Makch 30, 1917.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

637

firm of Lysberg Limited, Admiralty pitwood agents and
agents for the Cambrian Combine.

Mr. J. B. Evans has been appointed representative of
Messrs. Amaral Sutherland and Company at Bio de Janeiro.
He was for many years engaged in the Cardiff coal trade ;
was at one time secretary and traffic manager of the Great
Western Bailway of Brazil; and when war broke out
obtained a commission in the Welsh Begiment, and was
wounded at the front, so that he had to retire from the
service.

The executive council of the South Wales Miners’ Federa-
tion had a communication from the Minister of Labour, who
invited them to appoint a representative on the Advisory
Wages Board which would be established in connection with
the re-employment in civil life of disabled soldiers and
sailors. The communication stated that the functions of the
new Board will be to advise and give information in any
particular case, having regard to a man’s physical disa-
bilities and the current wages of the trade. The constitu-
tion of the Board would be similar to that of the existing
Court of Beferees under the National Insurance Act. The
executive council appointed Mr. F. Hodges as representa-
tive of the South Wales Federation on this Advisory Board.

The Swansea Council considered the report of a committee
appointed to investigate coal contracts in respect of schools.
It was stated that there had been irregularities, but that
the committee decided they would not be justified in insti-
tuting proceedings, although remedial measures were neces-
sary in order to safeguard the placing of orders and the
checking of weights, quality, and consumption. No restric-
tion had been hitherto placed upon the quantities ordered by
individual schools. A new system has been instituted.

Judge Bryn Boberts, at Bridgend County Court, has given
his judgment in -a case of peculiar interest. A collier work-
ing under the Ffaldau Company claimed £14 as balance of
wages—the difference between cutting price of “ large ’’and
through ” coal which he had worked during a period of 19
weeks. Plaintiff contended that he had the option to decide
when he sent out his trams whether the coal was to be paid
for as “ large ” or as “ through,” and that he had exer-
cised that option, marking his trams as “ through,” but had
been paid for “ large ” only. The judge stated that there
was nothing in the price-list indicating when the charge for
one kind was to apply or when the other. It was clear that
both were not to apply after the coal had been screened; and
the miner was not to be paid the price-list item for large coal
on the proportion of “ large ” left after screening, and the
“ through ” item on the proportion of small coal. The items
were mutually exclusive. As far as he could see, there was
no indication whatever in the agreement or the price-list as
to when one item was to apply and when the other. It had
been suggested for the plaintiff that it depended upon the
percentage of “ large ” in the coal he worked; but there was
no provision for that, and there was nothing to support the
view that the option rested with the workman. Therefore,
he had to give judgment on the ground of quantum meruit—
what was deserved—and he found that the wages of the
plaintiff for the 19 weeks amounted to £69, or £3 10s. per
week. Having regard to the fact that all the holidays, with
the exception of Christmas, seemed to have come within that
period, he held that plaintiff had been amply paid, and there-
fore gave judgment for the defendants.

Northumberland and Durham.

Question About Idle Days—Serious Loss Through, Forget-
fulness—A Treasurer Sentenced—Electrical Power in
Durham— Gomp ens ation Gases.

. A Lamb ton Collieries’ Battalion of the Durham Volunteer
Begiment is in process of formation.

Mr. Granville Poole, assistant mines inspector for this dis-
trict, has been 'appointed senior inspector for the South
Wales district, and will shortly leave for Cardiff, where he
is taking up his abode.

The Bev. B. Budd, curate-in-charge of St. Alban’s,
Trimdon Grange, has commenced work in the East Hetton
Colliery offices, by way of answering Mr. Neville Chamber-
lain’s call to all to engage on work of national importance.

The Co-operative Wholesale Society, in its new capacity
as owner of Shilbottle Colliery, has appointed Mr. C. F.
Anderson as manager, in succession to the late Mr. J. A.
Dixon. Mr. Anderson is a native of Shilbottle Banks, and
has spent all his mining career under the tutelage of Mr.
Dixon, with whom he was under-manager.

Mr. Charles Duncan, M.P., speaking on National Service
at North Shields, said he had been asked why the Govern-
ment did not give the local miners the chance of working at
something else when the pits were idle for days, as they
were at present. That, said Mr. Duncan, was exactly why
they were asked to enrol. The Government could not move
them unless they were willing.

Durham magistrates on Wednesday fined Matthew Craig,
37, assistant banksman at Sherburn Colliery, 40s. for a
breach of the Coal Mines Begulation Act. Mr. Bell, prose-
cuting, stated that part of defendant’s duty was to put the
empty tubs into the cage to go down the shaft. A chock
had to be placed across the rails, except when the tubs were
being put into the cage. Defendant omitted to place ths
chock in position, with the result that a tub fell down the
shaft, causing considerable damage to the cage and guides,
whereby the pit was idle for two days, and there was a loss
of between 300 and 400 tons of coal in the output. Defen-
dant had previously been cautioned. Defendant informed
the magistrates that he had been worried lately, and asked to
be relieved of his job. He erred through forgetfulness.

The miners of Northumberland and Durham are being-
given every encouragement by the coal owners to utilise their
spare time for the' growing of foodstuffs. The Cowpen Coal
Company Limited has handed over an excellent five-acre
field to the North Seaton miners for allotment purposes,
charging merely a rent designed to cover the cost of fencing,
any surplus to go to war funds. Mr. Samuel Hare, colliery
agent to Messrs. Bolckow, Vaughan and Company Limited,
and Mr. Hall, manager of Leasingthorne Colliery, have
arranged for allotments on the Leeholme and Coundon foot-
ball fields.

Mr. J. H. Allison, under-manager at the Dean and Chapter
Colliery of Messrs. Bolckow, Vaughan and Company
Limited, has recently been appointed manager to the Little-
burn Colliery of the North Brancepeth Coal Company
Limited.—Mr. Jas. Smith, back overman at West Stanley
Colliery, has been appointed under-manager at Brancepeth
Colliery.—Mr. J.' H. Grieves is relinquishing the manage-
ment of New Shildon Colliery after a service of about 10
years.

Lanchester magistrates sent Balph Hindmarsh, 30, miner,
to prison for two months for the larceny, as bailee, of £109,
the moneys of the war distress fund run by the South Moor

No. 1 lodge of the Durham Miners’ Association. It was
stated that defendant was re-appointed treasurer to the lodge
in December last, and acted in the same capacity for the
war distress fund, a voluntary fund instituted soon after
the outbreak of war for the relief of disabled soldiers and
families of those killed at the front. Everything was in
perfect order when the books were audited in December,
but early in March, when a claim was presented, he admitted
that he had no money to meet it. An investigation of the
books showed that there should have been a balance of
£109 5s. to the credit of the distress fund. In all £134 was
missing, the balance representing benevolent fund moneys.
Defendant admitted the offence, and said that the men
themselves were to blame, to a certain extent, because of
their slackness.

Mr. T. H. Cann, general secretary of the Durham Miners’
Association, in his monthly circular just issued to the mem-
bers, refers to an 'article which appeared recently in a Sunday
contemporary in the name of a clergyman to the effect that
miners were earning £12 a week. A more misleading or
malicious false impression, says Mr. Cann, was never
created. Granted that many of the piece workers might be
making fair wages, though not the imaginary £12 a week,
many were on the minimum which, until quite recently, was
6s. 4d. a shift, and. had now been increased for hewers to
7s. 6d. a day, hedged round, however, by so many prohibi-
tive clauses that -in numerous cases men were deprived of
even that amount. This, too, at a time when the cost of
living was almost double that in pre-war time.

Frederick Beverley, 39, charged at Durham with failing
to set sprags as soon as practicable at regular intervals at
Ferryhill Colliery, pleaded guilty. Mr. Ferens, prosecuting,
pointed out that only about three months ago a hewer was
killed by the fall of the roof under practically similar cir-
cumstances to that in which defendant was found. Defen-
dant was working with the nearest prop 6 ft. away. When
discovered, defendant almost declined to come out, and had
practically to be dragged out. It was a dangerous thing to
do, and, had an accident occurred, defendant would undoubt-
edly have been killed. One would almost think the man was
trying to commit suicide by neglecting to carry out the
regulations. Defendant’s only excuse was that he was
anxious to get the putter boy away as soon as possible. It
was stated in evidence that there were three tons of coaj and
stone above where the defendant was working, and, if it had
come away, the consequences would have been fatal. Beverley
was fined £1, and warned to be more careful in the future.

The electrical power needs and potentialities of Durham
colliery districts bulked largely in the considerations
advanced at the annual meeting of the Newcastle Electric
Supply Company Limited in favour of offering preference
shares in the Newcastle company for the preference and ordi-
nary shares of the Cleveland and Durham Electric Power
Limited. The chairman (Mr. J. H. Armstrong) stated that
the Cleveland company had an area of 820 square miles, and
with its associated companies had laid over 300 miles of
cables, and had connected 81,469 horse-power to their
systems. It had benefited largely from the fact that the
majority of the waste heat stations were situated within its
area. Indeed, the bulk of its power requirements had been
obtained from these stations upon favourable terms. The
effect of the war, however, and the reduced output from
collieries, etc., had brought about a temporary falling-off in
the output of current from waste heat stations, and the com-
pany had been compelled to fall back upon its coal-fired power
station at Grangetown for a very considerable portion of its
supply. That station, owing to its situation and the class
of .its plant, was not economical, and that fact, coupled with
the high prices of coal ruling during the past two years, had
adversely affected profits.—The Hon. B. H. Brand, who
seconded the chairman’s proposition as to the buying-up of
the Cleveland Company, stated that the Cleveland Com-
pany’s area embraced a large coal and industrial district,
which, in the opinion of the directors of the Newcastle
Company, was on the eve of great developments, which
would undoubtedly require a considerable amount of elec-
trical power.

Mr. J. J. Brest, agent of the Horden Collieries Limited,
was able, in his capacity as hon. treasurer of the Durham
Aged Mine Workers’ Homes Association, to inform the
annual meeting of those interested in the association on
Saturday that £4,500 overdraft at the beginning of the year
was reduced to £580 by the end of 1916, and had now dis-
appeared altogether, the association now having a credit
balance. During the year 12 new homes had been erected
at Hetton, in connection with which it was pleasing to note
that they were paid for before the opening ceremony. Homes
in hand or projected were as follow : Wheatley Hill, 12;
East Hetton, 12; Horden, 16; Hebburn, 12; Wingate, 12;
Birtley, 12; Stanley, 9; and Browney, 8. During the year
cash assets at the bank had increased from £5,561 to £9,420.
“ Bose day ” realised the record sum of £913, and it was
desirable to raise by such effort each year a sufficient sum
to pay for the coals and leading to the tenants of the homes.
As in former years, the association had been generously
helped by the workmen of all sections, who contributed
nearly £5,500 during 1916. Thanks were expressed to the
colliery owners, co-operative societies, workmen’s clubs, etc.,
for assistance in wiping out the overdraft; and to lodge and
district secretaries, committees, and others for continued
ungrudging service in the association’s interests. The year
commenced with £5,612 in hand. Contributions from the
lodges, etc., amounted to £5,468, and from private indivi-
duals to £1,766. The chief items of expenditure were £2,225
for coals and leading and £1,030 for building, etc.

Beporting upon the March meeting of the Durham Coal
Trade Compensation Joint Committee, Mr. Wm. House
details 13 claims in respect to fatalities, and 24 in respect
of non-fatal occurrences. Of the former, 11 contain no point
of note. In the case of. Wm. Dickinson, 15, driver at Black-
ball, who,was killed through being run over by tubs, it was
suggested by the management that the accident did not arise
out of and in the course of his employment, but it was proved
that this was a case in which one lad was helping another
with the knowledge of the management, and £45 was
awarded. In the case of Wilfred Bobinson, 17, engine plane
boy, who was killed through being caught by a set of full
tubs at Hetton, the claim was disallowed, the men being-
unable to prove that the accident arose out of and in the
course of the lad’s employment. Of the non-fatal cases,
there were three claims from Wheatley Hill in which men
had fallen on ice in and about the colliery premises and sus-
tained injuries ; a similar case from Addison ; a like case from
Shotton; and a claim from New Herrington, in which a
rolleywayman, 68 years of age, had fallen over a switch on
the colliery railway, and bad injured his shoulder. In all
these cases, the committee failed to agree, and it is probable

that a test case will be heard at the county court. In the
case of Alex. Borthwick, 50, wasteman at Washington Glebe,
who was injured by falling over the colliery branch railway,
the manager stated that the claimant was trespassing at the
time. The case was left to the solicitors to settle. John
Thos. Wells, 29, hewer at Cornsay, was injured in the back
and hip by a fall of stone in August 1915, and was paid full
compensation until November last, when he was offered light
work on the belts. He agreed that he was fit for light work,
but said he had developed nystagmus as a result of the acci-
dent. Dr. Percival, eye specialist, examined him and
reported : “ He has coal miner’s nystagmus when he stoops.
In my opinion, the onset of the nystagmus was precipitated
by the severe injury to his hip on August 31, 1915. His con-
dition is such that he is unfit for the work that has been
offered him, namely, ‘ pulling coal on to the belts.’ He is
quite fit for some kind of work, namely, work that does not
involve stooping and does not involve watching a moving
belt.” He was awarded full compensation. The claim of
Edward Chas. Cooper, 14, belt boy at Horden, who had his
right arm injured by the coal belt on January 10 last, was
disallowed. He had put his hand under the belt, with the
result that it was drawn in on to the roller. The manager
alleged that the accident arose through Cooper’s misconduct.
Thos. Clinton, 57, screener at Lumley, alleged that he
sprained his back whilst lifting some large stones out of a
tub on January 8 last. The accident was reported, but the
claim for compensation was resisted on the ground that the
first certificate he sent in stated lumbago as the cause of his
inability to work. He was awarded one month’s compensa.-
tion. Thos. Howe, 38, hewer at Byer Moor, was. going to
work when he got his foot fast in a sheave stand at. the top
of a drift. A set of tubs came down and broke his leg. The
claim was disputed by the manager, but Howe stated that
he and all other workmen had always travelled the same
way, and had never been told that it was not the correct
road. The claim was allowed. In the case of John Beay,
66, hewer at the same colliery, however, the claim was dis-
allowed. Beay sprained his wrist by falling over a chock at
the top of the incline. It was stated that he was trespass-
ing, and had been previously warned. Jas. Hutchinson, 17,
coal-cutting lad at Trimdon Grange, was injured on Jan. 30
last by the coal-cutting machine falling on him. He stated
that he reported the accident about two hours later by telling
another lad, who told the deputy. The deputy denied that
any report had been made to him. The claim was allowed.
Three claims for continued compensation were made by
miners who had been incapacitated through and compensated
for nystagmus, and had now been called up for military •
service. In one case, the man had been doing light work;
in the other two cases full compensation had been paid until
the men were called up. The committee failed to agree,
and a test case will be taken to court.

Cleveland.

The proposal to introduce into Cleveland a large number
of workmen to assist in increasing the output of ironstone at
the Cleveland mines has aroused considerable interest in
the district concerned, and the miners’ representatives have
very firmly expressed the opinion that additional labour
should be supplied by the return of Cleveland miners who
have joined the Colours, arguing that, in addition to the
justice of the claim, such men are much more valuable in
the mines than workers inexperienced in such labour. A
conference to consider the question has been held, at which
mine owners, miners’ representatives, -and representatives
of the Ministry of Munitions were present.

Yorkshire.

It is understood that the area of coal royalties included
in the sale of the German colliery undertaking at Harworth,
near Doncaster, by the Board of Trade to Messrs. Barber,
Walker and Company, of the Eastwood Collieries and the
Bentley Colliery, is about 14,000 acres. It is not expected
that work will be resumed until the war is ended.

Mr. B. Clay tor, who has for several years been manager
of the Yorkshire Main Colliery at Edlington, Doncaster, has
now been appointed agent. The new manager is Mr. John
Walker, who began work as a pit boy, and has recently had
charge of collieries in North Staffordshire.

Another Yorkshire clergyman has taken up work in the
pit, the Bev. C. W. Janvrin, vicar of Woodlands model
village, near Doncaster, who is on the night shift as a
dataller.

Lancashire and Cheshire.

The question of the custom of colliery pony drivers under-
ground riding on pony shafts in low places was considered
at an inquest at Wigan on Friday of last week, relative to
the death of John Hill, 15 years old, a pony driver at the
Pemberton Collieries, who died in the Wigan Infirmary
following injuries received while following his employment.
According to the evidence, the deceased was taking a full
tub with his pony from the coal face to the shunt, when,
on the pony stopping, he was found lying across the shafts
with a wound in the head, the supposition being that he
had caught his head against a,liench in the road, which was
only 3 in. higher than the coal box. Mr. J. Parkinson, J.P.,
miners’ agent, said that was the second accident that had
happened much in the same way at the same collieries in
consequence of the custom of pony, drivers riding on the
shafts. Tlie inspector of mines said it was not a
general custom in Lancashire, and there were not many
coll series in Lancashire where the same system was adopted
as at the Pemberton Collieries, where tubs were brought out
by pony instead of by hand, but in other counties, in Durham
and in Yorkshire, for instance, the custom prevailed. For
many years of his own life he knew of nothing else, pony
drivers always riding on the shafts, and by mining experts
this was considered much safer than the lads walking in
front of the ponies. He was not going to express any
opinion on the matter. Mr. Parkinson said that, as a boy,
he often rode in that way. Boys were not prohibited from
doing it. The roof should be made higher. A verdict of
Accidental death ” was returned.

Notts and Derbyshire.

The deputies at the Alfreton and Shirland collieries came
out on strike, alleging that the wages of the deputies are
less than those of neighbouring collieries under similar con-
ditions. The deputies of the company’s Sutton Coliery
accepted an offer pending a final settlement, and deputies
at the Blackwell A and B Collieries accepted terms.

Kent.

The deep sinking in No. 2 pit at Snowdown Colliery was
last week taken down a further I6J ft.—from 2,977 ft. to
2,993J ft. Sinking is at present proceeding through very
hard ground.