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THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

May 19, 1916.

Mr. Joseph Batey, who has been a member of the South
Shields Town Council for 20 years, has resigned his seat, as,
owing to his appointment as joint committee agent of the
Durham Miners’ Association, he now resides in Durham
City.

Mr. Jas. Blumer, who has retired after nearly 40 years’
association with Messrs. Bolckow, Vaughan and Company
Limited, as mineral salesman, has been presented by his late
colleagues at Middlesbrough with a silver-plated tray, tea
urn, kettle and stand, and smoker’s cabinet. Mr. Samuel
Hare, agent for the firm’s collieries, presided at the presenta-
tion, which was made by Mr. W. W. Storr.

Colliery prosecutions in the district during the last few days
have resulted as follow :—Fredk. Walker (23), employed at
Leasingthorne Colliery, fined £1 for hewing coal off the wall
side; Henry Christie (18), fined £1 for having failed to use a
“ cotteril ” to secure the limber to the tub, whilst working in
Eppleton Colliery, an omission which, it was explained, might
have caused a serious accident; Bobt. Howe (22), fined £2 2s.,
Greener Middlemast (15), fined 10s. 6d., Bobt. Bowlands
(22), fined £2 2s., Lancelot English (22), fined £3 3s., and
Ernest Johnson (16), fined 10s.—all charged, at the instance
of the South Moor. Colliery Company, with token frauds.

Mr. Anthony Kuhlman, manager of Craghead Colliery, who
is of German extraction, has resigned his seat on the Stanley
Urban District Council, of which he has been vice-chairman.
In his letter of resignation, he states that 18 years have
passed since the electors first honoured him with their con-
fidence, and that during that period he has led the life of a
good and loyal citizen. He hopes that his resignation will
not be misconstrued, and that soon this great and liberty-
loving nation, under whose protection he lives, will enjoy
the blessings of peace. The resignation has been accepted by
the Council with a profound expression of regret and of
sympathy and confidence.

There was a contest between mining sections when, at the
May meeting of the Houghton Bural District Council, it
came to the co-option of a representative of the New Herring-
ton district, in place of the late Mr. W. Hill, miner. The
New Herrington lodge of the Durham Miners’ Association
nominated Mr. Thos. Vardy, whilst the local branch of the
Durham Mechanics’ Association put forward the name of
Mr. John Fletcher. Ultimately, Mr. Fletcher was chosen by
seven votes to four.—Mr. W. O. Day, colliery manager, was
co-opted as representative of Moorsley, in place of Mr. Thos.
Wood, resigned. It was mentioned that Mr. Day had
already done good work in the district in the matter of
housing.

Mr. H. Peile, of the Priestman Collieries Limited, has
been elected chairman of the Newcastle section of the Society
of Chemical Industry. At the annual meeting, in Newcastle
last Friday, the lion, secretary (Mr. E. F. Hooper) drew
attention to the backwardness of North-East Coast firms in
the employment of skilled chemists, 'and averred that there
was hardly a colliery of any standing in the neighbourhood
that ought not to have a highly-qualified chemist on its
staff. The heads of firms should be impressed with the
necessity of getting high grade and well educated chemical
staffs, and with the fact that they would not lose financially
by so doing. He had come across one company, with a
capital running into hundreds, of thousands of pounds, where
the only chemist was a youth who had studied merely at a
night school in a mining district, and was now getting 35s.
per week for controlling operations involving the expenditure
of many thousands per annum.

The vital importance of drivers taking care to see that the
coupling of tubs is effectively done was emphasised at the
inquest on James McGuigan, a pony driver, employed by
Messrs. Thomas Hedley and Brothers at their Oswald Pit,
Craghead, last week. According to the evidence of Bichard
Keown, another pony driver, the accident by whichMoGuigan
met his death happened through the uncoupling of three
empty tubs from a set of six. He could not tell how the
coupling became unfastened, although it was possible that if
they clicked sharp that might release the bolt. He did not
examine the bolt before sending the set away, but was advised
by the coroner that, in future, it would be well to do so.
Deceased was caught between the wheel and the up-coming
set. The jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death,’’ and
the coroner remarked that, whilst there was no suggestion
that the omission was wilful, the accident could not have
occurred had the pin been put in properly.

Speaking at Siiksworth on Saturday evening, Mr. Tom
Wing, M.P., stated that, since war commenced, over 25 per
cent, of the miners of Great Britain had enlisted, and over
250,000 miners were now serving with the colours. Of the
miners of military age, the percentage was much higher.
The number of Durham miners who had enlisted up to
March 10 last was 33,000, out of 78,000 eligible, a percentage
of over 41. Since then, 10,000 more had joined, making
55 per cent. He thought that Durham County held the
record for enlistments from individual collieries, and he was
proud of the splendid figures of collieries in his constituency.
At Byhope, for example, 874 enlisted out of 1,370 of military
age, representing almost 64 per cent., in the first eight
months of the war. One might infer, from these figures,
that, if the whole of the Kingdom had responded equally
well with that county or with the miners as a class, there
would have been no necessity for compulsion.

Drastic punishment was meted out to men employed at
Shotton Colliery by the Castle Eden magistrates last week
for the theft of pit timber. William Morton, shift worker,
William Walker, data! lad, and Jacob Herring, wagon
wayman, were each found guilty of having stolen a pit prop,
valued at 8d., lid., and Is. 2d., respectively. The prosecut-
ing solicitor pointed out that, not only was timber extremely
dear at the present time, but that it was extraordinarily
difficult to buy it at all. The timber stolen was new, and
had just been brought to the colliery. Two of the men
wanted the wood for firewood, and the third was con-
templating the construction of a fence round his garden.
Each defendant was fined £3.

Boyish pranks on the wagonway at West Cramlington
.Colliery had a bad end last week-end, and John Potts, a
lad employed at the belt screens was fatally injured. At the
inquest, on Saturday, it was stated that Potts and another
boy were playing between two wagons. Potts was swinging
on the coupling of one wagon, and the wagon, which was on
a slight incline, began to move towards the second wagon.
The bov’s head was caught between the buffers of the two
wagons" and badly crushed. The boys had previously been
warned against interfering with the wagons.

Bichard Straughan, of Toft Hill, Bishop Auckland, for-
merly treasurer of the Bailey Fell lodge of the Durham
Miners’ Association, has been sentenced to a month’s
imprisonment, without hard labour, for having withheld £33,

the moneys of the association. Accused was first before the
court a month ago, when he was leniently dealt with, on
condition that -he refunded the money within a month. He
made no attempt at repayment, however.

Mr. C. B. Palmer has retired from the position of manager
of the Felling Colliery of Messrs. John Bowes and Partners
Limited, and is to be succeeded by Mr. F. Wilson, who, for
the past nine years, has been manager of the Hebburn
Colliery of the Wallsend and Hebburn Coal Company
Limited. Mr. Wilson is the second son of Mr. B. S. Wilson,
late manager of Pelton Colliery. General regret will be
expressed at Mr. Palmer’s retirement from Felling Colliery.

In celebration of his 80th birthday, Sir William Stephenson
(chairman of the Throckley Coal Company Limited, and of
Walter Scott Limited), who on Monday received an address
of congratulation from his colleagues on the Newcastle City
Council, handed to the Lord Mayor a cheque for £2,000. The
money will be distributed amongst city charities.

Durham County Court judge on Tuesday reserved'judgment
in a compensation claim preferred by Walter Trevena, plate-
layer, against the Weardale Steel, Coal and Coke Company
Limited, in respect of injuries alleged to have been sustained
in the course of his work at Wheatley Hill Colliery on
November 16 last. It was stated that, whilst walking to
his work along a footpath which ran by the side of the
wagonway owned by the respondents, he slipped on some ice
and fell, hurting his back, in consequence of which he was
confined to bed for five weeks. For the respondents, Mr.
Simpson, engineer at the colliery, stated that the footpath
was there before the wagonway, and that there was a right
of way over it. Mr. Heath, for claimant, contended that
Trevena’s employment began as scon as he readied the
respondents’ premises—the wagonway, in this instance. For
the respondents, Mr. Meynell argued that employment did
not begin until arrival at the time office, and that the acci-
dent occurred on a public road. It arose neither out of nor
in the course of claimant’s employment.

The Northumberland Miners’ Association appears to be
gradually recovering, with the aid of the doubled contribu-
tions of its members, from the financial plight into which it
had been thrown by successive trade disputes, culminating in
the national strike of 1912. When that strike finished, the
position of the organisation was exceedingly critical. Accord-
ing to the quarterly balance-sheet just issued, the association
now has capital funds amounting to £31,294.

A fire which occurred in the engine house at Messrs.
Bolckow, Vaughan’s Black Boy Colliery, Bishop Auckland,
on Tuesday, was soon got under by the colliery brigade,, but
resulted in the pit being laid idle for a day or two following,
owing to damage done to the building. All the underground
workers were brought to bank before the situation became at
all dangerous.

The proposal of the President of the Board of Trade that
means should be considered whereby prices of coal for ship-
ment to France should be limited to 20 per cent, below the
level of the market prices which ruled on March 8—why
“ March 8,’’’by the way?—is being discussed by Northum-
berland and Durham “ coal men.” It is recognised that,
if Mr. Walter Bunciman makes up his mind that the thing
must be done—as it is to be done with reference to French
coal freights—it will be done, whether the coal trade likes it
or not, and that the restriction of coal freights will be used
as an argument for the doing of the other. It is feared, also,
that he may be tempted to regard the two cases as on a
parity, which assuredly they are not.

Cleveland.

The Middlesbrough Chamber of Commerce quarterly returns
have just been published. They show that of the 77 blast
furnaces erected within the port of Middlesbrough, at the end
of March 44 were in operation, or two below the number
blowing at the same time a year ago. The make of pig iron
for the first three months'of the year amounted to 551,000
tons, 236,000 tons being Cleveland pig, and 315,000 tons
haematite, spiegel, basic, and other special iron. The total
output in the previous quarter was 533,000 tons, of which
217,000 tons were Cleveland pig, and 286,000 tons haematite,
etc.; and for the first three months of last year the produc-
tion reached 552,000 tons, 322,000 tons being Cleveland iron,
and 230,000 tons haematite, etc. The imports of foreign ore
to Middlesbrough last quarter reached 441,021 tons, as com-
pared with 489,437 tons for the previous three num ths, and
388,330 tons for the first quarter of 1915. The total value of
goods, other than coal and coke, exported to foreign and
colonial destinations from Middlesbrough during the first
quarter of the year amounted to £3,448,978, as compared with
£1,488,627 for the corresponding period of 1915, an increase
of £1,960,351.

Cumberland.

Mr. A. Thom, manager of Gilthead Colliery, near Flimby,
has taken up in addition the managership of the Flimby and
Broughton Moor Collieries, near Maryport.

Yorkshire.

New Seam at Hatfield—The Middleton Explosion—Pony
Drivers' Offence.

It was rumoured at the beginning of this week that the
Barnsley bed had been readied at the new Hatfield Main
Colliery, near Doncaster. Investigation showed, however,
that this was not the case. The sinkers had come upon an
excellent seam of coal, about 6 ft. thick, at a depth of
756 yds. in the No. 1 shaft. It was first thought that this
was the Barnsley seam, but the coal did not bear the general
characteristics of that seam, which is not expected to be
reached under some 800 yds. It was, therefore, concluded it
was the Kent’s Thick, or High Hazel seam; but, on the
other hand, there were some features which seemed to suggest
otherwise. There is, however, felt to be little doubt that this
is the case, and that the Barnsley bed, to which sinking will
continue, will be found at a depth of some 30 or 40 yds.
lower down.

In the Leeds West Biding Police Court on Tuesday, the
Middleton Estate and Colliery Company Limited, and Mr.
C. Hinchliffe, colliery manager, were fined for breaches of
sections 5 and 39 of the Explosives Act of 1875. The prose-
cution arose from an explosion, which killed four men, on
February 21. Mr. E. 0. Simpson, who appeared for the
Home Office, said that about 30 lb. of super-rippite had been
placed in a distributing store, as a preliminary to being
served out to the miners. There was a fire in the store,
although that was extremely dangerous, and it was admitted
that super-rippite needed thawing. Such thawing ought to
be done by means of a hot water vessel. The Home Office,

Mr. Simpson added, felt very strongly about this case.
Section 5 of the Act of 1875 provided that explosives should
not be kept except in a magazine or store properly licensed,
but this building had never been licensed by the local
authority. Since the explosion the company had taken steps
to provide better precautions, and were now erecting a more
suitable building. He did not wish to ask for a higher
penalty than was provided in the Act, and did not press for a
conviction against Mr. Hinchliffe. The chairman said the
Bench regarded the case as a very serious one. Much more
care would have to be taken in looking after places like this
one. The colliery company would be fined £3 and costs.
With regard to Mr. Hinchliffe, they thought that he ought to
have known that this building was an unsuitable place for
explosives. In deference to Mr. Simpson’s wishes, the case
against him would be dismissed on payment of costs.

Beprehcnsible conduct on the part of two Denaby pony
drivers was related at Doncaster, when Arthur Wellings and
Herbert Clare were charged with doing an act likely to
endanger the safety of the mine or of persons working in the
pit. Mr. Frank Allen, who prosecuted, said the boys were
seen to deliberately pull out a pile from the side of the road
for the purpose of letting the dirt down. They were suc-
cessful in getting 20 tons down, and had they succeeded in
getting the “ leg ” out, the probabilities were that they
would have been buried. It took two and a-half hours to
move the fall. The management had been considerably
troubled by falls in the roadways. In this case four stalls
were put off, and eight men out of work for two and a-half
hours. Clare had borne a good character, but the other boy
had admitted having done the same thing before. Wellings
was fined 30s. and Clare 21s.

Lancashire and Cheshire.

£500,000 Developments—A Safe Mine—Canal Traffic.

It is estimated that the cost of the colliery developments
now in progress, or on the point of completion, in the Leigh
division of South Lancashire, approaches £500,000
Amongst other firms who have extended their resources are
the Clifton and Kersley Coal Company, Astley and Tyldesley
Goal Company Limited, Messrs. J. Speakman and Sons,
Tyldesley Coal Company Limited, and Wigan Coal and Iron
Company Limited.

At an inquest at Skelmersdale the deputy coroner drew
attention to an interesting record held by the Earl of
Latham’s colliery near Ormskirk. The inquest was on
Bichard Heaton (25), who died as a result of injuries received
whilst working in the Bushey Park Mine at this colliery.
Heaton was buried by a fall of the roof, which also partially
buried Thomas Cox, who, however, was only slightly injured.
The coroner said that this was the first fatal accident which
had occurred in this colliery since it was opened about 40
years ago, and he thought it constituted a record. A verdict
of “ Accidental death ” was returned.

A correspondent says large and increasing quantities of
coal are now being carried on canals in Central, South, and
South-east Lancashire, and in some cases colliery owners
are putting additional barges into commission.

The Higher Education Committee at Worsley (Man-
chester) are restarting their summer mining classes, and
there is every indication that they will again prove
successful.

North Wales.

A charge of wilfully committing an act by which the lives
of many men working at Bersham Colliery were endangered
was brought at Wrexham on Tuesday against two youths
named Evan Henry Woods and Edward Dodd. The defen-
dants, it was stated, deliberately knocked a prop from under
the bars in the main haulage road, causing a fall of about
15 tons. Fortunately the road was not entirely blocked, so
that ventilation of the mine was not interfered "with. This,
said Mr. Allan, of Wigan, who prosecuted, was of vital
importance, as on the other side of the fall 68 men were at
work. He could not conceive why these, youths should have
done such a wicked thing. It was stated in evidence that
the defendants deliberately knocked the prop down in order
to bring 'about a cessation of work, so that they could have
a holiday. Woods was fined £5 and ordered to pay advo-
cate’s fee, and Dodd £4, the chairman characterising the
offence as most serious.

In connection with the circular received by the North
Wales Miners’ Association from H.M. Chief Inspector of
Mines, relative to the employment of women labour, amend-
ment of the age for employment of boys, absenteeism, and
revising of hours of employment by the utilisation of the
extra hour per day, and the suspension of the Eight Hours
Act, a meeting of the council was held at Wrexham this
week. All the items were fully discussed, and the agent
(Mr. Edward Hughes, J.P.) was directed to compile a
circular to the effect that in this district there is no necessity
for the employment of female labour or the alteration in the
age at which youths may be employed. With regard to
the question of absenteeism, it is felt that there is a
grievance, and it is suggested that at each colliery a com-
mittee shall be set up, to which shall be referred all cases
of absentees, to be dealt with as shall be deemed necessary
in each case. With reference to the alteration in the hours
and the suspension of the Act, it is contended that there is
no necessity for this at present if every facility is given to
the men by way of wagons, etc., to enable them to get out
as much coal as they are capable of doing under existing
circumstances.

The collieries around the town of Wrexham during the
past three months have subscribed nearly £200 towards the
funds of the Wrexham Infirmary, in addition to war and
other benevolent funds.

The Midlands.

Dr. B. W. Edginton has resigned his position as certifying
surgeon under the Factory and Workshop Acts in Birming-
ham (North), and the post is now vacant.

Kent.

Snowdown Colliery Sinking—New East Kent Directorate.

A further call of 2s. 6d. a share has been made by the
directors of the Chislet Colliery Limited, making the shares
17s. 6d. paid.

The deep sinking in the No. 2 pit at Snowdown Colliery
was last week carried down from 2,305-^- ft. to 2,323J ft., and
is now in hard sandstone. Every foot of the deep sinking
is opening up new ground—the other pit having been proved
down to the Snowdown Hard seam—and it will be very