444 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. March 2, 1917. THE IRISH COAL TRADE. Thursday, March 1. ________ ________ ___________________________________ Dublin. Merchants continue to be busily engaged in most of the departments, and there are no complaints of any shortage of coal in the port, cargoes arriving with fair regularity. Quotations for all classes of fuel remain unchanged, as follow:—Best Orrell, 44s. per ton net; Yorkshire brights, 43s.; best Wigan, 42s.; best slack, 36s.; retail prices, 2s. lOd. to 3s. per sack of 10 st. ; steam coal, from about 40s. per ton ; best coke, 44s. per ton. Irish coals from Wolf- hill, Queen’s County, are : Malting coal, 45s. per ton; house and gas coal, 40s.; coarse culm, 15s. per ton—all f.o.r. Athy, the nearest railway connection with the colliery. The coal vessels arriving during the past week amounted to 78, as compared with 59 the week previously, the total quantity of coal discharged upon the quays being 32,000 tons, as against 22,000 tons in the previous week. It is stated that the coal imports during the past year decreased by some 90,074 tons, as compared with 1915. Belfast. No appreciable improvement is evident in the position of the coal trade locally, prices generally remaining as last quoted, viz. : 39s. 6d. to 43s. 6d. per ton for household coal; slack, 39s. 6d.; steam coal, from about 35s. to 40s. per ton; gas coke, from about 37s. 6d. to 40s. per ton; and foundry coke, from 60s. to 64s. per ton delivered. The total number of coal-laden vessels entering the harbour from February 4 to 17 was 116. _____________________ THE BY-PRODUCTS TRADE. Tar Products.—The market is steady, and prices are firm all round, while naphthas continue to hold to the recent advance. Nearest values are :— Benzols, 90’s ...................... 1/0J ,, 90’s North __.............. /10J—/11| ,, 50’s North ............... 1/3—1/4 Toluol ............................. 2/3 Carbolic acid, crude (60 per cent.)... 3/4 ,, crystals (40 per cent.) 1/3 Solvent naphtha, south (90% at 160 degs.), as in quality and package... 2/—2/3 Solvent naphtha, north (90% at 160 degs.), as in quality and package... 1/8—1/9 Crude naphtha, north (in bulk) .... /6J—/6J Creosote (for ordinary qualities) .... /3J—/3f Pitch (f.o.b. east coast) ............ 16/—16/6 ............ Rise ( + ) or fall (-) on the week. ,, (f.a.s. west coast) .......... 15/6—16/6 Tar (per ton ex works) ........ 20/—21/ [Benzols, toluol creosote, solvent naphtha, carbolic acids, usually casks included unless otherwise stated, free on rails at makers' works or usual United Kingdom ports, net. Pitch, f.o.b. net.'] Sulphate of Ammonia.—Matters remain much the same, and it is to be hoped that every effort will be made to turn the home supplies to the best account. Otherwise, the market is steady, and nitrate of soda very firm. __________________________ PITWOOD. For the week ended February 23, the quantity of mining timber imported was comparatively poor. The bulk of it came from France, only one cargo of Portuguese having arrived. The actual quantities received were as follow:— At Cardiff, Barry and Penarth :— To From Loads. Lysberg Limited ..... Bordeaux......... 2,700 E. Marcesche Lysberg Limited Sables cFOlonne ... La Rochelle......... ... 660 ... 480 Holman Limited Oporto ... 1,740 Budd and Company Paimpol ... 168 Grant Hayward Paimpol 108 Lysberg Limited La Rochelle ... 480 Morgan and Cadogan ... L’Orient ... 180 At Newport: — Total ... 6,516 Powell Duffryn Company Bordeaux ... 3,353 E. Marcesche Hennebont ... 120 Do. L^Orient ... 1,020 Beynon and Company ... Morlaix 84 At Swansea:— Total. .... 4,577 Stone and Rolfe Pauillac .... 248 Budd and Company Paimpol 75 E. W. Cook La Rochelle ... 125 At Port Talbot:— Total 448 Evans and Reid Limited Pauillac .... 1,000 ___________________________ Overcharge for Coal.—The Board of Trade has received complaints as to excessive prices charged by dealers in coal in small quantities in certain parts of London. The Board points out that dealers selling coal in quantities of 2 cwt. or less who fail to display their prices prominently on the vehicles or in the shops from which the coal is sold, or who charge prices higher than those displayed, are liable to prosecution under the by-laws of the London County Council. Under their arrangement with the Board of Trade, wholesale merchants will refuse to continue supplies to dealers who charge prices higher than the recognised maximum prices, which are as follow;—Street sales from trolleys : North London, Is. lOd. per cwt ; South London, Is. lid. per cwt. Shop sales: Id. per cwt. higher than the above trolley price for the district. The hon. secretary of the London Merchants Retail Coal Prices Committee, 8, Coal Exchange, E.C., desires to be informed of cases in which prices in excess of the above amounts are demanded, with a view to suitable action by the merchants from whom the dealers obtain their supplies, MAXIMUM COAL PRICES IN FRANCE. The Minister of Public Works has issued the following addition to the list of maximum coal prices,^ to take effect from February 1 last:— Pas-de-Calais coals : Washed braisettes, ^-gras and lean coal, 20/30 mm., 43 fr. per ton. Allier coals (Commentry, Bezenet, Montvicq and Doyet collieries): Large screened, above 55 mm. 40 fr.; washed gaillettes, 20/25 mm., 30 fr. ; washed smalls, 0/20 mm., 30 fr.; through-and-through, 29 fr. Lignites : For all other lignite mines than those men- tioned in the present list:—Large and screened, 24 fr.; through-and-through, 20 fr.; smalls, 14 fr. These prices are to apply to the products of all lignite mines in which working is commenced or resumed subsequent to the present notice, until decided otherwise. The report of the Central Coal Committee accom- panying the Decree recommends the inclusion of the Montvicq Mine with those of the Commentry basin, this mine having been omitted from the previous list; and it proposes to insert prices for screened and washed coals which were not being produced at the time the previous list was compiled. With regard to lignites, the Com- mittee has been advised that certain low-grade fuels of this kind, obtained from deposits that were ordinarily considered unworkable, have latterly been sold at very high prices, owing to the scarcity of fuel and to the absence of any price limitation. It is, therefore, con- sidered desirable to impose a general restriction on the prices, rather than to consider the circumstances of each of the numerous enterprises involved, in order to prevent profiteering. Nevertheless, the Committee is prepared to investigate any special case where mine owners consider a higher price would be justified in consequence of higher quality of the product or of particular difficulties in working the deposit. _____ The following changes in the prices of coal in the Loire basin are also announced:—Perats, gas coal, 48'50 fr.; other kinds, 48 fr.; grelassons, gas, 45'50 fr.; other kinds, 45 fr.; dragees chatilles, gas, 41'50 fr.; other kinds, 41 fr.; braisettes, smithy coals, 45 fr.; gas, 38 fr.; other kinds, 37 fr.; screened slack, 41 fr. Through-and-through smalls: Smithy, 45 fr. ; gas, 37 fr.; other kinds, 36 fr. Screened smalls: Smithy, 40 fr.; gas, 35 fr.; other kinds, 32 fr. Washed smalls : Smithy, 40 fr.; gas, 36 fr. ; other kinds, 32 fr.; small coke, 34 fr.; briquettes, 47 fr.; ovoids, 46 fr. * For previous list, see Colliery Guardian, August 8, 1916, p. 306. _____________________________ LABOUR AM WADES., South Wales and Monmouthshire. It has been arranged to hold a joint conference between employers’ and workmen’s representatives, probably in Swansea, in reference to the demand of workmen in the steel and tin-plate trades for additional war bonus. The wages of Cardiff tippers, who are seeking an advance of 25 per cent, in the rates of pay, formed the subject of an arbitration enquiry instituted by the Board of Trade. Mr. H. C. Munroe, K.C., sat at the Chamber of Commerce Council Chamber, Cardiff. The men’s case was brought forward by the secretary of the Bailwaymen’s Union and by representatives of the tippens; and the case for the Cardiff Bailway Company, as employers, at the Bute Dock, was stated by Col. Denniss (general manager) and Mr. Holloway (traffic manager). The award of the arbitrator will be issued in due course. The difficulty between the Colliery Enginemen, Stokers, and Craftsmen’s Association and the Miners’ Federation has been considered at a national conference, to which special representatives of the South Wales enginemen’s organisa- tions were sent. The aim of the miners is to include all colliery workers in one trade union; but the enginemen, stokers, and craftsmen wish to maintain separate unions for protection of their distinctive interests. At the national conference referred to, which was held in Manchester, reso- lutions were passed against the conditions laid down by the Miners’ Federation, but insisting upon independent action, and expressing determination to resist any encroach- ment by the miners upon the separate rights as trade unionists. It was contended that in any national arrange- ment concerning the coal mining industry, the associations of enginemen, stokers, and craftsmen should be recognised by the -Government, as well as the Miners’ Federation. The transport workers and others at Swansea Dock, dis- satisfied with the labour pooling arrangements which have been in operation little over a fortnight, gave notice to terminate their agreement with it. It is understood, how- ever, that they do not oppose the principle of pooling, but only the detail of its operation. Apparently, they desire to have an independent system of registering and allocating labour, instead of that being carried through by the Labour Exchange. It should be noted that the coal trimmers have not joined in the opposition, the arrangement, so far as they are concerned, giving no objection. Beturns which have been secured by the secretary of the anthracite miners show a very serious condition of things as to idle days at anthracite collieries due to lack of tonnage. The wagons are not returned to the pits because the coal cannot be shipped, and there has been consequent stoppage of work to a serious degree. The Blaiina miners have instructed their delegates to insist upon payment for money which they allege to be due under Lord St. Aldwyn’s award, but not yet received; and they have also decided to make application to the railway com- pany for an early morning train from Brynmawr in order to serve men coming down from that town to the collieries. North of England. At the February meeting of the Northumberland Coal Trade Joint Committee, the claim of Dinnington workmen that putters and hewers should be paid starting money when called upon to put was not conceded. The executive committee of the Northumberland Miners’ Association has decided that, as there seems to be a differ- ence of opinion between the Coal Owners’ Association and the miners as to the meaning of the Eight Hours Act agree- ment, in so far as it refers to the method of payment to coal hewers when doing stonework, the question in dispute should be jointly submitted to the chairman of the Joint Committee (Mr. Chas. Alderson) for decision. The men employed at the No. 5 pit, Aspatria, who were idle three days last week, returned to work on Thursday morning under the new conditions, and the whole question in dispute has been referred to the Conciliation Board for final settlement. It is understood that the new arrangements are that three banksmen will work eight-hour shifts instead of two banksmen on 12-hour shifts. It was the desire of the managers to change the 12 hours arrangement which led to the stoppage. The Northumberland magistrates at Newcastle ordered William Tinnion and Frank Straughan, hewers with the Throckley Coal Company, to pay damages at the rate of-5s. per day, for absenteeism, in the former case for 15 days, and in the latter for 11 days. It was stated that both men’ had been repeatedly warned, and had been before the group committee. Tinnion had also been before the central committee. Federated Area. The council of the South Staffordshire and East Worces- tershire Miners’ Association has this week passed the follow- ing resolution : “ That this council meeting of representa- tives from all parts of the district views with grave concern the constant complaints regarding the coal allowance ques- tion. This meeting demands that the employers shall remedy this state of affairs at once, failing which, we shall be forced to take such steps -as are necessary to compel them to do so. This meeting regrets that during the present national crisis the employers should attempt to take advan- tage of us in this matter, and points out to the general public that, in case of a dispute occurring,.the responsibility lies with those employers who are acting in such a dis- honourable manner.” A meeting of deputies, shot-firers, etc., convened under the auspices of the Swadlincote and district branch of the National Association of Colliery Deputies, was held at Swadlincote on Saturday, Mr. F. Tatham (Coalville) pre- siding over a large attendance. Mr. H. Gill, general secre- tary of the National Association, said that he had been in correspondence with the secretary of the South Derbyshire Coal Owners’ Association in reference to wages and other matters, and suggesting a meeting. The reply was that the demands were of such a nature that it would be useless to try to hold a meeting. At Blackwell -a ballot was being taken on the question of giving notice for a uniform rate of wages for deputies and shot-firers, and for an eight-hour shift. Their demand was for a 10 per cent, increase on a wage of 60s. a week; at one colliery there was -a uniform wage of 12s. l|d. >a day. The South Derbyshire owners were dumbfounded at their request, although it was only what was right. The miners were getting 4s. to 5s. a day more than the deputies, though the latter were the best qualified men. In North Derbyshire, deputies were paid £4: 10s. a week. It was decided to make application for Ils. per shift (six shifts a week), for additional pay for over- time, a ton of coal a month (cartage to be paid for), and a shift’s pay for. Sundays, instead of the present allowance of 4s. There was -a large attendance of delegates at an executive council meeting of the Lancashire and Cheshire Miners’ Federation, held at Bolton last Saturday. After a lengthy discussion, it was decided to refuse the federated coal owners’ offer of a 4-2 per cent, advance in wages. It was further decided to support the application to the English Coal Con- ciliation Board for a 5 per cent, advance. At the monthly conference of the Lancashire and Cheshire Miners’ Federation, held on Saturday at Bolton, Mr. T. Greenall (president of the federation) said that colliery recruiting courts were now sitting for the purpose of weed- ing out men who had gone into the mines since August 1915, exception being made in cases where men were proved to be indispensable. He also intimated that youths of 18 who were engaged in pits prior to the outbreak of war, and were at present so engaged, could obtain exemption from mili- tary service on application to the colliery recruiting courts. A conference between representatives of the South Derby- shire coal owners and the Miners’ Association has been held at Burton-on-Trent, in connection with the men’s request for the abolition of forks, rakes, and pans, and the substi- tution of shovels for filling. The matter was carefully gone into, but the alteration was regarded as impracticable. A meeting of the council of the Yorkshire Miners’ Associ- ation was held at Barnsley on Monday, Mr. H. Smith pre- siding. The owners’ offer of increased war bonus was accepted, though Mr. Smith said there was a strong feeling that the modest demand of the men (5 per cent.) should have been granted. The employment of soldiers stationed at Pontefract Barracks at the South Kirkby and Hemsworth collieries was again discussed. Correspondence had passed between the association, the Home Office, and the Controller of Mines, and Mr. Smith said the council persisted in their objection to these men, -and if they were not withdrawn, the only alternative was to allow the men employed at the collieries named to cease work. They did -not object to men returned from the Army working on the surface at collieries, so long as they had full possession of their civil rights and privileges, and there was no objection to such men being employed down the pit if they had had practical experience of underground work. The council also considered reports that women were being signed on to work at coke ovens, and in other surface occupations. The council strongly pro- tested against this. Mr. Smith said they wished it to be known that they would not be responsible for anything that might happen consequent upon the introduction of this class of labour. They would, resist such innovations with all the power they possessed. “ When Mr. Roebuck, myself, and other representatives of the Miners’ Federation waited on Mr. Lloyd George, Lord Milner, and Lord Rhondda,” pro- ceeded Mr. Smith, “we were informed that they had no intention of sending women to work on the surface at pits. It seems, however, that there is no certainty in promises.” The men at the Crigglestone Colliery were allowed to tender notices on the non-union question. It was reported that up to date 2,129 members of the association have fallen in the present war.