572

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

March 24, 1916.

PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—March 16.

Miners and Absenteeism.

Sir A. Markham asked whether the Prime Minister was
aware that 15 to 18 per cent, of men employed in mines and
shipyards, excluding men on compensation and sick funds,
absented themselves from work, a proportion attending their
employment only on two and three days a week; whether
employers could be compelled to make a return of men of
military age who habitually neglected their work; and, if
not, whether power would be obtained to draft these men
into military service.	'	’

Mr. Lloyd George, who replied, said that the question of
withdrawing certificates from men not indispensable could be
raised at any time before the colliery recruiting courts. In
some districts the men themselves were taking steps to check
undue absenteeism, a method which was likely to be far
more effective than any other. The Government had the
question of bad time-keeping in shipyards under grave
consideration.

Coal Freights.

Mr. Houston asked whether the President of the Board
of Trade could state the freights from Cardiff and Virginia,
U.S.A., for coal required in British-owned railways in
Argentina.

Mr. Pretyman replied that his latest information was
55s. from Cardiff to the Plate, and 102s. 6d. from Virginia.

Imports of Pit Props.

Mr. Houston asked a question concerning the nationiality
of vessels which brought pit props to Bristol Channel ports
in February.

Mr. Pretyman replied that pit props were brought by
102 vessels, made up as follows:—British, 9; Belgian, 2;
Dutch, 1; French, 54; Greek, 2; Italian, 1; Norwegian, 16;
Portuguese, 3; Spanish, 10; Swedish, 4.

.	March 21.

London Coal Prices.

In reply to a question by Mr. Butcher, Mr. Runc.iman
stated that the arrangement made with the London coal
merchants in May last was being continued, and there had
been no ■alteration in its terms since November, except for
a temporary increase of cartage charges during the recent
falls of snow. One firm had withdrawn from the arrange-
ment.

Mine Owners’ Excess Profits.

Mr. Fell asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether
he was aware that surveyors of taxes were informing mine
owners that the limit of increase of the statutory percent-
age for Excess Profits Duty was to be 10 per cent. ; and
whether he would give instructions that proper consideration
was given to the duration of the life of mines, as he indicated
would be the case.

The Chancellor ok the Exchequer (Mr. McKenna) said
he was not aware that such statements were being made,
but if the bon. member would inform him of 'any case he
had in mind he would make enquiry. The extent of the
increase of the statutory percentage for special classes of
trade or business (including mining) rested with the Board of
Referees, and not with the Commissioners of Inland
Revenue.

Partnership Dissolved.—The London Gazette announces
dissolution of the following partnership :—H. G. Henderson
and J. B. S. Henderson, civil and mining engineers, Truro,
Cornwall, as Henderson and Son.

Belting for Powers and Conveyors.—A paper on “ India-
rubber and Balata Belting as Conveyor and Power Trans-
mission Belts,” was read at a recent meeting of the
Manchester Association of Engineers by Mr. Jas. Tinto, who
said the most suitable belting for conveying heavy minerals,
such as iron ore and coal, was one made from 32 oz. duck,
frictioned with a good rubber friction, and finished off with
a good outside rubber cover, which should be not less than
t3(5 in. thick. The widest rubber belts ever made were 80 in.,
which were constructed for use on a magnetic separator, but
*they were short and not particularly heavy. The most
powerful rubber belt constructed for power transmission was
72 in. wide, 12 plies in thickness, and was made for the
transmission of 1,500 horse-power. The largest conveyor
belts were 60 in. wide by 12 ply at the sides by 10 ply, and
a rubber cover in. thick in the centre, and they conveyed
without difficulty 2,000 tons of limestone per hour. Belts
were now being made 60 in. wide, and there was every indi-
cation that this size of belt would become very common in
connection with mines, coal shipping piers, quarries, etc.
Rubber belting for conveyor purposes was now being largely
used in colliery washeries, coke ovens, and screening plants,
as W’ell as in gas works, and for coal bunkering for steam-
ships. For power transmission he recommended a genuine
balata belt in most cases; for conveying or elevating coal,
ore, or similar heavy materials, it rested with the engineer
to decide which he would have. Makers of rubber machinery
in this country wrnre quite alive to the requirements of the
trade, and were going ahead in order to compete with those
in any other country. In the course of the discussion, Mr.
Bentham said that every kind of belt had been used in con-
nection with coal conveyors, and hardly one had proved really
satisfactory. Canvas-sewn duck belting was .affected by the
weather, which caused it to break, but rubber belts were
immune from that difficulty. Mr. I. Simpson referred to the
case of a rubber-faced belt for charging retorts which wore
out rather rapidly from contact with the coal. It would .be
interesting to know whether it could be re-covered with rubber,
re-vulcanised, so as to avoid the expense of renewal. Mr. Fox
remarked that if more had been known about bolts fewer
chain conveyors would have been adopted in places where a
large amount of coal had to be carried, belts being the
cheapest for dealing with materials like coal, ore, or ashes.
Replying to the discussion, Mr. Thompson, in the absence
of the author, said the material should be delivered on the
belt in the same direction as the belt w’as travelling, and as
near as possible at the same speed. If fed too fast, banking
occurred at the mouth of the chute, causing undue friction
on the belt surface. This was serious in the case of coal,
ores, and similar hard substances.

Notes from the Coal Fields.

[Local Correspondence.]

South Wales and Monmouthshire.

Colliery Profits and Wages Controversy: Lord Rhondda
and Mr. Joseph Shaw—Colliery Conditions—The Coal
Dust Problem: Demonstration at Merthyr Vale.

Rarely, .if ever, have the circumstances of colliery opera-
tions, the financial effect as to investors and wage earners,
come into such full and open discussion as has been the
case during the past few days. From the employers’ side,
authorities of such high standing as Lord Rhondda
(Cambrian) and Mr. Joseph Shaw (Powell Duffryn), with
other well-informed writers, have taken part; while on the
workmen’s side, Mr. T. Richards, M.P., secretary of the
Federation, and Mr. Vernon Hartshorn, have been the pro-
tagonists. Probably the statements of the last-named are
the strongest, as they were the first, declarations—he
opening the discussion on Friday last by comment upon the
Powell Duffryn Company’s report. The wages paid by that
company in 1909 were stated by Mr. Hartshorn to 'amount
to Fl ,047,470, whilst in 1914 on the same output the amount
was Fl,419,929, an increase of F372,459. Taking this basis,
Mr. Hartshorn calculated that on the three and a-half million
tons output—seeing that the .average selling price of coal in
.1915 was 9s. a ton higher than in 1909—the company realised
Fl,575,000 in excess of what they received for the same
quantity of coal in the earlier year, and that out of that
additional Fl,575,000 the workmen received in extra wages
only F372,459, the company being therefore left with a
balance of Fl,202,541, out of which to meet the additional
cost of production. Mr. Hartshorn argues that it is the
Federation that has won the workmen even so much increase
of wages as they have got. A more interesting part of his
statement, perhaps, is the contention as to earnings. He
abstracts from evidence given on behalf of the Powell
Duffryn Company before Lord St. Aldw^yn, after the passing
of the Minimum Wage Act, the following figures :—That
72-91 per cent, of the colliers then earned less than 8s. per
. day, whilst 55*86 per cent, had less than 7s. l|d. ; 45-20 less
than 6s. 6d. ; 33-66 per cent, less than 6s.; 2^2-81 per cent,
less than 5s. 6d.; and 13*64 per cent, less than 5s. He
quotes the figures in answer to Mr. Shaw’s reference in the
shareholders’ meeting to colliers who had earned very high
wages. Mr. T. Richards, M.P., has also referred to Mi’.
Shaw, and asked why he did not, as Lord Rhondda had
done, give the average earnings of the men as well as take
olh examples of exceptionally large earnings.

Mr. Shaw’s response is that Mr. Hartshorn “ calmly
assumes the price of coal in 1915 was 9s. per ton more than
in 1909, and then quietly multiplies that by a gross output
of 3} million tons.” That 9s. assumed 'increase, says Mr.
Shaw, is “absolutely wrong”; and the 31 million, tons
includes large and small. The multiplication by the whole
of the output is, of course, wrong; and nothing is reckoned
for the increased cost of materials, etc. “ It is really not
worth while going into such figures ; but I can say- this—
that in spite of all we have spent in plant and machinery to
keep costs down, very nearly all the increase we have got
has been smothered by the extra wages we have bad to pay,
and the increased cost of materials used.”

Lord Rhondda (better recognised as Mr. D. A. Thomas)
reiterates that the average W'ages of colliers proper at all
the Cambrian Combine undertakings amounted to little-less
than 12s. per day; that the average of all employees is nearly
9s. ; and that a considerable percentage of the men were
getting more than F4 10s. a week; and he draws a striking
contract between these figures and the average returns to
an investor upon so uncertain >a security ias that of a colliery.

Another critic tackles the figures more directly, describes
the assertion as to 9s. per ton increased price as “ inexcusably
inaccurate,” seeing that the Conciliation Board audit shows
the increase to have been 6s. 6d., taking the output at 65 per-
cent. large and 35 per cent, small. Consequently, the differ-
ence in total receipts by the company, instead of being
Fl,575,000, is put at Fl,186,500. Out of the remainder, no
less than Is. 3d. per ton. is reckoned for higher costs; excess
profits duty, income-tax, and depreciation taking over
F350,000; and the actual increase of dividend was only a
little over F200,000. More important and greatly effective
as a reply is the further statement that that increased amount
of dividend had to be paid upon a much larger capital, whilst
the increase in wuges went to a body of workmen 10 per cent,
smaller than in 1909.

The Order in Council which prohibits the export of patent
fuel as from March 27 otherwise than to British destinations,'
affects South Wales, of course, far more than any other part
of the kingdom, the patent fuel trade centring on the shores
of the Bristol Channel. Last year the exports totalled
1,134,552 Jons, chiefly to Italy and France, and this was
more than 300,000 tons below the total of 1914.

Capt. J. R. Gibbon, at one time manager of Cwmdu
Colliery, has been wounded in action “ somewhere in France,”
a bullet striking him in the leg. He is a son of Mr. J. P.
Gibbon, Maesteg, and has a brother in military service, Lieut.
O. LI. Gibbon, who is attached to a tunnelling company.

Penarth Dock returns for 1915 show that the total exports—
practically all being coal, coke, and patent fuel—amounted
to 3,153,461 tons, as compared with 3,993,583 tons in 1914,
a decrease of over 840,000 tons. Pit wood imports were
26,339 tons, against 36,189 tens; and the vessels cleared
numbered 2,607 against 2,721, with tonnage of 1,575,183
against 1,838,736.

Lieut. Edward Gill, writing to Mr. George Barker, miners’
agent, Abertillery, from France, says that he has been recom-
mended for the Military Cross. Mr. Gill is the well-known
miners’ leader of Monmouthshire.

Last week a deputation from the Home Office, together
with members of the Federation, visited Nixon’s Navigation
Colliery, Merthyr Vale, to investigate the coal dust problem.
Those present included Mr. W. Brace, M.P. (Under-
secretary of the Home Office), Mr. R. Smillie (president
Miners’ Federation.of Great Britain), Mr. W. Walker (deputy
chief inspector of mines), and Mr. G. Davies, Newport (H.M.
inspector), and for the Federation, Messrs. S. Hall. (Derby-
shire), T. Green all (Lancashire), Herbert Smith (York-
shire), R. Brown (Midlothian), W. Walley (Durham), and
W. Straker (Northumberland). Mr. H. E. Gray (managing
director of Nixon’s), with Messrs. D. R. Edwards and Enoch
Morrell (miners’ agents), were with the party, who spent
some time underground inspecting the system of laying the
dust from the roof and sides, and catching it by a curtain of
water to prevent it extending into the mine.

On Cardiff Exchange, during Wednesday, the record figure
of F5 per ton was “ fixed ” for carriage of coal to Genoa.
The rate to Alexandria has gone up to F5 2s. 6d.

Northumberland and Durham.

The Labour Shortage—Demonstration of Neto Process to
Combat Coal Dust Explosions—Colliery Manager Fined
for Failure to Extinguish Lights During Zeppelin Raid.

Mr. Cecil Algernon Cochrane, iron master, has been
returned unopposed as M.P. for South Shields.

For having re-lighted an oil safety lamp w-hilst in Addison
Colliery, thereby endangering the lives of other workmen,
Thos. Johnson, putter, was fined 40s. by the Gateshead
county magistrates last week.

In a circular just issued to the members of the Durham
Miners’ Association, by the “Forward Movement,” atten-
tion is called to the position with reference to soldiers’
pensions, and each lodge throughout the county is asked
to pass a resolution regretting the Government’s refusal to
grant any pensions to discharged soldiers wdio have con-
tracted diseases since entering the Army.

The question of labour shortage in the Northumberland
and Durham coal field is rapidly becoming critical. A report
has been widely circulated to the effect that 10,000 more men
will be liberated for the Colours from the mining industry in
Durham County alone, and these, of course, are to be drawn
very largely from the surface workers. Coal owners and
colliery managers generally are in favour of the introduction
of female labour, as has been done in Scotland, but the
officials of both the Northumberland and the Durham miners’
associations are opposed to the suggestion, 'and hold that the
employment of old men should be resorted to. In a circular
to the Northumberland miners’ lodges, askifig branch secre-
taries to send in a return of such old men as are willing to
undertake surface work for the period of the war, Mr.
William Straker says :—“ We ought, for the future well-
being of our country, to refuse to be any party, unless com-
pelled by sheer necessity, to the employment of women in
occupations winch will tend to reduce their moral status, and
so affect them physically that the motherhood of the race
will be depreciated.”

An interesting demonstration of the use of Belger Colloid
in combating the coal dust danger in mines w-as given
on Saturday last by Mr. Joseph Fenwick, and Mr. A. Owen
Jones, of Cadiishead, Manchester, at the Washington
Colliery (F pit) in the presence of Home Office officials and
representative's of the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain,
including Mr. Wm. Brace, M.P., Under-Secretary for Home
Affairs ; Mr. W. Walker, Deputy Chief Inspector of Mines ;
Messrs. Robert Smillie and W. Abraham, M.P. (“ Mabon ”).
The material used consists of a mixture of glue and
calcium chloride, which form practically a new chemical
compound, a. liquid of considerable viscosity and high
capillary activity. The glue holds the particles together,
whilst the chloride tends to make them sink into the solution,
so that the surface remains 'adhesive. The liquid is some-
thing like wdiitewuish in appearance, and is -applied with a
powerful air brush, so that the compound penetrates into each
nook and cranny of the workings, with the result that the
dust is trapped by and sunk into the liquid. It is claimed
that the colloid preserves rock and timber from decay and
the latter from fire, that no explosion, from wdiatever cause,
can spread in mines in wdiich it is used, .and that the danger
from phthisis—ever present in South African mines—is
obviated by its use. It is stated, further, that the colloid
remains moist ami capable of attracting dust for a. consider-
able time. At the invitation of the Belger Colloid Dust
Treatment Company, it was decided that a small committee
from the Miners’ Federation should inspect -and report to
Mr. Brace upon the results of the experiments a month
hence.

As the result of a recent Zeppelin scare, Mr. Martin Foster
Holliday, the agent of a well-knowm Durham colliery com-
pany, was fined the maximum penalty of F100 on Wednesday
last, for having neglected to extinguish the lights at a certain
colliery on Sunday March 5. It was stated that the police
sent out notices that all lights were to be extinguished that
evening. About two hours later the defendant telephoned to
the police station : “ Can we have any light here? The men
refuse to work. By-product plant closed down.” The police
inspector replied that permission could not be given.. Defen-
dant replied : “I must not endanger the lives of the men
w-orking here, and I must use my own discretion.” Soon after-
wards a constable on duty near the colliery observed three arc
lights burning at the patent ovens. Two lights were shaded,
but the third w7as not. Afterwards, defendant said his action
was perfectly justified, as Zeppelins did not appear to have
been within 150 miles of the place, and there was great
danger of the by-product ovens blowing up. He added that,
under similar circumstances, he should do the same again.
For the defence, it was stated that wdien the police order
arrived, all the lights w*ere extinguished, and remained so
for twujiours. Defendant knew that, if the by-product works
were allow-ed to be without light for a certain length of time,
danger might ensue, and an explosion might occur, causing
destruction to plant and danger to men. The chairman asked
why this colliery should be the only one not shutting down.
Defendant’s solicitor replied that he did not know’’ wliat wars
done at other collieries, or the kinds of ovens they used. In
this case, a lot of lives might have been sacrificed, and defen-
dant thought he was justified in putting on shaded lights to
protect the men. The chairman retorted that, if a Zeppelin
had been attracted to the colliery by the lights, there might
have been a serious loss of life. The manager of the by-pro-
duct works and coke ovens at the colliery stated that the men
refused to work without lights. It was dangerous to wmrk
the engine without lights, and, if the engine wrnre stopped, the
gas from the ovens wmuld ignite and cause a greater glare.
Defendant gave evidence, and stated that he could not take
the risk of 50 men being blown into the air, and, therefore,
gave instructions for three shaded lights to be used. The
chairman announced that the magistrates felt that they must,
in the interests of the public and the big population surround-
ing the w’orks, impose the highest penalty. The Bench
agreed to state a case.

The Haydon Bridge Coal Company has been formed to
work the Whitechapel Colliery, 21 miles west of Haydon
Bridge. Operations are to be commenced on Monday next
at the old drift. situated at the foot of Whitechapel Bank,
close to the main road. The area of the colliery is about
700 acres, and the scam is 2J ft. thick. The levels admit
of the natural drainage of the water from the drift.

Cumberland.

In the Chancery Division, on Wednesday, Mr. Justice
Neville heard a summons taken out by Thos. Shuttleworth,
as controller for the Board of Trade of Koppers’ Coke Oven