52g THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. September 10, 1915. present restrictions as to the daily limit should be relaxed, very often to the convenience of the men themselves. The greatest advantage that would follow, in our opinion, would be that it would remove the invidious comparison that now forces itself, not only upon the onlooker, but upon the miner himself, between his own restricted hours of labour and the excessive hours that are being worked by the men in the iron and steel works, who may be his neighbours and relations and the servants of the same firm. We cannot presume to speak on behalf of the working miner any more than Mr. Eustace Mitton or any other employer of labour, but we entirely dissent from the proposition that the trade union official, who always has one eye on his organisation and the other on the majority, is at all times able or willing to represent the feelings of the workmen. We repeat that there are and always have been many workmen who resent this artificial limitation of their labour. If the owners now seem to acquiesce in the views that are held by the men’s leaders on this question, it is not because they are convinced, but because they recognise that in these days Demos can hold the country up to ransom. One day’s stoppage of work would more than counterbalance all the benefit that could be obtained by an Order in Council suspending the Act in whole or in part, and the council of the Miners’ Federation have plainly intimated that that is the alternative to humble submission. Not only will they not tolerate the abrogation of the Act, but they will not suffer any district, of its own accord, to obtain relaxation. When we find that the Home Office will not bend to 4 4 departmental moderation,” even where it maybe quite unobjectionable and advantageous to every- body concerned, and though it has been carried to extreme degrees in factories engaged specifically on war work, we are sometimes tempted to wish that the national situation might be ten times worse than it is, so that some people might learn in the bitter school of adversity how senseless it is to persevere with these stupid conventions in the days of wrath. There is something incongruous in The this year’s meeting of the British British Association; for although the war Association, has served more than anything else could have done to impress the popular imagination with the uses and misuses of scientific attainment, yet we have grown accustomed to regard this annual gathering rather as an inter- national festival than as a serious effort for the advancement of science. Yet nothing could have been more appropriate to the occasion than Prof. Schuster’s address, to which he gave the title 4‘ The Common Aims of Science and Humanity.” From this text many an apt sermon could be preached just now, but these would probably not be conceived in the spirit indicated by Prof. Schuster, who treated his theme in a cold philosophical manner rather than in the more romantic and popular style which seems to belong to the exciting times in which we live. But the method of the address gives it exceptional value just when the nation requires some such sedative. For example, Prof. Schuster warned us that the utilitarian drum can be beaten too loudly. The nation is just now rather inclined to over-estimate the importance of what we may call commercial science. There is a feeling that something is not quite right in our national methods. In seeking for a remedy we fly to a comparison with Germany; and finding that country spending far more money than we do upon scientific organisation, we jump at once to the conclusion that this is where we are wanting. We overlook the point that Germany’s commercial success is attributable to many factors, both honourable and dishonourable. Not only science, but also other aids have contributed, amongst which may be mentioned an unscrupulous dis- regard of the ordinary code of national morality, the forgery and misuse of trade marks, subsidies to steamships and other transport facilities, cartels, organised invasion by swarms of commercial travel- lers, and many other things calculated to contribute to the advantage of a country in pushing competitive trade. Prof. Schuster even went so far as to imply that national success can be purchased at too great a price. He said : 44 Do we not find in the worship of national success the seed of the pernicious ambition which has maddened a nation and plunged Europe into war?” While not depreciating the claims of science as a necessary element in the success of our commerce and manufactures, Prof. Schuster points out that there are dangers in the tendency of modern utilitarian methods. The implied antithesis of scientific attainment and business methods he shows to be a fallacy. He believes that there is no foundation for the assertion that special gifts are necessarily associated with different occupations. When one man, he says, calls for the conduct of affairs on business lines and another clamours for scientific methods, they either want the same thing or they are. talking nonsense. He does not even admit the validity of the prevailing self- depreciation of the British race in regard to their powers of organisation. It is absurd, he says, to think that a nation which has founded a great Empire, and is able successfully to carry on an enormous trade in every part of the world, could be devoid of the faculty of organisation. The Germans are not superior to us in organisation, but in co-operation; which is quite a different thing’, and, however admirable a quality, not without danger when it leads a nation, like the Gadarene swine, to precipitate ruin. Mr. Hug.h Johnstone, in his report on Machinery the Midland and Southern Division, and the records an accident of a very unusual Man. nature, the moral of which deserves to be emphasised. The accident occurred in a sinking pit, but the powerful permanent winding engines had apparently been installed, the drum being fitted with a patent overwind and overspeed preventer. The hoppit, which was guided by means of a 1 ‘ rider,” was being wound at excessive speed, when the preventer suddenly came into action; the resulting jerk killed the man riding in the hopper. After the accident it was found that the dashpot by which the preventer was controlled contained no oil, presumably owing to leakage. One of the objections raised by the 44 practical ” man against the use of labour- and life-saving machinery is that they add unnecessary complica- tions to systems that are already, from their very nature, highly complex. Without going this length, it is certainly a fact that almost every appliance that is introduced for the purpose of safeguarding life contains itself the elements of danger, against which it is necessary to guard by care and examination. The balance of safety may be on the side of the appliance, but this is not always the case. What is more serious, however, is that these safety appliances inculcate a false sense of security. Mr. Johnstone is clearly of the opinion that the engine-winder in this case would not have let his engine go at full speed had it not been for the exis- tence of a preventer; as he says, the accident emphasises 44 the importance of winding enginemen realising that such apparatus is not fool-proof, and is only intended to supplement, and not to be a substitute for, the engineman’s control of the engine.” Amongst the 44 dangerous occurrences” reported to Mr. Johnstone is an overwind due to a defect in the overwind preventer, and to its having been imper- fectly adjusted; here again the engineman had been 44 pushing on” with the work. Another ‘4 dangerous occurrence” was the emission of sparks from a 44 permitted ” or so-called 44 safety” explosive. The point in each case is exactly the same—the folly of encouraging the belief that, in matters affecting safety, mechanical means can be made to usurp human judgment. Few can maintain that permitted explosives and overwind preventers are not useful inventions, and that, in the long run, they have contributed to the safety of the occupation, but we can never forego the opportunity to emphasise the fact that they are not infallible. Any explosive on the list is as dangerous as gunpowder if the charge be fired improperly, and overwind preventers, safety catches, or detaching hooks, are not excuses for lower- ing the 44 tone ” of the winding system at other points it may be in the rope, or at the levers of the engine. THE COAL AND IRON TRADES. Thursday, September 9. Scotland.—Western District. COAL. Quiet conditions still prevail in the west of Scotland coal trade. The two chief causes of this quietness are the scarcity of freight tonnage and the licensing question, particularly the latter. Licences are now being refused not only to neutral but also to allied countries, even in face of the recent placing of heavy orders for immediate shipment. As no reasons are given for this refusal of licences, the uncertainty produced on the market has reduced values. Ells, splints and navigations are fairly steady, while ordinary steams are plentiful. Nuts of all sizes have been thrown on the market in considerable quantity, and values have declined about Is. per ton in consequence. Shipments amounted to 148,750 tons, compared with 133,110 in the preceding week and 104,781 tons in the corresponding week of last year. Prices f.o.b. Glasgow. Current L’st week’s Last year’s prices. 1 prices. prices. Steam coal • 17/ 15/ -17/ 11/ -11/6 Ell 17/6-18/ 17/9—18/ 11/3-11/6 Splint 17/6-22/ 18/6-23/6 13/ -14/ Treble nuts 18/ 19/ -19/3 11/6-11/9 Double do. 17/ 16/6-17/3 10/6-10/9 Single do 16/ 16/ -16/6 10/3-10/6 IRON. There have been no new developments in the Scotch iron trade since last report. Business in pig iron continues slow, consumers only purchasing in sufficient quantity to meet their immediate requirements. The export department, however, shows signs of improving. Prices of makers’ iron remain steady and are quoted as follow: —Monkland, f.a.s. at Glasgow, No. 1, 79s., No. 3, 78s.; Govan, No. 1, 79s., No. 3, 77s. 6d.; Carnbroe, No. 1, 83s., No. 3, 79s.; Clyde, No. 1, 84s. 6d., No. 3, 79s. 6d.; Gartsherrie, Calder and Langloan, Nos. 1, 85s., Nos. 3, 80s.; Summerlee, No. 1, 86s., No. 3, 81s.; Glengarnock, at Ardrossan, No. 1, 86s., No. 3, 81s.; Eglinton, at Ardrossan or Troon, No. 1, 80s., No. 3, 79s.; Dalmellington, at Ayr, No. 1, 81s., No. 3, 79s.; Shotts, at Leith, No. 1, 85s., No. 3, 80s.; Carron, at Leith, No. 1, 86s., No. 3, 81s. per ton. Scotch haematite is quoted 102s. 6d. per ton for small quantities. The Glasgow pig iron warrant market was inactive throughout the past week, the total turnover not exceeding 6,500 tons. After advancing to 65s. 4d. per ton, Cleveland iron closed at 64s. lOd. per ton cash buyers, a loss of 3d. per ton on the week. Warrant stores now amount to 142,361 tons, compared with 94,159 tons at this time last year. Black sheet makers are very well employed in their heavy department, and for in. sheets are quoting .£11 10s. to £11 15s. per ton. Owing to the scarcity of orders for the light gauges, the demand for which is not likely to improve now that spelter has begun to advance again, makers are producing thin plates instead. Makers of malleable iron have a large number of orders in the course of execution, many of which are on Government account, and have a considerable amount of work still on hand. “ Crown ” iron bars are quoted £11 5s., less 5 per cent, for home delivery, and £10 15s. net for export, while steel bars are £12s. 10s. per ton for home consumption and £12 for export. Scotland.—Eastern District. COAL. In the Lothians district the demand for round coal is quiet, due largely to the refusal of licences to Sweden, which may be considered the principal outlet. Washed produce, however, is fairly steady. Shipments amounted to 37,071 tons, against 35,279 in the preceding week and 73,060 tons in the corresponding week of last year. Prices f.o.b. Leith. Current L’st week’sLast year’s i prices. I prices. | prices. Best screened steam coal... j 15/6 ■ 16/6-17/ : 11/6 Secondary qualities 1 14/6 15/9-16/3 ; 10/6-10/9 Treble nuts 20/ 20/ -21/ 11/6-11/9 Double do i 17/6 16/9-17/6 ' 10/9—11/ Single do j 16/ - 16/ -16/6 ; 10/3-10/6 The position in Fifeshire is much the same as in the Lothians. The lack of orders for round coal has created a scarcity of smalls, which are extremely busy at firm quotations. Clearances from the pqrts amounted to 57,598 tons, compared with 65,330 in the preceding week and 93,064 tons in the same week last year. Prices f.o.b. Methil or Burntisland. Best screened navigation coal..................... Unscreened do............ First-class steam coal... Third-class do........... Treble nuts ............. Double do................ Single do................ Current prices. 23/ 21/ 17/ -18/ 14/ -15/ 20/ -21/ 17/6 16/6-17/ L’st week’s! Last year’s prices. prices. 23/ -24/ 15/6-16/ 21/ -22/ 13/6-14/ i 17/6-18/6 12/3-12/6 ! 14/ -15/ , 10/ I 20/6-21/6 j 11/9-12/ i 17/ -18/ j 11/ -11/3 | 16/6-17/ 10/3 The aggregate shipments from Scottish ports during the past week amounted to 243,419 tons, compared with 233,719 in the preceding week, and 270,905 tons in the corresponding week of last year.