July 23, 1915.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN

183

notice. A supplementary notice hats been issued with refer-
ence to these new arrangements. It states that the existing
rule is to be maintained with reference to neutral steamers
—that, unless they are going to France or the White Sea,
they shall be allowed to take only sufficient fuel to take them
to their first port of call outside the United Kingdom. So
far as other foreign-bound ships, which are not regular
traders from the port, are concerned, an undertaking must be
given on Form S 43 by the master, that bunkers will not
be disposed of in a foreign port without the permission of a
British consul. This undertaking, when given, should be
kept with the relative S 28 Form. Unless the undertaking
be given, the rule applying to neutral ships will apply.

The advisory committee of the Newcastle Chamber of
Commerce has received a notice from the Coal Export Control
Committee, stating that, where it is quite certain that coal
going to Sweden is to firms making munitions of war for this
country, licences will be issued.

It is stated that Mr. William Roddam, who died last week
at Marley Hill, at the age of 79 years, w’orked for 69 years
at Marley Hill Colliery, commencing at the age of five years,
and retired five years ago. If this be so, Mr. Roddam was
certainly a remarkable instance of the manner in which
mining work conduces to health and longevity, and triumphs
over the disability inherent on having to commence work at
an age much less than, thanks to wiser counsels, would be
permitted nowadays.

Mr. Frank Graham, until recently manager of Deaf Hill
Colliery,-Trimdon, but now resident manager of the Ravens-
worth Collieries of the Birtley Iron and Coal Company, has
received a handsome presentation from his friends at
Trimdon. The presentation consisted of a roll-top desk and
smoker’s cabinet for himself, and a silver cake basket and
mahogany cabinet for Mrs. Graham.

By Royal Decree, the Queen of Holland has awarded a
gold medal to Second-Lieut. W. B. Nisbet, a well-known
Newcastle Quaysider, connected with the Lambton and
Hetton Collieries Company, and silver medals to four gunners,
for their heroic conduct in saving the entire crew of the
Dutch steamer “ Slielrecht ” at Frenchman’s Point Battery,
South Shields, on March 18 last. Lord Joicey, president of
the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce, has consented to make
the presentations on Newcastle Commercial Exchange on a
date to be arranged.

An interesting rumour is in circulation on Newcastle Com-
mercial Exchange at the time of writing. It is to the effect
that the Swedish Government has purchased from Germany a
supply of coal, for prolonged delivery, of the aggregate value
of 10 million kroner (about .£552,000), and that, in return for
that business, certain rights connected with patent cotton
working plant have been surrendered. Should this be true—
and there is nothing inherently improbable about it, for it
may be that Germany has surplus stocks of coal for which she
wishes to find an outlet (and her only outlets are Scandinavia,
Holland, Switzerland, and Austro-Hungary)—it means that
a considerable quantity of coal is going into Sweden, to the
detriment of our trade with that country, and that, therefore,
our supplies of Swedish mining timber in the near future
may be rather limited.

The members of Newcastle Commercial Exchange have
been officially warned by the secretary (Mr. Herbert Shaw)
that they should be careful not to enter into speculative con-
tracts for the supply of coal. If the practice be continued,
said Mr. Shaw, it will lead to firms being placed on the
“ black list,” so far as the issue of exportation licences is
concerned. Firms should not apply for licences until they
have definite orders to execute. At the same time, Mr.
Shaw made the authoritative announcement that there is no
truth in the report that a trust has been established in Den-
mark, similar to the Netherlands Trust for Holland, for the
regulation of coal exports from England.

Giving evidence in the matter of the Weardale and Consett
Water Company’s Bill for the construction of new works for
water supply purposes, Mr. Philip Kirkup, colliery manager
and mining engineer, said there had been a great scarcity
of water in the company’s area during the last 10 or 15
years, which had compelled colliery owners to find supplies
of their own. He believed the colliery companies would
have taken water from the water company if they could
have got what they required. If the charges were increased
in the Consett area, it was likely to cause a good deal of
irritation and discontent in the district.

Evidence was given last week before a House of Lords
Committee by a northern colliery manager, to the effect that
while in the Consett district the coal got per man per day
averaged five tons 25 years ago, it had now dropped to 3j
tons. The result was that if at any particular colliery it
was desired to maintain the output, it was necessary to
employ a considerably larger number of men. To give
exact figures, in 1900 the men employed at the collieries
with which he was connected were getting 4-6 tons per man,
while in 1914 it had dropped to 3-43 tons per man. Not-
witstanding this drop, the miners’ wages had gone up.

Cleveland.

The Supply of Iron Ore.

A verdict which certainly seems to have been against the
weight of evidence was returned by the Middlesbrough
coroner’s jury last Tuesday after an inquest touching the
death of Samuel Farrow, aged 38, who died in July 2 .from
pneumonia, after having complained of having been gassed
at the Newport Iron Works, where he was coke oven charger,
on June 22. Dr. Armstrong stated that deceased would be
more liable to contract pneumonia after having been gassed.
Harold Edward Wright, chief chemist at the works, stated
that the gas had little effect unless it existed in large quan-
tities, or a person was exposed to a small quantity for a long
time. Dr. Walker expressed the opinion that a cloud of
smoke to which deceased had been subjected had nothing to
do with death. Dr. Mort stated that there was no sign of
gassing when the post-mortem examination was made. Coal
gas might act prejudicially to a man suffering from pneu-
monia. A pathological examination had not revealed
evidence of gassing. The jury’s verdict was that “ Death
was due to pneumonia, accelerated by poisonous gas.”

Mr. H. Dack, president of the Cleveland Ironstone Miners’
Association, has raised an important matter concerning
imports of foreign ore, and the question of slack time in the
Cleveland ironstone mining area, compared with the rush of
work when the war commenced. He contends that Cleve-
land ironstone should be more extensively used in the manu-
facture of steel, to the exclusion to some extent of foreign
ore. Such a step would afford more work to miners in

Cleveland, where in certain districts there has been slackness
of late. The Right Hon. Herbert Samuel, M.P., is taking
an active interest in the suggestion, and a high authority
admits that something might be done in the direction
indicated by Mr. Dack.

Cumberland.

The official casualty list contains the name of Second-Lieut.
G. G. Askew, of the 5th Border Regiment, son of Mr. G. H.
Askew, manager of the Brayton Domain Collieries, Aspatria,
who has been wounded in France. According to private
information received by his parents, he was accidentally
wounded while engaged in helping to set a rifle for the
purpose of catching a German sniper, who had been causing
annoyance. The rifle went off, and he was wounded in the
groin.

Mr. M. Elder, the under-manager at St. Helens No. 2 pit,
Siddick, near Workington, who has recently been appointed
manager of Wythemoor Colliery, was presented on Saturday
with a mahogany-cased chiming clock and a divan easy
chair, subscribed for by the workmen and officials of the
colliery. Mr. John Coates, the manager, made the presenta-
tion, and, in doing so, referred to their long association, both
at Birtley, on the east coast, and at Workington, and
pointed to their promotion to management as an encourage-
ment to young men.

Yorkshire.

Sawing Timber in Roadways—More War Loan Schemes—
Absenteeism and Slacking—Marsh Gas Explosions at
Manningham—Failure of Coal Factors.

Indifference to danger led to a sad fatality in the Yorkshire
Main Colliery at Edlington a few days ago, the victim being
an employee named Patrick Hyland (35). The evidence at
the inquest showed that, along with another man, he was
sawing a prop, and chose the dangerous position of the rails
on the main road on which to do the work. While deceased
was so engaged, nine tubs, which were being let down an
easy gradient by means of iron and wooden lockers, broke
loose. Some of the wooden lockers broke, and the speed of
the tubs was increased to four miles per hour. Both men
apparently got clear, but the tubs jumped at the pointe close
by, 'and deceased was knocked up against a prop by one of
the tubs, and fatally injured in the lower part of the
abdomen. Several witnesses were called, and the cross-
examination of them by Mr. T. H. Mottram, H.M. chief
inspector of mines for the Yorkshire and North Midland
District, was mainly directed to show that it was quite
unnecessary for the deceased to saw timber on a line of rails
in the main haulage road. The jury returned a verdict of
” Accidental death.”

Several colliery companies in South Yorkshire are taking
out £5 bonds of War Loan Stock for those of their miners
who desire them, and are receiving repayment in instalments
of not less than half-a-crown. The miners, seeing that their
own association in Yorkshire have decided to apply for £50,000
of War Loan Stock, are quite convinced that the investment
is a good one, and are readily taking up the Loan.

Some interesting remarks were made by Mr. W. M.
Gichard, solicitor, of Rotherham, who appeared in the Don-
caster West Riding Police Court recently in support
of six summonses issued by the Cadeby Colliery Company,
under the Employers’ and Workmen’s Act, against six of
their employees for absenting themselves from work. Mr.
Gichard applied for th- withdrawal of the summonses in the
present instance, but before doing so he showed to what
a serious extent this slacking is being carried on in the
collieries, at all events, in those of South Yorkshire. Instead
of only six men being summoned, he said the Cadeby Colliery
Company could easily have summoned 60. There had been
a serious and consistent abstention from work for some
weeks. The average attendance of the six men summoned
was at the most 3^ days per week for a period of eight weeks,
and in some cases only two days per week. In one instance,
in 20 wTeeks one man only worked 31 shifts. Between 850
and 900 men had enlisted from the Cadeby Colliery alone,
mostly married men, but instead of this acting as an incen-
tive to those remaining behind, it had been otherwise, and
instead of more work being done, there had been less, and
the output of the colliery had gone down considerably. He
made this statement with the concurrence of the. owners and
the representatives of the men, who had done all they could
to get them to work regularly. It was hoped the lenient
course the management were now taking would result in
an improvement. If, after this, steps were necessary, the
utmost rigour would have to be exercised' on the part of the
Government or by the colliery companies, or both. The
Bench agreed to the withdrawal of the summonses, and
trusted that the Press would widely disseminate the warning.

Apropos of “ slacking,” some collieries are making their
own arrangements to deal with the difficulty. At the Old
Roundwood Collieries, near Wakefield, for instance, a com-
mittee of eight, three representing the company, and five
the employees, has been elected to deal with defaulters at
work, and so save recourse to legal proceedings. Power to
inflict penalties ranging from 2s. 6d. to 20s. is vested in the
committee, all fines to go to the War Distress Fund, and to
be divided between the employers’ and employees’ funds.
The arrangement is terminable by 14 days’ notice on either
side. The scheme is a novelty, the provision agreed upon
are to be strictly enforced, and it is believed the matter
will work very well.

The marsh gas explosions in the Manningham district of
Bradford are recurring more frequently, and it is likely that
very serious measures will be taken to cope with this danger.
Each recurrence of the trouble increases in severity. The
latest one caused heavy damage to property and serious injury
to four people. Prof. Kendall, of Leeds University, has pro-
duced an analysis to show that the gas is practically coal gas,
and.that the best cure of the trouble would be the sinking of
a very deep borehole, at considerable cost, and involving the
demolition of some property. There are, of course, already a
number of ventilating shafts let into the ground in the neigh-
bourhood, but they are not deep. Prof. Kendall says the
composition of the gas is as follows :—Carbon monoxide,
nil; carbon dioxide, 0-54; marsh gas, 90-7; oxygen, 0*94;
nitrogen, 5-37; hydrogen, 2*45. There has been a good deal
of controversy amongst scientists as to what exactly this gas
in the earth at Manningham is. and what is the best cure
for the trouble. The Bradford Corporation are holding con-
sultations with Mr. H. S. Child, mining engineer, in regard
to the explosions.

Some interesting colliery cases occupied the attention of
Judge Allen at a recent sitting of the Doncaster County

Court. William Ed. Pugh, miner, claimed from Messrs.
Barber, Walker and Company, proprietors of the Bentley
Colliery, for an award under the Workmen’s Compensation
Act in regard to nystagmus, dating from December 1913. It
appeared that the respondents had paid full compensation at
the rate of 18s. per week up till September 23, 1914, on or
about which date the man returned to his work at the colliery,
and was then able to earn 22s. 6d. per week, since when
respondents had paid half the difference between 36s. and the
amount the man actually earned at such work. The judge
ruled that applicant did not earn or was able to earn 22s. 6d.
per week after September 23, at any rate, not until April 3,
1915. He therefore gave an award of £5 Ils. 6d. up to the
week ending April 3, and found that since that date the man
could earn such wages as would entitle him to an award of
7s. per week.

In another case at the same court, also arising out of
nystagmus, William Hardy, miner, sued the Bentley Colliery
Company. An offer had been made of 10s. per week, but the
applicant claimed 13s. 6d. weekly. The complaint was
that the men were given work on the surface, and paid 4s. 6d.
per shift, or 9d. less than the rate. Plaintiff could earn 40s.
if he could work every day. He stopped work in June 1913,
and was paid £1 per week on an average wage of £2. The
compensation continued for some time, but in May 1914 he
was found work at the surface, where he had worked for a
year. The average 12 months, it was contended, should be
taken, which came to 19s. Id. For the respondents, it was
agreed the offer they made meant that the man would receive
a sum equal to his previous .-wages, and it was pointed out
there had been an increase of 15 per cent. Applicant’s
counsel declared it was unfair to take into consideration the
war bonus. Unless a reasonable method of settlement was
arrived at, the judge would be flooded with these cases.
Judge Allen made an award for the payment of 12s. 6d.
weekly.

The war was blamed for the business failure of George
Arthur Baker and Charles Victor White, the former of
Rotherham and the latter of Sheffield, described as coal and
coke factors and iron and steel merchants, trading under
the name of Baker and White, at 21, Church-street, Shef-
field, who were publicly examined in bankruptcy at the
Sheffield County Court on the 15th inst. In their statement
of affairs, debtors stated that their liabilities estimated to
rank for dividend amounted to £4,501 2s. Id., and that the
assets, after the payment of preferential debts, would amount
to £908 5s. 5d. In reply to the official receiver (Mr. J. C.
Clegg), the debtor White said the outbreak of war practically
stopped their business. They could not get their customers
to take coal and pay for it, and they could not pay colliery
owners for coal that had been supplied to them: They
suffered damage for unfulfilled contracts and demurrage on
coal wagons. They had not entered into any contracts,
except one relating to 1,000 tons, since the war broke out.
In subsequent examination, White stated that, owing to the
fact that they were in arrear with payments to the New
Hucknall Colliery Company, with whom they had entered
into^contracts for considerable supplies of coal, the company
in November gave notice requiring payment before there was
further delivery of coal. In December last they completed
arrangements whereby some of their assets, contracts with
the New Hucknall Colliery Company, were transferred to
Marple and Gillott on a commission of 3d. per ton, which
the latter firm set off against debts owing to them by Baker
and White. The old contracts were invalidated, and new
contracts made direct by Marple and Gillott with the colliery
company. Mr. Registrar Binney ordered the examination
to be concluded.

Lancashire and Cheshire.

Another War Loan Scheme—Sale of a Shropshire Colliery :
A Question of. Commission — Mining Teachers Visit
Leeds University.

The business of the late Mr. Isaac Barlow, coal merchant,
of Cheadle, Cheshire, which has been established more than
50 years, has been taken over by Messrs. Ryecroft Brothers,
Mr. Walter Ryecroft being the local manager.

Capt. J. S. A. Walker, eldest and only surviving son of
Mr. T. A. Walker, of the Pagefield Iron Works, Wigan,
who has been serving with the 5th Manchester Regiment at
the Dardanelles, has been invalided home in consequence of
a severe attack of sciatica.

Sir Lees Knowles, Bart., whose engagement to Lady Nina
Ogilvie Grant, youngest daughter of the 10th Earl of
Seafield and of the Dowager Countess of Seafield, is
announced, is the eldest son of the late Mr. John Knowles,
of Pendlebury, and was for many years chairman of the well-
known firm of Messrs. Andrew Knowles and Sons Limited,
colliery proprietors.

Bonds of the aggregate value of upwards of £2,000 have
been applied for by employees of Messrs. George Hargreaves
and Company, colliery proprietors, of Accrington, under a
War Loan scheme started by the firm. The announcement
made at the firm’s collieries was to the effect that they would
purchase one or two £5 bonds for any of their employees,
who, by signing a form at their offices, authorised them to
deduct its value, in weekly instalments of not less than 2s.
for each bond, from their wages.

A dispute arising out of the sale of the Bayton Colliery,
Cleobury Mortimer, Salop, was the subject of an action
beard by Mr. Justice Atkin, sitting without a jury, at the
Manchester Assizes on Saturday and Monday last. The
plaintiff was Mr. William Benson, of Wigan, described as a
financial and commercial agent, particularly relating to
matters affecting collieries and the coal trade, and the defen-
dant was Mr. Francis Whitworth Wright, the owner of the
colliery.—Mr. C. Atkinson, K.C., and Mr. Acton appeared
for the plaintiff, and the defendant was represented by Mr.
Wingate-Saul.—Mr. Atkinson explained that in June 1913
the defendant wished to dispose of the colliery, and got into
communication with the Manchester and County Commercial
Agency Limited. They knew Mr. Benson, and thinking he
was the best man for work of that kind, they put him into
communication with Mr. Wright. On July 26 of that year
the plaintiff made an inspection of the colliery, and was then
told that nothing like the full production was being obtained,
and it needed more money spending upon it. The defendant,
it was alleged, said he wanted to find someone who could
form a company, because if the colliery was fully developed
the shares would become valuable as the production increased.
As a result, the plaintiff was promised £1,000 commission
if the concern was sold in consequence of an introduction by
him. Upon returning to Wigan, the plaintiff saw Mr. T.
Wood, a member of the firm of John Wood and Sons, mining
machinists and engineers, and on July 30 Mr. Wood and a
friend visited the colliery. The former was impressed with
the property, but nothing resulted from that visit. Subse-