366

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

August 25, 1916.

Houfton (chairman), Mr. Granville Chambers, Col. the Hon.
F. Stanley Jackson, Mr. J. P. Chaworth-Musters, and Mr.
R. M. Knowles.

The directors recognised at the outset that they had the
difficulty of sinking through heavily water-bearing ground,
and decided to adopt the cementation process known as
the Francois system of cementation, and the work has been
successfully carried out by means of this process, improved
to suit the conditions met with at Hatfield in the new red
sandstone, which is approximately 210 yds. in thickness, by
M. Franqois and Mr. H. N. Berry, the manager.
Events have proved the wisdom of the selection of this
process as being the safest, quickest, and most economical
method that could be adopted in dealing with the enormous
quantity of water contained in the new red sandstone, and
also the smaller quantities found in the limestone below. A
unique feature of this colliery is the absence of cast iron
tubbing as the permanent lining for keeping back the water.
The permanent lining adopted right through the water-bear-
ing ground is ferro-concrete, which has proved perfectly
satisfactory in keeping back the water, coupled with the
cementation process. It is interesting to note that there is
over 2501b. per square inch water pressure upon the bottom
length of this lining, but in injecting cement it has safely
withstood injection pressures of over 1,500 lb. per square inch.

At the Thorne Board of Guardians, Mr. Dunston referred
to the fact that the Barnsley seam had been reached at the
Hatfield Main Colliery, now in process of sinking. The pit
was in the Board’s area, and it behoved the members to
look ahead in regard to their administration, as the large
population that would follow the development of the colliery
would throw upon the Board much responsibility. Mr.
Dunston added that the seam was the thickest ever met
with in the Barnsley working. From his South Carr bore-
hole results and certain geological facts, Mr. Dunston has
always argued that the further east the thicker the Barnsley
bed would be found.

An action under the price list in force at the Rotherham
Main Colliery of Messrs. John Brown and Company
Limited occupied the attention of the Rotherham County
Court. William Havenhand, collier, claimed lid., wages
due. The amount was in respect of “ chain money and
bonus in the list of prices in force at the defendants’ colliery.”
His Honour, in giving judgment for the plaintiff, pointed
out that in the course of 10 years, which was the period the
price list had been in operation, the company had always
paid on the full output until March of this year. The rule,
he thought, meant that when a chain was used the men
should be paid 6d. (now 9d.) on the total of the stall.

Lancashire and Cheshire.

Mills Linked to Collieries—Lady Clerks at Collieries—
House Scarcity at Atherton—Partington Extensions.

Following the example of Messrs. Burgess, Ledward, and
Company Limited, of the Wardley Mills, Walkden, who
have obtained permission from the local district council to
link up their mills with Lord Ellesmere’s Linnyshaw
Collieries, Walkden, other local factory owners are seeking
similar powers.

Among the developments effected at Manchester Docks
has been the opening of additional depots and offices for
certain leading colliery firms.

In consequence of their clerks having joined the Army,
many colliery firms in south and south-east Lancashire are
now engaging more lady clerks. Among other owners who
are making up the deficiencies are Messrs. A. Knowles and
Sons Limited, Clifton and Kersley Coal Company Limited,
New Moss Colliery Company, Lord Ellesmere, Tyldesley
Coal Company Limited, Wigan Coal and Iron Company
Limited.

Owing to the growth of the local coal mining industry and
the consequent influx of more miners into the township,
there is now a great scarcity of houses at Atherton, near
Manchester, and the housing problem is occupying the
attention of the district council. Mr. J. A. Robinson, agent
to Lord Lilford, has been invited to meet the council to
discuss that authority’s proposals for the acquisition of land
as sites for working-class dwellings.

Important extensions are being made at the Partington
Steel and Iron Company’s new works on the Ship Canal at
Irlam, where output has lately been greatly increased.

Notts and Derbyshire.

The council of the Derbyshire Miners’ Association, meeting
at Chesterfield on Saturday, took further action regarding the
power granted by the Home Secretary to the South Wales
coal owners to advance the price of coal beyond the amount
allowed by the Price of Coal (Limitation) Act. The reso-
lution threatened that, should similar power be given to
coal owners in the Conciliation Board area, the men’s
section of the Conciliation Board would immediately be
requested to make application for a corresponding advance of
wages on behalf of the miners. It was pointed out that
the council recognised that wages were at the maximum under
the existing agreement, and that there was at present no
intention of applying for any further advance, except under
the above resolution. The council have been endeavouring to
fix up at the various collieries in the county local committees
for dealing with absenteeism among the miners. Draft rules
have been submitted to the coal owners, but these have not
been confirmed, and the council, recognising the impotence
of the new bodies without a code of rules agreed upon between
the Coal Owners’ Association and the Miners’ Association,
resolved'to take no further action pending a communication
from the coal owners.

The Midlands.

A new colliery enterprise is announced in the South Staf-
fordshire coal field. A well-known firm in the Kingswinford
district have leased pits which have not been worked for 50
years, and preliminary work with a view to their develop-
ment is being done.

Kent.

During the week ended Aug. 19 the deep sinking in No. 2
pit at Snowdown Colliery was taken down a further 18 ft.,
from 2,492 ft. to 2,510 ft. A new compressed air pipe range
was also fixed during the week. The sinking is proceeding
through very hard sandstone. Present anticipations are
that the 6 ft. 9 in. seam of coal will be reached in this pit
about Christmas.

The Maidstone Gas Company has been added to the
various lighting and power companies in Kent which are
taking coal from the Tilmanstone and Snowdown collieries.
Almost every week also sees additions to the collieries’
clientele of manufacturing concerns. Last week nearly 5,000
tons of coal were raised from the Beresford seam at these
two collieries. Labour conditions are rather better. The
quarters for unmarried miners that have been provided by
the conversion of Elvington Mansion have now been taken
into use, and the accommodation is much appreciated by the
miners.

Scotland.

Retirement of Mr. R. Martin—The Six-Days Question—
Faulty Lamp Causes Explosion—Unexpended, Charge
Causes Accident—Pit Prop Case.

Mr. Robert Martin, of Holmhill, the general manager of
the Chapel Coal Company Limited, Lanarkshire, is retiring
on account of ill-health. He is to be succeeded by his son,
Mr. John Martin.

Sergt. A. W. R. Duncan, 14th Canadian Battalion, has
been awarded the D.C.M. for a particular act of bravery.
Prior to emigrating to Canada, Sergt. Duncan was a pit-
headman, employed at Priory Colliery, Blantyre.

A largely-attended meeting of the Fifeshire branch of the
Scottish Association of Colliery Under-managers was held
in Dunfermline on Saturday evening. A paper was read
by Mr. James Armour on ‘‘ The Altruism of Labour.”

It is expected that the ballot vote which is being taken by
the miners of Scotland on the question of extending the
working policy to six days per week for the duration of the
war will be completed. The voting in the Lanarkshire
mining districts shows a wide diversity of view. The miners
employed in some pits have voted almost unanimously for
the extension of the working policy as requested, while on
the other hand the workmen at other pits have voted in a
completely opposite direction.

The type of safety lamp in use at Earnock Colliery,
Hamilton, was the chief subject of discussion at the enquiry
into the death of John Madden. An escape of gas occurred,
and an explosion took place, due, as one witness suggested,
to the gas finding its way through some unseen defect in a
roadsman lamp. Such a defect might exist in consequence
of two different parts being fitted into the lamp. It was
alleged, moreover, that the type of lamp (approved by the
Home Office) was unsatisfactory to the men. The under-
manager found in this case that the ventilating plate was
too big for the recess, and left a space through which a
current could enter without passing through the gauze, and
he stated in evidence that such a lamp should not have been
given out from the lamp cabin. Mr. R. Smillie, who repre-
sented the Lanarkshire Miners’ Union, made some strong
observations, and the jury recommended that the manage-
ment of the colliery should exercise a stricter supervision
over those entrusted with the duty of putting the safety
lamps together in the lamp cabin.

Circulars have been issued by several of the Fife coal
companies intimating that they will be unable to guarantee
supplies in the future to the same extent as in the past.

In Midlothian, while the men are being balloted on the
six days per week working policy, several of the pits have
been unable to obtain more than half-time, owing to delay
in obtaining the necessary licences. This turn of events
may have an adverse influence on the ballot. In Fife stock-
ing has been resorted to in many cases.

A site has been fixed for new steel works near to the
Waverley Works, Coatbridge. The works, which will be
owned by the Scottish Iron and Steel Company, will cost
between £4,000 and £5,000, and give employment to 500
hands.

An unexpended charge supposed to have got mixed
amongst the coals was responsible for an explosion in a
household at Stirling in which an inmate of the house was
severely burned and considerable damage done to the
property.

Lord Dewar has issued judgment in an action by the Oak-
bank Oil Company Limited against Love and Stewart,
Glasgow, for £1,800 damages for failure to deliver pit props
according to contract. The question of liability depended
upon whether a note printed in red ink at top of defenders’
writing paper, to the effect that they were entitled to cancel
their agreement in certain eventualities which occurred must
be held to form a condition of the written contract. The
Lord Ordinary has given decree for £1,633 of damages, and
has found pursuers entitled to expenses. His lordship said
it was the pursuers’ custom to invite tenders from various
merchants for the pit props they require. To those mer-
chants they send schedules specifying their requirements,
and the terms and conditions on which they are prepared to
purchase, one of the conditions being : “ The company’s
specifications, conditions, and form of tender must be
strictly adhered to and not altered in any way.” Defenders
received one of the schedules, and contract was concluded
on July 1914, the undertaking being to supply props during
July 1, 1914, to June 30, 1915. On August 6, 1914,
defenders wrote pursuers directing attention to a note
printed in red ink at top of their writing paper : ‘‘All offers
over a period are subject to stoppages through strikes, etc.,
and the right to cancel is reserved in the event of any of the
countries from which our supplies are drawn being engaged
in war.” Defenders maintained that this note formed a
condition of contract, and, as war had been declared against
Russia, they reserved the right to increase prices. This the
pursuers denied. In consequence of the defenders’ refusal to
implement the contract, pursuers were obliged to purchase
pit props elsewhere at prices in excess of those stipulated for
in the contract, and they claimed damages. Continuing,
his lordship said the red ink did not suggest that it had any
relation to this contract.

A newspaper report states that the Fife Coal Company
Limited have purchased Blaircastle and estate. The object
of the company in acquiring the estate, which is situated in
the parish of Culross, is to develop the minerals, but there
is no intention of doing anything in this direction in the
meantime. Eventually mining operations on an extensive
scale will be conducted, and these, together with present
colliery developments, will make the district to the w’est of
Dunfermline an important mining centre.

The Fife coal trade for the past week seems in a better
condition than for some time. A good demand exists for the
better class of steam coal. The total export for Fife was
54,470 tons, against 43,090 tons last week, and 47,444 tons
in the corresponding week of 1915. Total for the year,

1,718,428; last year, 2,013,661 tons. Methil shipped 36,809
tons—twice as much as Burntisland.

A young man, Robert Prentice, has lost his life as a result
of an accident in No. 26 mine, belonging to Young’s Oil
Company. He was severely bruised by a fall from the roof,
and succumbed to his injuries. A few days ago another
brother lost his life.

PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—August 21.

Coal for Italy.

Mr. Runciman (President of the Board of Trade) stated,
in reply to Sir P. Magnus, that, on the authority of the
Prime Minister and the Secretary for War, he had attended
a conference in Italy from August 9 to 14 with Italian
Ministers, at which the questions of the supply of coal and
the price of coal for Italy were considered. These questions
had for some time been matters of serious pre-occupation for
the Italian Government. He was hopeful that, as the result
of the discussions, Italy would be assured of her essential
supply of coal. With the assistance of the organisation
which had been set up, with the co-operation of the British
coal and shipping interests, the arrangements made would
have a beneficial effect on the cost of the carriage of coal to
Italy, and prevent a recurrence of the high prices from
which Italy suffered so much last winter and spring. The
question of the restriction of enemy trading was also dis-
cussed, and the representatives of the Italian Government
were able to inform him (Mr. Runciman) of the issue of two
Decrees, one of which prohibited all Italian subjects from
trading with subjects of enemy countries and of countries
allied to enemy States, and the other rendering liable to
sequestration and liquidation commercial undertakings in
Italy owmed by or controlled by subjects of enemy States or
their allies. No formal convention was signed, and no
document was drawn up, except a record of the proceedings.

August 23.
Government and Coal Prices.

Mr. Richardson called attention to the operation and
administration of the Price of Coal (Lirpitation) Act. He
asked whether reference was made to the margin of profit
when the Board of Trade discussed the question of prices
with the coal owners. It was a matter of common knowledge
that the margin of profit of South Wales coal owners in
peace and war was one of the striking features of the industry
in this country. In a letter to the Press, one of the repre-
sentatives of the Coal Owners’ Association said that, “ with-
out this concession many of the collieries would have been
compelled to close,” whereupon the editor of a South Wales
paper asked for evidence that some of the collieries were
being worked at a loss. It was to the credit of the miners
and their representatives, the executive of the Miners’
Federation of Great Britain, that they registered their protest
against the action of the Board of Trade in that particular
connection. Was any similar request made by coal owners
in other mining countries; and, if so, had it been granted?
The owners in South Wales professed that the advance must
be made on account of the increased wages and higher cost
of materials, but wages were governed by prices. In this
case, the wages paid before the advance were wages to which
the miners were entitled on ascertained prices. The conces-
sion had been given without discrimination to owners who,
in the vast majority of cases, were paying abnormally high
dividends. One mining company paid 50 per cent., yet that
represented only two-thirds of the gross profit. He hoped
the Government would seek to secure that poor people should
have coal at a reasonable price. Some people imagined that
miners were obtaining unlimited wages, but while it was
true that some were receiving higher wages, many found it
difficult to make both ends meet. The Government must
face the fact that the selling price of coal bore no relation-
ship to the cost of production in most collieries.

Capt. Pretyman, in reply, said that definite proof was
given to the Board of Trade by the coal owners of South
Wales, engaged in the home coal trade, that since the fixing
of an extra charge of 4s. per ton on coal at the pithead,
under the Bill for limiting coal prices, there had been a large
increase in the working costs. The Board of Trade allowed
an advance of 2s. 6d. per ton, but a very much larger claim
had been put forward. Of that sum Is. 104d. was due to
increased wages, and the remaining 7|d. to other increased
working costs. A large proportion of the coal produced in
Wales was export coal which was not subject to the limita-
tion of prices. Consequently the average price of coal on
which wages were based had risen largely. There had been
a total rise of 22| per cent, in wages. The effect of that
rise was felt equally by collieries mainly engaged in the
export trade and by collieries mainly engaged in the inland
trade. In this debate it appeared to be thought that if the
Government did something bold and heroic all would be well.
The Government could only fix a maximum price. It was
a necessary evil of fixing prices that they were fixed with
reference to the wrnrst circumstances of producing, and when
the price was fixed there it was a minimum.

The Government had not received any similar demand for
authority to raise the price of coal from any other coal field,
except the Forest of Dean, which was contiguous to Wales.
That demand had not yet been decided, and he trusted it
might not be necessary to take any further steps in that
direction. It must not be forgotten that the public derived
considerable advantages from the limitation of coal prices.
The Board of Trade had been instrumental in obtaining for
public utility companies, local authorities, and Government
departments reductions in the price of coal varying from 9d.
per ton to 2s. 3d. per ton on very large orders. The diffi-
culty was not only, or even chiefly, with coal owners. If
facts could be clearly brought home to coal owners, there
was not any great difficultv in obtaining the reduction pre-
scribed by the Act. The difficultv was to get the consumer
concerned to come forward. Some consumers were more
concerned in getting the coal they wanted than in maintain-
ing the general supply at reasonable prices. When there
was no longer the temptation of a high price, it became a
question of Government regulation and assistance in order
to obtain the supnly required. The Government were dealing
with that difficult matter through the coal committees, and
he thought that, on the whole, very considerable benefit
bad resulted to the community. But for the Affi. he believed
the price of coal would have been considerably higher than
it now was.