130 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN July 21, 1916. EXPORTS OF COAL, COKE AND MANUFACTURED FUEL IN 1914 AND 1915. Statement Showing Quantities Exported from the Principal Ports of the United Kingdom to the Principal Groups of Foreign Countries and British Possessions.* Bristol Channel ports. North- western ports. North-eastern ports. Humber ports. Other ports on the east coast. East Scotland. West Scotland. All other ports. Total from the United Kingdom. 1914. 1915. 1914. 1915. 1914. 1915. 1914. 1915. 1914. 1915. 1914. 1915. ■ 1914. 1915. 1914. 1915 1914. 1915. Russia, Sweden, Norway, Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tons. Tns Tons. Tons. £1,237,587 232,746 107,464 3w,993 9,545,633 5,432,878 4,566,245 1,470,540 223,195 22,489 5,085,090 3,050,008 360,765 110,401 297 — 21,126,276 10,350,055 Denmark, Germany, £20,104 8,113 9,838 22,502 239,217 214,011 106,352 72,402 225,907 63,835 123,118 57,890 3,285 1,667 3,053 — 730,874 440,420 Netherlands, Belgium, Iceland, Whale Fisheries, and Deep Sea Fisheries. §11,066 — — — — — — — — 1,329 567 50 12,445 567 France, Switzerland, fl 7,940,865 15,702,435 331,538 427,274 9,312,271 8,447,809 1,302,838 2,209,906 68,806 14,298 972,163 643,623 4,530,479 2,417,282 955 185 31,462,915 29,862,812 Channel Islands, Por- £51,160 114,042 8,982 7,113 218 188,582 242,339 14,557 8,616 24,516 18,743 10,265 10,585 ! 13,463 25,028 1,217 1,122 312,742 427,588 tugal, Azores and Madeira, Spain and Canaries, Gibraltar, Italy, Austria-Hun- gary, Malta, Servia, Montenegro, Greece, Bulgaria, Koumania, Turkey, Cyprus, Tri- poli, Tunis, Algeria, Morocco, Spanish Ports in North Africa, and Egypt. §977,302 923,239 55 49 10 5 5 43 1,513 j i 1,168 11,116 978,567 936,156 West Coast of Africa, £298.201 306,423 8,916 7,570 51,482 ' 84,744 3,899 4,627 4 — 3,019 — — — — 365,521 403,370 Ascension, and St. £227 i 1,477 760 741 ; — — 100 1 — — — — 1,087 2,219 Helena. §80,973 66,095 1.287 995 — — 1,604 5 — — — — — 82,265 68,694 British South Africa ... 128,650 7,017 2,148 2,795 394 144 — — 101 43 5,804 — 8,311 1,759 — — 45,408 11,758 128,803 18,470 108 59 802 1,623 — — — 13 — 372 183 — — 30,085 20,348 §3,398 1 500 — — — — — — y — — — — 3,398 502 East C ast of Africa, £253,268 190,811 , 4,749 2,433 17,306 6,325 — 1 — — — 152 200 s — 275,475 199,769 Mauritius and Depen- £191 141 20 20 1,134 597 — — 62 20 — 1 545 1,365 — 1,952 2,143 dence , Seychelles, Madagascar, Bourbon, Abyssinia, Arabia, Persia, and Aden and Dependencies. §20,863 11,446 1,513 989 22,376 12,435 Indian Continent £117,119 19,320 8,555 424 25,365 552 4,767 1,310 — — — 2,455 2,930 — — 158,261 24,536 £6,594 3,233 353 360 2,471 2,483 100 , — — — — 1,170 8,604 — —, 10,688 14,680 §5,540 6,500 — — — — — — — — — 126 392 — — 5,666 6,892 Ceylon, Straits Settle- , : £338,383 55,709 17,272 2,092 13,612 — — — — — 1 — 329 2,033 — — 369,596 59,894 ments, Java, Other! £7,671 2,999 136 24 8,334 ; 4,429 — — — 310 — — 12,215 3,1< 6 — 28,356 10,868 Dutch Possessions in Indian Seas,Philippine Islands, Siam, French Indo-China, Hong- Kong, China, Wei-hai- Wei, Korea, Japan, Australasia, and Pacific Islands. §4,105 4,900 i 1 - ! 1 201 4,106 5,101 Canada, Newfoundland, £61,786 12,331 10,883 6/00 5,571 i 8,428 ; 1.226 — 69 63 4,275 — 112,987 28 619 ' ; 196,797 55.471 St. Pierre and Mique- £2,743 5,413 2*9 187: ! 11,042 5,709 , 547 — 110 1 13 ; — 4,659 9,756 ; 19,340 21,078 lon, United States of America, British West Indies, Bermudas, Foreign West Indies, Mexico, Panama, Cen- tral America,Colombia, and Venezuela. §47,411 13,787 6,514 320 ! l 1,292 3,967 1 60 — 55,597 17,754 Brazil,Uruguay, Bolivia, £3,047,437 2,031,334 93,118 41,629 145,746 | 151,160 168,595 105,009 153 — 106,714 : 30,304 184,396 ! 158,133 1 — 4,616,159 2,517,569 Argentine Republic, £20.367 13,098 711 177 4,700 2,558 21 42 — — 314 474 421 1,417 ! — — •6.564 17,766 Paraguay, and Falk- land Islands. §263,385 151,711 201 10 — — . — — ; - 1 — — 6,078 4,465 ! — > — 269,664 156,186 Peru, Ecuador, and Chile £252,255 43,770 13,076 2.998 124,600 — 2,171 — — — — — 1,370 2,558 ! — — 393,172 49,326 £10,127 2,151 906 1,019 5,674 — — — — I — 22,341 4,453 28,092 — ■ — 21,160 53,603 §170,952 20,784 1 — — — — — — : — i — 2,720 : — — ■ — 173,673 20,784 £24,475,551 18,601,896 600,719 524,214 19,241,980 14,132,040 6,049,741 3,791,392 ; 292,328 36,893 6,177,065 3,723,935 2,201,244 2,721,005 1,252 ! 185 59,039,880 13,534,560 Total £147,987 169,137 22,05.3 32,202 461,956 473,749 121,577 81,060 250,695 : 82,935 133,727 91,290 : 40,583 , 79,218 4,270 £,122 1,182.848 1,010,713 §1,584,995 1,198,962 8,003 1,223 — 55 49 1,614 i 331 1 1 7 1 1,372 2,080 12,947 21,130 60 — 1,607,757 1,225,071 * From the Tables relating to Coal Shipments [Cd. 8288] issued by the Board of Trade. f The whole of the figures across page refer to Coal. X Coke. § Manufactured fuel. Recently the Northumberland Miners’ Association applied to the county coal owners that the war bonus payable to workmen in receipt of minimum wages should be increased to a sum equal to two-thirds o!f the county percentage calculated on the minimum wage. The owners have now replied, inti- mating that they are prepared to pay to men earning the minimum wage half the difference in percentage ranging from 50 per cent, above the standard to whatever the county per- centage may be. At present the percentage is 11.2 above the standard. Thus, such workers will 'be entitled to 31 per cent, on the minimum wage, being half the difference between 50 per cent, and 112 per cent., instead of the .15 per cent, war bonus they are now receiving. Very few, if any, grown men will at present be earning wages so low as to advantage them from this, concession, but there must be a considerable number of boys between the ages of 15 and 17 years who will benefit. On Saturday last a deputation of Northumberland colliery mechanics submitted, at a meeting with the county coal owners, requests for the following concessions for their members :—An advance in the wages of apprentices, an allow- ance to joiners who have their own tools to provide, an increase in rent allowances for mechanics, free house or rent allowance for mechanics’ assistants, and improved overtime rates for Saturday afternoon and Sunday work. The owners intimated that they would forward their reply in due course. The executive committee of the Northumberland Miners’ Association have decided to invite a representative of the Inland Revenue Department to meet the local secretaries an conference as to the best and most expeditious way of getting all necessary information to the members and arrangements made as to the collection of income-tax due from them; to lay before the agent of Choppington Colliery the suggestion of the workmen that, provided he will promise to give them itemised pay-notes when the war ends, they will agree for the present to forego their claim to such pay-notes; to take legal opinion on the objection of Mickley branch to the validity of the recent ballot vote on the continuance of weekly pays at Mickley Colliery; to subscribe £5 to the Keir Hardie Memorial Fund; and “ that, as there are still grave com- plaints from the workmen of Seghill regarding the insuffi- ciency of their fire coal supply, we instruct our deputation to visit the colliery and examine the coal as supplied, without notifying anyone that they are going, so that no one can say that there were any preparations for their visit.” A dispute occurred at the Ladysmith pit, Whitehaven, and the men on the back shift, numbering about 100, did not go to work. For some time it appears there has been some question about the charge for explosives. In ordinary places, explosives are charged against the men, but at Ladysmith pit there was abnormally difficult work, and while these conditions prevailed explosives were not charged for. Notice, however, was given some time ago that these conditions being deemed now altered to normal, explosives would be charged for. When the charge became operative the men refused to work. . A meeting of the miners employed at Ladysmith pit, Whitehaven, was held on Sunday, to consider the position with regard to the dispute about explosives, which had arisen at the pit on Friday. It was decided to leave it to the miners’ agent (Mr. Hanlon) and the colliery delegate to settle locally, if possible. Federated Area. At a special meeting of the council of the Notts Miners’ Association, a recommendation from the Miners’ Federation that the association should request its members to postpone the August holidays was unanimously adopted. A special conference of the Lancashire and Cheshire Miners’ Federation on Tuesday passed a resolution in favour of postponing holidays. Scotland. The appointment of four inspectors to examine the work- ings on behalf of the miners employed in the mines of Fife and Kinross and to visit the locus of accidents, has been considered by the members of the Fife Miners’ Union. By a substantial majority they have acquiesced in the proposal. The executive, however, have recommended the men to w>ait until the termination of the war before making the appointments. The setting up of committees to consider the question of absenteeism at the collieries in the Fife and Kinross district has been arranged at all the collieries within the area. The expectation is that the course which has been taken will result in absenteeism being reduced to a minimum. For some time past negotiations have been in progress between the representatives of the miners and the colliery and workshops surgeons of Scotland regarding the claim of the latter for an increase in the charge for attendance on the dependants of insured persons employed in and about the mines. Up to the present time no settlement has been arrived at, and the surgeons have intimated that their contract will terminate on July 31, 1916, unless the miners are prepared to agree to a charge of 3d. per week for all persons employed. This proposal is under the consideration of the miners meanwhile, and a reply will be given to the surgeons before the date mentioned. Payment of income-tax will now be fairly general amongst the mining community, and the Lanarkshire Miners’ Union have issued a circular instructing their members on the present situation, and furnishing explanatory details with regard to payments and claims for deductions. The National Union have lodged a claim for the standard- isation of wages of female workers at collieries, as follows, calculating from the miners 7s. basis : Women and girls at light employment, at screening plant, etc., 2s. 6d. per day; heavier employment, 3s. per day ; when put to work on pit bank where men wTere previously employed, to be paid Is. per day above the higher figure. To the above figures would fall to be added the general inci eases from the 7s. point, on the usual scale, which would amount to lOd. per day. The owners have promised to give their reply to the claim at an early date. Iron, Steel and Engineering Trades. The application by the engineering trades on the North- East Coast for an advance of 5s. per week on time rates, and 121 per cent, on piece rates, was considered by the engineer- ing employers at the Central Conference at York, and no agreement was come to. The matter was referred to the Com- mi ttee on Production. Voting on the question of amalgamating with the London United Brass and General Metal Founders' Society, the members of the Friendly Society of Ironfounders decided in favour of the proposal. As the majority is not equal to the requisite one of five-sixths of the members of the society, however, the amalgamation cannot take place. The French Chamber of Deputies has ratified and passed into law the decree of September 3, 1915, prohibiting the export and re-exportation from bond, depot, transit, or trans- shipment of coal and coke. Heriot - Watt College, Edinburgh. — The college has arranged with the University of Edinburgh a new scheme of engineering degrees in civil, mechanical, and electrical engineering. A diploma course in engineering lasts for three years, and can be followed by a shortened apprentice- ship with a suitable firm. The course in mining extends over three years, and is recognised by the Home Office as equivalent to two of the five years’ underground training required of candidates for the colliery manager's certificate. The training in mining is also recognised by the University of London for the purposes of the B.Sc. (Loud.) Degree in Mining. An entrance bursary is offered for competition on September 26. Particulars are obtainable from the Principal.