April 23, 1915.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

863

or electric detonator of not less strength than that known
as No. 6; the greatest weight of the explosive which may
be used in any one shot-hole shall not exceed 24 oz. ; and
the explosive shall have been made at the works of Nobel’s
Explosives Company Limited, at Ardeer, in the county
of Ayr.

Four ounces of Cambrite No. 2 gave a swing of 2 in. to
the ballistic pendulum, compared with a swing of 3*27 in.
given by 4 oz. of Gelignite containing 60 per cent, of nitro-
glycerine.

LETTERS TO THE EDITORS.

The Editors are not responsible either for the statements
macle, 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.

THE REDUCTION OF WORKING COSTS AT

TOE COAL FACE.

Sirs,—It is gratifying to know that the Guardian is
known in far-off Colorado, and that our American
cousins are not without interest in our little problems.
In reply to Mr. Dean’s courteous letter I shall attempt
to define a “ practical ” man.

It will be generally granted that the facts one gets in
schools and colleges, in the pit and the street, in news-
papers and books—all may be classed as information.
In other words, all written and spoken facts may be thus
described. When one secs things done, or does them,
or supervises the doing of them, the facts thus gained
are classed as experience. W hen facts are absorbed and
acted upon by thought they become 'knowledge. Infor-
mation and experience cannot, even if we will, be kept
apart in ivatertighr compartments, hence the knowledge
of all men is based part y on information and partly on
experience.

In the case of a practical science like mining some
men get a grounding to begin with in mathematics,
chemistry, physics, and other abstract and applied
sciences. Then they are inf< rmed on the general
practice of mining, and spend whatever time is available
in studying the work on ihe spot, that is the pit.

On the other hand, some men spend most of their
time on the spot learning the details of the work, and,
as time and opportunity and inclination permit, learn
the scientific basis of the subject. Those then with
knowledge 'based on information are theoretical men—
and those with knowledge based on experience, practical.
Some have both developed in a high degree, but, of
course, it is common to find men who have much
practical knowledge and little theoretical, and vice versa.

The de'ects of practical men are due to the limitation
of sources of knowledge. (It will be understood that I
am writing only with reference to mental work—not
physical) A first-rate “practical” colliery manager
may have no expeiience, hence no practical knowledge,
of steep workings or coal cutters, or coal dust.

The defects of theoretical men are due to the fact
that there is a limitation to the number of information
facts that the human intellect normally can absorb,
digest and produce again when required. Hence a man
with a first rate theoretical knowledge of coal-cutteys
may be “floored ” by some difficulty, which is immedi-
ately negotiated by some illiterate machine-man.

Theoretical men, having a wider scope of knowledge,
are the better able to do “ speculative thinking,” but if
they are not deeply versed in practice they are apt to
overlook details which, neglected, lead the reasoner to
wrong conclusions because of false premisses.

I hope the 'oregoing will make plain to your readers
the reasonableness of my original sentence, “ While
perhaps a great need of the mining industry at the
present day is bold speculative thinking, such would be
useless unless the data used woidd stand critical
examination by practical men.” John Gibson.

Fairview, Irvine-road, Kilmarnock,

April 19, 1915.

STOME-DUSTIHG FLAHT AT COLLIERIES.

Sirs,—Refer) in g to your article of March 26, on an
installation of a stone-dusting plant at Cadeby Colliery,
comprising a 30in. Griffin mill, &c., it will be of interest
to your readers to know something of the actual results
attained as to fineness of dust produced by this installa-
tion, and for this purpose I beg leave to trespass on
your valuable space with the following data, &c.

Nos. 5 .and 6 Reports of the Explosions in Mines
Committee lay frequent stress on the fact that “the
stone dust cannot be too fine,” and in No. 6 says “there
should be a minimum of 50 per cent by weight to pass
through a 200 by 200 mesh sieve.”

It has been found that 80 per cent, of this Cadeby
dust will pass through a 216 by 240 mesh—showing
that a much finer dust may be obtained economically
than is specified by the above minimum ; moreover, the
particles which will pass a 200-mesh and be rejected by
a 210 are distinctly granular, and have a tendency to
deposit instead of remaining in suspension. For stone
dust to be effective it must be in suspension with the
floating coal dust. Therefore Cadeby stone dust is at
least 60 per cent, more efficient than that produced to
the minimum named in No. 6.

This feature is of the utmost importance in view of
the possible inconvenience of the presence of stone dust,
as it is desirable that the least possible amount of stone
dust should be present in the atmosphere (so long as it
is sufficiently finely ground to be effective).

On this figure, therefore, a much smaller quantity of
dust ground as finely as Cadeby. dust would be effective

than that mentioned as the minimum in 6. This
product is therefore economical from all points—viz.,
cost of production and reduced quantity required
and consequently reduced labour in distribution, not
omitting the presence of a smaller amount of dirt, &c.,
in the haulage ways, that would result from the adoption
of the 50 per cent, minimum.	L. G. Hill.

5, Oxford-road, Acock Green.

April 10, 1915.

Decrease.

Per cent.

.. 11’9

.. 10’8

TRADE AMD THE WAR.

The Government to Act on the' Recommendations of the
Retail Prices Committee—Output Returns for March and
February—The Prime Minister on the Miners’ Record—
Local Authorities and their Coal Contracts — The
American Coal Trade.

Apparently the Government propose to act upon the
recommendations of the Retail Prices Committee in whole
or in part. In answer to questions in the House of
Commons on Tuesday Mr. Runciman said preliminary steps
had already been taken to act on two of the recommenda-
tions, and it was not certain that they would not act on all
of them. As to the two particular recommendations to
which he referred he deferred an answer.

The enquiry which was recently set on foot by the
Home Secretary into the conditions prevailing in the
coal mining industry, so as to secure the necessary pro-
duction of coal, in view of the large number of miners
who are on active service, is, it is stated, practically
completed. The investigation has been pushed forward
with the utmost possible despatch, and it is expected
that Sir R. Redmayne, the chairman, and his colleagues
will at once proceed to the consideration of their report.
In the House of Commons, on Tuesday, Mr. McKenna
stated that the Committee, which is holding constant
meetings, hopes to present its report in a few weeks’ time.
It has taken and is taking evidence in regard to the
industry in Scotland.—The President of the Board of Trade
stated that it was proposed to include in the forthcoming
volume of evidence taken by the Committee on Retail Coal
Prices a general summary of the particulars ascertained by
the Board of Trade with regard to the output of coal in
February, and similar summaries would be prepared and
published for later months. -For February and March the
approximate total output was as follows :—

1915.	1914.’

Tons.	Tons.

Februarv .. '20,700,000 ... 23,50i00
March ?... 23,000,000 ... 25,800,000

These figures include estimates in respect of the output at
a few collieries for which returns had not come to hand.

In his speech at Newcastle on Tuesday Mr. Asquith
appealed to the miners to rival the patriotism of their
fellows at the front by regularity of attendance and if
possible, by increased output. He quoted the mining
industry as an illustration of how the shortage of skilled
labour had decreased the output. He said no less than
217,000 coal miners had enlisted since the war began—20 per
cent, of the total number, and nearly 50 per cent, of the
miners of military age. What a splendid record for a
trade ! There had been an influx—not to fill, but to help
to fill the gaps—of some 70,000 men from other industries,
many of them, of course, quite inexperienced and unskilled,
and the shortage of men was still 14 per cent, on the
former numbers. The result—and it was not surprising—
was a diminution of about 12 per cent, per month on the
normal, output, while the demand for coal had in
consequence of the war, risen above the normal level.
These were very remarkable figures, and he would venture
to appeal to the miners who remained in. the pits to rival
the patriotism of their fellows who had gone or who were
going to the front, by regularity of attendance and, if
possible, by increased output. They were serving their
country, let them remember, just as well at the coal face in
Northumberland or Durham as if they wrere lying in
the trenches in Flanders or in France. It was in view
of these considerations that Parliament had recently,
under the Defence of the Realm Act, entrusted the Govern-
ment with powers in regard to the munition industries,
powers which they were anxious to exercise without com-
pulsion—and in the closest co-operation with both employers
and employed. The men, the masters, and the taxpayer
must be willing to make the special sacrifice which was its
appropriate contribution to the common burden of the war.
Those sacrifices might be summarised under three heads :—
Limitation of profits; the temporary suspension or restric-
tion of rules and customs ; the provision of reasonable
compensation in cases of proved injury or loss. The first
sacrifice falls upon the employer and the second upon
the men, especially upon those men who are members of
trade unions, and the third upon the State. As to profits,
the firms and companies supplying the State with munitions
of war should not be entitled thereby to make undue or
abnormal profits out of them. Restrictive regulations,
whether as regards output or as regards demarcation of
different classes of labour, regulations founded on long
experience, which they might, without prejudice, agree to
be quite appropriate to normal conditions, should be
suspended while the war lasts, to be resumed thereafter.

Messrs. G. J. Cockerell and Company have communicated
with the St. Pancras Borough Council with reference to
the contract they have entered into for the supply of coke.
They state that in consequence of the war, circumstances
have arisen since the date their tender was submitted
which have compelled the gas companies to raise the price
of material to be supplied. The firm regret, therefore, that
they are obliged to suspend their contract under the war
clause of their contract conditions, and that for any
deliveries they are able to make their current price
for the best gas coke, broken and screened, is 30s.
per ton (equivalent to Is. 6d. per hundredweight, the
contract price being Is. l|d. per hundredweight), and for
small broken coke, washed, 35s. per ton (equivalent to
Is. 9d. per hundredweight., as against the contract price of
Is. 7d. per hundredweight. Upon this the General Purposes
Committee states :—“The firm refer to their ‘war clause,’
but the only note in their tender against the prices are the
words (stamped with a rubber stamp) ‘ subject to usual
strike and lock-out clauses/ However, under the present
conditions your committee are prepared to agree to the
suspension of the contract, and have authorised the

engineer and surveyor to purchase coke on the market at
the lowest prices obtainable.”

A report is made by the General Purposes Committee of
the St. Pancras Council with reference to the contract for
baths and house coal. With reference to the decison of the
Council that they are unable to see their way to accede to
the application of Messrs. J. H. Beattie and Company
Limited to increase the contract price of coal by Is. per ton
in respect of baths and house coal, in addition to the coal
supplied to the electricity stations, the committee have
received a further communication from the firm stating
that while they regret that their letter did not make it
clear to the Council that although their application for an
increase in the contract price of coal arose out of electricity
business, they referred to all coals supplied to the Council.
They urge that the conditions apply equally to house and
baths coal, and they cannot see why any exception should
be made. With regard to the baths and house coal, which
is delivered by horse van, they point out that corn has
more than doubled its price and fodder generally has gone
up, in addition to which labour is scarce, and that a grant
of 4d. per ton on account of the cost of living through the
war has been granted to the men since Christmas. The
committee are not prepared to recommend the Council to
depart from their previous decision.

The Coal Age states that certain interests are making
preparations to place large tonnages of American coal
permanently in the foreign markets. At present a fair
export and bunkering business is being done, and nearly a
quarter of a million tons have been shipped abroad at
Baltimore in the first quarter of the year. Some recent
freight fixtures are given below:—River Plate, 9'60 dols.;
West Coast Italy, 10’80 dols. to 12’00 dols.; Valparaiso,
8’40 dols. to 9’60 dols. The current price of Pocahontas
and New River coal is 2’50 dols. to 2’75 dols. f.o.b. Hampton
Roads. The Boston Transcript states that “Willis G.
Townes, vice-president of the Archibald McNeil and Sons
Company, of Bridgeport, Conn., has sailed for Europe for
the purpose of placing bids for supplying the French
Government with bituminous coal. The company was
invited by cable to bid. Mr. Townes carries also letters to
Swiss and Italian Government officials, obtained in
Washington. It is his plan, after dealing with the French
Government, to make an effort to obtain contracts for
American coal from railroad and gas companies on the
Continent of Europe. The McNeil concern supplies the
United States navy with coal.” The Black Diamond, of
Chicago, states that after the war the Clinchfield Corpora-
tion Limited is to be formed in London, for the purpose of
selling in Europe the coal mined by the Clinchfield Coal
Corporation in Virginia, and engaging in the general
bunkering trade. It is stated that amongst those
interested are Messrs. J. Henry Schroder and Co., the
bankers, and Messrs. Harris and Dixon. The Corporation
is to build its own steamers, and Mr. Charles M. Barnett,
formerly president of the Atlantic States Coal and Coke
Company, has been appointed to manage the London
business. Clinchfield coal is on the American Admiralty list.

The recovery of British cargoes, which at the time war
broke out were being carried in enemy ships, and which
have since sheltered in neutral ports, has often been the
subject of conferences between the London Chamber of
Commerce and shipping men. Messrs. Elder Dempster and
Company Limited have gone into the subject fully and
have ...evolved an arrangement which promises to be very
satisfactory when completed. In a circular which they
issued to shippers and merchants recently, they announced
that the Far Eastern Section of the Chamber of Commerce
had formed a committee to negotiate for the release of
cargo in enemy ships in Spanish and Portuguese ports, in
which British firms were interested. Communications on
the subject should be addressed direct to Messrs. Elder
Dempster and Company Limited, who have been appointed
by the committee to carry the arrangements into effect.

Shipowners have now been asked to keep the Admiralty
informed of the movements of their vessels and so assist it
in proportioning the percentage of requisitioned tonnage
according to the size of the fleets. This request is the
outcome of representations made to the Director of
Transports some weeks ago. It is heartily welcomed by
the great majority of owners. For months past freights
obtainable in the open market have been far above the
Admiralty rates, and if occasionally there has been dissatis-
faction it has been mainly due to the fact that the Govern-
ment demands have fallen unequally on owners. The.
exceptionally high freights in neutral trades are a strong
inducement to owners to employ their ships in trade
outside the United Kingdom, and presumably the present
movement will have the effect of ensuring that vessels so
engaged will be called upon to contribute their quota to
Government service.

As an outcome of the unified control of the railway
systems, further important changes are stated, to be under
discussion. They include the following :—The delivery of
goods and parcels to be combined; the hours of collection
and delivery or acceptance to be curtailed ; all goods to be
sent carriage paid, thus abolishing credit accounts; all
parcels to be sent with a paid stamp; a further reduction
of the clerical work in all directions.

A proclamation has just been issued in Italy forbidding
the export of cocos oil, nitrate of ammonia, naphthalin, and
various other chemicals, also all products of saltpetre.

The following official notice has been posted on "Change
at Middlesbrough:—“Foundry iron is to be regarded as
within the prohibition on haematite pig iron.” This means
that before foundry iron can be shipped a licence has to be
obtained. Such a step necessitates delay in loading, and
the prohibition promises to further reduce the already
small shipments of Cleveland pig iron.

Lord St. Aldwyn, Lord Cunliffe (Governor of the Bank of
England), Sir Thomas Whittaker, Sir Frederick Banbury,
and Mr. G. S. Barnes, of the Board of Trade, were among
those present at an important Committee on Friday last.
It is understood that the Committee were engaged princi-
pally in discussing proposals for the regulation of new
company flotations.

The British Dyes Company Limited has decided to
exercise its option of acquiring the business of Messrs.
Read, Holliday and Sons Limited, the largest manufac-
turers of aniline dyes in this country. The necessary
notices have been given, and the works will be taken over
on May 3. Mr. Turner will continue to manage the
business.