November 24, 1916. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 1011 even be exceeded, if necessary. The State has also the right to withdraw from the Syndicate at the beginning of any quarter, after one month’s notice, in which event, however, it must not enter into any new contracts until 14 days previous to the date of withdrawal. The Minister can decide whether the general selling prices are to be lowered, or left at their old level, in the event of 30 per cent, of the members voting in favour of either measure. The participation allotted to the State is fixed at 5 million tons in 1917; 5’7 million tons in 1918; 6^ million tons in 1919, and 6,815,000 tons in 1920 and 1921; and the coke participation is 2 million tons. Moreover, it is practically certain that the State will acquire the Hibernia Company, which has a partici- pation of 7,492,000 tons, in which case its share of the output will be 14,307,650 tons in 1920—by far the largest of any member. The chief novel feature in the new agreement is that the Syndicate will hold the sale monopoly, replacing the existing independent sales organisations, such as Strohmeyer (Mannheim) and Wulff (Dusseldorf), which had fixed up with outsiders and the State collieries, contracts which secured them the monopoly in the sale of certain products for a period of several years. This change evidently strengthens the position of the Syndicate, not onlyr by abolishing competition, but also by doing away with long-term contracts. The new agreement has been discussed in the German Press, some papers expressing the fear lest the Syndicate may abuse its new powers and strengthen the bonds which unite the large coal owners with the iron industry and the latter with the shipping companies. The Frankfurter Zeitung, in particular, considers that the rights which the State is supposed to have acquired in the Syndicate are illusory. Other papers hold the view that the State has got the lion’s share in the new organisation, and this seems feasible, since its large proportion in the participation confers influential powers which will become predominant when it is supported by 30 per cent, of the other members. Its most reliable weapon, however, is the faculty of with- drawing from the Syndicate, in which event the Federal Council Ordinance of July 12, 1915, would come into force. Westphalian Iron Market. The continued endeavours of the ironworks to increase the output have been somewhat hampered by the diffi- culties of railway transport which have interfered with the full regular supply of ore, and also on account of an insufficiency of coke. There are plenty of orders in hand for many months to come, and the extensions of plant that have been carried out have led to an in- creased volume of enquiries. Prices, therefore, continue firm, buyers being glad to pay anything in order to get the goods, of which there is not a superabundance after the needs of the army have been satisfied. There is little inclination to accept new contracts for delivery beyond the close of the year, owing to the uncertainty as to the prices of coal and coke, as well as of Sieger- land ore, which are expected to go higher. In the ore market the Siegerland producers complain of traffic delays and the consequent necessity for stocking, whilst the production has also somewhat receded, in spite of buyers consenting to an inciease in price. At present the rates are 17’30 mk. per ton for raw spathic ore and 25 mk. for roasted, this latter being also the rate for Nassau 50 per cent, red ironstone. Pig iron is still in pressing request, in all grades, especially in Luxemburg iron, and the demands for munition purposes leave very little available for indus- trial uses. Stocks are low, and, although exports have ceased for some time, all grades are scarce. Prices up to the end of the year rule as follow: 10 to 12 per cent, speigeleisen, 114’50 mk.; high-grade puddling iron, 9U’5O mk.; steeliron, 93’50 mk.; steelironlow in copper, 133 mk.; grey Siegerland addition iron, 102 mk.; mottled addition iron, 101 mk., and white addition iron, 100 mk., all ex Siegen. Haematite iron costs 142’50 mk., foundry pig I., 96 mk., and III., 91 mk., all ex Oberhausen; Luxemburg iron 76’50 mk. ex Luxemburg. In the scrap market prices have leaped by 25 to 30 mk. per ton, and means have been taken to regulate the trade; an inventory of stocks has been made, and negotiations entered into between producers and users. It is anticipated that the price of heavy scrap will be fixed at 95 to 100 mk., turnings being left at 60 mk., and other varieties somewhere between the two. Current rates for machine shop .. scrap, however, run about 105 to 110 mk., and casting scrap 120 mk. Semi products continue in heavy demand and scarce, prices ruling at 127’50 mk. for ingots, 132 50 mk. for blooms, 142’50 mk. for billets, and 147’50 mk., for plate bars, with an extra 15 mk. for open-hearth material, which is very scarce. Bar iron is also in active request, and makers are disinclined to make fresh contracts. The prices remain unaltered, at 195 mk. for ordinary ex Oberhausen and 190 mk. ex Diedenhofen, though as much as 220 mk. is paid for open-hearth quality. Dealers, however, are asking 280-300 mk. and even more ex stock. The demand for sections is also in excess of the supply, though prices still remain at 160 mk. ex Diedenhofen, with the usual additions for Mid and South Germany. Tube strips and boiler tubes are eagerly sought after, and prices have been increased by docking the discounts. Makers of heavy plate are better able to cope with the demand than those in other branches, though some of them are sold out up to next July and decline further orders. The present price of 195 mk. ex Essen is expected to be advanced, owing to the dearness of scrap. Boiler plate costs 215 mk., ships’ plate 200mk., and structural plate 205 mk., ex Essen. Medium and fine plates are in pressing request, at unusually high rates, medium plate costing 270-280 mk., and fine plate (down to 1 mm.) 300 mk., whilst still finer grades fetch fancy prices. The wire market shows little change, nearly the whole output going for army purposes. Rolled wire fetches 177’50 mk. for the army, and 200 mk. for other uses (if available at all). Drawn wire is quoted at 215 mk., nail wire 212’50 mk., screw and rivet wire, 247’50 mk.; galvanised, 265 mk., and wire nails, 235 mk. In railway material, the administration is insisting on its minimum requirements being satisfied, and there is nothing over for export. Collieries, ore mines and potash mines are in the market for pit rails, and crane rails are in great request, but there is little doing in tramway rails. Prices run about 10 mk. higher:— Heavy rails, 185-195 mk.; pit and field railway rails, 182-190 mk.; narrow-gauge rails, 185-195 mk.; and 192-200 mk. for tramrails. MINERS AND ABSENTEEISM. The executive of the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain met in the Prince of Wales Hotel, Southport, on Tuesday evening. After the meeting, Mr. R. Smillie, president, informed the Press that there had been received from the various mining districts reports regarding the question of setting up joint committees to deal with avoidable absenteeism, and from a majority of the dis- tricts it was reported that committees had been arranged. Generally speaking, it was found that absenteeism had been considerably reduced. It was also stated that in several districts the employers’ representatives had at first refused to take part in the work of joint committees, but that they had now agreed to act with the workmen’s representatitives in order to tabulate- absenteeism, and, if possible, deal with it. The executive committee decided not to put any resolution before the conference, but to await discussion on the subject, and then meet and formulate resolutions for the consideration of the general conference. A special conference of the Miners’ Federation began its sitting in the Cambridge Hall, Southport, on Wednesday, to consider the question of avoidable absenteeism, the rise in food prices, and the political policy of the Federation as to Labour candidatures at the next General Election. Mr. Smillie was in the chair, and there were present 160 delegates, representing every coal field in Great Britain. The whole day’s sitting was occupied with reports from the delegates stating the action which had been taken by miners to reduce avoidable absenteeism to the lowest possible limit, and to increase the output. Mr. H. Smith reported for Yorkshire, Mr. T. Greenall for Lancashire, Mr. T. Richards, M.P., for South Wales, Mr. Baker, Cannock Chase, for the Midland Counties, Mr. C. Bunfield for Nottingham, Mr. T. H. Cann for Durham, and Mr. R. Brown for Scotland. The reports showed that at a majority of the collieries joint committees had been set up, composed of an equal number of representatives of the employers and the workmen, who investigated the causes of the absen- teeism of any workman who failed to attend to his work regularly. At some collieries differences had arisen between the workmen’s representatives and the manage- ment, and the committees had been disbanded; but on the whole the system was working smoothly, and it was claimed had secured good results, though it was admitted that there was a good deal of avoidable absenteeism. Mr. T. Richards stated that in the South Wales coal field 200 committees had been formed, but some 40 committees had been disbanded because the employers and workmen’s representatives could not agree as to what constituted avoidable absenteeism. The delegates considered the proposals of the executive committee with regard to the erection of memorials to the two former presidents of the Federation—the late Mr. Ben Pickard, M.P., Yorkshire, and the late Mr. Enoch Edwards, M.P., North Staffordshire. The pre- sident and other speakers paid warm tributes to the work of both Mr. Pickard and Mr. Edwards in the formation and continued work of the Federation. The proposals were accepted, and it was decided that the memorial should take the form of an endowed bed in the Beckett Hospital at Barnsley, and a bust of the late Mr. Pickard in the miners’ office at Barnsley, in memory of Mr. Pickard; and the endowment of a bed in a North Staf- fordshire hospital, and a bust of Mr. Edwards in the miners’ offices at Burslem, in memory of Mr. Enoch Edwards. The conference agreed to grant T500 to the national memorial to the late Mr. J. Keir Hardie, M.P., who was a founder of the Ayrshire Miners’ Association and a member of the Federation. Several .speakers paid tributes to Mr. Hardie’s work on behalf of both the National and International Labour Movement. In the evening the executive of the Federation received a deputation from the miners’ permanent relief societies in Lancashire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire, and Durham, requesting the Federation to facilitate and help in the extension of the work of these societies, which provide accident and widow and orphan benefits. In the discussion at Thursday’s meeting, it was admitted that the policy of moral persuasion had met with but a limited success, the absenteeism being still as high as 20 per cent, in some districts; and the efforts of the pit committees have had but small effect. The following resolution was finally agreed upon :— That this conference recommends the districts to adopt the principle of local joint committees being set up to govern each colliery, such committees to have the power to inflict fines under rules to be agreed upon by this Federation; this sug- gestion to be put before the men in each district a