648 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN March 26, 1915. similar capacity are operating now at the Aberaman and Bargoed collieries of the PowelLDuffryn Steam Coal Company Limited, and these are designed to give 9’24 per cent, residue on 180 mesh sieve, and 11'64 per cent, residue on 200 mesh sieve. Similar mills are also in operation at the United National and Ocean Colliery Companie’s pits in South Wales, and D. Davis and Sons Limited are also installing a mill. Samples of fuller’s earth, ground in a 30 in. mill, were supplied to the Explosions in Mines Committee ; in this case an output of 1 ton per hour was maintained to the following degree of fineness—viz., 6'4 per cent, residue on 180 mesh sieve, 9'28 per cent, residue on a 200 mesh sieve. The power required to drive one of the 30 in. mills is 25-B.H.P. applied to the pulley at head of the mill. The material fed to the mill should all pass a 1 in. diameter ring, and for best results not more than 1J> per cent, of moisture should be contained. The 40in. “ Giant Griffin” mill has a capacity of two to two-and-a-half times that of the 30 in. mill to rather better fineness, the power required being 65-horse power, and the material can be fed up to 14 in. in size. /? breaker /of rear mate.rial. P^Gvator/br raur material C /topper^>r raur rrvorer/al Mort £ Hi /2 0/r }&?/ /rbf/vray H BHP Mo for /or ofr/r/np countering//^or eleYVfor^ c/c Q /B//P PTbfor Pb r c/rs rmp /te/w/fr M/// ■ — ik—1., K! JL Fig. 4.—Arrangement of 40 in. Griffin Mill Installation with Elevators. . The accompanying photographs (figs. 1 and 2) show views of the Cadeby plant taken from different points. Figs. 3 and 4 show two typical methods of installation ; fig. 3 shows an installation on the gravity principle, dispensing with elevators and conveyors, whilst fig. 4 shows an arrangement in which elevators are used. Under the compulsory winding-up order made on October 13, 1914, against Tannett-Walker and Company Limited, civil and mechanical engineers, of Hunslet, Leeds, Mr. E. C. Bliss, assistant official receiver, has issued a summary of the company’s statement of affairs. This shows the position at April 5, 1913, when the company went into voluntary liquidation. The liabilities as regards creditors are stated at £264,413, of which £154,309 is due to debenture holders, and the assets at £295,956. In regard to share- holders, an estimated deficiency of £318,456 is disclosed. The Assistant Official Receiver points out that since the date of the statement of affairs, the company’s loose plant and machinery (valued in the statement at £195,922) have been sold by leave of the count for £12,692. The company was entirely financed by issues of debentures and large loans from bankers and others. During the 15 years of its existence the company paid £101,148 for interest on bor- rowed money. The failure is attributed to lack of contracts for making heavy machinery for steel works owing to a change in the processes of manufacturing steel; and to the use of electric machinery in the place of hydraulic in dock- yards and railways. The Official Receiver is liquidator of the company. SULPHATE OF AMMONIA. Present Position and the Outlook. [From a Correspondent.] In the earlier part of the year when it is customary to make a review of trade generally and certain branches in particular, manufacturers were traversing what was virtually terra incognita in the experience of the sulphate of ammonia industry. With such a number of unknown values to contend with, and also such a problematic state of affairs generally, it was little use to attempt anything approaching a reasonably accurate summary of the position of this product. Now, however, apart from what may be termed the natural and calculable vagaries of trade conditions in time of war, the outlook is clearing, and certain definite matters of pressing importance not only call for attention, but need prompt and resolute steps to ensure the future welfare of the sulphate of ammonia industry. In order to bring home to those who are prone to procrastination the full significance of the needs of the moment, it will be necessary to briefly review The Present Position in the light of the occurrences of the past six months. As far as the British sulphate of ammonia manufacturer is concerned, the war has intervened in a most opportune fashion, seeing there is now abundant evidence to show that at this season he would have been face to face with very keen competition from Germany in all his chief export markets. With the improvements in freedom from acidity, better physical condition, superior packing, cut freights, and long-winded credits, a very bold and strenuous campaign of ruthless competition was in progress, and which apparently must have seriously prejudiced British sulphate of ammonia in the Japanese, American, and Dutch East Indian export market, while it is quite possible it might also have damaged our reputation in Spain. As things stand to-day it is self- evident that had Germany not been otherwise occupied we should have had to face this unpleasant position, virtually unprepared. However, there is now time and opportunity to put things in order, and at the very least enable manufacturers to meet the situation on an equal footing, if not with some slight actual advantage. It is sheer waste of time to enlarge upon our backward- ness in moving with the times or applying purely scientific knowledge to elucidate and aid progress, even in the manufacture of sulphate of ammonia, for mere recriminations will probably leave the worst offenders unconvinced if not unconvicted, and may possibly dis- courage those who are awakening to the need for advancement in such matters. Whereas possibly a few suggestions may benefit all parties. Better Commercial Organisation is one line of development that can be followed by every manufacturer, and what is more, some of the machinery necessary to facilitate the fuller operation of such endeavours is already in working order, and only needs turning to account—to wit, the Sulphate of Ammonia Committee. The more this committee is supported and, furthermore, utilised by small producers as well as large, the wider will be its sphere of activity. In these things it is the accretion of requests for information that enables widely beneficial schemes to be formulated, and what is more, it well-nigh savours of arrogance to expect a voluntary committee to acquire details of local needs and possibilities. Yet if the smaller makers bestirred themselves, and by right of membership had the ear of the central committee, with its propa- gandising abilities and intimate acquaintance with the export side of the business, much might be done to widen and strengthen the home consumption. Another source of enlightenment lies in the report of Sir Francis Oppenheimer on the German chemical trade, a perusal of which will afford some useful weapons with which home suppliers may fight their way through to increased turnover and satisfactory profits. The prosperity of the German chemical industry proper is notorious, and, as Sir Francis Oppenheimer says, it yields higher profits than any other industry as a whole. This is evidenced by the capacity which it has for attracting fresh capital; thus the total capital newly invested in the German chemical industry amounted in 1912 to 55,200,000 mk., and in 1913 to 64,300,000 mk. Speaking of industrial conditions as a whole, Sir Francis says :— Germans, in every stage of society, are prone to combination; in Germany there is hardly a branch of manufacture or of trade, however special, which has not its own organisation and probably its own journal. Manufacturers all over the Empire, pro- ducing the same goods, are brought into touch either personally or in print. The conditions of the whole home market are thus disclosed; its chances are weighed and scrutinised. The more a works specialises (and the tendency, owing no doubt to the very keen home competition, is all towards specialisa- tion) the more must it co-operate with, and the more has it to rely upon, other branches of manufacture ; their trade conditions have to be watched in turn. The specialist is brought into contact with the outside world. News from abroad is published and carried into distant workshops. . . . Much ingenuity and care is spent upon the reports of the industrial weather, witn the result that no man need be taken unawares by a change of the tide. This education has been assisted by a widespread tendency to speculate in industrial shares. Quotations are watched and markets are studied. Even those in a small way of business have acquired a certain aptitude in reading the industrial barometer. Technical Advances. These have been touched upon, and already good advice has been afforded to manufacturers in these columns in regard to the improvement of quality^ packing, and methods of production. The point to grasp is the imperative necessity of getting “ a move ” on in these matters. It is proverbially familiar that every- body’s business is nobody’s, but in this particular instance every manufacturer of sulphate of ammonia is directly interested in these requests for improvement, and those who fail to come into line will not only hurt themselves but prejudice the whole sulphate of ammonia industry of Great Britain. So do it now ! Export Possibilities and Other Nations. The returns of our export trade in 1914 contain many lessons, most of which are to be gathered by anyone who will take the trouble to analyse the returns, but there are one or two salient features that will stand enforcement. The figures for trade previous to August last showed that Germany was presing us in the Pacific, and that we had to thank Japan, the United States, and Spain for keeping up our totals to anything like a respectable level. Then what happened? "Why even these standbys showed signs of defection. Luckily, with the cessation of German competition, the Spanish, Hollandaise, and colonial sugar demand improved substantially, but it is necessary to face the fact that Japan failed to respond proportionately, but, on the other hand, took well over 25,000 tons less from us in the last half of the year. It may not be as well to apply the saya bean theory too -freely to lull these apprehensions. Admittedly there would naturally be an accumulation of fertilising bean-cake material in the absence of the customary Continental demand, but there are not wanting signs that Japan needs looking after, and nursing as a market for British sulphate of ammonia, and she is worthy of being accorded every possible concession in the way of freights, delivery, and even price. From Russia and also America there comes news of better organisation, which must not be neglected. As regards Russia in particular, there is obviously great need of propagandising efforts, and they would seem to promise results. The Russian farmer is as yet quite asleep even with the Donetz sulphate of ammonia under his nose, but in the Baltic provinces, Western-European sulphate of ammonia should find an improving sale. It must be kept in mind that ready-made markets do not grow on bushes any more than sovereigns, and Great Britain wants a' steadily-widening export outlet. Prices. These need but brief mention. In fact, they are of little interest save in conjunction with the fact that