April 7, 1916.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

667

Lancashire and Cheshire.

Electric Power Pumping—Fire at Coppull—Boring at
Common Bank Suspended.

In connection with the pumping a.t the Lower Green
(Astley) sewerage works, the local Rural District Council
has made arrangements with the Pilkington Colliery Com-
pany for the supply of electric power. The company, which
is developing new collieries in the neighbourhood, is also to
be asked to permit its electrical engineer to prepare a scheme
for the carrying out of the work, and afterwards superin-
tending the erection of any electric plant which may be
installed at the Lower Green sewerage works.

At Leigh last week, Wm. Griffiths was charged at the
instance of the Pilkington Collieries Company, Astley, with
having matches in his possession when he went down the
pit on March 17. It was stated that when a search was
made the defendant handed to the searcher a box containing
32 matches. His excuse was that he did not know he had
the matches until the search was made. Fined £3.

An outbreak of fire occurred in the lamp building of the
Birkhead Colliery Company, Coppull, on Wednesday of last
week, but fortunately no serious damage was caused.

Messrs. Henry Wall and Company, Wigan, informed the
Ghorley Corporation that in view of Government restrictions
and the difficulty of labour, it is not intended to proceed
further at present with the proposed boring operations at
Common Bank.

A trade correspondent says important extensions are being
carried out at the Partington Steel and Iron Company’s
works at Irlam, near Manchester, where important Govern-
ment contracts are being executed. The housing famine
at Irlam continues to be acutely felt by many of the
employees at these works.

Notts and Derbyshire.

Mr. J. Bagnold Smith having retired from the position
he held under the Newstead Colliery Company Limited, Mr.
T. G. Lees continues as agent at the Newstead Colliery and
the proposed new colliery at Blidworth. Mr. Gerald T. Lees
succeeds his father as certificated manager at Newstead.

The Midlands.

Drainage Commission's Report—Colliers Storm-Bound.

The reports of the engineers to the South Staffordshire
Mines Drainage Commission state that the pumping in the
Tipton district has been 11,713,500 gals. per 24 hours, as
compared with 11,335,400 gals, last month, and 13,532,300
gals, in the corresponding period last year. There had not
been any serious breakdown during the month. At the Moat
Pound there had been some increase in water, and at
Tibbington by-pit of Empire Colliery it continued to rise. The
Bradley engine was now working at full speed. The Deep-
fields new engine was also working at full speed, but the old
engine had not yet been re-started. There was little change
to report at Stowheath and Herberts Park engines and the
Mond gas-driven plant, all of which were running at full
speed. The underground level men had been engaged in
cleansing bottom level at the Moat engine. The blizzard did
some damage to overhead electric lines to surface pumps.

Remarkable accounts are to hand from the Cannock Chase
and South Staffordshire coal fields of the disturbance to
output which was caused by last week’s blizzards. No such
upset to the working of the collieries-has been witnessed for
many years. Large numbers of the pits’ companies found it
impossible to reach the pit heads, whilst others made no
attempt to get through the drifts to the pit banks. At some
of the collieries this week the resumption of work has only
been half-hearted.

At the Upper Stour Valley Main Sewerage Board, it was
reported that there had been a further subsidence of ’the sewer
at Haden Hill, due to mining operations. The colliery
owners had given notice of their intention to work mines
under sewers in other parts of the district. The Board
decided to take steps to ascertain the extent of the damage
to the whole of the sewers in the neighbourhood.

Kent.

The deep sinking in the No. 2 pit at Snowdown Colliery
is now down to 2,260 ft. The amount of coal raised at this
colliery and at Tilmanstone now amounts to about 2,500 and
1,800 tons weekly, respectively.

Scotland.

Household Coal Prices—Under-Managers' Association—
Developing Bute	Coal—Holy town Colliery's New

Ventilation—Fire at Bellside Colliery—Checkweigher
Case.

As the result of negotiations between the Falkirk Town
Council and local traders, the price of household coal in
Falkirk has been fixed at Is. 5d. per cwt. Complaint was
made at the Council meeting regarding pit head prices.

In response to an urgent request from the fighting line, a
large consignment of medical comforts and hospital stores
was despatched by the Scottish Red Cross branch for the use
of British wounded on the French frontier. A con-
tribution of £10,000 has been received by the hon. treasurers
of the branch from the coal masters of Scotland. Of this
sum £5,500 has come from the Lanarkshire Coal Masters’
Association, £2,500 from the Fife and Clackmannan Coal
Owners’ Association, £1,000 from the Lothians Coal Owners’
Association, and £1,000 from the Ayrshire Coal Owners’
Association.

A branch of the Scottish Colliery Under-Managers’
Association has been formed in Lanarkshire, and efforts are
being made to establish similar branches in Fifeshire,
Lothians and Ayrshire.

It wras reported to the Edinburgh and Leith Gas Com-
mission that in response to advertisements for the annual
■supplies of coal only about 100,000 tons were offered, whereas
formerly over one million tons were available for the
Commissioners to select from.

There are indications that the coal seams on the island of
Buie are now to be put to commercial use. The existence
of two seams—one at Ascoy and the other at Ambrisbeg—
has long been a matter of public knowledge in the district,,
but beyond a few prospecting operations in recent years, no*
serious attempt, till now, has been made to open them up.
Boring operations are to commence shortly.

In the construction of the new ventilating houses at
Holytown Colliery, Lanark, ferro-concrete is used with great
advantage. The fan chamber is in connection with the new
shaft recently sunk by Messrs. William Nimmo and Com-
pany Limited, the proprietors of the collieries. The works
include the fan house and fan chamber, the latter constructed

wholly on the Mouchel-Hennebique ferro-concrete system.
Under normal conditions, foul air from the underground
workings is drawn from the new shaft, and forced through
the outlet direct, by means of a large fan, but as under
certain circumstances it may be found desirable to reverse
the direction of the air, the fan chamber is designed so that
it can be used as a by-pass access to the shaft. Thus, when
it is proposed to carry out this reversal process, the outlet
duct is first closed, and outside air is drawn into the
fan chamber from an inlet-opening provided for the purpose.
The air so admitted is passed along the fan chamber until
it is above the shaft requiring ventilation, and is then
forced down by the fan. The contractors for the work were
the Gray’s Ferro-Concrete Contracting Company Limited,
Glasgow

Damage amounting to over £350 was caused on Friday last
by an outbreak of fire at the Bellside Colliery, Cleland, of the
Auchinlea Coal Company Limited. The oil stores, stables,
and the colliery office were gutted, but the county fire brigade
succeeded in preventing serious damage to the colliery fans
and pithead building. A number of men were at work in
the mine at the time of the outbreak, but they were safely
brought to the surface.

Speaking at the.annual meeting of the United Collieries,
Mr. M. F. Maclean said it had been suggested that coal
owners were exploiting the trade, but if that meant that they
were deliberately holding up coal for their own personal and
selfish advantage, he did not for one moment believe it. So
far as their company was concerned, he gave the insinuation
the lie direct. They had .reduced their export trade to a
minimum, and excluding shipments to the Admiralty and
bunkers for British steamers, only 7 per cent, of their output
was exported, and every ton of that was going to France or
Italy. In no case had pressure been brought upon mer-
chants to contract over the summer months.

Great interest has been taken, in the case of the interdict
against the late checkweigher of Viewpark Colliery, which
was recently disposed of in the Court of Session. Lord
Hunter, in his finding, laid down that Mr. Sullivan, the
deposed checkweigher, could act as local mine inspector
under the Mines Act, but he granted perpetual interdict
against him acting as checker under the Eight Hours Act,
on the ground that the appointment had not been properly
carried through. The Miners’ Union have decided that, in
view of the importance of the principle involved, an appeal
should be carried to the House of Lords, and it is reported
that the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain have decided to
appeal.

OBITUARY.

The death is announced of Mr. George Deer, chairman of
the Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway Company. The
deceased was 62 years of age, <and at one time was in
Spain managing the company’s ore mines in that country.

Mr. F. G. Vivian, a member of the firm of Messrs. H. C.
Vivian and Company, coal exporters, Cardiff, expired
recently, at the comparatively early age of 51 years.

By the capsizing of his motor car, Mr. T. R. Lonsdale,
manager of the Hill Top, Malton (Manor House) and
Mercie collieries, of Sir S. R. Sadler Limited, was
killed almost instantaneously. Mr. Lonsdale, who was 41
years of age, had been manager for Messrs. Sadler for
several years, with the exception of a few months during
which' he assisted Mr. J. P. Kirkup, during the latter Is
illness, at Messrs. Ritson and Sons’ Burnhope Colliery.

The death has occurred in action in France, of Capt.
and Adj. the Hon. Sydney James Drever Joicey, third so:i
of Lord Joicey. Capt. Joicey, who was born in 1884, served
his apprenticeship as a colliery manager with Messrs.
Embleton, of Leeds, and for some years prior to the war
took an active interest in the management of the various
colliery undertakings with which Lord Joicey is associated.
He was a director of Messrs. James Joicey and Company
Limited, and of the Lambton and Hetton Collieries Limited.
Lord Joicey’s two surviving sons are both with the Colours.

Lieut. Fred. Oswald Dunn, a partner in the coal exporting
and ship broking firm of Messrs. Dunn Brothers, Exchange
Buildings, Newcastle, has been accidentally killed in France.

The death has occurred at Bank House, Annfield Plain,
of Mr. F. Hooper, who retired only recently from the'man-
agement of the Cresswell and Willie pits of the South
Derwent Coal Company. For a considerable number of
years he was a mining surveyor under the late Mr. William
Rutherford, who was at that time agent to the South
Derwent Company.

One of the best-known men on the London Coal Exchange,
Mr. John Lea Smith, passed away at No. 41, Bryanston-
square, London, W. Deceased was one of the original
partners in the firm of Rickett, Smith and Company, lately
incorporated in the firm of Rickett, Cockerell and Company
Limited. For many years he was the moving spirit in the
regulation of all public prices, but of late years he had not
taken any active part in business matters. He was for
many years one of the four trustees of the Coal Trade
Benevolent Association.

The death occurred at Torquay recently of Mr. John
Mills, one of the oldest iron masters of the Cleveland trade.
He was in his 90th year. In 1870, in conjunction with Mr.
John Gjers and Mr. T. Dobson, he founded the company of
Messrs. Gjers, Mills and Company, Ayrsome Iron Works,
of which he was chairman at the time of his death.

Mr. Thomas Baird, aged 69, sole partner of William
Colvin and Company, iron merchants, Glasgow, died on
March 22. For some years he was on the committee of the
Pig Iron Association.

Mr. Robert Arnold Angus Jackson, of Blackburn, died
recently. The deceased was 71 years of age, and was
formerly connected with the Dunkenhalgh Colliery Company.

The death has occurred of Mr. James Lord, Rochdale,
at the age of 71 years. His father, Mr. James Lord, was.
associated with Mr. Thomas Roscow, of Hill House,, in the
working of collieries at Norden, Broadhalgh, and Mjlnrow,
near Rochdale. Deceased himself was connected with the
colliery‘industry throughout his life, and at the time of his
death was chairman and a principal shareholder of the
Astley and Tyldesley Colliery Company.

The death is announced of Mr. John Stephen, of Messrs.
Alexander Stephen and Sons Limited, ship builders and
engineers, Linthouse. He was one of the pioneers in
opening up Central Africa.

Maj. Campbell Thompson, whose death occurred in
London, was chairman of Messrs. Rose, Downs and
Thompson Limited, engineers, Hull.

The death, in action in France, is announced of Lieut.
William Lawson, of the Durham Light Infantry (T.F.).
He was assisting a soldier out of a difficult position when
he exposed himself to the view of an enemy sniper and
was shot. The deceased officer worked for a number of
years in the pits, but subsequently went to Ruskin College,
where he gained the Diploma of Economic and Political
Science of the University of Oxford. When war broke out
he was engaged in the offices of the Northumberland and
Durham Miners’ Permanent Relief Fund.

THE FREIGHT MARKET.

Telegraphic breakdowns greatly interfered with the
transaction of business on the outward freight markets
during the week under review, and the list of fixtures is
very short. At the Tyne, tonnage arrivals have been fairly
regular .and moderately heavy, but the majority of the boats
are chartered before reaching port, and the amount of
tonnage offering on the open market continues to 'be
extremely small. For the most part, loading turns have
been kept well filled during the week, but some of the
Durham staiths were in need of steamers at the beginning of
the week. The enquiry for tonnage, therefore, has never
been very large, but owners have in many instances been
able to secure higher rates , and, on the whole, quotations
are appreciably advanced. Coastwise, London at 17s. 6d.
records an increase of 6d. on last week’s rate. For North
France, merchants have had to concede advances of up to
2s. 6d. for Rouen, and from Is. to 2s. 6d. for Havre. Tiiere
is practically nothing doing Bay wards, and quotations for
Bordeaux are at about 58s., an increase of Is. Bayonne,
however, has paid 62s. 6d. for a small boat. The Mediter-
ranean attracts but little attention, but rates are showing
a tendency to move forward. Fixtures have been arranged
for Genoa at last week’s prices, but quotations for later April
are based on the higher level of 100s. The South
Mediterranean has been done at up to 80s. for Algiers. At
Cardiff, a good arrival of tonnage in the early part of the
week caused rates to continue on their downward path, but
since then supplies have become scarcer, and the tone of the
market has improved all round. In the North France
section, Rouen has advanced by from Is. to Is. 6d. to Rouen,
and by 3s. to Dunkirk. Bay rates have dropped by about
3 fr. to Bordeaux, but are now improving, and late fixtures
for Nantes have been arranged at an increase of 4 fr. on the
rate prevailing during the early part of the week. The
Mediterranean eased appreciably towards the week-end, but
quotations have stiffened and show signs of rising again. On
the week, Italian ports are about steady. The River Plate
is firm at 65s., and the Islands remain on the basis of 45s.
for Las Palmas or Teneriffe.

The Board of Trade announcement regarding 'trade with
Scandinavia has evoked a good deal of discussion in shipping
circles. The instructions are that no ship, other than
regular liners, will be allowed to load coal for any port in
Norway, Sweden or Denmark unless a ship is already fixed
with a return cargo for the United Kingdom. This is bound
to lengthen out voyages considerably and, though the scheme
has much to recommend it, if is extremely doubtful whether
it will result in any increase in the available supply of coal-
carrying tonnage.

Homewards, the River Plate is represented by about
135s. to United Kingdom for neutral tonnage, and 145s. has
been paid for April-May loading. For the Mediterranean,
165s. is the figure indicated. The States market is quiet,
with rates represented by 13s. 6d. to the Bristol Channel
on Government account, and 16s. to West Italy. Montreal
is based on 14s. 3d. to West Italy. In the open market, the
States are paying about 14s. 6d. to the Bristol Channel, and
up to about 26s. 6d. to the French Mediterranean. The
Eastern markets remain dull, with rates easy. The rice ports
are worth from 185s. to 190s. from Saigon to France. From
India, Kurrachee would probably be workable at about 90s.
on scale basis to United Kingdom-. Bombay is offering 100s.
to United Kingdom, and 77s. 6d. is quoted for ore to
Middlesbrough. There is little enquiry in other directions.

Tyne to Algiers, 2,000, 77s. 6d.; 2,600, 77s. 6d.; 3,500,
77s. 6d.; 2,600, 80s.; Barcelona, 2,000, 85s.; Bilbao, 3,000,
50s.; 3,500, 50s.; Bayonne, 1,400, 62s. 6d.; 1,400, 45s., Apr.;
Cape Verdes, 2,000, 60s. ; Dunkirk, 300, 47s. 6d., coke;
1,800. 44s. 3d.; Genoa, 2,000, 96s. 6d.; 2,000, 97s. 6d. ;
1,400, 97s. 6d.; Gothenburg, 1,500, 35 kr., coke; Havre, 800,
39s.; Honfleur, 1,000, 45s.; London, 1,000, 17s. 6d.; 1,500,
17s. 6d. ; Oran, 2,500, 75s.; Rouen, 3,000, 41s.; 1,500,
42s. 6d.; 1,300, 40s.; 2,500, 42s.; 1,000, 42s. 6d.; 2,000, 44s.,
400, 45s.; River Plate, 5,000, 62s. 6d.; St. Vincent, 2,000,
60s. ; Treport, 900, 45s.

Cardiff to Algiers, 2,000, 110 fr., April; Bahia Blanca,
65s.; Barcelona, 2,000, 75s.; 1,850, 76s.; Bordeaux, 2,900,
69 fr.; 1,200 69 fr.; 1,500, 69 fr., April; Dunkirk, 2.700, 40s.;
Fecamp, 1,600, 33s.; Genoa, 1,900, 90s.; 5,800, 87s. 6d.;
3,000, 90s.; 4,000, 90s.; 2,700, 90s.; 4,000, 70s., April;
Gibraltar, 2,200, 58s. 9d., 500; Honfleur, 1,600, 33s.; 500,
32s. 6d.; 5,500, 33s.; 850, 33s.; Havre, 2,000, 33s.; Islands,

2.600,	45s., April; Leghorn, 1,900, 90s.; 3,000, 90s.; 5,800,
87s. 6d.; 2,900, 90s.; Lisbon, 1,400, 56s., 400; 52s. 6d.,
500; 2,600, 52s. 6d., 500; 1,800, 52s. 6d.; Las Palmas,
3,000, 45s.; 2,000, 45s.; 2,600, 45s., April 17; Marseilles,
2,200, 125 fr.; 4,600, 125 fr.; Madeira, 2,600, 45s., April 17 ;
Naples, 5,500, 86s. 6d., 800; Nantes, 1,200, 56 fr.; 1,250,
60 fr.; Oporto, 1,450, 55s.; River Plate, 65s.; 300, 65s., 400;
4,500, 65s., 400; Rouen, 1,650, 37s.; 2,500, 37s.; 1,700, 38s.;
Savona, 1,900, 90s.; 3,000, 90s.; 5,800, 87s. 6d.; 4,000, 90s.;

2.700,	90s. ; Spezzia, 1,900, 90s.; 3,000, 90s.; 5,800, 87s. 6d.;

2.700,	90s.; St. Malo, 1,400 , 26s.; St. Nazaire, 2,000, 60 fr.;

1.600,	63 fr., fuel; 2,800, 58 fr.; 2,500, 65 fr., April; 1,500,

60 fr.; Trouville, 500, 32s. 6d. ; Teneriffe, 3,000, 45s.; 2,000,
45s.	.

Swansea to Bordeaux, 1,500, 67| fr.; St. Nazaire, 1,350,
631 fr., fuel; Rouen, 1,700, 37s. 3d.; 1,300, 37s. 6d. ; 900,
37s. 6d. ; 900, 38s. ; 2,000, 37s. 6d. ; 1,800, 38s. ; 3,000, 37s. ;
Bordeaux, 1,700, 70 fr., 500; La Rochelle, 1,600, 61 fr. ;
Valencia, 850, 72s. 6d. coal, 73s. 3d. fuel; Genoa, 2,000, 90s.;
Honfleur, 1,000, 53s. 9d.; Bayonne, 1,100, 73 fr.; Oran,
1,650, 105 fr.; Nantes, 1,600, 62 fr. ; Marans, 63J fr. coal,
64i fr. fUel; Bordeaux, 1,200, 69 fr.; 1,800, 69 fr.

Newport to Genoa, Savona, Spezzia, or Leghorn, 3,000,
90s.; Rouen, 2,000, 37s.; 1,350, 37s.; 2,500, 37s.; Malaga,
1,550, 65s.; Bordeaux, 2,000, 69 fr.; 1,700, 70 fr.

Clyde to Malaga, 1,000, 85s., coke.

Hull to Rouen, 1,600, 43s.; Gothenburg, 1,000, 26s. 6d. ;

London, 14s.

Blyth to Caen, 700, 42s. 6d. ; 1,000, 42s.

Glasgow to Barcelona, 76s. 3d.

Wear to Havre, 1,500, 42s.

Immingham to London, 14s.