1220 ...	’	THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.	June 11, 1915._________

selves) left the mines to serve with the Colours; many more
will follow their noble example,’ and swell the ranks of the
Empire’is great armies which are fighting for the sake of a
righteous cause and the establishment1 of an enduring, peace.
j Coal, next to food, is one of the most necessary articles
obtained by the work of man, and we cannot do better than
repeat the eloquent words appearing in . a notice, . issued
.above the .signature of Mr. Thomas Richards, M.P., by the
South Wales Miners’ Federation, to all colliery „ workmen
in that field,, appealing to them to curtail their Easter; and
Whitsuntide holidays. “ The supply of ammunition to our o	,

heroic soldiers on the Continent, the efficiency and. success ' Mr. Straker was emphatic on this point. Nor would it
of the naval operations in the North Sea and the Dardanelles, . be practicable to increase the hewers’ hours in many of
the home comforts of the poor of this country; are all ■' the collieries, (1) owing to the number of coal getting
dependent in a very large degree upon the extent and regu- ' shifts in the day (no colliery has less than two, many
have three, and some tew tour emits or coal hewers m
the day, and in this respect the conditions are different
in the North of England to most other districts), and (2)
the necessity of repairs. It is not the general practice
for the hewers to repair their working places to any
extent, this being done.by another class of labour. The
introduction of the Eight Hours Act in the northern
coalfield did not affect the length of shift of the coal
hewer, its effects were felt chiefly in respect of the
transit hands (putters, drivers, etc.), who used to work
10 hours.

Mr. Guthrie (representing Northumberland and
Durham) stated that “ the coal owners of the two
. counties do not look on the suspension of the Eight
Hours Act as likely to lead to any considerable increase
in the production of coal at their mines.” At the same
time, he considered that “ a certain amount of benefit
might be obtained by a relaxation of some of the
stringent conditions ” of the Act. “ The prevention of
the resumption of work until 16 hours after the cessation
of. the last shift might be removed with advantage, and
some latitude might be allowed with regard to the over-
time ..which could be worked by stonemen and others
engaged in repair, and while coal .hewers are not in the
mine. The reduction of the number of these persons
renders it difficult to carry out the necessary work in ■
the time permitted, and this results in limitation of ■
production through the working places not being ready
for the coal hewers at their time for commencing, and
Departmental moderation rather than repeal of the Act
might be made to meet this situation.”

In many districts, e.g., Lancashire, Yorkshire, and
South Wales, the mines in many cases are worked by a
single shift of coal hewers, who carry out the repairs to
their working places. A little latitude, it was said,
would be helpful in allowing a man to spend 20 minutes
or. half-an-hour in making his place ready, which is
commonly known as “ squaring up ” his place. Sir
Thomas Ratcliffe-Ellis, on behalf of his committee,
expressed the view that :—

If the limit of the time permitted to be worked below
ground was removed, and the men would avail themselves
of the opportunity and worked longer hours, it would increase
the output’ provided it was not accompanied by greater irregu-
larity. However, there are cases where the present output
cannot be maintained and the Act observed. I have cases
particularly in my mind where such a large number of men
have gone from the collieries that they have not a sufficient
amount of labour underground, and they cannot get it, io
enable the roads to be kept in repair and the haulage to be
worked by the persons ordinarily occupied in that work, and
the collier has to be withdrawn from his proper work of
getting coal to do that which would be done by other persons
if labour was available. A suspension of the Act would be
useful.in such cases. Again, at times, difficulties arise in
the coal cutter cutting the full stint, and, failing this, there
will be no coal got in the place on the following day. In
■such a case it may or may not fall under the emergency pro-
vision, but if the full output is to be secured, there ought to
be no doubt about this, and the suspension of the Act would
remove doubt. On the whole, so far as concerns Lancashire
and Cheshire, we advise suspension.

The -attitude taken by Sir T. Ratcliffe-Ellis and Mr.
Guthrie on this question was very much that of all the
representatives of the coal owners who appeared.

On careful consideration of all the evidence before
them, the Committee suggest that the employers and
workmen should, in the first instance, confer together
and determine to what extent, if at all, the Act should
be suspended in individual districts, i.e., to what class
of labour the suspension should apply, and the amount
in point of time the suspension should cover. An Order
in Council could follow the lines laid down by such a
joint conference. Should both parties desire it,
the Committee offer to assist them in arriving at a
working arrangement. They are of opinion that any
extension of hours should meet with special considera-
tion in respect of remuneration. The period of any
partial suspension of the Act should, of course, be that
covered by the duration of the war only.

Under section 3 (1) of the Act, the owners can extend
■the period of work on 60 days in the calendar year by
one hour a day, and advantage has been taken of this
.provision at many collieries in some of the mining dis-
tricts, notably in South Wales and the North of England,
in the former district to get more coal, but in the latter
district for the purpose of allowing the men to com-
mence work one hour earlier on Saturdays so as to cease
work earlier on such.days. In some districts, however,
the time has not been utilised, or only partially so.
Generally speaking, there remains but little advantage
obtainable from this source.

The Introduction of Outside Labour.

To deplete certain industries to benefit the coal
mining industry suggests itself as a very questionable
expediency. It would be most detrimental at the
. present time to the welfare of the country to draw away
labour, from, for instance, agriculture, munition and
engineering works. Such industries as are working
slack time, as, for example, many branches of the
quarrying and building trades, might and doubtless will
continue to supply a certain amount of labour for the
mines, and possibly a certain number of miners from
America and the Colonies will be attracted to the home

larity of the supply of coal. The appeal is to every
workman .... to work as regularly as possible, with the
assurance that his work in a mine is as necessary as the ■
operations in the trenches in this great national crisis.”

The miners of this country are hard-working and. indus-
trious, and their holidays are well earned, and we would be
the last to urge curtailment in their occasional well-earned
rest; but in a time like the present—a time of great national
stress—we feel sure that we will not appeal in vain to them
to work every day they can.

We are confident, and our confidence is strengthened by
the knowledge that it is shared by the representatives of the
-miners who have given evidence before us, that were the
Miners’ Federation of Great Britain to issue an appeal to
the miners, supported by personal addresses in the mining
districts, it would be fruitful of the best result®.

Stop Days and Holidays.

There are two' kinds of holiday observed by the miners,
viz., the customary short or idle Mays in the fortnight,
and certain recognised periodic holidays in the year.
The custom generally observed in the various mining
districts in respect of short or idle days in the fortnight
is set out below :—

District.

Scotland .. ..

N ort h umb er lan d..

Cumberland....

Durham........

Days per fortnight.

1 ffile day and 11 full days, except in
Lanarkshire, where most of the
collieries work 10 days and have 2 idle
days.

1	idle day and f 1 sl?ort

J ( or, 1 ess often, 11 full days.

2	short and 10 full days.

1	idle day, 1 short day, and 10 full days.
[A considerable number work 2 short

and 10 full days].

2	short and 10 full days, and in some
cases 12 full days.

2 short and )0 full days, and in some
cas js 12 full days.

No short or id'e day regularly observed,
but occasionally 1 short day is taken.

2 short and 10 full days.

2 short and 10 full days.

12 full days.

2 short and 10 full days.

Yorkshire	.......

Lancashire	.....

North Wales	...

Midland........
Stafford........
Cardiff ........
Swansea........
Monmouthshire ...
Forest of Dean ..
Bristol & Somerset 2 short and 10 full days.

In those districts where 10 full and two short days
are worked in the fortnight, it would not be practicable
to make the two short days into full days, nor do . the
Committee think it would be reasonable, having regard
to the character of the miners’ occupation, to ask steady
workers to forego these two short days. But the case
is ..different in respect of those districts where the prac-
tice obtains of 10 full and two idle days, or 10 full days
and one short day. But before anything could be done
in the way of expansion of the working days, it would
have to be by arrangement between the employers and
the workmen through the proper and recognised
channels of negotiation. . The Committee now merely
bring the matter before their notice, with the suggestion
that in this time of special emergency they might con-
sider the possibility of extending the working time in
these districts.

Apart from the so-called “ stop ” or idle days, the
holidays most generally recognised by the miners are
Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Easter and Whitsun-
tide, and August Bank Holiday. There are besides,
peculiar to particular districts, certain “ feasts ” and
race meetings, and annual “demonstration days.” It
is not proposed to’consider Christmas and New Year’s
Day or August Bank Holiday as possible working days.
. In Scotland, the festivals of Easter and Whitsuntide
are not observed as holidays, but in England and Wales
it has been customary to take at least one or two days’
holiday on each of these occasions, and in some parts
the greater portion of the week. This year a personal
appeal by Lord Kitchener, supported by the Miners’
Eederatioh, was made to the miners throughout England
and Wales to limit their Easter and Whitsuntide
holidays on each occasion, and their response, so far,
has been most gratifying. It is estimated that the
effect of this response to the appeal respecting the Easter
holidays has been an increase in production of nearly
one million tons of coal. • «

In Scotland, the;second week in July (Glasgow Fair
Week) is recognised as a general holiday by the miners.
But a somewhat different arrangement exists at the
Ayrshire collieries as compared with the rest of
Scotland. , In Fifeshire it is the practice to take, in
addition to the Glasgow Fair, two days’ holiday in June.
A portion of the first week in the new year is taken as
.holiday throughout Scottish, colliery districts. The
Committee think, if appealed to . by their leaders to cur-
tail somewhat, their-holidays, the miners of Scotland
will not be behind their English and Welsh compatriots
in their response. The dangers from a more or less
general cessation, however temporary, in the production
of coal in times like the present, are obvious, and
holidays therefore occupy a somewhat different position
in the problem, than the question of occasional
. absenteeism.

Partial Suspension of the Eight Hours Act.

Under section 4 of the'Act, his Majesty may, in the
event of war or of imminent national danger or great
emergency, or in the event of any grave economic dis-
turbance due to the demand for coal exceeding the supply

available at the time—all of which conditions now exist
—by Order in Council suspend the operation of the Act
to such extent and for such period as may be named in
the Order, either as respecting all coal mines or any
class of coal mines.	'

The coal hewers of Northumberland and Durham have
for years worked less than eight hours per shift, the/
average for the two counties taken together will be about
seven hours, and they would not entertain any lengthen-
ing of hours, unless a great emergency could be shown.

mines should wages rise. Belgian refugees, too, who
are not married nor of military age, have been and might
still further be employed on the surface of the mines,
and, if miners, below ground as well, subject to the
conditions and safeguards which the Home Office has
arranged. The influx during the period of the war has,
with the exception of the year 1907, been greater than
during any one year for the last 10 years. Part of
the annual influx is, of course, derived from the miners’
families, due to boys attaining the age at which it is
permissible to employ them above ground and under-
ground, but a great portion of this natural influx will
go to meet what may be termed the natural depletion
due to death and old"age. It is impossible to estimate
what the replenishment may ultimately amount to; it
depends on whether or not wages rise, and upon the
action of employers in drawing from other sources.

•The Committee are of opinion that it should be made
quite clear that all those miners who have joined or
may join his Majesty’s Forces during the period of the
war will experience no difficulty in being re-employed
at the mines at the termination of the war and in the
capacity occupied by them when they left, and persons
set on during the war should understand that they fill
the vacancies during the period of the war only. In
many instances this has been made clear, but were it
generally realised, by the miners that they would not be
penalised because of their patriotism, but that employ-
ment would be forthcoming at the termination of. the
war, it would cause much satisfaction.

The Employment of Women.

The number of women employed on the surface of
mines under the Coal Mines Act of 1911 was, at the
end of the year 1913, 6,554; of these, 2,933 were
employed in Scotland and 2,829 in Lancashire. Mr.
Mitchell (a Scottish coal owner) stated that since, the
commencement of the war there has been a consider-
able increase in the number of women employed at
Scottish coal mines, but was unable to indicate what
was the extent of the increase. There is no doubt that
women could be still further employed in the perfor-
mance of light work, such, for instance, as the sorting
and cleaning of coal on the surface of the mine* and so
liberate some old men and boys for work underground.
But after careful deliberation of all the facts and evi-
dence before them, the Committee do not recommend
that any action should be taken at the present time
with a view to the more extensive employment of
women on the surface of coal mines.

The Reduction of the Age Limit for Boys.

It has been suggested by several of the inspectors of
mines and representatives of the employers that, were
the age at which boys are allowed to work underground
reduced to 13 years during the period of the war, it
would afford some relief in that it would liberate older
boys for the performance of more arduous work. One
effect of a shortage of labour in the putting class (haulier
or transit hands) is that hewers (colliers or coal-getters)
have to be taken away from coal-getting to fill the gaps.
At some collieries the loss of young men and lads by
recruiting from the putters has been very heavy. Mr.
Johnstone (inspector in charge of the Midland and
Southern Division) put the case succinctly. He thought
it would be an advantageous move in some districts.
He said :—

I have heard managers complain in certain districts,
especially in the Forest of Dean and Somerset, that they
cannot now get boys, because the boys are free from school
before they are of an age at which it would be permissible
to employ them underground, and they drift off to other
occupations. The parents cannot afford to keep them idle
until they are 14 years of age and get them into the pit,
so they put them to other work, and having got that work,
the boys will not come back. They say they have more
;• difficulty now in getting boys than they used to have when
they could take boys fresh from school into the pit.

Mr. Wilson and Dr. Atkinson were also of opinion
that the reduction in the age limit during the period of
the war would be of assistance in their divisions.

The Committee gather that the proposal would not be
favourably entertained by the workmen or their leaders,
and if a Bill to allow of a reduction were introduced into
Parliament it would be opposed. They do not think it
would be desirable to prosecute this matter further, if
the result of an enactment was to create opposition or
ill feeling.

There is another direction in which some small relief
could be found—namely, in respect of the educational
standard which boys must pass before they can leave
school if below the age of 14 years. Boys of 13 can be
employed on the surface of mines provided they have
passed out of a certain standard, but at the age of 14
this restriction disappears. Were some elasticity
allowed in this respect the result would be to liberate
some persons now employed on the surface for under-
ground labour. But the Committee are unable to make
any recommendation in this respect.

General Re-organisation at the Mines.

Under the heading of general reorganisation of work
at collieries are included such matters as the conveyance
of the men to and from their work by means’ of
mechanical haulage, which, where possible, would
result in the saving of time. This is often carried out
where practicable, but some instances have come to the
knowledge of the Committee where greater use might
be made of this means of expediting work than is at
present the case. Concentration of the work of coal-
getting, postponement of exploratory or “ dead ” work
as far as practicable to a later and post-war period,
means of expediting the underground haulage of coal,
and such like matters of mine .engineering might be
adopted with advantage. Doubtless much has been
done by the managers of mines in these directions, and
witnesses assured the Committee that little remained to
be done, but it is nevertheless regarded as desirable to
draw the attention of coal owners and managers to the
various suggestions indicated.