March 31, 1916.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

619

and the opinion of the lecturer was that disused collieries,
though not profitable to the proprietors, would still prove a
valuable asset to town or national 'authorities.

North Wales.

Mr. William Jones, manager of the Westminster Colliery,
Wrexham, has been re-appointed manager of the Bettisfield
Colliery, Flint, a position he relinquished about two years
ago.

The Midlands.

Miners' Claim to Wages in Lieu of Notice—Accident due
to Mistake in Signalling—South Staffordshire Rescue
Association Report.

In the Chancery Division last week, before Mr. Justice
Neville, the Corporation of Stoke-on-Trent moved, in- their
litigation against the Stafford Coal . and Iron Company
Limited, for an order with reference to the enforcement of a
compromise agreement, that certain costs might be taxed
under the agreement. — Mr. Ward Coleridge, K.C., repre-
sented the Corporation, and stated that the mayor, aidermen,
and burgesses of Stoke-on-Trent had brought actions against
the Stafford Coal and Iron Company for letting down a
certain sewage area by working the minerals underneath. In
the result' the actions were compromised by the sale of the
surface to the iron and coal company for £3,800, and an
agreement by the defendants to pay the Corporation’s costs.
He moved now for taxation of these costs, and he submitted
that the agreement as to costs covered the costs of certain
enquiries.—Mr. Jenkins, K.C., for the Stafford Coal and
Iron Company, contended that his clients never agreed to
pay the costs of the reference. There were questions in the
actions of both lateral and vertical working.—His lordship
decided the matter on the construction of clause 9, as follows,
in the compromise agreement :—“ With regard to the actions
of the Stoke-on-Trent Corporation against the Stafford Coal
and Iron Company Limited, etc., it is agreed by and between
the parties hereto that all further proceedings in such actions
be stayed, and that the purchasers shall pay to the vendors,
as the plaintiffs in such actions, on the completion of the said
purchase, the sum of £3,750, in full discharge of all damages
claimed by the vendors in such actions, if all other claims
accrued, or to accrue, which the vendors may have against
the purchasers, etc., and the purchasers also agree to pay to
the vendors, on or after such completion, their costs of the
said actions.” His lordship thought the costs agreed to be
paid covered the costs of the reference, as well as the costs
of the actions, and he granted the Corporation’s motion
against the coal and iron company.

The Potteries stipendiary magistrate decided last week that
a miner who is not employed under contract cannot claim the
usual fortnight’s notice if he refuses to transfer from one job
to some similar employment when requested by his employer.
A miner, named James Jones, sued the Clanway Colliery
Company Limited, Tunstall, for £3 12s. in lieu of notice.
Only nine days’ wages were claimed under that heading, as
plaintiff obtained another situation after nine days. A
further claim for work actually done was not disputed. It
appeared that Jones was engaged on October 8 to open ground
at the Bassey Mine seam, on day-wage rates, and he worked
in company with a man named Burgess (who also sued the
company for wages in lieu of notice) until October 30. They
then received a note from the manager, directing them to
work in the Cannel Row, but as they refused to go there,
they were told to stop working. — In his evidence, the
manager denied that he asked them, for a tender for working
the Bassey seam, and he claimed a right to transfer men
who were not under contract without giving them any notice.
—The magistrate said he had no evidence of custom to support
plaintiff’s contention, and judgment was given only for work
done, as agreed between the parties.

An inquest was held at Hednesford on Friday last, on
Frederick Jones, a trammer, who met his death at the West
Cannock Colliery.—Henry Bradford, the under-manager, said
they were loading the cage at the pit bottom. The cage con-
sisted of three decks, and after each deck was dealt with,
one signal was given on the pull-bell to the engine house.
Two decks had been dealt with, but at the third the tub ran
off the rails. He called to Jones to get into the cage, and
lift the fore-end of the tub. Whilst he was doing so, the
cage was raised, and deceased’s back struck the point rod.
He fell into the sump, his back being broken. Witness
declared that no signal was given for the cage to ascend.—
Clarence Scott, engineman, and Alfred J. Jukes, engine-
winder, declared that three signals were given, but Jukes
•admitted that he had known six or seven signals to be given
from one deck when the men were in a hurry. That con-
fused the winders.—The Coroner remarked that it rendered'
the whole system of signalling useless and a farce.—After
James F. Wilding, onsetter, had sworn that only two signals
were given, the jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death,”
and made the recommendation that a better and more reliable
system of signalling should be adopted if possible. They
attached no blame to the winders.

The third annual meeting of the South Staffordshire and
East Worcestershire Mines Rescue Association was held at
Dudley last week. The report stated that a call of 5s. per
1,000 tons had been sufficient to meet the requirements of
maintenance for the year 1915, and a call of 4s. per 1,000
tons on the output of minerals in 1914 was made from main-
tenance fund to meet the expenditure during the year ending
December 31, 1916. The self-contained breathing apparatus
had not been requisitioned for any accident during the year.
On three occasions the apparatus haff been sent to the
collieries of members, to be used by the proprietors’ own
trained men, as follows : (1) To open road after fire; (2) to
plug up pipes to change direction of drainage; (3) to stand
by at the pit mouth while shafts re-opened after fire. In all
cases the expenditure incurred had been repaid. One new
set of breathing apparatus had been purchased. The electric
fan had been cased in to keep it from injury by the weather
and sulphur, and alterations had been made to comply with
a recent Home Office Order. Lieut.-Col. Norton Griffiths,
M.P., D.S.O., has visited the central station at Dudley to
arrange for additional men to join the Tunnelling Section of
the Royal Engineers, and 63 men were selected. Gratify-
ing reports of the work done by the tunnelling companies had
been received, and Sapper Bytheway, of the Sand well Bark
Colliery, had been awarded the D.C.M.

Kent.

At Tilmanstone Colliery last week another record was
created in the amount of coal raised, which was 1,846 tons
for the week.	’

Snowdown Colliery deep sinking in the No. 2 pit is now
down to 2,259 ft., the distance sunk last week being 10 ft.

Scotland.

Town.Planning Enquiry: Mining Engineer and the Life of
the Lanarkshire Coal Field.

Mr. Walter Knox, manager at Fortrigg Colliery, Shotts,
has been appointed to a more responsible post with the
company. In view of his departure from Fortrigg, he has
been presented by the officials and workmen at Fortrigg
with ,a handsome roll top desk, together with -a silver cake
basket for Mrs. Knox.

An enquiry ordered by the Local Government Board
has been held in Glasgow in connection with applications by
the Middle Ward District Committee, the Lower Ward
District Committee iand the Burgh of Rutherglen for per-
mission to prepare a town planning scheme for certain
portions of their area—the three authorities co-operating in
the scheme. In the course of the proceedings, Mr. John
Gemmell, mining engineer, Glasgow and Edinburgh, gave
evidence on behalf of the promoters on the subject of the coal
fields generally, and of those affecting the Lower Ward and
Rutherglen particularly. He mentioned that the collieries
were working long before any of the railways were made, the
coal being carted to Glasgow town and harbour from Farme,
Stonelaw, Wellshot, etc. The same series of seams were at
one time worked under the sites of houses .and works in
Glasgow at the old collieries of Camlachie, Newlands,
Barrowfield, -and Dalmarnock. With reference to the pro-
bable life of the coal field, he stated that the Royal Com-
mission on Coal Supplies estimated 12 years ago that
there remained in Lanarkshire 2,604,000,000 tons of coal
in seams over 12 in. (in thickness, which at the normal rate
of production would last 140 years from now. Eliminating
seams less than 18 in. thick, there were still 87 years of
normal production. Even in the remote event of the coal
being worked out in Lanarkshire, he did not anticipate any
cessation of .industry, because coal supplies could be brought
from the East of Scotland. For the objectors a number of
expert witnesses were examined. The risk of subsidence
of buildings erected on ground over mineral workings was
urged against the present development of some of the land
scheduled, and in some cases it was urged that the scheme
would interfere with the amenity of estates.

LABOUR AMD WAGES.

South Wales and Monmouthshire.

The annual meeting, of the'South Wales Miners’ Federa-
tion commenced at Cardiff on Monday. The acting-
president, Mr. J. Winstone, delivered an address, in which
he referred to the war as being the outcome of the capitalist
system and of secret diplomacy; also contending that
capitalists were so engineering matters as to place, by
changes in the fiscal system, the enormous burden of the
war debt upon the shoulders of the working class. Labour
must keep a careful watch upon the trend of events in that
respect. With regard to Federation affairs, he reviewed the
year’s work by which the lower-paid day wagemen had
secured advances ; also that a new minimum wage had been
obtained which was higher than the old maximum; with the
bonus turn to men on afternoon and night shifts. As to the
recent decision of Lord Muir Mackenzie, rejecting the
application for a further increase of wages, Mr. Winstone
held that that increase was only what the men were entitled
to. He quoted statistics as to the death rate in mining ;
referred to the experiments for lessening risks of explosion ;
and argued that dustproof trams would minimise, if not
altogether eliminate those risks.

The second day’s sitting of the miners’ conference was
entirely upset by the blizzard on Monday night, which pre-
vented the attendance of the greater part of the delegates.
The different local railways were blocked, and traffic was
deranged, so that only one-fifth of the members attended ;
and it was decided to adjourn the conference to a date not
specified.

On Wednesday, Judge O’Connor sat at Cardiff, to conduct
his enquiry into the question of the “lost 5 per cent.,” a
claim set up by the men in the anthracite district. The
Board of Trade has instituted this enquiry in order to adjust
the percentages, and do away with this question of the
alleged “ loan ” made by the workmen to the owners about
30 years ago. Evidence on behalf of the workmen was
given on Wednesday, and their case was concluded. The
owners’ case was opened by Mr. C. W. Kenshole, solicitor
to the Coal Owners’ Association.

The South Wales coal owners have issued a statement
upon the situation created by the approach which the Miners’
Federation made to the Board of Trade, resulting in the
appointment of Judge O’Connor as a conciliator upon three
matters in dispute. According to the manifesto, an arrange-
ment was made at the time of the Eight Hours Act in 1909
that the Sunday night shift should be one of eight hours, one
turn being paid for it; and this arrangement was specifically
embodied in the Conciliation Board (agreement, it having
been carried out in practice with few exceptions ever since.
Tn the settlement arrived at last year, by Government inter-
vention after the strike, the arrangement was upheld. Upon
the question of rates for surface craftsmen, the employers
point out that they entered into an agreement with the
Enginemen, Stokers, and Craftsmen’s Association, and that
they afterwards offered those new rates to all the men of
these three classes employed in the coal field, and they did
so in order that there should be no distinction between the
rates of men who were members of the Federation and those
who were members of the association, their offer being a
voluntary act, as they were under no obligation to give
higher rates than those imposed in the Government settle-
ment. The workmen’s representatives, however, refused the
offer, and are now endeavouring to get even higher rates,
though they themselves in the first instance never asked
for any change beyond that which was outlined in their
proposals. The employers state that this demand really
amounts to setting aside clause 2 of the recently-concluded
Conciliation Board agreement. With regard to the ostlers,
the manifesto points out the impracticability of laying down
any general rule; and refers to the fact that the employers
have offered to pay the ostlers half a bonus turn where they
are employed for three or four hours later than the ordinary
men.

North of England.

The following are a few of the more important decisions
arrived at at the meeting of the Joint Committee of the
Northumberland coal trade, held on March 11 : — With
reference to the request of the owners of Netherton Howard
pit that prices and conditions be fixed for working the
Harvey (or Beaumont) seam, the matter was sent to arbitra-
tion, but owners and workmen were recommended to agree.
The same course was adopted with regard to the request

of the owners of Prudhoe Colliery that hewing and yard
prices should be fixed for working in the two bottom sections
of the Hutton seam, and that putters rank prices for that
seam should be fixed. The Committee decided that the
Shankhouse workmen’s request, “ that all hewers and fillers
in Lamb pit, when working in places where ramble stone
is thicker than coal, should be paid the county average rate,”
was a county question. The application from the South
Elswick Colliery workmen that, when a coal hewer has to
put his own, he should receive Is. for starting and that, when
a coal hewer has to put his own and another man’s work,
he should receive Is. 6d. for starting, was granted for the
period of the war. The claim of the same workmen for
rent for December 31, 1915, and January 3, 1916, when the
manager laid the pit idle, was settled. The cases where the
workmen at Walker Colliery applied for a fixed tonnage
price on the conveyors in the Beaumont seam and asked
for an advance of hewing prices on the conveyors, were sent
to arbitration, but owners and workmen were recommended
to agree.

Following on the resolution of the Miners’ Federation of
Great Britain to the effect that all mine workers’ associations
should become affiliated with the Federation, negotiations
for drawing up a scheme of closer unity amongst the several
workmen’s unions in Northumberland are in progress. At
present, of course, only the Miners’ Association is attached
to the Federation, but several joint meetings of the officials
of that association, the Colliery Mechanics’ Association, the
Colliery Enginemen’s and Firemen’s Association and the
Deputies’ Association have already been held, and the pre-
liminaries of the scheme discussed.

The executive committee of the Durham Miners’ Associa-
tion have decided that, under the present circumstances, the
annual gala should not be held this year.

Scotland.

Mr. H. Balfour Browne, K.C., will act as independent
chairman of the Scottish Coal Trade Conciliation Board at
a meeting which will be held in Glasgow on Tuesday next.
The question before the Board is an application by the
miners for an increase of wages to the extent of f8f per
cent, on the basis rates of 1888.

Miners’ Federation of Great Britain.

The executive of the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain
resumed their meeting on Friday last. A letter was read
from Mr. Ben Tillett, secretary of the Dockers’ Union, to
the effect that the Dockers’ Union had requested the
Parliamentary Committee of the Trade Union Congress to
convene a special congress to deal with the question of the
cost of the war, so that it might as far as possible be
placed upon the shoulders of those best able to bear it. The
executive decided to support the appeal for the holding of
a special congress.

Tn answer to a communication from the executive to the
Chancellor of the Exchequer as to the position of miners
under the new income tax proposals, Mr. McKenna, in reply
stated that he had decided that all outlays incurred by
miners on tools, explosives, etc., used in their work should
be deducted from wages previous to their assessment for
income-tax.

A letter was received from the Durham Miners’ Association
calling attention to the appointment of a committee to
enquire into the administration of the National Insurance
Act, and pointing out that while most large insurance com-
panies had secured representation, the miners who had
several large approved societies under the Act, had not been
given direct representation on the committee. It was
decided to take action to secure representation of the miners
on the committee.

Mr. W. Best, Providence Works, Leeds, attended the
meeting, and exhibited his last production in safety lamps.
This is a gauzeless lamp, and Mr. Smillie, in a brief
description of the features of the new lamp, said it was pro-
bably the first safety lamp invented without a gauze. It
had an illuminating power of one candle, and it was claimed
for the lamp that the illuminating value did not deteriorate
during a working shift of from eight to 10 hours. It was an
oil lamp, and it was expected ultimately, by an improvement
of the burner, that its illuminating power might be almost
doubled. A further claim for the lamp was that it could be
held in almost any position without risk of being extinguished.
The executive expressed a very high opinion as to the
improvements effected in this lamp, which they understood
had not yet been fully endorsed by the Home Office. They
sincerely hoped that this lamp, or one giving similar illumi-
nating power, might shortly be available for the miners in
the pits. Another improvement claimed for the lamp was
that the bonnet did not get heated to anything like the same
extent as with the ordinary class of lamp. The executive
had decided to request the Home Office to give them an
opportunity at an early date to pay a further visit to
Eskmeals, the Government testing station, in order that they
might see Mr. Best’s lamp tested under varying conditions.
It was also agreed to approach the Home Secretary by a
deputation, and to point out to him the necessity of
endeavouring at the earliest possible moment to have the best,
type of safety lamp introduced into the mines.

Institution of Petroleum Technologists. — At the third
annual general meeting of the Institution of Petroleum
Technologists, held at the London Chamber of Commerce on
the 22nd inist., Sir Boverton Redwood, Bart., D.Sc.,
F.R.S.E., retiring from the presidency in conformity with
the by-laws (after two years’ tenure of that office), referred
to the meritorious public services of his successor, Prof. John
Cadman, C.M.G., D.Sc., M.Inst.C.E., and congratulated
him upon the honour recently conferred upon him in being
made a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St.
George. In taking the chair, Prof. Cadman paid an eloquent
tribute to the abilities of his predecessor, employed
unreservedly in the interest of his country as technical
adviser of several Departments of the Government, and
remarked that the foundation and subsequent success of the
■institution were largely due to Sir Boverton’s energetic
action. The vice-presidents and council for the ensuing
year are :—Vice-presidents : The Rt. Hon. Lord Cow dray of
Midhurst, Sir Thomas H. Holland, K.C.I.E., D.Sc., F.R.S.,
and Sir Boverton Redwood, Bart., D.Sc., F.R.S.E.
Council: Alfred C. Adams, Herbert Allen, Sir Robert
Balfour, Bart., M.P., Capt. R. W. Barnett, M.A., Herbert
Barringer, M.Inst.C.E., M.I.Mech.E., M.I.N.A., George
T. Beilby, LL.D., F.R.S., Edwin R. Blundstone, B.A.,
F.C.S., Andrew Campbell, John T. Cargill, Maj. A. Cooper-
Key, C.B., E. H. Cunningham Craig, B.A., F.G.S., Arthur
W. Eastlake, M.Inst.M.E., A.M.I.Mech.E., C. Greenway,
T. C. Palmer, Assoc.M.Inst.C.E., F. Moll wo Perkin, Ph.D.,
F.I.C., F.C.S., and Robert Redwood, F.C.S.