/April 20, 1916.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

769

The Higher Education Committee of the AVorsley District
Council have decided to make application for permission to
hold a class in mine surveying during the summer.

Tn South and South-West Lancashire colliery districts
close upon 2,000 pit brow lasses are now employed to replace
men who have enlisted.

The officials and workmen of the Park Lane Collieries,
Ashton, have presented a handsome bedroom clock and a
purse of money to Mr. George Moody, who has been manager
for 27 years. Mr. B. E. Einch, who has ■ succeeded Mr.
Mcody, made the presentations.

Eor being in possession of matches in the Eatock Pit of
the Wigan Coal and Iron Company, Alexander Taylor,
haulage hand, of Hindley Green, was fined 15s. at the Bolton
County Police Court on Thursday of last week.

A number of members of the Bolton Field Naturalists’
Society descended the Bradshaw Hall Colliery, Bolton, on
Saturday, and were shown through workings, accompanied
by the manager, Air. Livesey, and Mr. Lomax, of Great
Lever. The party examined the roof of the Five-quarters
mine, which abounds in fossils (these were described by Mr.
Lomax), among which is an excellent'specimen of a trunk
of the Cordaites at least 10 ft. long, and terminating in
its cluster of long ribbon-like leaves.

The coal supply was specially considered in a discussion
on electricity at a meeting of the Manchester section of the
Institution of Electrical Engineers, on Tuesday. Mr. J. A.
Robertson argued in favour of the grouping of electricity
undertakings, and the formation of a joint electricity board
for each group or district. The Price of Coal (Limitation)
Act passed last year required, in his view, to be extender!,
and compulsory arbitration introduced for the prevention of
strikes. In regard to the latter, he suggested the establish-
ment of a system of profit-sharing by the workers. A good
deal of discussion by members of the section followed. Mr.
Highfield, in contemplating a continuance of high coal prices
after the war, thought this would be all the better for the
public supply of electricity. Among other speakers, Aid.
Walker welcomed the suggestion of the formation of a body
to control areas. In the course of speeches by other
members of the section, it was remarked that the linking up
of stations would be economical, as had been already shown
in certain London boroughs. It was remarked, however,
that difficulties might arise in connection with finance.

Notts and Derbyshire.

Causes of Better Output—Full Time on Saturdays—Colliery
Company's Generosity—A Neglected Mine.

Reference has been made recently to the daily increase in
the output of the Holbrook Pit, owned by Messrs. J. and G.
Wells Limited. The increase is comparatively small, but as
the men employed at the coal face are 111 fewer than at the
commencement of the war, the improvement is a noteworthy
one. It appears to be accounted for by the abandonment of
a thick dirt seam, and by the. introduction of coal-cutting
machinery.

For many years it has been the custom in the Leen Valley
district of Nottinghamshire for all collieries to work only
five days per week, Saturday being a recognised holiday.
In consequence of the shortage of coal and the impossibility
of meeting the urgent demands for supplies, the Annesley
Colliery Company sought the opinion of their employees as
to whether they would be willing to work on Saturdays.
The matter was discussed by the men, and they
unanimously agreed to accept the company’s request. This
step will mean a material increase in the output. It is
thought probable that other collieries in the district will
copy the example.

The Duchess of Portland opened on Monday the Voluntary
Aid Detachment Hospital at Creswell (Derbyshire), which
has been built by the generosity of the Bolsover Colliery
Company Limited and the inhabitants. Mr. J. P. Houfton,
managing director of the company, presided. Commenting
upon the fact that the erection and equipment of the
hospital was the outcome of the co-operation of the men,
women, and children of the village, he said that this was
typical of what should prevail throughout the country in
connection with the war. Mr. Houfton went on to say that
the Bolsover Colliery Company during the first 17 months
of the war spent .£12,000 in supplementing the allowances
to dependants, and the workmen had contributed a like
amount. The war was costing the company £250 per week,
and the men exactly the same sum. From their collieries
2,200 men had enlisted.

Mr. Henry Walker Hill appeared at the Belper Petty
Sessions under proceedings taken by H.M. inspector of
mines for the district. The charge was that, being- the
owner of a coal mine, he did not forward a certified copy
of the workings to the Secretary of State. The neglect, said
Mr. T. H. Mottram, the inspector, was serious, as there
was danger to the public from the dilapidated shaft, the
workings, or from water. The mine had not been worked
since December 1914, and although Mr. Hill had been
written to he failed to comply with the conditions imposed.
The pit was situate at Heage, and known as the “ Holly
Bush,” adjoining a highway. In answer to the Bench, Mr.
Hill stated that he had lost every copper in the mine, and
he was now insolvent. He had tried to form a company, but
it did not succeed for some time, although one was registered
recently. Evidence was given by a colliery manager named
Hamilton, who had supervised the working. He declared
that Mr. Hill did not think “ in his own mind ” that the
colliery was closed. The chairman replied that this did not
combat the Act of Parliament. The fine was £2, and costs.

The Midlands.

Ventilation in Coal Mines — Heavy Losses Through
Glanders.

At the monthly meeting of the South Staffordshire and
East Worcestershire Colliery Under-Managers’ Association
at Dudley, on Saturday, the vice-president (Mr. T. Tranter)
read a paper on “ Ventilation in Coal Mines.” The chief
points emphasised were the properties of air, its distribution
in the mine, the various modes of ventilation, and the means
of obtaining an efficient supply. In the subsequent dis-
cussion, Messrs. T. Foxall, AV. Parsons, A. Cartwright, F.
Jew, B. Hancox, .and W. Garratt (chairman) took part.

At the Bilston (Staffordshire) Police Court, on the 11th,
important prosecutions under the Coal Mines Begulation
Act were taken before the Stipendiary. John Barker,
Harry Barker, and Harold Barker, of Tipton, and A. Taft,
of Sedgley, were summoned for permitting a horse to be
taken underground without the animal having been
previously examined by a veterinary surgeon and certified to

be free from glanders. The first three defendants are the
owners of the Cotterill Farm Colliery, Tipton, and the last-
named defendant is the manager.—Mr. J. E. Underill, who
prosecuted on behalf of the Home Office, said that the horse
in question died from glanders, and within a short time
afterwards seven or eight others also died.—The defence
was that a mistake was made in the interpretation of the
Regulations, defendants being under the impression that an
examination was not necessary every time a pit pony was
removed from one pit to another. Messrs. Barker had
already lost £150 as a consequence of the glanders, and
under these circumstances it was submitted that justice
would be met by the imposition of a small penalty. Each
defendant was fined £4 and 17s. 6d. special costs, two
further cases of a similar nature being dismissed.

Kent.

Bricking lias now been completed as far as the deep sinking
in the No. 2 Pit at Snowdown Colliery, and sinking has been
resumed. The depth of shaft lined last week was 56 ft. Coal
getting from the Beresford seam at this colliery also continues
at the normal output of about 2,500 tons weekly.

The amount of coal raised from the Tilmanstone Colliery
last week was 1,833 tons.

Forest of Dean.

Dividing Gale Fund—Saving the Forest Coal Field.

Considerable interest was shown on Saturday evening at
the Speech House, Forest of Dean, at a meeting of free-
miners—beneficiaries in the New Begulation Colliery Gale,
situate on Bilson Green, Cinderford. The sum of £1100 was
divided in equal sums of 5s. to some 400 men. The property
is contained in the 20 in. seam of house coal, and although
forfeited to the Office of Works some 17 years ago, a grant to
the 400 odd claimants was made. Under the Act of Parlia-
ment dealing with these matters, a committee of 17 was
appointed, and in due course Mr. Arthur Taylor, of Cinder-
ford, purchased the area on a royalty of 2d. per ton. This
has accumulated until now. The committee met every half-
year.	. •

It is understood that the coal has now all been won, and
that this is the first and final dividend. Mr. Hy. Fox was
chairman, and his son, Mr. Jas. AV. Fox secretary of the
committee. The gale was situate on the outcrop, and the
coal was worked from a shaft some 40 yds. deep.

The late Sir Stafford Howard will be remembered in the
Forest of Dean for paving the way for the development of
the deep seams of coal in the Forest coal field. Ten years
ago, owing to the rapid exhaustion of the coal then being
worked, the Forest as a coal producing area was seriously
threatened with extinction, as the areas into which the coal
in the deep measures had been grouped were of such modest
proportions that capitalists shrank from putting money into
their development. When the prospect seemed most for-
bidding, thanks to Sir Stafford a scheme was brought into
effect, by which 45 gales were amalgamated into six or seven.
The scheme concerned about 100,000,000 tons of coal.

Scotland.

Colliery Managers' Meeting—Under-Manager's Progress—
Scotsman in	W ales — Standardising	Switchgear —

Tobacco for Troops—Tunnelling Corps.

At the annual meeting of the Scottish Branch of the
National Association of Colliery Managers, in Glasgow, on
Saturday, the retiring president, Mr. Bichard McPhee,
referred to the effects of the war on the Scotch coal trade.
He pointed out that when Lord Kitchener asked for men,
the response was most nobly given by 30 to 40 per cent,
of the total workmen employed at many of the collieries in
Scotland, and as strangers had to be taught'to carry on the
work, the output was affected. Repairing work had not
been so thoroughly done as formerly, but the complete
effect of this would probably not be felt till some time had
elapsed. Since August 1914, wages had been advanced in
Scotland 50 per cent, on the 1888 basis. The nominal wage
of 9s. per shift was.no criterion of what was being earned
by good men. In many instances they were making 75 per
cent, more than that. Unfortunately the higher wages
earned had increased absenteeism, and had caused a general
disinclination to work on the part of some men. With an
occasional exception, the miners’ agents were doing what
they could to get the men to work steadily. In collieries
which were passing from the working of comparatively thick
or easily got seams into the thin and harder seams the
situation was serious, both for the owner and the colliery
manager. Indeed, the demand by the men for increased
rates rendered it impossible in certain seams to continue
working them at a profit. A short time ago several places
in one of the Scottish collieries were paid a certain rate to
cover existing abnormal conditions. In course of time the
places came back to the normal. Naturally enough the
manager asked for a reduction in the tonnage rate as the
men were earning 14s. a shift. That request was refused
by the miners’ agent, who declared that if it were persisted
in both pits would be stopped. The manager did not
desire the pits to be idle, but he promptly closed the places,
and they remained closed up to the present day. Altogether
he maintained that it had been a very harassing time foi
colliery managers, and there did not seem any prospect of
improvement during the continuance of the war.—Mr. Neil
A. Wilkie was elected president. It was reported that the
membership of the branch stood at 275, and that Mr. Joseph
Parker, B.Sc., Cowdenbeath, had been awarded a bronze
medal by the parent association for his paper on “ Some
Attempts to Improve Rescue Apparatus.”

Mr. John George, vice-president, occupied the chair at
the monthly meeting of the Cambuslang Mining Educational
Association, on Saturday. An interesting and practical
paper was read by Mr. A. Tait on “ Dangerous Gases in
Mines.” The author described the various gases to be
found in mines, and expressed satisfaction at the progress
which had been made in recent years in the matter of
ventilation.

Mr. Robert Bankin, under-manager at Parkneuk Colliery,
Motherwell, belonging to the Glasgow Iron Company, has
been appointed to a more important post with Messrs.
Archibald Bussell Limited, at No. 3 Loanend Colliery,
Newton, Cambuslang.

On his leaving to take over the agency of the Meiros
Cardiff Collieries, Mr. D. M. Arbuckle has received a hand-
some testimonial from the staff and workmen at Kenfig
Hill collieries belonging to Messrs. Baldwins Limited. The
gifts took the form of a canteen of cutlery and a purse of
gold. Mr. Arbuckle, who is a native of AVishaw, in

Lanarkshire, and who is well known throughout the Scottish
coal field, left for Wales ten years ago. He has had a
singularly successful career.

Mr. J. B. Thomson has been elected president of the
West of Scotland branch of the Association of Mining
Electrical Engineers.

For the convenience of their staff and workmen, the
Giffnock Coal Company Limited are arranging for the
erection of a number of cottages in the vicinity of their
collieries.

At a meeting of the AVest of Scotland branch of the
Association of Mining Electrical Engineers, an interesting
paper was read by Mr. J. P. C. Kivlen, chief electrical
engineer to the United Collieries Limited, on ‘‘ A Plea for
the Standardisation of Mining Switchgear.” The author
pointed out that it had been proved to the hilt that the
class of material called for by the Special Rules was neces-
sary, but there seemed even yet to be some ambiguity
amongst manufacturers as to how the regulations should be
interpreted. When it was remembered that the most of
the great manufacturing concerns were members of an
association for the promotion of self-interest, it was sur-
prising that something had not been done in the way of
adopting certain constructional standards which would prove
beneficial and economical to those concerned. That could be
done, he thought, quite apart from touching the theoretical
principles of design, the latter being the right of every
manufacturer and often the justification for his existence.
Tn the course of the discussion which followed, Mr. John
Gibson, colliery manager, Kilmarnock, urged that the
author ought to have gone further, and argued for the
standardisation not only of mining switchgear, but of
motors.

Following upon the visit of Lieut. Dennis Bayley
to Scottish mining districts with a view to the raising of
funds for Red Cross work, the executive of the Lanarkshire
Miners’ Union has decided to recommend the executive of
the National Union of Mine AVorkers to take up the subject
so that an appeal may be sent out to the miners in Scotland.
It is understood that the Alining Institute of Scotland is
circularising its members with the object of raising a sub-
stantial donation for Red Cross work.

The fund raised by Mr. John Robertson, miners’ agent,
Hamilton, with the object of sending “ black ” tobacco to
the soldiers at the front has now reached a total of over
£1,000. In addition to.the tobacco, Mr. Robertson arranged
for fully 100 gross of clay pipes being despatched to the
men in the trenches.

A considerable amount of interest has been created
amongst miners and colliery managers in Fifeshire regard-
ing the appeal which has been made for additional men for
the Tunnelling Companies of the Royal Engineers. It is
understood that before an appeal is made in a concrete form
to the Fife miners the employers and representatives
of the Fifeshire Miners’ Union will be consulted.

Bailie Mackie, Leven, has been deputed to take charge
of the raising of a mining battalion to be called the Fife
Alining Battalion, and to be attached to the Royal
Engineers. Two-thirds of the men are to be competent
face workers.

The period of suspension of an order for the closing of
155 workmen’s houses occupied by miners at AVest Benhar,
belonging to Mr. John Forrest, has elapsed, but as there
is still no other accommodation in the district an arrange-
ment has been come to whereby the suspension of the
order will be extended.

At -a meeting of the executive of the Fife and Kinross
Aliners’ Association, the income from contributions was
shown to be £17,366 for the year. The. accumulated funds
amount to £41,497. After paying dues, levies, and expenses
a sum of over £3,000 was added to the credit of the
association.

OBITUARY.

The death is announced of Mr. Isaac T. Cheesman, aged
73, of Tynemouth. Air. Cheesman was manager of Throckley
Colliery for 43 years, and one of his sons, Air. M. F.
Cheesman, now occupies the position.

Air. James •Ramsbottom, aged 68, of Edenfield, Lancs,
formerly in business there as a coal merchant, has passed
away at Bury.

Air. James Alarsden Ashurst, of Carlton, Barrett-road,
Birkdale, who died last week at the age of 74 years, was,
prior to his retirement a few years ago, the Liverpool agent
for Messrs. Crompton and Shawcross, and other colliery com-
panies, and he was well known in coal trade circles.

Air. Joseph Henry Collins, F.G.S., died on April 14, at
his residence, Crinnis, Par Station, Cornwall, aged 75.
Mr. Collins, who was born in London, was past-president
of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, the Royal
Geological Society of Cornwall, the Royal Cornwall Poly-
technic Society, .and the Royal Cornwall Institution. Mr.
Collins was a prolific author on mining and geological
subjects. His “ Notebook on the Mineralogy of Cornwall
and Devon,” published in 1871, was accepted as a standard
work of reference, and his translation of M. Leon
Moissenet’s “’Rich Parts of the Lodes of Cornwall ” was
much appreciated. Mr. Collins contributed numerous
papers to the proceedings and transactions of learned
societies, all bearing on the mining industry.

Air. Geo. Robson, of Addison, who has just died at the
age of 92 years, was for over 60 years in the employ of the
Stella Coal Company.

Air. Thos. Coulson, of Lambton House, Birtley, whose
death is announced, was for many years cashier and secretary
of the Birtley Iron Company Limited, the company with
which he had been connected for about 35 years.

Maximum for Scotch Bar Iron. — In continuation of the
notices published in our issues of- April 7 and 14, fixing
maximum prices for pig iron, coke, steel, bar iron, and high-
speed tool steel, the Ministry of Alunitions intimates that
Scotch bar iron was accidentally omitted from the list. The
maximum has been fixed at £13 15s. per ton net, f.o.t.
makers’ works, for standard quality ordinary sizes and mer-
chants’ lengths, subject to the usual extras for special sizes
and qualities. All the maximum prices are subject to the
conditions of the notice published in our columns on April 7.
Alakers may sell for delivery after June 30, 1916, on the
understanding that the fixed maximum on prices ruling on
the first day of any month during the period of the contract
will apply to all deliveries made during that month.