October 13, 1916.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

717

The fracture in a link of the chain connecting a set of
wagons on the steep incline down which the vehicles travel
to the Walker Coal Company’s staiths, resulted in one of the
wagons getting out of control, and knocking down and fatally
injuring William Blackburn, aged 86 years. At the inquest
it was stated that the links were about 1 in. diameter. The
chains were tested every three months. The fracture had not
been visible on mere inspection, although the chains were
examined every day. About 10 weeks had elapsed since the
previous test. A verdict of “ Accidental death ” was
returned.

Whilst Robt. Horn, 49, labourer, was working at the coal
handling plant at Brancepeth Colliery, his jacket caught in
the machinery, and his right arm was drawn in and torn
from his shoulder by the two cog wheels in which he had
become entangled. He died four days later. At the inquest
the coroner stated that the inspector had suggested that a
cover of sheet iron should be put over that part of the
machinery where the cog wheels were exposed. Mr. R. L.
Weeks, the colliery agent, stated that that precaution would
be adopted at once. A verdict of “Accidental death ’’ was
returned.

Commencing as a trapper at Haswell Colliery when he was
10 years of age, Mr. Archibald Young, an official at Thornley
Colliery, has retired after having worked in the mines for 59
years. When he commenced work he was paid Is. per day
for working from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mr. Young recollects a
novel hewing match for £5, when two miners each hewed 35
tubs in eight hours. Both were exhausted at the finish.

Pte. John Gardner, Pte. John Haws, and Lance-Corpl.
Thomas Lewins, all of the Somerset Light Infantry, and all
miners at Silksworth Colliery prior to enlistment, have been
awarded Military Medals. Two D.C.M.’s, one D.S.M., one
French Legion of Honour, and five Military Medals have
been awarded to Silksworth soldiers since the outbreak of
the war. Corpl. Wm. Hoole, of the Durham Light Infantry,
who was a hewer at Thornley Colliery, has been awarded
the D.C.M., and has received a letter from one of the officers
of his company, stating incidentally : “ A D.C.M. has never
been harder won than by you. I am sorry to hear that you
have been wounded. I shall be pleased to have you back
in the company, as I agree with the commanding officer that
you are one of the best men the British Army has seen.’’

Circularising the branches of the Northumberland Miners’
Association, asking them to appoint representatives to attend
the Home Office conference on the question of absenteeism,
Mr. William Straker states that he is instructed by the
executive committee to ask each of the branches to appoint a
representative, and to say that the committee strongly advises
branches to appoint their representatives on their group com-
mittee on absenteeism, as it appears to be in connection with
their office.

Dealing, in his circular to the Northumberland miners, with
the Third General Report of the Coal Mining Organisation
Committee, Mr. William Straker speaks as follows concern-
ing absenteeism :—“ I have nothing to say in defence of men
who, under the present circumstances, absent themselves from
work without any good reason, especially when we know that
many of these men are just as much in favour of fighting this
war ‘ to a finish ’ (whatever that may mean) as any Jingo I
know of. I will here repeat what I have said before : We
have no right to send men to the battlefield and then refuse
to do our best to support them when there. Such action is
simply criminal. But this applies equally to those engaged
in the management of collieries. I have had brought to my
notice recently several cases when some official in the pit has
sent men back from work because of some petty quarrel,
which, with a little bit of common sense and tact, could have
been got over. One of these cases was where a ‘ putter ’ was
absent from work, and all the coal hewers in the district
refused to ‘ put,’ as they could not agree as to whose -turn
it was to do so. The deputy, evidently not realising any-
more than the hewers did, the urgent need for coal, fenced
off the hewers’ places, so that none of them were allowed to
go in to work. This, in my opinion, was gross stupidity, as
had the men gone to work, they would at least have been
getting coal which might have been got away the following
shifts. Moreover, if the men had been left to themselves,
they would probably have found a way to get their coal out.
Another case was where a breakdown in the haulage took
place, and the men were sent home, notwithstanding that
they begged to be allowed to go into their working places
to hew coal, knowing that all the coal they could have got
ready would have been got out afterwards with only little
loss.' I am told that the cause of this action on the part of
the official responsible was his fear that, if he allowed the
men to go to work, and they did not earn a full day’s wage,
they might claim a few shillings under the Minimum Wage
rules. A number of pits have been idle on several days
recently without the men being informed of the cause. Under
these circumstances, it is difficult to convince men that the
urgent need of coal exists which they hear so much talked
about.’’

Cleveland.

The average net selling price of iron bars, plates, and angles
for the two months ending August 31 last has been certified
by the accountants to the Board of Conciliation and Arbitra-
tion for the Manufactured Iron and Steel Trade of the North
of England at H12 7s. 0-14d., as compared with
4111 17s. 5-54d. for the previous two months, and under
sliding scale arrangements there is an advance of 6d. per
ton on puddling, and 5 per cent, on all other forge and mill
wages.

Cumberland.

Before the Workington magistrates last week, a boy named
Robt. Laidlaw, 15, a trailer, was charged with cruelty to a
pit pony by wounding it with a pick shaft at St. Helen’s
Colliery on September 28. Defendant was fined 40s., includ-
ing costs.

Yorkshire.

Runaway Corves—King Inspects Miners' Ambulances—
Askern Developments—Bonus Question.

At the Doncaster West Riding Police Court last Saturday,
Frank Griffiths, a Swinton pit hand, was charged with a
breach of the Mines Act at Man vers Main No. 3 pit. It wa*s
stated defendant failed to properly link up 18 running corves.
As a consequence, they ran away, did damage to the extent
of £5, and hindered work for a couple of hours. The Bench
imposed a fine of 32s.

The King and Queen on Friday last inspected a convoy of
25 ambulances given by the Yorkshire mine workers to the
British Red Cross Society for use at the front. Those present
at the inspection were : Mr. Herbert Smith (president of the
Yorkshire Miners’ Association), Mr. John Hoskin (treasurer
of the Yorkshire Miners’ Association), Mr. Fred Hall, M.P.,
Mr. John Wadsworth, M.P., and Mr. Sam Roebuck (repre-
senting the Yorkshire miners), Sir Charles Hilton Seely, M.P.,
Mr. Maurice Deacon (coal owner and iron master), Mr. Robt.
Smillie (president of the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain),
Mr. Charles Bunfield (Miners’ Federation), Admiral Lord
Beresford (British Ambulance Committee), Capt. H. Dennis
Bayley and Mr. F. L. Staniland (representing the “ Dennis
Bayley ’’ Fund), the Hon. Arthur Stanley (chairman of the
Joint War Committee of the British Red Cross Society and
Order of St. John), and Mr. E. M. Clarke (director of the
motor ambulance department of the Joint War Committee).
Their Majesties were told that the Dennis Bayley Fund had
already provided over 300 ambulances, motor lorries, and
repair wagons, which had been sent to the front at a cost of
over <£300,000. The King and the Queen thanked the miners’
representatives for the good work they were doing for the
wounded soldiers.

Important developments are now taking place at Askern
Main Colliery, one of the newer pits in the South Yorkshire
coal field of which Doncaster is the centre. The famous
Barnsley bed of coal was reached about three or four years
ago, at a depth of 565 yds. The Flocktcn seam has now
been reached, at a depth from the surface of 720 yds., and
the coal is of excellent quality. In addition to the Flockton,
another good seam has been found.

Mr. H. Smith (president of the Yorkshire Miners’ Associa-
tion), in a statement to the Press representatives, referred to
the threatened stoppage at several collieries owned by Messrs.
Hy. Briggs and Sons, viz., the Whitwood, Methley, Snydale,
Woodlesford, and Newmarket Haigh Moor. He said the
trouble affected about 4,000 men and boys. In May 1915 the
Prime Minister awarded a war bonus to the men, the matter
to be arranged locally, through the medium of the various
Conciliation Boards. The Midland Board referred the case
to Lord Coleridge, who recommended that the owners should
pay an advance of 15J per cent, on the wages from May 5.
At the collieries named, however, the men had to use explo-
sives, and instead of the 15£ per cent, advance, they received
13*8 per cent., the owners deducting the cost of explosives.
Since last year the miners’ officials had been negotiating with
Messrs. Briggs with a view to effecting a settlement. A
ballot of the whole of the collieries on the question of giving
notice to enforce payment would be taken.

Lancashire and Cheshire.

Several leading firms in the Ashton, Manchester, Bolton,
Tyldesley, Leigh, and Hindley localities intend following the
example of Messrs. Fletcher, Burrows and Company Limited,
of the Atherton Collieries, in the matter of providing wash-
houses for their workmen.

There is now a large and increasing output from the Clifton
and Kersley Coal Company’s Tasker’s Lane Colliery, Farn-
worth, which pit stood derelict for some years. It is employ-
ing a good number of men and youths.

Notts and Derbyshire.

Together with seven motor ambulances presented to the
Red Cross Society and St. John Ambulance Association by the
lace, hosiery, yarn, and allied trades of Nottingham, an
eighth, the gift of the coal owners and miners of the Forest
of Dean, was publicly handed over at Nottingham on Monday
afternoon by the Duchess of New castle.

Mr. Henry Smith, manager of Stanley Colliery, and two
workmen, named Frederick Beardmore and Thomas Knapp,
of Morley, were summoned at the Ilkeston Police Court on
Thursday of last week for a peculiar lighting offence. The
police stated that on September 25, when there was an air
raid warning, a good deal of light was observable at the pit
(which is on a hill), and it was found to come from red hot
ashes from the boiler fires, which had been tipped on to a
heap. The men were also working with an exposed lamp. The
manager satisfied the Bench that he had given instructions
to the men to damp out the cinders before tipping them, and
to use only a shaded safety lamp. The charge against him
was dismissed, the men being fined £1 each.

The Midlands.

Mr. F. Tatham, manager of the Ibstock Collieries Limited,
has been presented with a wallet and £30, in connection with
his impending retirement. Mr. Tatham has spent 50 years
in mine work, 30 of which in a managerial position.

Mr. R. Smillie (president of the Miners’ Federation of
Great Britain), speaking at Cradley Heath on Saturday on
the subject of absenteeism, said he was anxious to make an
appeal to the miners of the country, and especially to those
who were habitual absentees. He felt they did not realise
the position that might arise from their non-attendance at'
the collieries. The executive of the Miners’ Federation of
Groat Britain had opposed any and every attempt to suspend
the Eight Hours Act, or to reduce the age at which boys
should be allowed to enter the mines, but he felt sure that,
unless miners were able to show that patriotism at the
collieries that was required of them, and reduce to a mini-
mum any absence from the mines, further attempts would
be made to suspend the Act.

Kent.

When the deep sinking in No. 2 pit at Snowdown Colliery
had been taken down last week to 2,610 ft., sinking was
stopped for the resumption of bricking, of which 54 ft. was
carried out during the remainder of the week, the pit being
lined from 2,485^ ft. to 2,539 ft. It is now confidently anti-
cipated that the 6 ft. 9 in. seam of coal in this pit will be
reached before Christmas, notwithstanding the labour and
other difficulties encountered owing to the war. The sinking
strata is a little easier. The hardness of the sandstone
through which so many feet had to be sunk can be judged
by the fact that very many loads of it are at present being
sold to local authorities in the district for road repairs,
replacing granite, which cannot be obtained at present.

Scotland.

A serious accident, resulting in severe injury to two men,
occurred at Viewpark Colliery, Tarbrax. The workmen, John
Brown (55), and John Brown (48), both employed as road-
men, were engaged clearing away a fall, when a quantity of

gas, which is supposed to have accumulated in a cavity,
exploded. Both men, who were badly burned, were removed
to the Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh.

Previous to the general order authorising miners to be sent
back from the Army to work in the mines, a large number
of men were restored from military units in which they
were serving, to Gadder pits, where ironstone is being pro-
duced. These soldiers had all the rights of civilians, but
they could not transfer from one pit to another, even although
the latter was in the same district. Lately, however,
soldiers with mining experience have returned from the front,
and to them this right of transfer has been conceded. Cadder
men are claiming equal facilities, and an application with
that end in view has been made to the Home Office.

The Lanarkshire miners’ contribution to the Belgian Relief
Fund is rapidly mounting, and has now reached the magni-
ficent total of £*12,000. The contributions are at the rate of
Id. per week per worker in and about the mines in Lanark-
shire.

The result of the 17th annual inspection of the pit ponies in
the collieries on Wishaw estate, for which prizes for the best
kept ponies are awarded by Lady Belhaven and S ten ton, is
as follows:—Drivers: Berryhill Colliery—1, H. Hewat; 2,
David Maxwell; 3, John Gray. Heathery Colliery—1, Harry
Weir; 2, Thomas Sneddon;*3, John Haig. Overjohnstone
Colliery—1, J. London; 2, Simon Baillie; 3, Robert Inglis.
Glenclelland Colliery—1, Archibald Millar; 2, William New-
lands. The successful ostlers at the various pits were : James
London (Berryhill), T. Beaumont (Heathery), Archibald
Hamilton (Overjohnstone), and Robert McCulloch (Glen-
clelland).

It is reported 'that the Cadder pit of the Carron Iron
Company, which has been shut down for several years as a
result of the fire underground, through which over 20 lives
were lost, is likely to be re-opened at an early date. The
fire has been completely damped out, and the roadways
repaired.

Boring operations are being proceeded with in Redding
neighbourhood for the purpose of tapping seams which are
supposed to exist at a greater depth than those now being
worked.

The -various pits belonging to the Callander Coal Company
in Falkirk are kept going very regularly, and the demand for
house coal is becoming greater with the advance of the season.
Prices remain the same as during the past few months—from
22s. to 26s. per ton delivered. The Glenclough mine, which
this company recently opened up, is now in a fair way to
add to the company’s present output. Screens, etc., have
been erected. All the machinery will be driven by electricity.

In Stirling Sheriff Court, before Sheriff Dean, Leslie John
Hunter, pit fireman, Cowie, was charged with failing to
inspect a part of a section in Bannockburn Colliery in which
he was appointed fireman. The charge was a sequel to an
explosion, of gas in the pit on July 9, when two brushers
received burning injuries which proved fatal. The charge
was found proven, and a fine of £5 was imposed.

CONTRACTS OPEN FOR COAL AND COKE.

For Contracts Advertised in this issue received too late
for inclusion in this column, see Leader and Last
White pages.

Abstracts of Contracts Open.

Aberdeen, October 19.—Coal (12 months) for the Royal
Aberdeen Hospital for Sick Children. Forms from the
secretary, 12, Dee-street.

Belfast, October 17. — Steam coal (about 4,500 tons).
Forms from the city surveyor.

Brighton, October 17.—400 tons Apedale Wallsend house
coal for the Board of Guardians. Forms from the clerk,
Parochial Office, Princes-street, Brighton.

Falkirk, October 18.—Coal for the Parish Councils.
Forms from J. Macpherson, Poorhouse, Falkirk.

Hertford, October 21.—Coal and coke (12 months) for
the Corporation. Forms from the borough surveyor, The
Castle, Hertford.

Mallow, October 20.—100-200 tons Cumberland coal for
the Guardians. Tenders to the Guardians.

Oldham.—Coal (12 months) for the Markets and Baths
Committee. Forms from the superintendent, Central Baths.

Ponkey (Denbigh), October 17.—Coal for the Education
Authority’s schools. Tenders to the following :—Ponkey
schools, Mr. Watkin Jones, Brynhyfryd, Johnson-street,
Ponkey, Wrexham; Johnstown, Mr. J. O. Griffiths, Bron-
haul, Bangor-road, Johnstown, Wrexham; Rhos Grange
schools, Mr. J. Stephen Jones, J.P., Aberderfyn, Ponkey,
Wrexham; Rhos junior schools, Mr. Samuel Roberts, Hope-
street, Rhos, Wrexham; Rhos non-provided schools, Rev.
J. H. Thomas, vicar, Rhos Vicarage, Wrexham.

Rochdale, October 18. — 20,000 tons of gas coal,
unscreened or nuts. Tenders to the chairman, Gas and
Electricity Committee.

The date given is the latest upon which tenders can be
received.

CONTRACTS OPEN FOR ENGINEERING, IRON
AND STEEL WORK, Ac.

Belfast, October 31.—Stores.—Iron and steel castings,
railway bolts, etc., for Belfast Harbour Commissioners.
Forms from the Harbour Office.

Dublin, November 2.—Stores.—Bolts, nuts, rivets, brass
and copper sheets, galvanised iron, iron castings, fittings,
springs, etc. Forms (Is.) from the secretary, Amiens-street
Terminus, Dublin. Patterns may be seen at General Stores
Depot, Dundalk.

Johannesburg, October 30.—Yorkshire Iron.—120,286 lb.
of Yorkshire iron in 16 ft. bars. Copies of specifications, etc.,
may be seen at the Commercial Intelligence Branch of the
Board of Trade, 73, Basinghall-street, E.C. Tenders, by
October 30, to the Tender Board. South African Railways
headquarters, Johannesburg.

Institution of Petroleum Technologists.—A meeting of the
institution will be held on Tuesday evening, October 17, at
the Society of Arts. John-street, Adelphi. London. A paper
on “ The Norfolk Oil Shales," by Mr. W. Forbes Leslie,
will be read.