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THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

■ April 20, 1917.

Notes from the Coal Fields.

[Local Correspondence.]

South V/ales and Monmouthshire.

New Director of Taff Vale Railway—Rhondda Landslide
Again—Patent Fuel Makers and the Coal Controller—
Inspector to Regulate Transport of Coal—Requisition-
ing of Steamships—Action Against the Miners’ Feder-
ation.

Mr. W. North Lewis was appointed a director of the
Taff Vale Railway Company at a board meeting held on
Tuesday. Mr. Lewis is chairman and managing director
of Insoles Collieries, and he is also chairman of the
Windsor Steam Coal Company, and a director of the
Treforest Electrical Consumers’ Company.

The Rhondda Council has an action in the Chancery
Division against Cory Brothers, colliery proprietors, and
also the Crawshay Bailey estate trustees, their object
being to restrain tipping of colliery rubbish on Pentre
mountain. The action arose out of the landslide which has
wrecked certain houses and threatened to injure the road-
way, water and gas mains, tramway, etc., of the local
Council. In November last an injunction was sought by
the Council to restrain Cory Brothers from tipping refuse
on the mountain, and against the Crawshay Bailey trustees
(as owners of the estate) to restrain them from permitting
such tipping in any way that would interfere with the
works oi the plaintiffs. At the hearing, the judge sug-
gested that engineers of the various parties should meet
and agree upon certain steps as a temporary measure until
the trial. A report was made by Sir Maurice Eitz-
maurice as to what was necessary to avert immediate
danger; and an agreement was arrived at for carrying out
that necessary work at once. It was agreed that the
parties should concur in the expenditure necessary, but
that it ultimately should be borne by the party held to
be liable; and it none of the parties were legally liable,
then the court should determine how the expenditure
should be ultimately borne. The work was carried out
at a cost of £1,200 ; but there was risk that the landslide
may start again, and further work become necessary. The
question submitted to the court on Tuesday was whether
the decision of Sir Maurice Fitzmaurice was to settle yvhat
work was necessary, or whether the engineers of all the
parties must be unanimous. After counsel had been heard
both for the local authority and the two defendants, it was
agreed that the judge, in the event of disagreement, should
decide the matter summarily as arbitrator.

The Coal Controller has agreed to receive a deputation
of patent fuel manufacturers, who wish to place before
him certain considerations relating to their industry, in
view of the intention to fix prices for supplies to neutrals.
Two meetings have been held of the South Wales makers,
and communication has been made by them to the Con-
troller, they desiring that he would grant them an inter-
view, seeing that they have interests quite separate from
the coal trade, with which hitherto they have been dealt
in common. Their desire is that they shall no longer be
ignored, as has been the case hitherto; but that as to any
further arrangement as to prices, they shall be directly
consulted ; and this the Controller apparently is willing to
concede.

At the Caerphilly Council meeting on Tuesday, Mr. T.
James, checkweigher of ethe Senghenydd Colliery, was
elected chairman.

Further progress was made on Tuesday With the action
by which a blacksmith formerly employed at the Llwynypia
Colliery sought to restrain the checkweigher from inducing-
employers not to engage him; and the defendant gave
evidence on his own behalf. The facts of the case have
been already published.

In a special meeting of the Blaenavon Trades Council
on Tuesday, complaint was made as to irregularity of
employment at the collieries, some of the speakers assert-
ing that in consequence of prevailing distress the children
were short of food. It was resolved to ask the Mon-
mouthshire Education Committee to put into operation the
Act for feeding necessitous children.

The chairman of the Penarth Council, elected on
Tuesday evening, is Mr. Walter Hallett, who has been
closely associated with the coal and shipping trade for
over 40 years in the office of D. Davis and Sons. This
is the second time Mr. Hallett occupies the chair.

The education authority at Merthyr has decided to
equip a small building for the purpose of conducting
examinations for firemen’s certificates under the Coal
Mines Act; and also for giving practical instruction in
gas testing and air measuring. Two of the local councillors
have visited Swansea and Cardiff and inspected the schemes
in operation there; and the probability is that the Merthyr
authority will utilise a room of the Penydaren art class
in order to carry out their new enterprise.

Mr. Finlay Gibson, secretary of the Coal and Coke
Supplies Committee for South Wales and Monmouthshire,
has issued a circular which shows that the Controller of
Mines will appoint in each colliery area an inspector to
superintend the transport of coal. The circular stated
that these district superintendents will deal with a supply
of wagons to collieries, the movement of loaded and empty
wagons, and will endeavour to avoid unnecessary long
haulages, and will facilitate the transfer of traffic where
possible from railways to canals. The inspector for Mon-
mouthshire and South Wales district will be Mr. I. J.
Anthony, of the Great Western Railway Company. He
will work in co-operation with the district Supplies Com-
mittee, and will meet them for discussion from time to
time.

In respect of two applications from Cory Brothers and
Company Limited on account of the alleged loss or damage
sustained by them from the requisitioning by the
Admiralty of two steamships, the Defence of the Realm
Losses Commission, who made enquiry, found that there
had been no interference by the Crown with the property
or business of the applicants, and that no loss had been
directly caused to them through the exercise of the Crown
rights and duties. The Commission therefore decided that
no sum ought to be paid out of public funds in respect of
this application.

The working arrangement which has been arrived at
between the Cardiff Docks and the Rhymney Railway is
now said to have probability of further extension, so that
the Taff Vale Railway also shall be included. The matter
has been discussed several times over; and, indeed, during
past years, endeavour has been made to obtain Parlia-
mentary sanction for an actual combination of the three

undertakings. But the Parliamentary proposals were
defeated by action on the part of the freighters and other
interests that would have been affected. In all proba-
bility, Mr. Prosser, who now controls the working of the
railway and dock properties, would also take charge of the
three undertakings if they were combined ; but as to this
no information has yet been allowed to leak out. Obvi-
ously, any such working agreement—bringing the Cardiff
and Penarth docks, as well as the Taff, Rhymney, and
Cardiff railways, under single control—would operate
materially to expedite shipments of coal; and it is from
this point' of view that the renewed suggestion is being
regarded on the Coal Exchange, with the result that the
opposition manifested in 1909 before the Parliamentary
Committees is very much lessened.

The Swansea Harbour Trust, at its last meeting, had
before it a report from the finance committee which
showed for the month of March an expenditure of £8,00J
over income; and Sir Griffith Thomas (the chairman) said
there seemed to be no possibility of securing sufficient
tonnage to carry away the coal from Swansea, although
there were plenty of orders. They were losing the import
trade, and unless they got back the shipment of normal
quantities in coal and fuel, they could not hope for the
present to improve their financial position very much.

A writ has been issued against the South Wales Federa-
tion of Miners on behalf of members who object to the
increased rate of contribution. Some time ago the rate
was raised from Is. per month to 2s., and part of this is
being used for political purposes. Apparently, it is this
fact that has aroused opposition, the legal action being-
attributed to party inspiration. When the proposal to
raise the contribution to Is. 6d. was balloted upon, it was
rejected by the mass of the miners.; and the increase of
2s. was not balloted at all. The court will be asked to
issue an injunction restraining the Federation from
demanding and receiving more than Is. per month ; and
also for a declaration that the Federation acts illegally in
taking more than Is. The action is brought against the
South Wales Federation and the Miners’ Federation of
Great Britain jointly; and an injunction is sought against
both bodies to restrain them from requiring contribution
to the political fund. A third injunction is to restrain
the South Wales Federation from paying into or crediting
the political fund with any moneys other than those con-
tributed by members who have not claimed exemption.

The position taken up by the Federation, in reply to
the claim made under the writ, is that South Wales was
paying per man only half the amount of English miners.
■ Ender the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain, the con-
tribution was 2s. a month; and there was a fear that if
South Wales persisted in collecting only Is. per month,
they would be severed from the central body. After a
ballot, wherein the workmen of South Wales refused to
increase from Is. to Is. 6d., a special conference was held
of the whole coal field, and it was decided by a large
majority to raise’the contribution, as from March 1, 1915,
from 3d. to 6d. per week, and a proposition that the
matter be referred to a ballot was defeated by 209 votes
to 60.

The Newport Harbour Board, in its statement of the
revenue for March, shows a decrease of £163, which makes
a total of £733 for the current year. As a matter of fact,
however, the actual tonnage of vessels entered has an
increase of 10 per cent. ; but as so large a proportion of
these are on Admiralty account, the income is not so large
as from vessels on general service.

The magistrates at Blackwood announced on Friday of
last week their decision in the case where the manager of
the Nine Mile Point Colliery was summoned for failing to
provide suitable runaway switches, it being alleged that a
fatal accident had been due to this failure of provision.
For the defence, it was pointed out that the provision
made was in accordance with the Mines Act. The magis-
trates, however, held that there had been a breach of the
Act, and a fine of £10 was imposed, with an order to pay
£10 towards the costs. In reply to a question, the chair-
man said that the magistrates were willing to state a
special case in the event of the matter being taken to a
higher court.

On Saturday, at Pontardawe Police Court, a miner
employed in the New Cwm Gorse Colliery was charged
with failing to deliver up a quantity of powder at the close
of a shift; another man was charged with lighting a fuse
in the mine; and two others were summoned for not being
at their proper working places. It was stated that an
explosion took place on January 9, and all the defendants
were badly burnt about the face and hands, and they
admitted that a fuse had been lit by one of their number,
who excused himself on the ground that he was only test-
ing it, as he had had a misfire the previous day. In the
working place of one of them was found a quantity of
powder, which had been given him on the preceding day,
and this was hidden under a clod. This man and the man
who fired the fuse were each fined £5, .and the other two
defendants were discharged.

Northumberland and Durham.

Economising in Resolutions—Support for Infirmary—More
Export Trade Wanted—Falls of Stone.

The annual council meeting of the Northumberland
Miners’ Association is to be held at the Burt Hall, New-
castle, on Saturday, May 19, and the last date for resolu-
tions and nomination for committees is April 21. The
secretary (Mr. W. Straker) has been instructed to ask the
lodges to send in “ no resolutions except on matters of
great importance and urgency, as it is a waste of time and
money to discuss any other at the present time.”

A movement is on foot amongst the Northumberland
miners to increase the financial contribution which they
make towards the Newcastle Infirmary. The North
Seaton miners have agreed to give Id. per week, instead
of Id. per fortnight as heretofore. Increased contribu-
tions are notified, also, from Hazlerigg, Prestwick, East
Walbottle, Throcldey Maria, Crofton Mill, and South
Tyne. At present, the county miners give about £4,000 a
year to the infirmary at the rate of Id. per man per fort-
night. In addition, there is a medical charity levy of Is.
a year, out of which £650 goes to the infirmary. It is
said that the Durham miners do not subscribe as liberally,
despite the fact that more Durham than Northumberland
patients are treated at the infirmary.

Representatives of the Northumberland Miners’, Depu-
ties’, Enginemen’s, Firemen’s and Mechanics’ associations
met county coal owners on Saturday, with a request that
they would give their assistance “ in any steps that may

be considered advisable to take in order to secure a greater
and fairer share of export trade for Northumberland, also
for a more equitable distribution of the trade coming to
Northumberland among all the collieries concerned.” The
owners received the request with much sympathy, and pro-
mised the most favourable consideration to it. The object'
of the request is, of course, to equalise the distribution of
work at the various collieries in the county, so as to pre-
vent some being laid totally idle whilst others are working
full time.

A stone, the fall of which killed John Gladdis, 38, hewer,
in the Morrison North pit, Annfield Plain, last week,
measured 1.8 ft. long, 7 ft. wide, and 2 ft. 9 in. deep. It
was estimated to weigh about 10 tons. At the time of the
accident, Gladdis was taking side coal off, and was filling
his last tub before finishing his shift.—Another big stone
was that which fell in the Scott pit, Hartford Colliery, in
January last, killing Henry Bell outright, and injuring
Charles Mitchell so badly that he died this month. It
was stated at the inquest on Mitchell that the place was
examined before and after the men started work, and
found to be splendidly timbered, and the roof was appar-
ently good. There were seven pairs of gears set, and two
rows of props. Several gears were “ run out ” by the fall.
It was found that the stone, estimated at from 12 to 15
tons, had come away from a “slippery jack.”

Cleveland.

The executive of the Cleveland Miners’ Association dis-
cussed, at Saltburn on Tuesday, various means which might
be adopted in order to increase the output of ironstone
to meet the demands of the furnaces, which are likely, to
substantially increase in the near future. It will be
remembered that Mr. Lloyd George, in his speech on import
restriction, made a special appeal for an increased output
of British iron. The scheme discussed is to be laid before
the mine owners. Satisfaction was expressed at the
number of soldiers sent back to the Cleveland mines, and
it was decided to ask that former Cleveland miners dis-
charged from the Army, and now engaged in civil occupa-
tions, should be sent back to the district from which they
were recruited. The object of the miners’ scheme is to
bring about such an increase in the total output of iron-
stone as will reduce to the lowest possible figure the number
of outside workers to be drafted into the district to
achieve the object which the Government have in view.

Cumbeiriand.

Mr. J. Johnston, of Siddick, has been appointed under-
manager for the No. 3 St. Helen’s Colliery at Siddick,
near Workington.

Yorkshire.

Deputies Express Strong Views—Coal Contracts.

At the fifth annual demonstration of the Yorkshire
Deputies’ Association in Barnsley on Saturday (Mr. H.
Clarney presiding), reference was made to the trouble
which had arisen in connection with Mr. Clarney’s visit
to the Carlisle conference. His employers withheld per-
mission to. attend, and he went without it, in accordance
with the instructions of the executive committee of the
association. In the course of the proceedings last
Saturday, the following resolution was moved by Mr. W.
Frowen, of Monmouthshire (secretary of the Federation of
Deputies of Great Britain), seconded by Mr. F. Keen
Smith (secretary of the Yorkshire Deputies’ Association),
and supported by Messrs. C. Beese, of Pontefract, and
B. Lees, of Wakefield :—“ That this meeting believes that
it is imperative that all colliery deputies of Porkshire and
of Great Britain should be organised into district county
associations and federated into a National Federation of
Deputies of Great Britain; it also expresses its resentment
with the efforts of some miners’ associations to absorb
deputies’ associations or their constituent members, and
with the unreasonable attitude and action of some of the
members of the South and West Yorkshire coal owners’
associations in terrorising their deputies against the right
of large associated fellowship; and, further, it applauds
the heroic stand of our president, Mr. Hy. Clarney, for
the right of citizenship for the deputies of Yorkshire and
Great Britain.”

The Hull Chamber of Commerce and Shipping on
Monday had under consideration a proposal from the
Liverpool Association to make representations to the Con-
troller of Coal Mines to allow contracts to continue to be
made for the usual period of 12 months. The Chamber
did not approve the proposal.

Lancashire and Cheshire.

A question relating to the trespass of colliery workers
on colliery railways was raised at the Wigan County Police
Court last week, when six defendants were summoned for
trespassing on the Garswood Colliery Company’s railway.
Five of the defendants pleaded guilty, and the sixth not
guilty. Mr. Tom Ellis pointed out to the Bench that the
colliery company were anxious to put a stop to the prac-
tice of travelling along the railway, which was very dan- ■
gerous. A few weeks ago, he said, a man was killed, and
the suggestion at the inquest was that the colliery com-
pany were responsible. He explained that the railway in
question, which was a mile or two in length, served three
adjacent colliery companies. A notice regarding tres-
passers had been put up. The defendant who. pleaded not
guilty maintained that he was on the portion of the railway
line belonging to Messrs. Richard Evans and Company,
colliery proprietors, for whom he worked, and he was not,
he said, within 4 yds. of the Garswood Hall Colliery Com-
pany’s portion of the railway. Mr. Ellis explained that
the railway lines of the Garswood Hall Colliery Company,
the Garswood Coal and Iron Company, and Messrs.
Richard Evans and Company, converged at a level cross-
ing. One defendant said the men travelled that way along
the railway in order to save Id. on the tramcars in going
home. All six defendants, as well as a seventh, who, it
was stated, had gone to South Wales for the Eastertide
holiday, were fined 10s. each.

Notts and Derbyshire.

Ninety-nine boys employed at the Digby Colliery Com-
pany’s Gedling pit were summoned at Nottingham on
Saturday for absenting themselves from work without
notice. It was stated that on March 1 the lads thought
they had a grievance because one of their number had
been dismissed. The result was that the pit was stopped,
and 206 men could not work, an output of 900 tons being
lost on-one day, and 600 tons on the second. This was* the
sixth occasion since last August that the lads had stopped
the pit in this way, and the total loss of output was 5,000