September 24, 1915.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

635

disease, 15; total 38. Number required to be
destroyed.—In consequence of injury,28; inconsequence
of disease, 21 (including three from old age); total, 49.
Number of cases of injury or ill-treatment reported to
manager (exclusive of cases already included).—Injury,
81; ill-treatment, 5; total, 86.

Coal Mines Regulation Act, 1908.

During the first seven or eight months of the year
the Eight Hours Act worked smoothly, and with few
exceptions the provisions were fairly well observed.
Gradually, during the last four months of the year, it
has become increasingly difficult at some mines to
strictly carry out the principal object of the Act, and
overtime has been worked which in normal times would
not be necessary. In many of the deeper mines in
Lancashire, owing to the constant and severe pressure
on the roads, a considerable amount of labour has to
be continually employed on the roads whether the pits
are working or idle. The scarcity of labour and the
anxiety of men, who would ordinarily be employed on
such roads, to become colliers, has caused the question
of keeping the drawing and haulage roads in safe and
workable condition to be a very real difficulty in face of
the urgent demand for coal.

Safety Lamps.

With few exceptions these are practically all of the
approved type, and probably all old lamps would have
been replaced by new ones but for the war. The
majority of the firms making safety lamps have had
their staffs so much reduced that they have only been
able to supply a small proportion of the new lamps
ordered. This also applies where existing lamps are
being altered so as to comply with the requirements
up to January 1, 1916. Unfortunately, in Lancashire
a very large number of colliery proprietors have
patronised a local firm whose staff has been reduced by
one-half owing to so many having taken up military
duty or being engaged on other Government work. The
following are particulars of the number of safety lamps
in use. Flame safety lamps.—Number in use,
103,242. Method of locking.—Lead rivet, 84,081;
magnetic, 19,130; screws, 6; other, 25. Kind of
illuminant.—Colza or colza and petroleum, 47,009;
petroleum, 11,670; volatile spirit, 29,942; other
illuminant, 21,621. Method of lighting.—By electricity,
39,693; otherwise, 63,549. Electric safety lamps.—
Number in use, 2,398. Method of locking.—Lead rivet,
1,532; magnetic, 851; other, 15. Of the flame safety
lamps, 84,009 were of the Marsaut type. The following
types of electric safety lamps were employed :—Oldham,
915; Ceag, 716; Gray-Sussmann, 495; Wolf, 264;
Thomson-Rothwell, 8.

Electricity in Mines.

The following is a summary showing aggregate horse-
power :—Number of mines, 137. Surface.—Winding,
268; ventilation, 3,292|; haulage, l,031|; coal washing
or screening, 3,180J; miscellaneous, 5,345|; total,
13,117|. Underground.—Haulage, 10,545|; pumping,
9,889|; portable machinery, 832; miscellaneous, 1,235;
total, 22,502J. Gross total, 35,620.

Explosives Used.

The following shows the quantity of explosives used
and number of shots fired : — Quantity used,
1,909,092 lb. Estimated number of shots fired.—By
electricity, 4,930,902; by fuse, 162,574; total,
5,093,476. Missfire shots.—With electricity, 3,577;
with fuse, 448; total, 4,025. In Ireland, 39,562 lb. of
explosive were used, and 79,816 shots fired, all by fuse.
The missfire shots numbered three.

Effect of the War.

Up to the end of July employment throughout the
Division was fairly good, but many collieries were not
working full time. Shortly after the commencement of
the war, there was an increased demand for coal, accom-
panied by a reduction in output, consequent on so many
miners giving up their employment for military service.
This immediately caused all the collieries to work full
time, but in spite of this, the output gradually decreased
12 to 15 per cent. Some difficulty was experienced at
many mines in obtaining supplies of timber, and during
the first few months of the war a good deal of green and
inferior timber was purchased, but ultimately it became
simply a question of paying 75 to 100 per cent, above
the normal price, and suitable timber could be obtained
without much delay. Mr. Nicholson is not aware that
any collieries ran out of supplies of timber, and he
cannot say definitely that any accidents from falls of
ground could be attributed to want of timber. Although
many daywagemen and others who had not had any
experience at the coal face commenced working as
colliers, he has no evidence to show that this resulted
in any increase of accidents at the face. A few minor
accidents on haulage roads might be attributed to new
employment. He is afraid, however, that the serious
shortage of datallers prevents the necessary amount of
work being carried out on roads, in order to keep them
in the safest possible condition. He cannot say that any
.accidents have actually happened in consequence, but
in many of the deeper mines it is impossible with the
number of datallers employed and the shifts worked to
keep the roads up to the safest standard, and he is
afraid this state of things will get worse instead of
better. In many districts mines have been stopped in
order to concentrate the work as much as possible, so
that a given output can be handled by a minimum
number of haulage hands and other off-hand labour.
Exploring work has in several instances been abandoned
for the time being. In a few cases where two shifts of
-colliers were worked only one shift is now worked.
Recruiting has been particularly brisk among the colliers
round about St. Helens, Wigan, and Manchester dis-
tricts, and with one or two exceptions the percentage
of the total number employed has been between 10 and

30 per cent. In one notable instance at St. Helens
more than half the total number of persons employed in
July have enlisted, or about 85 per cent, of those who
were of military age.

GEOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN THE
COAL FIELDS DURING 1914.

(Concluded from page 521.)

Kilmarnock District.

Intrusive Igneous Rocks.—The workings of No. 3
pit Craig (Messrs. Wm. Baird and Company Limited)
show two veins of volcanic ash which “ bum ” the
adjacent coal, and appear to coalesce in an easterly
direction. These veins are of much interest, because
they are very narrow in proportion to their length, and
also show curved and rapidly varying directions. So
far as yet disclosed, the longer bank extends for at least
360 yds., though the average breadth is only 10-20 yds.
The parts of both veins are in places almost semi-
circular, but the general directions are perhaps not far
from east and west. Sections in the underground roads
examined by Mr. Clough show that the sides of the veins
are sometimes of very irregular form; occasionally a side
runs almost horizontally and overlies adjacent strata for
a yard or two, as if it were the base of a bedded
contemporaneous ash, but, a little distance farther on,
the same side twists sharply and underlies the same
strata. The impression is conveyed that the ash has
been formed under the influence of great pressure, and
that it has sometimes been forced along the bedding,
even though on the average the sides are perhaps nearly
vertical. It is to be noted, too, that in spite of the
occasional penetration along the bedding, the adjacent
strata are not specially disturbed, and that the Parrot
seam (Splint of Annandale Colliery) lies at the same level
at either side of the longer vein.

Among the fragments in the ash are angular pieces
of blaes, sandstone, and ironstone, as well as vesicular
decomposed white trap. Some of the sandstone slabs
are as much as 3 ft. in length. A similar ash is
exposed on the south bank of the River Irvine, near
Cockhill, and is known farther east also in the workings
of No. 3 pit, Fairlie (Caprington and Auchlochan Coal
Company Limited). It seems quite possible that the
ash forms a continuous vein from No. 3 pit, Craig, to
the last-mentioned workings, a distance of nearly three-
quarters of a mile.

Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire District.

The examination of the carboniferous areas in the
Johnstone district (Sheet 30), included in the Lanark-
shire basin, has now been completed by Mr. Carruthers,
and the re-survey of the Hamilton and Larkhall coal
fields (Sheet 23) by Messrs. Macgregor and Dinham.
Revision work has also been continued by Mr. Macgregor
in the Morningside coal field, and by Mr. Hinxman in
the country around Lanark.

Hamilton.—During the interval of more than 40 years
that has elapsed since the original survey of the district,
Hamilton has been the centre of a very active mining
industry, but the coals are now rapidly approaching
exhaustion, and within recent years some half-dozen
collieries have ceased working. The seams still wrought
in this field are the Ell, Pyotshaw, Main, Humph,
Splint, Blackband, Virtuewell, and Kiltongue. Of
these, the Ell, Main, and Splint are all but worked out,
although valuable reserve areas still exist under the town
itself.

The Ell coal averages 7 ft. 4 in. in thickness, includ-
ing 2 ft. of inferior head coal, and 5 ft. 4 in. of breast
coal. The Main varies from 4ft. to 4 ft. 8in., and the
Splint from 4ft. 4in. to 5 ft. 8in., both seams contain-
ing bands of Splint coal. The Virgin is 1 ft. 2 in. thick,
and lies from 1 in. to 17 in. below the Splint; at Barn-
cluith it reaches 1ft. 9 in., and at Udston 3 ft., the
Splint being reduced at these localities respectively to
4 ft. 2 in. and 3 ft. 8|in.

Mining is at present chiefly confined to the Pyotshaw,
Humph, Blackband, and Kiltongue seams. The Pyot-
shaw averages 3 ft. 2 in. at Cadzow and Barncluith, and
reaches 3 ft. 7 in. at Earnock, 4 ft. 2 in. at Udston, and,
4ft. 3 in. at Bent. The Humph is generally 3 ft. thick;
the Blackband coal 2 ft. 2 in.; at Cadzow Collieries the
latter is of inferior quality, and appears to represent a
transition stage between the Blackband ironstone of
Quarter and the Blackband coal of Bent, Udston, and
Earnock. The Virtuewell is poorly developed in this
field, and rarely exceeds 1ft. 6in. The Kiltongue
reaches 2 ft. 5 in. at Cadzow, and 2 ft. 9 in. at Bent, but
elsewhere is only from 1 ft. 6 in. to 1 ft. 8 in. in
thickness.

Larkhall and Quarter.—The northern part of this dis-
trict, revised by Mr. Dinham, adjoins the Hamilton
field, and the preceding remarks apply also to this area.
In addition to the coal seams mentioned above, the
Lower Drumgray is wrought in the Bog and Home Farm
collieries, where it has an average thickness of 2 ft. 5 in.
In the Quarter district the Musselband of Crookedstone
and Wellbog has been identified with the Upper Slaty -
band ironstone formerly mined on a small scale at
Cherry Hill, near Larkhall. The Slatyband of Crooked-
stone corresponds to the Lower Slatyband ironstone once
wrought at Glenavon, and near the Stonehouse viaduct.

Morningside.—Revision work was also carried on by
Mr. Macgregor in the Morningside district, along the
eastern edge of the Wishaw coalfield, where the lowest
workable seam is the Mill coal. Areas of burnt coal are
met with in the workings of the Kiltongue and Lower
Drumgray seams in this area.

Palaeontological Work.

No points of special scientific -interest have arisen
during the year from a study of the palaeontological
materials collected in the course of the current survey
work. Mr. Allen and Mr. Pringle have determined

large series of specimens of various age, from ordovician
to post-tertiary, inclusive. The results will be incor-
porated in the respective sheet memoirs. Special
collections made from the Cambrian, ordovician, and
Silurian rocks of Shropshire, under the guidance of Prof.
Charles Lapworth, are at present being studied by Prof.
Lap worth.

An important instalment of a monograph on the
British carboniferous Producti, by Dr. Ivor Thomas, has
been published in quarto form. This work deals with
the pustulose and fimbriate species, and includes also
comprehensive chapters introductory to the study of all
the carboniferous Producti of Britain.

In Scotland during the year, 3,754 fossils were
obtained. They are from the carboniferous areas being
now revised in Ayrshire and Lanarkshire, and also from
boring operations in various parts of the country. The
special collection of mesozoic fossils begun last year in
Raasay, was continued in the adjacent districts of
Applecross and Skye. Mr. Tait also obtained a suite
of tertiary plants from the well-known Ardtun leaf-bed
in Mull, which will be submitted to a specialist as soon
as opportunity arises. There is nothing new to report
in connection with the materials from the carboniferous
areas.

The jurassic br-achiopods and ammonites of Applecross
and Skye are now in the hands of Mr. Buckman. Since
his final report is not yet ready, the detailed account of
the palaeontological sequence of the district must be
deferred.

Notes from the Coal Fields.

[Local Correspondence.]

South Wales and Monmouthshire.

Effect of the Budget on Colliery Profits—Prompter Payments
Demanded by Coal Owners — The Coal Rates in
Swansea Docks: Suggested Increase—Ebbw Vale
“ Hustle ” in Repairing Fire Damage—“ Mabon ” Once
More Alert—Trade Union Discipline and Legal
Privilege — Miners' Protest Against Conscription —
Monmouthshire Council Economise on Mining
Education.

The effect of the Budget upon colliery war profits was
naturally the subject of special talk on ’Change at Cardiff
during Wednesday, there being at first sight an appre-
hension that some of the more prosperous concerns would
be badly hit, and that in those circumstances share values
could not be maintained at their present high levels. Some
undertakings which yielded unsatisfactory results before the
war, but have lately cjome into better positions, were
particularly referred to, the fear being that their more
favourable returns would be seriously depleted and the
shareholders thus deprived of long-looked-for profits. As to
merchants, of course, some of whom have done exceedingly
well, there was not so much concern; it was rather upon
colliery results that attention centred. In this relation,
however, it has to be borne in mind that not present profits
alone are the determining factor of the new impost, nor
even immediately recent profits. The average of the past
five years has first to be ascertained; and only the excess
beyond that average amount will be subject to the war
tax of 50 per cent. Collieries, generally, have during that
five years had good returns, and these form the basis of
the new calculation. It follows, therefore, that until those
good returns are once more allowed for, no deprivation takes
place; and the Exchequer seizes only 50 per cent, of what
is earned above them. The average of the past five years,
plus half of the additional gains, make the prospect less
dismal than was at first feared.

Colliery owners met at Cardiff on Wednesday and con-
firmed their resolution of July last, that in all sales and
contracts after January 1, 1916, “ the terms of payment
shall be net cash at fourteen days, or cash against invoice,
less | per cent., at seller’s option.” Present practice gives
one month.

Swansea Council have had a discussion upon the request
made by the Harbour Trust as to additional funds required
under the Corporation guarantee concerning the King’s
Dock, and the discussion has special interest to the coal
trade. Aid. Davies, who introduced the matter, in pro-
posing that the question be referred to the Finance
Committee, pointed out that the Harbour Trust was repre-
sentative of many interests, some of them not public; that
the Corporation was not strongly represented, and was
therefore practically impotent on the Trust. The present
time was a very difficult one to raise capital, and it might
be suggested that the Harbour Trustees should themselves
obtain the revenue they wanted by adding to the rates on
coal or any other export, for they must remember that the
Corporation was a public body, and not quite in the same
position as the proprietary trustees, who were colliery
owners, shippers, or works proprietors; their interests
perhaps going in one direction whilst those of the Corpora-
tion went in another. The matter was referred to a special
committee, consisting of the Finance Committee supple-
mented by the Corporation representatives on the Harbour
Trust* According to agreement with the Harbour Trust,
the Corporation’s liability imposes upon them the duty of
making good deficits up to a total amount of £150,000.

In Swansea, the question occasions keen controversy; the
idea that the ratepayers should have to meet any deficit
being, of course, repugnant to those who are not directly
concerned in trade. The alternative—namely, an increase
of the rates charged upon coal and other commodities—has
brought into prominence the wider question of the constitu-
tion of the Harbour Trust. This is a body composed of
nominees from the landowners, with representatives of the
colliery proprietors, manufacturers, and others, plus a
minority of Corporation representatives. It is argued from
the ratepayers’ point of view that whilst the representatives
of those concerned in the coal trade, with tin platers and
others, have a primary interest in keeping down the rates
of shipment—also that Labour representatives from the
Corporation have an interest in maintaining wage rates
to dock employees—the ratepayers, as such, now called upon
to honour the guarantee of interest up to a limit of £150,000
have not any relative power in the Harbour Trust.

The large new King’s Dock—one of the finest in the
world—was opened five or six years ago, and up to the
period of the war a steadily increasing trade rendered it