April 13, 1917.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

731

LABOUR AMD WAGES.

South Wales and Monmouthshire.

The objection felt by Bedwas miners to the employment
of Spaniards in the pit has apparently been met; but the
men insist upon earlier dispersal, and their meeting on
Saturday accepted the suggestion which had been made
to them from the management, but made a stipulation that
the Spaniards should be got rid of within a month.

Another matter dealt with in the meeting was the
reports from lodges favouring the establishment of a
cottage hospital for the district; and promising to contri-
bute 7yd. per week per man in support of the Caerphilly
Military Auxiliary Hospital.

The Western Valley miners of Monmouthshire met at
Abertillery, and on the question of compulsory surgical
operations provided for under the Royal Pensions Warrant
it was stated the district was strongly opposed to com-
pulsory powers being exercised against the will of the
individual, and they strongly resented the intention of the
Pensions Minister to reduce the amount of pensions where
injured persons refused to undergo operations.

With regard to the Llanhilleth Colliery, where the
Meadow seam is being opened up, the men wish to have
the price-list fixed at once, whereas the management wish
to have the seam opened before the price-list is made. A
deadlock exists, and the seam lies undeveloped.

In the monthly meeting of the Avon Valley district on
Saturday, a resolution was passed to affiliate the district
with the Housing and Town Planning Association. Dis-
cussion took place also on frequent stoppages at local
collieries. A resolution was passed applying to railway
companies for concessions in the charge made for work-
men’s tickets in accordance with the number of days lost
in each week.

The anthracite miners at Swansea on Saturday discussed
the position of Swansea Technical College, and the pro-
posals which are being made in regard to it; and they
passed a resolution favouring its organisation as a con-
stituent college of the Welsh University.

The Eastern Valley miners of Monmouthshire met on
Saturday. One of their agents, speaking in the meeting,
advocated the abolition of the system of paying over com-
pensation moneys to the registrars of the county court,
because, he said, this occasioned delay in paying out to
widows, and had caused serious inconvenience. He sug-
gested that the money should be invested in local trusts,
and proposed an investment in the names of the president
of the Miners’ Federation, the treasurer, and himself, so
that the amounts might be disbursed more expeditiously.
The meeting passed a resolution recommending that the
central executive would favour this change.

The lodges of iron workers, whose wages are regulated
by the Sliding Scale Committee, have held meetings during
the past few days, and considered the award made by the
Committee on Production. It was reported at an execu-
tive meeting held in Newport on Saturday that favourable
resolutions had been passed in all the districts, the men
being entirely satisfied and that the wages will now, for
the period of the war, be regulated by the new scale. The
award of the Committee on Production was that as from
the beginning of this year, the wage-rate should be
advanced or reduced by 1, Per cent, for every Is. advance
or reduction in the combined average net selling price of
steel rails and tin-plate bars above the previous maximum
of <£6 10s. provided in the existing agreement. An opinion
was expressed in the meeting that the new scale would
provide a Useful basis of negotiation with the employers
for the future.

The miners’ executive met on Wednesday, and dealt
with a number of disputes as to which application was
made to them from different collieries. In each case a
reference was made to individual members, so that there
should be investigation and report.

A meeting of the committee which deals with dilution
of labour in the tin-plate industry has been held in
Swansea, and reports were submitted from all but two of
the works. It is stated that as many as 900 tin-plate men
are to be transferred to tin-plate and spelter works; this
upon the basis that supplies of steel to the trade are to be
45 per cent, of the normal. Later intelligence, however,
leads to the conclusion that the supply of steel is to be
further diminished, and this, of course, will entail the
transfer of an additional number of men. So far, how-
ever, this committee, which embodies employers and work-
men, with the dilution officer representing the Govern-
ment, has carried out its work without any friction or
protest.

The executive council of the Colliery Managers’ Asso-
ciation met in Cardiff on Monday, and during a discussion
upon the proposal to seek improvement in the wage-rate,
it was stated that circumstances generally in the coal field
were so unsatisfactory that any such proposal must neces-
sarily be regarded without favour. It was decided to
grant out-of-work relief to assistant shopmen and firemen
who were idle.

The Western District Miners’ Association held a meet-
ing in Swansea on Saturday—30 delegates being, present,
representing 6,500 men. Cwmcapel miners were given per-
mission to tender 14 days’ notice. With regard .to income
tax, it was decided to suggest that the district should
co-operate in an approach to the Inland Revenue authori-
ties, so that an allowance should be granted the miners
for abnormal wear and tear of clothing; and that, failing
an arrangement, the central executive should take the
matter up.

North of England.

In response to an enquiry from the Nottinghamshire
Miners’ Association, the executive committee of the
Northumberland Miners’ Association is asking the local
secretaries for a return as to the pits in which electric
lamps are used, and as to the persons using them.

At a meeting for the establishment of a War Savings
Committee for Chester-le-Street, it was stated that the
workmen at Pelton Fell Colliery contributed <£8,900 to
war savings in two days, and that, at Handon Hold, where
there were only 600 men employed, 2,000 War Savings
Certificates for 15s. 6d. each had been taken out, in addi-
tion to lump sum contributions. The owners of the
colliery, Messrs. Jas. Joicey and Company Limited, had
purchased the certificates for the men, who would, in
consequence, receive interest from the date of their first
payment.

A rather unusual line of defence was taken by Mr. J. T.
Proud, at Bishop Auckland, whilst protecting Thos. Best-

ford and Geo. Redfearn against the charge of having com-
mitted an offence at Rumby Hill Colliery, Crook, by having
gone into a place which had not been examined and
certified to be safe. Mr. J. H. Brackenbury, junr., stated
that on March 22 he was engaged as deputy in examining
the wordings before the men went in to work. The defen-
dants had gone into an unexamined place. When asked
what they were doing beyond the station, Redfearn replied
that he went to get his gear. Cross-examined by Mr.
Proud, witness said Rumby Hill Colliery was only a small
place. The defendants were only a pillar beyond the place
examined. There was no danger in the mine, and naked
lights were used. He could not be sure, but he thought
there was a “ danger ” board up. No bars were placed
across the main roads. Mr. J. H. Brackenbury, senr.,
owner and manager of the colliery, said he had discharged
one of the defendants the day before the offence. By Mr.
Proud : As a result of a change from datal wages to piece-
work, the men lost on one pay 18s. and 25s. respectively.
Witness had a dispute with the men, and “ sacked ” them.
All the men at the colliery, with the exception of defen-
dants, agreed to the change in the mode of payment.
Defendants threatened that if the others went to work
they would break their necks, and he was not going to
have the men intimidated. When defendants complained
about the shortage in their pay, witness told them he would
not pay the shortage, because he had old men in the colliery
who could make more money. Mr. Proud submitted to
the magistrates that the whole prosecution was concocted,
and ought not to be encouraged. To hear the manager
and under-manager, the colliery was most perfectly
managed ; yet there was no proper examination, no caution
board, and no danger board. The manager, having
got his knife into defendants, wanted to get rid of them,
and so searched the Coal Mines Regulations to find some-
thing on which to base a prosecution. Defendants were
called, and denied that they had attempted to intimidate
the other men. The chairman (Dr. Kilburn) said the
evidence was most conflicting. The charges were dismissed
on defendants paying 4s. each as costs.

Federated Area.

Negotiations have recently been proceeding between the
Coal Merchants’ section of the Bradford Chamber of
Trade, the Bradford Coal Merchants’ and Consumers’
Association Limited, and the Bradford Horse Owners’
Association on the one hand, and the Union of Carters in
Bradford, in respect to an advance of pay. It has been
decided to give a war bonus of 2s., bringing the men’s
pay to 35s. per week.

Scotland.

Disputes are reported from Milnwood, Waterside,
Allanton, Goatfoot, and Birsieknowe collieries.

The idle time which has been common at most of the
Fife collieries is unfortunately on the increase. For some
time many of the pits have been regularly idle two days
per week, but lately a number of them have been idle
during three days per week. Owing to so much idle time,
a large number of young men have left the county and
voluntarily joined the Army.

Mr. D. Beveridge, Cowdenbeath, has been appointed as
under-manager at No. 1 Lumphinnans Colliery, in succes-
sion to Mr. A. Ireland, who has gone to a Lanark colliery.
Mr. Charles Seaman, who has been under-manager at
Dalbeath Colliery, has been appointed assistant manager,
in succession to Mr. David Holmes. Mr. Alex. Wilson
has been appointed under-manager at No. 2 pit, Dalbeath.

Iron, Steel and Engineering Trades.

The quarterly ascertainment under the sliding scale in
operation in Cumberland and the Furness district shows
that the average selling price at cash of haematite pig iron
warrants was 115s. per ton. The wages of blast furnace-
men, therefore, stand at 93J per cent, above the standard,
the same as in the previous quarter. The increase com-
pared with the corresponding quarter last year, when pig
iron warrants averaged 107s. 6d. per ton, is 9^ per cent.

The north-east coast engineers’ ballot on the Committee
on Production’s award of 2s. advance in wages has resulted
in a majority in favour of acceptance. The vote was not
large, and the figures will in due course be laid before a
district delegate meeting.

The officials of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers
in Tyneside have been notified from headquarters that,
as the recent stoppage of work was unconstitutional, the
men are not entitled to donation benefit.

The accountants to the Board of Conciliation and Arbi-
tration for the Manufactured Iron and Steel Trade of the
North of. England have certified the average net selling
price of iron rails, plates, bars, and angles for the first
two months of the year at <£13 7s. 10-61d., as compared
with <£13 5s. 7-22d. for the previous two months, and, in
accordance with sliding scale arrangements, there is an
advance of 3d. per ton on puddling, and 2^ per cent, on
all other forge and mill wages.

The average net selling price of No. 3 Cleveland pig iron
for the first quarter of the year has been certified at
89s. 8-76d. per ton, as compared with 89s. 0-17d. per ton
for the previous three months—an advance of 8-59d. per
ton. This carries an advance in blast furnacemen’s wages
of 0-75 (J of 1) per cent., which raised wages from 71-25
per cent, above the standard to 72 per cent, above the
standard.

Coal Delivery in London.—In a letter to the Press, Coun.
C. E. Taylor, organiser of the National Amalgamated Coal
Porters’ Union, maintains that the increased pay of mem-
bers—due to the higher cost of living—compares unfavour-
ably with the profits of merchants, and he adds : “The
reason for the non-delivery of coal is that there is no coal
on the sidings of either North or South London, as the
merchants’ contracts expire at this time of the year.
Many of the members of our union are only working half-
time in consequence of this.”

Institution of Petroleum Technologists—Mr. C. Green-
way has been elected president of the association. The
vice-presidents for the ensuing year are Prof. J. Cadman,
Rt. Hon. Viscount CowSray, Sir T. H. Holland, and Sir
Boverton Redwood. A meeting of the institution will be
held at the house of the Royal Society of Arts, Adelphi,
London, on Tuesday, April 17, commencing at 8 p.m. A
paper on “ The Development of the Petroleum Industry in
Assam,” by Mr. H. S. Maclean Jack, will be read.

Notes from the Coal Fields.

[Local Correspondence.]

South Wales and Monmouthshire.

Prospects of Tonnage—Colliery Finance and the Control
Terms—Position of Miners Receiving Compensation—
Miners and Merthyr Hospital Management—Freight
Rates—Compensation for Transferred Business.

One subject of controlling interest in local trade circles
is the effect upon tonnage that will be occasioned by
America’s entry into the war, and especially the addition
of Brazil, as well as the United States, to the list of com-
batants. There are in the North American ports no fewer
than 119 vessels of German and Austrian nationality, their
total tonnage reaching approximately to three-quarters of a
million gross ; and one of the earliest announcements was
that the German vessels, 91 in number out of that total,
had been seized. The general result is bound to be helpful
in the sea and land transport difficulties.

Criticism has been aroused on the Coal Exchange by the
failure of the Department to make known the terms upon
which the collieries will be compensated in respect of
control, the proceedings in Parliament and failure to
answer questions on the subject being regarded from oppo-
site points by shareholders and wage earners. It is now
four months since the collieries came under the Board of
Trade, and as yet the financial terms have not been dis-
closed. In the case of the railways, their pre-war divi-
dends are guaranteed, less a small percentage due to
increase in the wage rate. In the case of other under-
takings — for example, dry docks and other mechanical
establishments—they have their pre-war profits, plus 20
per cent., and a generous percentage for depreciation. It
may reasonably be assumed that terms equally satisfac-
tory will be granted to the colliery proprietors; and inas-
much as the Parliamentary statement has been made that
agreement has been practically arrived at, it is difficult to
understand why there is delay. Publication of the deci-
sion is important because of the effect on share values, the
quotations having declined very much during the past six
or eight months. If a comparison be made of the market
price of shares in the leading concerns, it will be seen that
they range from 10 to 25 per cent, decrease in value.
Indeed, Consolidated Cambrian have lost as much as one-
third, having declined from 37s. to 25s. ; and even Insoles,
which had a very material appreciation last year, have
gone back to 29s., this being 10 per cent, below the quota-
tion of last September.

The freight market is still in a very troublesome condi-
tion. Rates are high, and tonnage short, although the
removal of the limitation was expected to bring forward
more neutral vessels for the service of the local coal trade.
As compared with the average rates ruling during 1916,
there is a marked increase where the rate of freight is free.
On the other hand, of course, the limitation of rates, which
affects all Allied tonnage as well as British, has kept the
figure well within bounds, and consequently it is only as to
neutral tonnage that the state of the market, determined
by supply and demand, can be ascertained.

At the sitting of the colliery tribunal in Newport on
Thursday of last week, although the “ combing out ” of
men from the mines has been suspended, a number of
exemption certificates were withdrawn—many of the men
having been only recently employed in the mines. A warn-
ing was given in the case of a man who engages in boxing
contests that unless he attended more closely to colliery
work, he also would lose his exemption certificate.

A singular position exists with regard to the Merthyr
Hospital, as to the control of which the miners and steel
workers demand a larger share. The executive board of
the hospital has announced that it will be necessary to
close 11 beds unless the financial position is made stronger,
and it has been suggested that the workmen should con-
tribute Id. per man per week towards the upkeep. The
Dowlais Colliery workmen, however, refuse this, claiming
increased representation on the executive, on the ground
that, under the scheme suggested, the workmen would pro-
vide half the cost of the institution, and therefore should
have half the representation. A mass meeting of the
colliers was held at Dowlais on Saturday, and a resolution
was passed for a joint conference of Merthyr and Dowlais
men, so that some definite understanding should be
arrived at.

Notices have been posted on Cardiff Coal and Shipping
Exchange authorising a substantial increase upon the limi-
tation rates of neutral vessels engaged in the near French
trade—only the French Coast and Bay ports being affected.
No notice is yet to hand as to rates for neutral trade to
the Mediterranean ports, but it is understood that this
question is being considered, so that official announcement
at an early date is anticipated.

It is to be noted that as all charters have to be deter-
mined in respect of rate by the Inter-Allied Chartering
Executive, any schedule is liable to variation, and will not
be limited by the fixed figures. The old rate for Bor-
deaux, which was 51s., will now be 69s., and the old rate
for Rouen, which was 36s. 9d., will be 48s. 9d.

In regard to business transferred from other districts,
the local exporters who secure this will, it is understood,
compensate northern firms to the extent of half their
profits, provided this does not exceed 9d. per ton.

It is reported that the restriction of supplies of steel to
tin-plate works will make a difference of 1,300 to 1,400
tons weekly in the quantities available for Government
purposes.

A recruiting meeting was held at Forest Each, when Capt.
Thomas addressed the colliers, stating that, now less coal
was being supplied, more men would be free to undertake
military service ; and Maj. Harries remarked that, seeing
the lack of shipping prevented the ordinary output of coal,
if the younger miners would join the Army they would
help to give the older men a full week’s work.

The question of the position of a miner in receipt of
compensation came before the Monmouthshire colliery
recruiting court, the chairman stating that the court had
no power to deal with men of this class unless they were
actually working. Mr. T. Richards, M.P., secretary of the
Federation, expressed a hope that the military representa-
tive would draw attention to the matter. One of the men
had been in receipt of compensation since injury to his
spine in 1907, and the workmen protested against his
being refused exemption. Mr. Richards said that such
men were in a perilous position between the recruiting
court and the military authorities. The colliery doctor
and the man’s doctor had certified him as being unfit to