182 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. January 28, 1916. their exploitation of all the artifices of breaking down competition, the Germans had established practically a cast iron monopoly in these products throughout the world. The coal tar dye industry in Germany is pro- bably the most highly and completely organised industry in the world. An idea of the magnitude and prosperity -of this industry can be gathered from the fact that the 21 joint stock companies have a nominal capital of over <£10,000,000, on which the average declared dividends in 1913 exceeded 22 per cent. And this does not by any means represent the whole of the profits, as large sums were expended in the business in new plant, etc. The practical monopoly of the German dye industry is indicated by Table L. which gives the annual value and the percentage of total value of the dyes produced in various countries. Table I.—Annual Value of Dyes produced in Various Countries. Country. Value (<£). Per cent. Germany ................... Switzerland ................. Great Britain ................ France............................................. United States ................ Austria __............................. Russia___’...................... Belgium ..................... Netherlands .................. Other countries .............. 13,660,000 ... 74T 1,290,0(0 ... 7-0 1,200,000 ... 6-5 1,000,000 ... 5’4 600,0 0 ... 3 3 300,000 ... 1’6 200,000 ... IT 100,000 ... 0-6 40,000 ... 0-2 40,000 ... 0*2 The seriousness to this country of this dependence on Germany was fully emphasised by Lord Moulton in a speech delivered at Manchester before a representative gathering of manufacturers, when he pointed out that our great cotton industry, which has an annual value of over £200,000,000 a year, was entirely at the mercy of this monopoly, and that by withholding supplies of the dyes Germany was in a position to capture tbat industry. The situation is recognised by the Government, which has to a limited extent committed the nation to the development of the industry in this country. The form in which it is participating is by subscribing public money as part of the capital in the new concern, British Dyes Limited, which has for its object the purchase and extension of the works of Messrs. Read, Holliday and Company, Huddersfield, where the manufacture of dyes hitherto not made in this country is to be carried on as a step towards a larger development of the industry such as shall make the country self-supporting in this respect. The problem, however, is one of great difficulty, and many serious issues are involved. The building up of an industry of this description is a matter of slow development, and not even the provision of adequate capital is sufficient to force its rate of growth beyond a certain point. Time is required for the successful development of the many involved processes. The organisation and training of a staff competent to conduct the researches on which the industry is vitally dependent, and to perfect the appliances for putting the result of the same into practical operation, has to be made. The industry will be faced at the conclusion of the war by renewed German activity, and as it is improbable that we shall be self-supporting by that time, users of dyes will undoubtedly be forced into long-term contracts with German firms to the disadvantage of our own manufacturers. Similar measures are being taken for the establish- ment of the coal tar chemical industry by the manu- facturers of the United States, where the matter is being taken up very vigorously. Notable advance has there been made in the production of the raw material, benzol, the production having been raised from 3,000,00.0 gals, a year before the war to a present production of 15,000,000 galls, a year, with a further increase of 10,000,000 gals, a year anticipated in the near future. Future Developments. Before concluding, the writer would ask : What should be the attitude of the coal industry towards the development of the great industries which are depen- dent on the raw material obtained from coal? He thinks that the answer to this is clear, and it is for the coal industry to ensure, so far as lies in its power, a plentiful supply of the raw materials, which are the by-products from the distillation of coal. That we need not fear a fall in prices of these by-pro- ducts by increase in their production is abundantly clear in price movements of late years, which, notwith- standing a steady increase in the quantities produced, have been in an upward direction. Table II.—Ammonia Recovered in the United Kingdom during Recent Yhars. Description of works. 1914. 1913. 1912. 1911. 1908. 1905. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Gas works 175,930 182,180 172,094 168,783 — Iron works -. 16,008 19,956 17,026 20,121 — Shale works 62,749 63,061 62,207 60,765 — . Coke-oven works 137,130 133,816 104,932* 105,343 64,227 30,732 Producer-gas and carbonising works (bones, coal) 34,295 33.605 32,049 29,964 — Totals 426,412 432,618 388,308 384,976 325,228 269,114 * Coal strike. The statistics of the quantities of tar and benzol pro- duced in this country are not very reliable. The total production of finished products of benzol from the distil- lation of tar and crude benzol from coke works at the present time, however, may be taken as approximately 30,000,000 gals, per year. The figures for ammonia, however, are better known. The Chief Inspector under the Alkali Act, in his annual reports for 1913 and 1914, gives the amount of ammonia expressed in terms of sulphate recovered in the United Kingdom, as set forth in Table IL It will be noted that, while the production from gas works and other sources is practically stationary, that from coke works shows a steady increase, and it is from this class of works that any material increase can be looked for. In 1913 the quantity of coal carbonised in by-product coke ovens was 13,500,000 tons, and in bee- hive ovens 6,500,000 tons. In the intervening period a considerable number of new by-product ovens had been started; but it may be assumed that there is still well over 5,000,000 tons of coal per year carbonised in bee- hive coke ovens, which coal, if dealt with in by-product ovens, would realise a profit of approximately £1,750,000 per annum from by-products. _____________________________________________________ LETTERS TO THE EDITORS. ____________________________________________________ The Editors are not responsible either for the statements made, or the opinions expressed by correspondents. All communications must be authenticated by the name and address of the sender, whether for publication or not. No notice can be taken of anonymous communications. As replies to questions are only given by way of published answers to correspondents, and not by letter, stamped addressed envelopes are not required to be sent. ____________________________________________________ POOLING OF COAL WAGONS. Sirs,—May I with great respect venture to differ from the conclusions of your leading article last week oil'the above subject? In addition to my lifelong experi- ence as a colliery manager, I have some knowledge of the traffic arrangements of our British railways, and have, therefore, some qualifications for discussing the subject. As to the general question of whether it is desirable that all coal wagons should be provided by the railway companies, I have only to say that it is useless to discuss it. at the present moment, unless the Government compel the railway companies to buy the traders’ wagons at a fair valuation—a course which has not been suggested, so far as I am aware. I do not think either collieries or coal merchants would care to possess wagons of their own if the railway companies would provide sufficient to carry their traffic with certainty and regu- larity. Traders on the North-Eastern are fairly content with the virtual wagon monopoly existing on that system. It is because the railway companies did not supply enough wagons to meet the requirements of the coal trade that this huge quantity of private rolling stock has come into existence. Owning coal trucks is not very profitable. Some owners make no profit on their wagons at all, and they (both as to traffic and repair) are a constant source of worry. It is easy to, say, send a mixed train of empties to any destination without sorting them, and let them be loaded out at such destination and sent out to whatever place the consignor pleases. But there are various sorts of wagons and of various dimensions. Some have end doors, some bottom doors, some are hoppered, some have only side doors. Some belonging to a modern colliery are of large dimensions, and will not go- under the screens of an old colliery. To send in a mixed lot of wagons would in most cases involve a great deal of sorting and shunting at the collieries, and the sending out empty of such wagons as were too large. To avoid cases like this would still involve shunting and sorting at the distribution sidings of the railways, and a knowledge on the part of the shunting staff there as to the circumstances of each colliery—an impossible condition. In my opinion the .railway companies would not be greatly relieved by the proposed change—in fact, I believe their difficulties would be greatly in creased. They have discovered by experience the best ways of working the traffic, and have established distribution points with gravitation sidings where the sorting of empties (as well as fulls) is conducted with the'greatest ’rapidity and simplicity. At isuch sidings as Toton, Co.lwick, Wath, and so on, trains are made up for branches and collieries in minimum time, and the pro- cess would be no simpler under a pooling arrangement. It should be borne in mind that it is only the empty wagons which can be diverted, the full trucks must be sorted as at present for their various destinations. I have not seen this point emphasised, nor have I heard that the railway administrations are particularly keen on this pooling. They know it means chaos. Suppose a good deal of shunting could be avoided, is it worth while to upset the present system for the period of: the war only? I see in to-day’s paper that the principal German banks have advised the German Government that if financial stability in Germany is to be, preserved, peace must be made in August. If we are likely to have peace in August—and these banking gentlemen are talking of what they know something about—there is no time to inaugurate such a revolution in our railway working as would be involved by the proposed pooling, and all the loss and dislocation it would involve would scarcely have been incurred before the special need for it will have passed away. How are the owners of private trucks to be com- pensated for their use by other people? Will the railway companies lease them at so much a week, and treat them as their own wagons pro tom.? An attempt to credit and debit every wagon for every journej7 on the basis of earnings would involve a special Clearing House. It is unthinkable. The railways must own or hire the wagons, and charge for their use as they now do for their own. What about the upkeep of these trucks? Now they are running for the most part on particular routes, arrangements for their repair are in existence at points along those routes, where spares are kept. Many of us have our own wagon shops. Are we to undertake the repair of any wagon which may reach us, and may need it, relying on being paid for our work and material by the owner? The delay and correspondence would be endless. There are hundreds of different axle boxes, draw gear, and other parts of wagons. Even now it takes a long time for these to be sent to a repairing station. We should be quickly bunged up with other people’s wagons requiring repair, for which* we had perhaps got neither the authority of tile owners, nor the stuff to do the repair with. Then, many of us have repairing contracts with wagon companies. If our wagons are scattered all over the country, how are these to be carried out? In fact, sirs, the whole matter bristles with practical difficulties to such an extent that I believe, when they are properly appreciated, the proposal will fall through. I have written what looks like a long letter, but I have barely touched the fringe of the.subject. There is much more to be said, as every wagon owner knows. People are willing to make sacrifices for their country, if by so doing they are helping their country to win the war; but this proposal will have no such result, and will, indeed, in my opinion, have the contrary effect. G. Blake Walker. Wharncliffe Silkstone Collieries, Near Barnsley, January 25, 1916. _______________ EXPERIMENTAL FANS. Sias,—My attention has been drawn to a communica- tion, in your issue of the 21st. inst., by Mr. P. Wyllie Kerr. While appreciating the importance of some of the points raised, I feel that as the paper is still under discussion with the Manchester Geological and Mining Society, it is not an opportune time, at present to deal with his letter. I should like, however, to point to the fact that the objects of the results embodied in Table V. of my paper are to draw attention to the rising value of the “ depression ” observed on reducing the “ resistance ” of the mine, and to the confirmation of similar results obtained in Table III. on the experimental fan. The figures relating to the efficiency of the fan in Table V. were only put in at the. last moment, and not being checked, an error in the calculation of the electrical horse-power escaped my notice. It is obvious to anyone who has investigated the figures given that the magnified value of the efficiency is due to this fact. I append below the corrected figures for electrical horse-power and over-all efficiency in Table V. No. E.H.P. Over-all efficiency. 1 ... 62-5 ... 48*0 per cent. 2 ... 64-3 ... 60-3 ,, 3 ... 65-0 ... 65-5 ,, 4 ... 66-0 ... 67-4 ,, David E. Thomas. St. Helens, January 25, 1916. _____________________________ Explosives and the Supply of Nitroglycerine.—The atten- tion of coal owners and other users of explosives has been called to the fact that to conserve as far as possible the glycerine and acids used in the manufacture of nitroglycerine employed in the production of explosives, the use of explo- sives containing more than 50 per cent, of nitroglycerine will not be permissible after January 31. To use or supply explo- sives containing more than 50 per cent, nitroglycerine will require a permit from the Ministry of Munitions. Mining Students’ Examinations. — In the House of Commons on Monday, Mr. Wing asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (1) whether he was aware that certain universities were allowing examinations to men serving in the Army who were qualified to sit before the war; would he take steps to secure similar facilities of examination to those mining students who had completed their training previous to the war on the recommendation of the colliery agent and leave of the commanding officer; (2) if he would endeavour to obtain from the university authori- ties facilities for mining students who completed their train- ing by December 31, 1914, but who had been prevented by service in the Army and Navy from sitting for examination, should be granted temporary certificates for two years, and be allowed to take their examinations in sections during that period; (3) if he would, in the interest of mining, obtain facilities for students who had enlisted, and at which time had not completed their training ; that they should be allowed to count their service as a part, not exceeding one year, of their mining training, and be allowed to take their exami- nations in sections : and (4) if special consideration could be granted mining students and others who, being wounded in the national service, for the present were unable to write; and that their examination, under such circumstances, be oral in place of writing.—The Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, replying, said he had received repre- sentations on the subject referred to, and the Board for Mining Examinations were being consulted with regard to them. He was not in a position to make any statement at present.