at the time of the Senghenvdd explosion.
Mr. Brace presented them with a silver coffee service,
suitably subscribed.

Tt is announced that work is to be resumed at the Crown
Colliery, near Llanelly, and that large numbers of miners
will be shortly engaged. The colliery has been closed
during the past few months.

North of England.

Durham coal owners had to face a somewhat unlooked-for
obstinacy on the part of the men’s representatives at the
quarterly meeting of the Durham Conciliation Board for the
regulation of wages in the coalfield., held at Newcastle on
Friday, February 5. The owners asked that the men should
accept a further reduction of 3| per cent, on account of the
fall in the selling price of coal. There has been, however,
much resentment in the county because of the 3^ per cent,
reduction agreed upon at the November meeting of thy
Board, and adhered to by the owners, despite an appeal
made by the men at a special meetin,g in December, and,
therefore, the men’s representatives intimated that thev
were not prepared to agree to any reduction. After a meet-
ing lasting over an hour, the owners handed the following
statement to the men’s representatives :—“ The coal
owners regret that the workmen’s representatives have not.
seen their way to accept the moderate reduction of wages
which the owners have found it necessary to seek, owing to*
the continued fall in the selling price. The owners desire
+o be able to afford employment at the .present time to .the
largest possible number of workmen, and think that efforts
should be made bv all concerned to obviate the danger of
unemployment. Manv collieries, under the disturbed con-
ditions brought about by. war. are. working at a serious loss.
If the case is taken to the Umpire, it will be necessary to .
open out a series of controversial questions which, at the
present time of national emergency, the owners are exceed-
ingly anxious to avoid. While regretting,’ therefore, .that

the workmen should. not have accepted what the owners
consider as a moderate reduction, which would still have
left wages at the high figure of 50 per cent, above basis
rates, the owners will agree, reluctantly, to postpone their
request until the next meeting, in the hope that brighter
prospects for the trade may become apparent, and in the
confident expectation that, if these hopes should not be
realised, the workmen’s representatives will, be prepared to
meet the situation, and to grant the relief which, in that
case, would be most urgently required in the interests of
both employers and employed.”

In the absence of Sir Lindsay Wood, Mr. W. B.
Chariton presided at the meeting. The owners were repre-
sented by Lord Joicey, Sir Hugh Bell, Sir A. M. Palmer,
and Messrs. Thos. Taylor, W. O. Wood, C. E. Hunter,
W. A. Bitson, Geo. Ainsworth, A. F. Pease, T. Y. Greener,
Malcolm Dillon, M. W. Parrington, and A. N. L. Wood.

The men’s representatives were :—Miners : Messrs. T.
H. Cann, S. Galbraith, J. Bobson, T. Trotter, and W.
Whiteley. Cokemen : Messrs. J. Thompson, T. Duffy, and
W. Ogg. Mechanics : Messrs. J. W. Taylor, M.P., W.
Knaggs, and J. Fletcher. Deputies : Messrs. W. Johnson,
M. Wilkinson, J. Clark, W. Johnson (Washington), G.
French, J. Bauson, W. Dennison, T. G. Nixon, and W.
Bobson. Enginemen : Messrs. G. Peart and M.
Westgarth.

A meeting of the Cumberland Coal Trade Conciliation
Board was held at Workington on Wednesday, under the
chairmanship of Mr. W. Graham, to discuss, among other
things, the following letter from Mr. T. P. Martin, secretary
of the Coal Owners’ Association, to Mr. T. Cape, financial
secretary of the Cumberland Miners’ Association :—

Dear Sir,—I have meen instructed to draw your atten-
tion to the present serious loss of time by hewers, and to
ask for a meeting of the Conciliation Board to consider
the matter. I need hardly point out to you the serious
effect the reduced output and consequent high cost must
. have, not only on the interests of employers and. work-
men, but also upon the welfare of the country in. what is
undoubtedly the greatest crisis in our national history. I
feel sure that it must be the desire of yourselves and. the
delegates, and of large numbers of workmen themselves,
to do everything possible to make the best of the present
difficult conditions, and I trust the proposed meeting may
find some satisfactory solution.

The matter was eventually referred to a special joint com-
mittee, consisting of five representatives from each side,
who will meet next Tuesday to consider it, and report to a
future meeting of the Board.

The consideration of the following other matters was
referred to the same committee :—The question of the post-
ing of notices on pit tops, and demands of miners (a) that
a minimum of 4s. per day and current percentage be paid
to surface workers; (5) that boys 14 years of age com-
mencing work on the surface be paid at a minimum of
Is. 6d. per day and current percentage, and be advanced 2d.
per day per six months; (c) that a uniform time of loosing
be arranged for mechanics, and that the time be 4 p.m.,
with half-an-hour for breakfast and half-an-hour for dinner
on five days of the week, Saturdays to remain as at present;
(d) that at collieries Working two or three shifts, a shift
and a-fifth be paid for afternoon and night shifts, thus
making six shifts for five.

Very little progress was made at the meeting of repre-
sentatives of Northumberland coal owners, miners, deputies,
and colliery enginemen, held at Newcastle last Saturday,
to discuss proposed alterations in rules and rates fixed by
Lord Mersey in October 1913 under the Minimum Wage
Act, and ultimately the meeting was adjourned .until
February 27.

The members of the Northumberland Colliery Engine-
men’s and Firemen’s Association have accepted a wages
reduction of 3d. per day in the case of enginemen, and 4 per
cent, in the case of firemen, owing to the fail! in the selling
Drice of coal for the quarter ending November last. They
have, however, decided to seek an interview with the coal
owners with a view to securing the extension to the firemen
of the 10 per cent, advance conceded to surface labour some
time ago.

The mine owners of Cleveland have approached officials
of the Cleveland Miners’ Association regarding the question
of working extra hours to maintain the supply of ironstone
for the furnaces where Government contracts are being
carried out, and the miners decided to ask for a modifica-
tion of the Eight Hours Act, in order that the back shift
men, who at present are not able to work six shifts a week
because of the interval of 16 hours having to elapse between
the commencement of one shift and the conclusion of
another, might be able to put in an extra shift each week.
The Miners’ Federation, with which the Cleveland men are
identified, have taken objection to this, and the matter is
not likely to be pressed any further, but as the Act enables
60 extra hours to be worked each year, . the Cleveland
. officials have advised their members that an extra two hours
per week may be worked at ordinary overtime rates without
the Act being infringed.

Federated Area.

The minimum wage dispute in the. West Yorkshire coal-
field has been amicably settled. That is the satisfactory
outcome of the joint conference of representatives of the
West Yorkshire coal owners with the Yorkshire Miners’
Association and representatives from the Miners’ Federa-
tion, held on Tuesday at the Great Northern Hofei, Leeds.
Mr. C. B. Crawshaw, chairman of the West Yorkshire
Owners’ Association, presided, and the other owners attend-
ing were : Messrs. J. F. Warrington, Bercy C. Greaves,
Walter Hargreaves, G. E. Stringer, A. Woodhead, Boslyn
Holiday, and Ben Day, secretary. The workmen’s repre-
sentatives were : Messrs. Herbert Smith, J. Hoskin, S.
Roebuck, W. Guest, John Wadsworth, M.P., secretary,
and others. The representatives of the Miners’ Federation
were : Messrs. B. Smillie (president), T. Ashton (secretary),
W. House (Durham), W. Straker (Northumberland), W.
Brace, M.P. (South Wales), and- Stephen Walsh, M.P.
(Lancashire). At the outset of the joint, conference, the
men’s representatives made it a condition of negotiation
that any decision come to by the conference should be
accepted and applicable to all the collieries in West York-
shire. . This was accepted by the coal owners for all
employers other than the 29 owners of thin seam collieries,
who have since obtained a mandamus to compel the fixing
of a separate minimum wage to meet their special economic
circumstances. The question in dispute was fully dis-
cussed by the conference, and the .following resolution was
unanimously agreed to, and signed by representatives of
all the parties’:—	.

- The owners, with the object of avoiding the disastrous
consequences of a coal strike in a national crisis, will,