174

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN

July 28, 1916.

until September, the month in which the new agreement was
actually signed, though it was dated back. The question in
court was whether there had been a break in the service of
the deceased, and judgment was reserved, his Honour order-
ing that meanwhile 15s. per week should be allowed the
widow out of the sum which had been brought into court.

At Merthyr County Court a new phase of the question
between different sections of the miners came up for decision.
A collier wdio is a member of the South Wales Federation
brought an action against the trustees and other officials of
the Dowlais district committee and asked for a declaration
and an injunction, his desire being that they should replace
moneys, which, in the financial year ending December 31,
1915, it was alleged, they had “ illegally and improperly ”
applied. The injunction was sought to restrain them from
using any part of the trade union funds in furtherance of
political objects until the’ requirements of the Trade Union
Act (1913) had been fulfilled; and he also sought to restrain
them from making any levy for political objects unless in
accordance with the provisions of that Act. At the outset
the solicitor representing the committee raised the question
as to the jurisdiction of the Court, and said that if he were
overruled he would ask for an adjournment. Judge Roberts
asked, “ Can you take it to the High Court? ” and the
solicitor answered that he could not. It was stated that the
issue raised affected the whole of the Miners’ Federation of
Great Britain.—The solicitor for plaintiff stated that in the
early part of last year a separate levy of 3d. every three
months was made for Parliamentary and political purposes,
but that because some difficulty arose in collecting the money
there was subsequently one levy of 2s. per month into which
was merged the political levy; and the result was that no
member of the union knew what part of the funds was used
for political purposes.—An adjournment of the case was pro-
posed, plaintiff’s solicitor assenting if in the meantime no
similar payments were made until the case had been heard.
The judge agreed, stating that the course to be taken was
like that of an interim injunction.—A second case by another
collier also came up, and this likewise was adjourned.

An unusual point was settled in the House of Lords by
Lords Parker, Sumner, and Wrenbury in a demurrage case.
The question was whether a firm of ship owners were entitled
to a sum of £300 as demurrage because the unloading of a
cargo of pit props at Newport (Mon.) occupied several days
longer than provided for by the charters, in consequence of a
custom at Newport that pit props should not be unloaded in
wet weather. • Wet came on, and the discharge was conse-
quently suspended, and 6J days’ demurrage was claimed by
the ship owners. The Scottish Courts decided in favour of
their contention, so the charterers took the case to the House
of Lords, where they were successful.

The matter of the increase in the price of coal has been
taken up by different trade unions—such as that of the rail-
waymen—opposition being declared all round; and in course
of public discussion, it was pointed out that one of the chief
reasons alleged in justification of the increase—namely, that
it was due to the miners’ higher wages—is not a fact, because
the higher wages were granted only upon the ascertained
result of the audit, and that therefore they are not a cause
but are a consequence of the better market prices.

The Blaenavon Company was summoned on Tuesday at
the instance of the Home Office for working horses in an
unfit condition, also without an eye-guard, and for failing to
have a keeper for every 15 horses. There were allegations
also that they failed to supply fresh pure water, that a horse
under four years of age had been taken to the colliery, and
that the horsekeepers had not kept a record of the animals’
condition. The inspector stated that he saw a number of
the horses unfit, and that in one district there was no water
at all. In defence, it was submitted that there was a heavy
rush of pure water in the workings, and the manager stated
that when he took over the management the horses were bad,
and he had been weeding them out since, 15 having been
taken out of the mine in 12 months, and that five had been
killed since the inspector’s visit. Further steps also had been
taken to meet the inspector’s requirements, and additional-
horses had been turned out. A fine of £10 was imposed upon
the company, with additional fines upon employees.

A large party of business men from Cardiff visited on
Tuesday the Navigation Collieries, Nantgarw, where Mr.
Thomas Taylor has sunk the deepest pit in South Wales
(865 yds.), the second pit going down to a depth of 860 yds.
The work has been in progress during the past seven years,
and it is on the extreme southern point of the coal field,
within seven miles of Cardiff. The seams which have been
won lead to expectation that the colliery will be very soon
one of the best in South Wales, the “ takings ” covering a
very large area. The pits are adjacent to the Cardiff Rail-
way, also to the Pontypridd and Caerphilly, and by exchange
the traffic could also be got on both the Taff and Barry lines.
As a matter of course, the most up-to-date and abundant
labour-saving appliances have been installed.

Northumberland and Durham.

Manager's Retirement—Extraordinary Fatality—Test Case
, Regarding Scholars—British Association Agenda.

Whilst Walter George Allan, 15, driver in Blackhall
Colliery, was driving a pony attached to three tubs in the
pit his lamp went out and, .apparently, he came into violent
collision with a prop, breaking his neck.

J. Kennedy and J. Fisher were each fined 20s. by the
Seaham Harbour magistrates last week for having been
found sleeping in Seaham Colliery during their work hours.

Mr. H. J. Mein, agent and manager of the Carterthorne
and Moor Hill Collieries, of the Carterthorne Colliery
Company Limited, will shortly retire from these positions,
which he has held for about twenty years. He will continue
on the directorate of the company. His place as manager
will be taken by Mr. Thos. Readshaw.

A chargeman named Henry Batey lost his life under some-
what extraordinary circumstances in the North Seaton
Colliery last week. Two men had fired a shot, after giving
the customary warning by shouting. Batey was afterwards
missed, and his body was found under the fall. It was
stated that the only way in which he could have got unseen
into the position in which he was found was by creeping
along the coal face. Witnesses agreed,that, if barriers had
been erected the accident would not have occurred, but
stated that they were not supposed to erect barriers. The
jury returned a verdict of “ Death from accident,” and
suggested that in future the men should be instructed to
erect barriers round a place where a shot was being fired.

At Bishop Auckland last week the magistrates, on the
application of Mr. J. T. Proud, representing Messrs.
Bolckow, Vaughan and Company Limited, dismissed 14

summonses issued, at the instance of the Durham County
Education Committee, against Shildon parents for having
neglected to send their children regularly to school. The
application was not opposed, the committee having decided,
earlier in the week, to withdraw a test case which had been
entered for hearing in the King’s Bench Division. The pro-
ceedings were the outcome of the summoning of 15 parents
in April last, and the decision of the magistrates in the one
case taken that Messrs. Bolckow, Vaughan and Company,
the owners of Shildon Lodge Colliery, where the boys who
had prematurely left school were employed, were justified in
taking them, because elder boys had left the firm’s employ-
ment to work at the North-Eastern Railway shops, and
because the boys were engaged on munitions work.

At the meeting of the British Association for the Advance-
ment of Science to be held at Newcastle from September 5
to 9 next, the agenda of the geology section, of which Prof.
W. S. Boulton, D.Sc., F.G.S., is president, includes the
following items : Paper on “ Local Geology,” by Prof. G. A.
Lebour; paper on “ The Carboniferous Succession in North
Cumberland,” by Prof. E. J. Garwood; paper on “The
Physical Geography and Geology of the Northern Pennines,”
by Dr. A. Wilmore (joint meeting with the geographical
section); “The Geology of Iceland,” by Mr. Leonard
Hawkes; and a discussion, to be opened by Prof. Lebour, on
” Coals and Coal Seams ” (joint meeting with.the chemical
section). An evening discourse on ” Intensified Combus-
tion ” is to be delivered by Prof. W. A. Bone, and a
“ Citizen Lecture ” on “ Internal Combustion Engines ”
will be delivered by Dr. Dugald Clerk, F.R.S.

Cumberland.

On Sunday evening a public meeting was held at White-
haven in reference to the Wellington Pit Disaster Fund. The
widows and dependants had instructed Mr. Hanlon, the
miners’ agent, to make application to the trustees of the
fund for an increased allowance to meet the present high cost
of living, and a reply had been received stating that the
serious depreciation in the value of the trust securities had
given rise to some doubt as to whether the present allowance
of 7s. 6d. could be continued. A resolution was passed
calling for an increase in the allowance to dependants, and
urging that full publicity be given to the details of the
investment of the fund.

On Tuesday evening considerable damage was done by a
fire which took place at Messrs. Brotherton and Company’s
tar distillery and by-product works at Workington.

Yorkshire.

The committee appointed in Hull in connection with the
scheme for the supply of coal to France on limitation terms,
has met and drawn up its plans. Messrs. Talbot, Eccles,
and Cook attended from Liverpool, and questions as to the
mutual interworking of the Mersey and the Humber were
considered.

Pte. George Scott, Of the Yorkshire Light Infantry, who
has died in hospital from wounds, was an employee of Messrs.
E. Green and Sons, fuel economisers, Wakefield, and was
called up in August 1914 as a Reservist. He was 37 years of
age, and had served through the Boer War.—Pte. P. Paley,
of the Yorkshire Regt., who has been killed, was an elec-
trician at Grimethorpe Colliery, Yorkshire.

At the West Riding Court at Rotherham, damages were
claimed from 28 surface workers at the Rotherham Main
Collieries of Messrs. John Brown and Company Limited,
under the Employers and Workmen Act, 1875. The men
were said to have created an imaginary sort of grievance
over the amount paid to one worker, and the stoppage which
they caused meant the loss of 806 tons of coal. The magis-
trates made an order for half the amount claimed in each
case, and said it was to be regretted that the parties had not
settled the matter out of court.

Lancashire and Cheshire.

The work of dismantling Lord Ellesmere’s Roughfield
Colliery, Walkden, is still in progress.

Many time-expired Territorials are resuming work in coal
mines in the Walkden, Pendlebury, Clifton, Atherton, Leigh,
and Tyldesley districts.

Contracts have been placed during the last few days for
opening out new seams and the construction of tunnels in the
Audenshaw, Pendlebury, Worsley, Atherton, Leigh, Abram,
and Bamfurlong districts.

Notts and Derbyshire.

Peaceful Persuasion—Tribute to Local Coal—A “ Down
Tools ” Case—Question of Higher Prices.

Mr. T. A. Lawton, Hurst Lodge, Tibshelf, has succeeded
the late Mr. S. C. Wardell, as general manager of the Tib-
shelf and Birchwood Collieries, belonging to the Babbington
Company.

A Mansfield Woodhouse stallman employed at the Warsop
Main Colliery has been fatally crushed beneath a fall of
coal. He had drawn one prop, and, while drawing a second,
a third fell out. It was stated that no additional timber had
been set as required by the Act, but witnesses at the inquest
said that there was plenty of timber set. “ Accidental
death ” was the verdict.

It was reported at a meeting of the Alfreton and District
panel of the Derbyshire Miners’ Association that at all the
local collieries except two absentee committees had been
established. A system of peaceful persuasion had been
adopted to keep men at work in all cases, except at one
colliery where the more drastic course of fines had been
followed. Such a course was condemned by the representa-
tives as unwarrantable and unnecessary.

The Mayor of Mansfield (Coun. T. Smith), at a meeting of
the Town Council, presented the annual report of the gas
undertaking, showing that a loss of £1,341 last year had
been turned into a profit of £1,876. He called attention to
the fact that they had been using a lot of local coal for gas
making purposes, and it had proved so satisfactory that they
proposed to place bigger contracts this year than last It
brought down the average price per ton very considerably.
They bought 6,000 tons last year.—Coun. J. P. Houfton,
managing director of the Bolsover Colliery Company, said
he was very pleased to know that the Gas Committee and
manager had found the local coal so satisfactory. It would
be a great benefit to the corporation, because there would be
a big saving on freightage charges, and, again, the coal was
much cheaper than they had been buying. It would be a
permanent benefit to the district.

On Monday 397 miners came before the South Staffordshire
stipendiary at Dudley, charged with neglecting their work at
the Earl of Dudley’s Baggeridge Colliery, on July 11. Mr.
W. A. Foster said the men had an imaginary grievance.
They complained that they were detained dowm below a few
minutes longer than wTas necessary, but they had not brought
the matter to the notice of the general manager or to anyone
in authority. On the day in question they declined to
descend. It had been difficult to locate the blame for the
action the men took. A nominal sum of 5s. was claimed
from each one.—The stipendiary, in ordering the men to pay
the damages claimed, said that, according to the present law,
it was a civil action, and only damages could be awarded.
He did not think the working classes generally realised the
seriousness of the war.—Mr. Foster said that since the
issuing of the summonses the men had not returned to work.

The Derbyshire miners’ council at Chesterfield on Saturday
passed a resolution expressing astonishment at the Board of
Trade concession to coal owners in a certain district of the
right to increase the selling price of coal by 2s. 6d. per ton
beyond that allowed by the Price of Coal (Limitation) Act,
whilst at the same time the Government denied the old-age
pensioners 2s. 6d. per week, thus appearing to show sympathy
with the wealthy coal owners rather than with the poor.

The Notts Education Committee on Tuesday adopted the
recommendation of the Higher Education Sub-Committee that
41 mining scholarships be awarded. The number of mining
scholarships, it was stated, had been kept at about the usual
figure, as the committee pay a fixed amount for their
instruction.

Returns showing a record membership were laid before the
board of management of the Midland District Miners’ Fatal
Accident Relief Society at their 133rd quarterly meeting at
Derby on Tuesday. The roll contained 48,155 names, an
increase of 6,896 compared with the total a year ago, and
olf 1,191 during the quarter. The deaths numbered 10, as
against 15, and six widows and 12 children thereby became
entitled to benefit. There were at present in receipt of
benefit 332 widows, an increase of 14 on the year, and 416
children, a decrease of eight. The income for the quarter
amounted to £2,759, of which £2,604 represented members’
contributions, an increase of £351. The expenditure included
£1,751 in annuities, an increase of £9, and £162 in funeral
allowances, a decrease of £55. The balance carried to the
credit of the benefit fund was £830, as against £307 for the
corresponding quarter of last year. Gratification was
expressed at the progress of the society, which, it was pointed
out, was one of the very few of its kind able to show an
advance in membership and funds, notwithstanding that
during the past few years the rate of contribution had been
reduced and the scale of benefits increased. At the same time,
it was urged to be imperative that the rules as to the circum-
stances in which allowances were to be granted should be
strictly observed. Owing to continued illness Mr. A. G.
Barnes (Chesterfield) resigned the position of chairman of
the board. Col. R. E. Martin (Mountsorrel), who is now in
hospital recovering from a second wound, was elected. Mr.
A. Saxton (Matlock) is the vice-chairman..

At an inquest held recently regarding a dayman, who
was killed at Bestwood, the coroner, Mr. D. Whittingham,
said that was his sixth inquest in five days on colliers, some
of whom had been killed by falls of roof. In the present case
about ten tons of material fell, killing one man and injuring
another.

Kent.

Good progress was made .with the deep sinking in No. 2
pit at Snowdown Colliery last week, 25 ft. being sunk and
the pit carried from 2,442J ft. to 2,467| ft. The ground was
more favourable to progress, as with the exception of a thin
bed of sandstone the measures consisted of bind and clunch.

At the Dover Petty Sessional Court on Friday, the clerk to
the magistrates mentioned that there were a large number of
summonses against seven directors of Kent coal companies
for not holding statutory meetings of the companies, but it
had been agreed to adjourn these summonses. These
summonses, it is understood, have been issued by a share-
holder in the companies.

At a meeting of the East Kent Contract and Financial
Company Limited the chairman (Mr. J. Dewrance) said that
the company had been practically acting as banker for a
number of other companies, and depended for its success
largely upon the success of those other companies. The group
had continued active sinking at the Snowdown Colliery, and
they were now about 330 ft. from the point at which they
expected to cut the 6 ft. 9 in. seam of coal, wdiich was of
great analytical value. In the course of the proceedings Mr.
A. Burr asked for an enquiry into the company’s affairs, but
the proposal was defeated.

Scotland.

Remuneration of Doctors—Company's Extension—Carriden
Company's New Pit.

The latest development in the dispute between the colliery
doctors and surgeons and the National Union of Mine
Workers in Scotland is that the former have offered to remit
their claim for increased remuneration in respect of medical
attendance and medicine to dependants of miners to arbitra-
tion. They requested that the National Union of Mine
Workers might give a reply to that offer within ten days.
The demand of the doctors and surgeons is for a flat rate of
3d. per week for medical attendance of and medicine to
dependants. At the monthly meeting of the Lanarkshire
Miners’ Union the view was expressed that the doctors were
not treating the miners fairly in this matter, and the opinion
was strongly ventilated by the delegates that no further
advance beyond what had been fixed recently should be
given.

Official information has been received that Sapper George
Grant, Royal Engineers, has been killed in action in France.
Sapper Grant was the second son of the late Mr. Robert
Grant, coal master, Larkhall, and, prior to enlisting, was
in the employment of the Wilsons and Clyde Coal Company
at Lethans Colliery.

Sergt. Ross, Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers, who
is a native of Wilsontown, Lanarkshire, has been awarded
the D.C.M. for ‘‘ conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty
during mining operations. He belonged to a well-known
family of miners, employed at Cowie Colliery, Bannockburn.

The decision of the Fife miners to delay or abandon the
usual siiunncr holidays had a beneficial effect last week upon
the shipping trade. Supplies were better maintained than
thev have been recently. The combined shipments at Methil
and Burntisland were 48,067 tons, as compared with 46,262