THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN

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September 3, 1915.

483

MINERAL STATISTICS FOR 1914.*

Persons Employed.

In view of the heavy depletion of mine labour due
recruiting in the laot five months of the year, owners of
mines under the Coal Mines Act were asked to return
(1) the number of persons ordinarily employed during
the period January to July; (2) the number employed
on the last pay-day in December. The returns show
that for the period January to July the number of
persons ordinarily employed at the 2,988 mines under
the Coal Mines Act was 1,133,746, or an increase of
5,856 on the figures (1,127,890) for the year 1913; but
that on the last pay-day in December 1914 the number
of persons employed had fallen to 981,264.

The number of persons employed at the 564 mines
under the Metalliferous Mines Act in 1914 -was 23,709,
or a decrease of 3,703 persons as compared with the
year 1913.

Of the 1,133,746 persons working at the mines under
die Coal Mines Act, 915,381, or 80*7 per cent., were
employed below ground. Of the 218,365 surface
workers, 6,576, or 3-01 per cent., were females. There
is an increase of three females as compared with 1913.

The number of young persons under 16 employed
below ground in these mines was 53,402, or 5-83 per
cent, of the underground workers; the total number of
surface and underground workers under 16 was 77,304,
or 6-82 per cent, of all workers.

At Lhe mines under the Metalliferous Mines Act,
14,426 persons, or 60-8 per cent., worked below ground,
and of the 9,283 surface workers, 148, or 1-6 per cent.,
were females.

At the quarries under the Quarries Act there were
78,908 persons employed, of whom 50,074 worked inside
the actual pits or excavations, and 28,834 outside. Com-
pared with 1913, there is a decrease of 1,192 in the
number of inside workers, and of 809 in the number of
the outside workers, making a total decrease of 2,001
in the number of persons employed at quarries.

The persons employed occasionally at quarries are
not included in the above figures.

Output of Minerals.

The total output of minerals at mines under the Coal
Mines Act was 279,085,473 tons, of which 265,643,030
were coal, 2,374,068 fireclay, 7,241,481 ironstone,
3,268,666 oil shale, and 558,228 Sundry minerals.

Adding 21,363 tons from open quarries, the total
output of coal was 265,664,393 tons, which is a decrease
of 21,766,080 tons on that of the previous year.

The decrease of the coal production in the several
inspection divisions as compared with the previous year
(including the small quantities obtained from quarries)

is as follows :—
Tons.

Scotland ............................. 3,609,154
Northern ............................ 6,291,149
York and North Midland ............. 6,140,697
Lancashire, North Wales, and Ireland... 1,920,959
South Wales ......................... 2,950,565

Midland and Southern ...............	853,556

__________

Total ............... 21,766,080

The total output of minerals at the mines under the
Metalliferous Mines Act was 2,973,526 tons, of which
1,743,011 tons were iron ore.

The total quantities of stone and other minerals
obtained from the quarries under the Quarries Act was
44,893,993 tons, of which 5,323,410 tons were iron ore.
Adding to the produce of mines and of quarries over
20 ft. deep 437,926 tons, obtained from shallow open
workings, we arrive at a total output of iron ore of
14,745,828 tons.

Fatal Accidents.

At the mines under the Coal Mines Act there were
1,182 separate fatal accidents, causing 1,219 deaths.
Compared with 1913 there is a decrease of 38 in the
number of accidents, and of 534 in the number of deaths.

At the mines under the Metalliferous Mines Act there
were 23 fatal accidents, which caused 24 deaths. Com-
pared with 1913 there is a decrease of eight in both the
number of fatal accidents and deaths.

At the quarries under the Quarries Act there were 95
fatal accidents, which resulted in 95 deaths. Compared
with 1913 there is an increase of 14 in the number of
accidents, and of 10 in the number of deaths.

Nou-Fatal Accidents.

The returns under section 1 of the Notice of Acci-
dents Act, 1906, show that the total number of non-
fatal accidents occurring during the year which disabled
for more than seven days was 158,541 at mines under the
Coal Mines Act, by which 158,862 persons were injured;
at mines under the Metalliferous Mines Act, 1,612, by
which 1,624 persons were injured; at quarries under the
Quarries Act, 4,652, by which 4,664 persons were
injured.

Compared with 1913, there is a decrease of 18,327 in
the number of persons injured at mines under the Coal
Mines Act, of 149 at mines under the Metalliferous Mines
Act, and of 576 at quarries under the Quarries Act.

Death Rates from Accidents.

The death rate of the underground workers at the
mines under the Coal Mines Act was 119f per 1,000
persons employed, as against 1-74 in 1913; the death rate
of the surface workers was 0-61f per 1,000 persons
employed, as against 0’79 in the previous year. The
death rate of the underground and surface workers as a
whole was 1-081 as against 1’55 in 1913, being the lowest
on record for the United Kingdom.

* From Part I. (Divisional Statistics) Mines and Quarries :
General Report. . By the Chief Inspector of Mines.

f.These death rates have been calculated on the number of
persons ordinarily employed during the period January to
July, 1914.

At the mines under the Metalliferous Mines Act, the
death rate of the underground workers was 1*25 per
1,000 persons employed, and of the surface workers, 0-65
per 1,000. The corresponding figures for 1913 were
1-69 and 0*37 respectively. The death rate of the
underground and surface workers as a whole was 1-01,
whilst that of 1913 was 1*16.

At the quarries under the Quarries Act, the death rate
from accidents of the workers inside the actual pits or
excavations was 1-54 per 1,000, and of the persons
employed at factories and workshops outside the
quarries, but connected with them, 0-62 per 1,000. The
corresponding figures for 1913 were 1’35 and 0-54
respectively. The death rate of the inside and outside
workers as a whole was 1-20 in 1914, as against 1’05 in
the previous year.

____________________________...

LABOUR AND WAGES.

South Wales and Monmouthshire.

Summarised briefly, the result of the meeting of the
Conciliation Board on Wednesday of last week was that the
men’s leaders refused to sign the agreement, the two out-
• standing points being the bonus terms for enginemen and
craftsmen, and the rendering of the agreement retrospective.
The decision of the owners to give the increases announced in
the award gives to the men no mean advantage. The
alteration of the old standard to the new 1915 standard
carrying a percentage of 18'33, is equivalent to 77| on the
1879 standard; there is an increase in the wages of surface-
men and underground workmen, whose new standard wage
is less than 5s. a day; all men on afternoon and night shifts
(other than those about whom the dispute has arisen) will
receive payment of six turns for five; and night hauliers’
wages are to be made equivalent to those of day hauliers.

The next day the officials of the South Wales Miners’
Federation received an important letter from the Govern-
ment relative to the points at issue, and replying to the
Federation’s demand for a further interview with Mr. Lloyd
George, Mr. Runciman, and Mr. A. Henderson on the dis-
puted clauses. It was said that it was very unlikely that
the men would secure an interview with the Government.
The alarming feature was the stoppage of pits in Monmouth-
shire.

The miners’ executive met on Friday, and when the
meeting started there was no change in the position. The
first business discussed was the communication from the
Government, already referred to. There were grave fears
as to an extension of the sectional stoppages, and the
meeting, which was quite short, and over which Mr. James
Winstone presided, decided that the whole matter must
be explained before action could be taken. The meeting
thereupon broke up on a decision to send the deputation to
London, to seek an interview with the Government, by the
first train that could be caught. Messrs. Winstone, Barker,
Hartshorn and T. Richards, M.P., were the representatives
chosen, Mr. A. Onions, the treasurer, being indisposed.
Besides this, the council passed a strong resolution stating
that inasmuch as the matter in dispute was of a general
character and was to be dealt with at the delegate conference
on Tuesday, all sectional stoppages were very detrimental to
efforts for securing a satisfactory settlement, and further that
no stoppage was to take place which had not been authorised
by a decision of the whole coal field. Interviewed before
leaving for London, several of the men’s leaders said they
believed Mr. Runciman had made a mistake, and that it
only needed a conference with Mr. Lloyd George, Mr.
Henderson and Mr. Runciman in order to prove that the
award in regard to the bonus turn was due to a miscon-
ception of what transpired at the previous conferences at
Cardiff. The journey of the deputation was not in vain, for
the same evening news reached Cardiff that an appointment
had been made with Mr. Lloyd George and Mr. Runciman
for an interview to take place at 11 o’clock the following
morning (Saturday). Mr. Runciman and Mr. Lloyd George
met the miners’ leaders on Saturday morning, Mr. A.
Henderson being unable to be present. The conference
lasted for an hour and a-half, and is stated to have been
of a frank and open nature on both sides. Although, as
was stated in the private communication to the Federation,
the Government did not propose to discuss the interpretation
of the award or of the word “ nightmen,” Mr. Winstone was
able to convince the Ministers that there was a misunder-
standing which, in the interest of all parties, should be
cleared up. The deputation urged that whilst on some
occasions the owners had impressed the view that the crafts-
men were in a different category to “ nightmen,” still
evidence had been brought to show that many were members
of the Federation; and in some collieries they were actually
securing the benefits of the bonus turn where it applied to
colliers. No great difficulty was anticipated with regard to
the question of making the percentage advance retrospective,
and the award contained nothing on the point, for the simple
reason that it was not one of the matters referred to Mr.
Runciman for his decision. The workmen desired that Mr.
Runciman should give his decision on the matter, and the
deputation agreed to abide by his finding. The owners
having agreed to accept the award, no addition or alteration
could be made without their consent, and therefore the
deputation were informed that gentlemen from the Coal
Owners’ Association would be seen on Monday in order that
their views might be before the Government. The only
collieries idle on Saturday morning were the Llanhilleth,
Six Bells, Abertillery district, and Blaina—about 10,000 men
—but the many miners’ meetings held over the week-end
were indicative of the spirit of the men, resolutions being
passed urging that unless a settlement satisfactory to them
was reached by Wednesday morning, work should cease.
Resolutions on the lines indicated were passed at Ebbw Vale,
Forth and Trehafod, Bedwas, Ferndale, Tonypandy, Pentre,
Merthyr, Dowlais, and in the anthracite district, the Garw
Valley, Monmouthshire Valleys, the Avon Valley, etc.

The representatives of the coal owners met the members of
the Government at Whitehall Gardens on Monday, the four
chosen by the Coal Owners’ Association being Mr. F. L.
Davis, Mr. Hugh Bramwell (chairman of the Coal Owners’
Association), Mr. Evan Williams (Western district), and Mr.
Benjamin Nicholas (Monmouthshire), with Mr. Gascoyne
Dalziel (secretary of the Coal Owners’ Association). On
their arrival they stated that in order to avoid a stoppage
in the coal field—which was against the interests of the
nation at the present time—they were prepared to place
themselves in the hands of the Ministers. Nevertheless, they
proposed to lay before them the owners’ views on the men’s
demands, and they pointed out that their interpretation of
the word “ nightmen ” was the classes generally known as

nightmen, and not enginemen, craftsmen, and the mechanical
staffs. They argued that the enginemen and stokers already
enjoyed the benefits which accrued to all the miners through
the new agreement. They could not accept the view that
clause F, which referred to all the workmen being included
in the agreement, applied to the enginemen and kindred
classes; nor did they agree that the advance in wages should
be made retrospective. The Conciliation Board, they urged,
had no agreement on which to discuss the advance of wages,
for the 1879 standard had passed away with the termination
of the agreement of 1910. The Board had, how’ever,
informed the men’s leaders that they were quite willing to
discuss the matter after the new agreement was signed. The
workmen’s representatives had been invited to attend half-an-
hour later, and with Mr. T. Richards, M.P., Mr. Winstone,
and Mr. G. Barker there were Mr. A. Onions (treasurer of
the Federation) and Mr. W. P. Nicholas (solicitor). They
had prepared a tabulated document showing how the clause
in the original agreement had been altered by the settlement
of July 20, and, in the course of discussion, reminded the
Government representatives that Mr. Lloyd George had had
his attention specially called to the words “ all workmen,”
urging that it was only on the understanding that all the
men were to be treated alike that work was resumed the
following morning. With regard to making the award
retrospective as to the wages advance, the Ministers had the
whole matter thrashed out, and, as the amount of the per-
centage could not be discussed, argument was confined to the
question of principle, the men’s leaders contending that they
were entitled to the advance from the day of the settlement.
A message was circulated by the Press Association at
10 o’clock to the effect that a tentative agreement had been
arranged, and that this would be submitted to the delegate
conference of the whole coal field, which was to be held at
Cardiff on the following morning.

These hopes, however, were falsified by a subsequent
announcement at midnight that a hitch had occurred which
would necessitate a resumption of negotiations on the morn-
ing of the next day. It is stated that when the owners’
representatives left, they expressed themselves dissatisfied
with the way the negotiations had gone, alleging that the
Government had given way to the men’s demands on all
points except the wording of the award. In addition to the
collieries already referred to, the Crumlin Navigation Colliery
was idle on Monday, a dispute having arisen as to the
dismissal of a workman.

Late on Tuesday afternoon a settlement was concluded,
the men’s demands being granted and embodied in an
additional agreement. It was stated on Tuesday that the
hitch which occurred at the previous night’s conference was
due to a demand that the bonus turn should be awarded if
the man concerned did not work the full number of shifts
that he was able to work, and as the Government were
determined to complete the matter, it was resolved to meet
again on Tuesday morning and finally arrange details. The
two points, therefore, which had to be discussed were, first,
the Government offer of six turns for five worke^, as against
the men’s request of time and a-fifth for each shift; and the
rendering of the terms retrospective. Mr. Henderson had
joined Mr. Lloyd George and Mr. Runciman, having
travelled specially from France in order to be present, and
with him the men’s leaders had two hours’ conference; Mr.
Runciman being engaged with the owners. Before leaving
they had laid before them the draft of the proposals which
would be put before the men’s leaders during the afternoon.
When the miners’ leaders and the Government met in the
afternoon, long discussion took place, and they were able
to convince the Government that engineers, stokers, banks-
men, and craftsmen on the afternoon and night shifts would
be at a serious disadvantage as compared with other classes
of nightmen, if they were compelled to work a full week
before claiming their bonus turn. It was then agreed that
these men should receive the bonus turn if prevented from
working five shifts through no fault of their own, and the
Government in conceding this point improve the earnings of
men in these classes by about 7s. a week. This new point
will be drafted as a supplemental agreement to last for the
same period as the main agreement, and it is to be made
retrospective to July 22. On the second question, as to
making the percentage advance retrospective, a compromise
was effected, both sides agreeing to accept the date of
August 21 as that from which the advance should start.
Any such advance is, of course, only obtainable after the
matter has been thoroughly thrashed out by the Conciliation
Board.

Interviews with members of the men’s deputation showed
that they were much pleased with the result of the delibera-
tions. Mr. George Barker pointed out that a banksman
now getting 4s. per shift would secure 50 per cent, on this
—bringing it up to 6s.; and 18| per cent, on this made a
total of 7s. Id.

Unfortunately the decision of the Government did not
reach the delegates who had attended the conference in
Cardiff, the hour at which it was arrived at being too late
to permit of such communication. The delegates had
assembled in big numbers at Cardiff, expecting a lead from
their representatives in London, but after waiting an hour
they commenced business without any communication having
been received. A “ down-tools ” resolution was moved
during the course of the proceedings, against the advice of
the chairman, Mr. E. Morrell, J.P., and contrary to the
wishes of the more cautious section of the delegates, and this
was defeated on a card vote by the narrow margin of 116.
There were 360 delegates present, representing 118,000
miners, and on the motion being lost it was recommended
that all men should continue at work pending the decision
of the conference on the following day. Shortly after noon
the meeting was adjourned, but when the delegates met
the men at several mass meetings in the evening, some
districts decided to stop work on the following morning—
Wednesday. Where these resolutions were reached, no
intimation as to the result of the London negotiations had
been received, and on Wednesday morning many districts
were idle. In the Rhondda Valley, the pits of the Cambrian
Combine, Blaenclydach, Mardy pits, and the Lewis Merthyr
collieries, were not at work, about 16,000 men being idle;
in the Garw Valley 3,000 men were out, and in Monmouth-
shire the following pits were not working on Wednesday :—
Blaina and Six Bells, Cwmtillery, Powell’s Tillery, and
Llanhilleth and Crumlin, these affecting between 11,000 and
12,000 men.

Prior to the delegate conference, the executive council of
the Federation met and unanimously decided to recommend
to the conference the acceptance of the terms. Eventually
by a vote, which was practically unanimous, the delegates
decided to accept the terms, thus ratifying the agreement,
which will now be signed. This award, with the supple-
mental awTard, will now govern the coal field of South Wales