682 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. April 6, 1917. PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE. _______ HOUSE OF COMMONS.—April 2. Wagon Scarcity. Mr. W. Thorne asked whether the Minister of Muni- tions was aware that at the Wartnaby and district pits there was a shortage of trucks for conveying ironstone from the pits to the furnaces; that in consequence the workmen only worked 3| days last week; and whether he would endeavour to arrange for an adequate supply of railway trucks. Dr. Addison replied that he was aware of time being lost at pits owing to the shortage of wagons. The matter had been taken up with the Railway Executive Committee, and active steps were being taken to increase the number and to improve the use of railway wagons. _________ April 3. Miners’ Wages. Mr. Anderson asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention was called to a circular issued to the Press on March 20 by the directors of the official Press Bureau, stating that, before publishing any article or statement dealing with the terms of compensa- tion to be awarded to coal owners or the adjustment of miners’ wages as a result of Government control, they should submit such articles for censorship; and whether he would state upon what ground such a circular was issued to the Press. Mr. Brace replied that a confidential notice was sent to the Press, at the request of the Controller of Coal Mines, suggesting caution in publishing statements on the matters referred to in the question, as they were subjects of con- siderable delicacy, and inaccurate or premature statements might lead to friction or other difficulties. Replying to other questions, Mr. Brace said he con- sidered this was part of the work of the Press Censorship if the circumstances were likely to cause friction and stop- pages of work. The Censor was asked not to permit publi- cation of statements which were inaccurate, and which might cause serious disturbance. Mr. Pringle gave notice that he would raise the ques- tion on the adjournment. ________________________ SOUTH WALES MINING TIMBER TRADE. The imports of foreign timber for the week ending March 30 were small. The bulk of the supplies came from France, only two consignments being received from Portugal, and none from Spain. An interesting consign- ment was 466 loads from Pensacola. Very little wood has been received of late from Newfoundland. The actual imports into South Wales ports for the week ending March 30 were as follow :— Cardiff {Barry and Penarth) :— To Lysberg Limited ..... Morgan and Cadogan ... Do. ... Do. ..... Lysberg Limited ..... Holman Limited ..... W. E. Williams ....... Lysberg Limited ..... Newport: — P. Batchelor .......... Powell Duffryn Company From Loads. Bordeaux......... 6,780 Morlaix........... 180 L’Orient ......... 960 La Rochelle....... 4Q0 Oporto ........... 3,840 Oporto ........... 1,400 Bordeaux......... 1,020 Bayonne ......... 720 ______ Total......15,380 Pensacola.......... 466 Bordeaux.......... 2,412 Total...... 2,878 There were no imports into Swansea or Port Talbot. Market quotations ruled nominally at 75s. per ton ex ship Cardiff. There were no free supplies, and stocks went quickly into consumption. Home-Grown Supplies. The amount of home-grown mining timber utilised is increasing, and is off-setting the decreased supplies of foreign wood. The Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners’ Pitwood Association are going ahead with their schemes, and the co-operative effort gives promise of being a success, now that the great initial difficulties have been overcome. Maximum prices have been fixed by the association for the under-mentioned descriptions :— Larch : 6 ft. 6 in. by 3^ in. (small end), 9 ft. by 5/6 in. ditto, 13 ft. by 7/9 in. ditto, and 4 ft. by 4/5|in.—prices, 50s., to 55s. per ton delivered to the collieries or quotation f.o.r. Hardwood : Sizes as above—prices 40s. or less, delivered to the collieries or quotation f.o.r. Whilst a number of merchants are willing to supply at the above figures, others state that the variation of trans- port costs to rail are so wide that little profit is shown by conforming to the above prices. A number, therefore, were inclined to sell their supplies in the Midlands, where higher rates prevail. Foreign Imports, 1913 to 1916. Mr. W. R. Hawkins, the secretary of the Cardiff' Chamber of Commerce, has included in the annual report of the Chamber, just issued, a return showing the quan- tity of pitwood imported into South Wales from 1913 onwards. The countries from whence supplies were imported are distinguished, so that it is possible to ascer- tain the sharp falling-off and the ultimate cessation of supplies from Russia and the Swedish ports. During 1913 the imports from Russia to Cardiff amounted to 219,083 loads, whilst in i9±o no supplies were received. Newport, in 1913, received 29,437 loads, and Swansea 27,279 loads. Much larger supplies had to be obtained from other countries as a result of the stoppage of Russian supplies, and the returns show that the increase was wholly from Spain, Portugal, and Newfoundland. As regards New- foundland timber, this is purely a “ war ” trade, and wood exports from that country are likely to cease when normal conditions arise, although efforts are being made to per- manently establish the trade. Last year Cardiff received 56,069 loads of Newfoundland wood, and Swansea 11,877 loads. The following returns are extracted from the annual report of the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce :— Countries whence 1913. 1914. 1915. 1916. imported. Loads. Loads. Loads. Loads. Cardiff:— Russia, Northern Ports 219,083 . .. 96,860 2,640 ... — Sweden 14,997 . 2,856 269 ... — Norway 3,756 . 5,795 3,705 ... 827 France 540,655 . .. 578,613 ... 573.232 ...462,716 Portugal 249,327 .. 223,623 ... 277,936 ...313.238 Spain 103,123 . .. 92,569 ... 130,555 ...137,676 Newfoundland ... — 5,967 ... 60,052 ... 56,069 Canada — — — ... 15,575 Total 1,130,941 . ..1,006,283 ...1,048,389 ...986,121 Newport Russia, Northern Ports 29,437 . .. 28,914 — — Norway... 6,635 . ■2,747 142 — France 265,678 . .. 165,350 ... 101,990 ... 81,739 Portugal 57,228 . .. .,.56,417 ... 78,677 ... 79,758 Newfoundland ... — — 1,150 ... — Total 358,978 . .. 253,428 ... 181,959 ...161,497 Swansea (not Port Talbot):— Russia, Northern Ports 27,279 . 8,923 — — Sweden 178 .. 21 — — France ! 118,439 .. .. 86,992 . 78,434 76,978 Portugal 6,137 . 9,810 . 12,464 ... 5,175 Spain — — 1,025 ... 2,290 Norway — — 3,452... ',164 Newfoundland ... — — 6,742 ... 11,877 Canada — — — ... 2,747 Total 152,033 .. . 105,746 . .. 102,117 ...100,231 _____________________________ MINING INDUSTRY AND MILITARY SERVICE. When the manager of Chilton Colliery applied at Sedg- field tribunal for the exemption of his foreman mason, he pointed out that tribunals were exempting men on condi- tion that they worked at collieries. This- man’s duties were far more important. They had a tremendous amount of work to do in connection with houses, coke ovens, and the hnts they were going to build for workmen. The Government were pressing them, an cl the company wanted more men than they had, and had asked the Ministry of Munitions to undertake to get men so as to get the work done. Conditional exemption was granted. At the East Kent appeal tribunal, Mr. W. Moens, manager of Kent Coal Concessions, etc., appealed against the decision of the Dover tribunal in the case of Mr. Thos. Bowman, secretary and registrar of Kent Coal Concessions and the Allied Companies. Mr. Moens urged that Mr. Bowman is indispensable. They had released 65 of their men, and Bowman is the only eligible man left in the office. Mr. Moens added that the companies have actions pending in which £80,000 is involved, and Mr. Bowman is the only man with a knowledge of the details of these. He suggested they might be given three or four months to get these actions out of the way. The tribunal granted three months, not renewable without leave. The military representative succeeded in an appeal to the Worcestershire county tribunal at Dudley on Friday of last week in the case of a bricklayer passed for general service, who was employed his whole time by a firm of building contractors in carrying out repairs at a local colliery with five sets of pits. It was stated that the colliery firm was now engaged opening up old pits that had not been worked for 50 years, in order to draw off water from the other pits, in addition to increasing its mining area. A representative of the firm stated that, but for the presence of the bricklayer at the colliery, 500 miners would recently have been thrown idle : owing to a breakage, and the output of coal for the week would have been decreased at least 1,000 tons. It was estimated that the work at the additional shafts that were being opened would occupy about two months.—The chairman (Mr. J. Willis Bund) : I am a member of the Mines Drainage Commission, and the work of draining off the water in the district will not be completed in my lifetime. Mr. T. F. Brass, applying, at Chester-le-Street, on behalf of the Charlaw and Sacriston Collieries Company Limited for a man of 28 years of age, who acted as head storekeeper, general colliery clerk, and bill clerk, and for six others connected with the coking department, stated that before the war there were employed at the colliery 12 male clerks and one woman, where there were now two men and 10 women. So far as the c’oke yard was con- cerned, the company had allowed all the young men to go as they attained military age, and was now in a worse position than when a previous appeal was made. Condi- tional exemption was granted in each case. •—The same tribunal granted conditional exemption to four cokemen in the employ of Messrs. Jas. Joicey and Company Limited, and three cokemen in the employ of the Edmonds- ley Coal Company. Two out of three pay-bill clerks applied for by the Birtley Iron Company were conditionally exempted, and the third was given until the end of May, with liberty to apply again. At Annfield Plain, when a point in connection with a miner who was working on the surface from considera- tions of health came up, the chairman remarked that such men were to be regarded as underground workers, even although temporarily employed at bank. _________________________ THE TIN-PLATE TRADE. Liverpool. Transactions at 26s. 6d. to 27s. per box for I C 14 x 20 cokes, and 27s. to 28s. 6d. basis for squares and odd sizes, were reported, but most makers are proceeding very cautiously now, and most of them are asking higher figures than those named above. The shortage in steel supplies, and also probable further reduction in labour, are causing works to stand firmly to their quotations. There are very few, if any, anxious sellers just now. Current prices may be called —Cokes : IC 14 x 20 (112 sh. 1081b.), 26s. 6d. to 27s. 6d. per box; I C 28 X 20 (112 sh. 2161b.), 53s. 6d. to 55s. 6d. per box; I C 14 x 18| (124 sh. 1101b.), 28s. nominal. IC squares and odd sizes, 27s. 6d. to 28s. 6d. basis. Wasters vary considerably in price, viz. : CW 14 x 20, 25s. 6d. to 28s. per box; CW 28 x 20, 51s. 6d. to 54s.; C W 14 x 18|, 26s. to 28s. Charcoals are firm, at 30s. basis and upwards, according to finish, f.o.b. Wales. All less 4 per cent. OBITUARY. Lord Allerton, chairman of the Great Northern Railway Company, died at his London residence on Wednesday. His lordship had been a director of the company since 1883 and occupied the position of chairman from 1895 to his death. The late peer was a son of the late Mr. W. Jackson, of Leeds, and head of the great leather-tanning works at Buslingthorpe, Leeds. In 1891 he became Chief Secretary for Ireland. He presided over a number of Commissions, including the Royal Commission on Coal Resources. The death of Mr. John Dunn, one of the oldest coa masters in Lanarkshire, occurred on Monday. Mr. Dunn, who was in his 84th year, toot a considerable part Jn the development of the Lanarkshire coal fields, having opened up many pits in the Broomhouse, Uddingston and Bothwell districts. The firm of which he was a member was formerly known as Messrs. Dunn Brothers, and in later years it became Messrs. J. Dunn and Stephen Limited. Mr. David Edwards, of Tonna, near Neath, one of the earliest pioneers in the coal trade of Neath Valley, has just died at the age of 69. He was interested in the Ynysarwed collieries at .Resolven, and in the Blaenmawr colliery, being also associated with the tin plate trade. Mr. John Farrar, of Ashton, near Wigan, died last week aged 56. For 43 years he was in the service of the Bryn Hall Colliery Company, and for some time acted as branch secretary of the Lancashire and Cheshire Miners’ Permanent Relief Society. ______________________________________________________ THE IRISH COAL TRADE. Wednesday, April 4. Dublin. Demand for house coal is unusually good for the time’of year, owing to the continuance of severe cold, and there has been no falling-off in other directions. Brices of all qualities are unchanged, as follow :—Best Orrell, 44s. per ton net; Yorkshire brights, 43s.; best Wigan, 42s.; best slack, 36s.; house coal, retail, 2s. lOd. to 3s. per sack of 10 st.; steam coal, from about 40s. per ton; best coke, 44s. per ton. The coal vessels arriving during the past week amounted to 60, as compared with 49 the week pre- viously,' the total quantity of coal discharged upon the quays being 22,000 tons, as against 17,605 tons in the previous week. In connection with the scheme for the line of railway which is to connect the Wolfhill Collieries, Queen’s County, with the Great Southern and Western Railway at Athy, it is stated that the latter company are carrying out the enginering' work. Operations are to be started immediately by the Irish Exploration and Develop- ment Company Limited to carry out the further develop- ment of the Arigna mineral area; co. Leitrim. It is under- stood that an order has been placed in America for a supply of rails to extend the Cavan and Lfeitrim Railway up to the Arigna Valley, so as to get as much coal away from the coal fields as possible after supplying the local demand, pending the construction of the wide-gauge line to substi- tute the narrow-gauge. The price of imported coal in some of the western districts is now 59s. 6d. per ton. Last year 87,000 tons of coal were raised in Ireland, as against 84,000 tons in 1915, and 92,000 tons in 1914. Belfast. Business generally remains quiet, and there is no change in prices at the port, stocks of English house coal being below the normal, owing to the difficulty in obtaining supplies. Current quotations for house coals are :—Best Arley, 43s. 6d. per ton; Orrell nuts, 42s. 6d.; English house, 41s. 6d.; Scotch, 39s. 6d.; Orrell slack, 39s. 6d. Irish coal at Craigahulliar, Portrush, co. Antrim, is 14s. per ton at the pithead. Orders as far south as Cork are being received for this coal, at from 25 to 30 per cent, less than English and Scotch coal. _______________________ THE BY-PRODUCTS TRADE. Tar Products.—In the provincial markets, tar products are practically unchanged. In London, pitch is very firm, and recent transactions are reported to include 31s. 6d. net per. ton f.o.b. makers’ works for export. Gas works coal tar is averaging 20s. 3d. to 24s. 3d.; pitch, east coast, 16s. 6d. to 17s. 6d. per ton; Manchester, 15s. 6d. to 16s.; Liverpool, 16s. 6d. to 17s.; and 17s. to 18s., Clyde. A good enquiry is current for 95/160 solvent naphtha. Ordi- nary London creosote is in good demand at 4^d. net in bulk, makers’ works. Solvent and heavy naphthas are steady. Benzol, 90 per cent, north, is about lO^d. to ll^d. Toluol, naked, 2s. 3d., north. Sulphate of Ammonia.—Sulphate of ammonia for home agriculture is quoted £16 per ton direct to farmers. Nitrate of soda is firm, at 24s. per cwt. ordinary quality, and 24s. 3d. refined. ____________________________ TRADE AND THE WAR. Messrs. Trier Brothers Limited, engineers, patentees, and manufacturers of engineering appliances, have removed from their offices at Caxton House, Westminster, to 36, Victoria-street, Westminster. The Board of Trade has ordered the winding-up of a number of enemy firms, including the United Machine Tool Company Limited, 24, Southwark-street, London, S.E. ; and the Wed more Engineering Company, Upper Holloway. In view of the present conditions, the Director of Timber Supplies has decided to institute a monthly census of stocks, and under the Defence of the Realm Act it is inti- mated to all timber merchants and to large consumers of timber that they should submit a monthly return of all stocks of soft woods held by them on the last day of each month. A new list of additions to the statutory list of firms of enemy nationality or enemy association with whom persons in the United Kingdom are forbidden to trade has been issued. It covers Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Chili, the Netherlands, Netherlands East Indies, Norway, Peru, Spain, and Sweden. There are also removals from American and other lists.