May 26, 1916. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 995 cated by thrusts, which, with an insufficiency of out- crops, makes it very difficult to ascertain the constitu- tion of the deposits clearly. On the River Miass the coal is deposited between carboniferous limestones, but the relation of the deposits to the underlying rock cannot be determined exactly,, development work not having been sufficiently carried out. The coal deposits here are clearly dislocations, with a general south-westerly dip, at an angle of 45 to 50degs., and sometimes even steeper. The locality where all the production is now being carried on is a hollow, running north to south, 10 versts long and 4 versts broad, in the centre of which is the small sweet-water lake, Tugai-Kul, with a village of the same name. Fig. 1 shows the condi- tions of the seams of the Ekaterininsk and Edwardoff concessions, with a clear anticlinal fold, the western limb dipping at an angle of 6 to 8degs., and the eastern limb at 10 to 45 degs. Fig. 2 shows the formation within the limits of the three northern properties of the Serginsk-Uphaleisk Works, where there is a synclinal fold, with a greater dip of the western and steeper eastern limb. The eastern limb of the Ekaterininsk appears to be the western limb of this synclinal. The Ekaterininsk Mine has eight seams in the eastern and two in the. western limb, the dimen- sions of which, as in the drive of the Ekaterininsk Mine, are given in fig. 3. For various reasons, the other seams could not be so closely examined. The rela- tion of the seams of the Ekaterininsk Mine to those of the Cheliabinsk and the Serginsk - Uphaleisk Works could not be determined; but it is presumed that the thick seam of the southern mines lies over the Ekateri- ninsk series. On the Cheliabinsk and Serginsk-Uphaleisk proper- ties, several seams are worked, o f which 2-5 sazhens (17| ft.) is practi- cally pure coal. (Fig. 4.) The general extent of the deposit, and its constitution in the Tugai-Kul Lake region, suggests that this region may be connected, under a cover of tertiary marl, direct with the out- crops of jurassic rock on the River Miass. Should this KUMM 0'19 0-04 0’06 0'80 0'21 0'03 0'11 0-02 0‘24 0'06 0'28 0-01 0'02 0'06 0'14 0-11 0'19 0'02 0’08 Fig. 4. prove correct, fresh mines will probably be opened up between the River Miass and the railway. As already stated, the jurassic rc Serginsk-Uphaleisk Mine, Seam I., eastern i art of section. Its on the River Miass are deposited between carboniferous limestones, so that the thickness of the coal measures can easily be determined there; but no underlying beds have been found south of the railway. Further south of the Serginsk-Uphaleisk Works are a number of properties, but little or nothing appears to be known of their nature; so that neither the northern nor the southern boundaries of the coal field are yet known. The presumable extent of the jurassic formation exceeds 100 square versts; so that there is room for many more concerns. The railway extensions will doubtless stimu- late production in this field. It is intended to raise the Fig. 5. Stratification in eastern part of Serginsk-Uphaleisk section. production of the Serginsk-Uphaleisk Mines to 10 million poods a year in a short time. The Ekaterininsk Mine (belonging"to Bogau and Meshkoff) is also expected to increase its production soon. Many other concerns are springing up in the .vicinity, thus promising an early greatly increased output of coal. ° Figs. 5 and 6 show the lay of the coal beds in the sections of the Serginsk-Uphaleisk Works. In fig. 5, a is a reddish-brown clayey soil, with a bed of coal; b, d, and e are schisty clay; c is coarse-grained sandstone, with siliceous aggregation; and c, a spherosideritic layer con- verted almost entirely into brown iron ore. In fig. 6, the white space is mar], a light siliceous clayey bed of the tertiary period. At its base is a thin (0-10 to 0-15 sazhen) layer of shingle. In fig. 6, which shows the northern edge of the section, the jurassic rock is seen to intersect the tertiary marl. Notwithstanding the imperfect data available, if it be correct that an uninterrupted connection exists between the Tugai-Kul and the jurassic deposits, on the River Miass, the coal reserves will be very considerable. For example, in three of the Serginsk-Uphaleisk properties, calculations based on borings estimate the quantity of coal at 380 million poods. The present output of the district is only about five million poods a year, but should soon reach 100 million poods, if the supposed extent of the jurassic deposits be confirmed. An analysis of the coal in the Cheliabinsk district, made in the laboratory of the Mining Institute, shows as follows:—Moisture, 1.3-03 per cent.; ash, 4-90; sulphur, 0-87; volatile substances, 36-27; coke, 50-70;- carbon, 59-17; hydrogen, 3-49; nitrogen, 1-26; oxygen, 17-28 per cent. Heating power, 6,200 calories. Fig. 6. Section of coal beds on Serginsk-Uphaleisk properties. The coal of this region belongs to the class of long flame dry coals. Some of the coal cokes imperfectly, but some yields a soft coke. The ash content in some cases is high, and the calorimetric effect correspond- ingly lower. On this account, the chief consumers of the coal in the western slopes of the Ural are the rail- ways, its use for factory purposes having hitherto been very limited. For some time there has been a considerable increase in the production of brown coals in the Bogosloff Mining Company’s mines. These yielded, in 19.14, 14,530,000 poods. Experiments are being carried out in the pro- duction of special brown coal briquettes for metallurgical purposes, but so far without any satisfactory results. PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE. HOUSE OF LORDS.—May 22. Military Service Bill . the Period of Grace for Cancelled Certificates. On Clause 6, which reduces the period of grace given to men -whose certificates of exemption have been cancelled or expired from two months to a fortnight, except in the cases of men engaged in the manufacture of munitions or in some work certified to be of-national importance, Lord Reay moved an amendment, the effect of which was to make two months' grace conditional on the man having been engaged in such occupation before August 15, 1915. The Earl of Derby supported the amendment, and stated that a committee had been appointed to deal with flagrant cases of shirking. Amendment agreed to, HOUSE OF COMMONS.—May 24. Alien Coal Owners. Mr. Barlow asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the German coal owner, Hugo Stinhes, or the West- phalian Coal Syndicate, still own or hold any interest in coal mines in Wales or Yorkshire, or other parts of the United Kingdom; if so, whether these properties or interests can be sequestered on behalf of the Government; and whether he will introduce legislation providing, as is the case in most other countries, that no aliens can hold land in the United Kingdom. Mr. Runciman said he had no information other than that Stinnes was connected with the Northern Union Mining Company Limited, which was being wound up under an order of the Board of Trade. The question of the holding of land by aliens in the United Kingdom was under considera- tion. Timber Supply. Mr. Acland, replying to several questions, said the Cana- dian Forestry Battalion was at work ill several places, chiefly in felling coniferous timbers. A good deal of wood was being cut for pit props. The timber was being felled by the authority of the Home-Grown Timber Committee, which had been set up to save freights from abroad. Sir A. Markham asked whether some of the men could be used in the Midlands; and Mr. Acland said_ they could if there were enough forests. Military Service Bill. The House agreed to the Lords’ amendment regarding the period of grace for cancelled certificates. It is reported that the British Admiralty recently purchased 750,000 tons of Japanese coal for use in connection with the Pacifio Fleet. This is probably the first occasion upon which Japanese coal has been utilised for our battleships. The quality of the coal is reported to be excellent, that from the Yubari No. 1 Mine having acquired a reputation as a steam coal, capable of quick steam raising and possessing non- clinkering and smokeless qualities. The Court of Appeal (reversing a decision given by Mr. Justice Bailhache) ordered the Cargo Fleet Iron Company Limited to pay £2,743 to the Booth Line Limited for freight on steel rails and fishplates consigned to Brazil. The goods were stopped in transit by the Cargo Fleet Iron Company, and the voyage was not completed, the goods being left on a-n island.' The Court of Appeal held that the full freight must be paid. LETTERS TO THE EDITORS. The Editors are not responsible either for the statements made, or the opinions expressed by correspondents. All communications must be authenticated by the name and address of the sender, whether for publication or not. No notice can be taken of anonymous communications. As replies to questions are only given by way of published answers to correspondents, and not by letter, stamped addressed envelopes are not required to be sent. COAL MINERS’ EXEMPTIONS. Sirs,—We enclose you list, dated May 1, 1916, of certified occupations, by which you will see under the head of “ Coal mining ” all underground men are exempt, as well as certain classes above ground, in which weighmen (including eheckweighmen) are exempt. We have two collieries—one house coal and the other steam coal—and last year the quantity we put on rail was over 200,000 tons of coal. The person we are writ- ing you about is employed at our steam coal colliery as a weighman and clerk, and his occupa- tion under Clause I. (G.) was so described in the appli- cation made on Form R. 52 to the local tribunal, and the reason in support of our application for exemption was given as follows :— He is the only weighman and clerk that we have employed at our steam coal colliery, other than the man who is kept at the mouth of the level to weigh the workmen’s coal, and he superintends, weighs, and con- signs all coal sent away in railway trucks, weighs and receives all cash for coal sold for land sales at the colliery, assists at (and frequently takes charge of) the paying of the wages at the colliery, makes up the time and other wages books, attends to correspon- dence, arranges sales, and generally conducts the busi- ness of the colliery. It is absolutely necessary that we should keep one man to do the work he is doing, and we consider it would be next to impossible to get a substi- tute to do his work at the present time, and our clerical staff at our house coal colliery has been so depleted that it is absolutely impossible for us to spare anyone from there to do the work. We appeared before the local tribunal on Thursday last, but did not get any consideration, but we are there- fore taking it to a higher court, and should therefore be glad if you would let us know in your opinion if he is exempt under -the Act. We may add we have only four clerks and two boys to carry on the whole of our business at both collieries, and see no chance of getting more. May 20, 1916. Coal Owners. [In our opinion, exemption should certainly be granted in this case.—Eds., C. G.l ELECTRIC SHOT-FIRINC IN MINES. Sirs, — Your issue of last week contained a most interesting descriptive article on electric shot-firing-in mines now becoming general in the United States. By rtiis arrangement, all shots in the mine are simulta- neously fired from the surface, with every man out of the mine. I am pleased to see this system is coming so generally into use, because it is now about 30 years ago since I perfected a similar arrangement, which I provisionally protected, and descriptive of which I read, before one of our mining societies, a paper, which appeared in their Transactions. Those were early days in electricity applied to mining, and the collieries in this country with electric plant in operation were compara- tively few. The proposal, therefore, failed to receive support, and I did not persevere with it. I venture to think the paper is worth the consideration of up-to-date colliery managers in this country. Francis Brain. Trafalgar Colliery, Drybrook, May 24, 1916. MINING SURVEYORS’ EXAMINATIONS. Sirs,—On Form 13 sent out by the .Home Office Board for Mining Examinations (Surveyors) it says :—“ A statement by a candidate to the effect that he has been employed as an assistant to a surveyor cannot, by itself, be accepted by the Board as instance of practical experience.” Does that clause debar anyone from entering the examination who has not been articled to a surveyor? Will it admit a person who has been assistant to a surveyor for many years, who is able to carry out a survey, levelling, etc., but who has not been articled to a surveyor? I should be much obliged if you would define the above. Meridian. May 25, 1916. French Coal Taxation.—With the omission of the dates at which the Decrees are to be promulgated by the Minister of Public Works, the French Coal Taxation Bill, mentioned in our issue of May 5, has been passed into law.