998

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

May 25, 1917.

L1BOOR MD WAGES.

South Wales and Monmouthshire.

The difficulty which existed at Bargoed Colliery in
regard to the price list of one seam has now been settled at
a conference where both sides were represented, and the
men have agreed to accept the terms then arranged.

At Gorseinon, 800 men of the Mountain Colliery are idle
because of a dispute which does not directly involve them,
but is due to disagreement as to the wages of firemen who
are not members of the Miners'’ Federation. These sought
a fixed wage of <£4 5s. a week, the old payment being
<£3 17s. 6d. The employers offered <£4 2s. 6d., and work was
continued on day-to-day contracts; but three weeks ago
the firemen gave 24 hours’ notice, and stopped—thus setting
the whole of the men idle.

The South Wales' Conciliation Board met on Tuesday and
discussed the question of Whitsun holidays. Mr. F. T.
Davis presided over the employers’ representatives, and
Mr. Ben Davis ©ver the workmen. Discussion took place
upon a telegram from the Controller of Mines, who proposed
that the Whitsuntide holidays should not extend beyond
two days ; but in the course of the discussion the men’s
representatives dealt with emphasis upon “ the tremendous
amount of loss of time which now takes place in the coal-
field,’”' and they therefore declared that they would take
three days’ holiday at Whitsun—namely, Monday, Tuesday
and Wednesday. From the side of the employers it was
stated that they could not be any party to such an arrange-
ment, and that the workmen must take their own course —
the employers reporting the decision to the Controller.

Subsequently the Disputes Committee of the Conciliation
Board met and considered the application of the Bisca coke
workmen for an improvement in their rate of pay. Pro-
posals were’ submitted, and at a subsequent meeting the
owners will present their counter-proposals. Other disputes
were dealt with, decisions being arrived at in certain cases,
whilst in several there was a reference made to a repre-
sentative from each side in order that investigation should
take place.

The Federation executive met in Cardiff on Wednesday
to consider new rules, no fewer than 350 amendments having
been submitted for the 56 rules proposed. A special confer-
ence will take place in June to decide upon the final form.

The Welsh Engineers and Founders’ Association met in
Swansea on Tuesday, and decided that an advance of wages
should be made to all grades of workmen employed in the
engineering works in that area as from April 1. This is
in accordance with the agreement arrived at with the
Ministry of Munitions and the Engineers Employers’
Association.

North of England.

The question of appointing a new president of the
Durham Miners’ Association, in succession to the late
Aid. William House, will, we understand, be left in abeyance
until the end cf July, when it is hoped Mr. T. H. Cann,
secretary of the Durham Miners’ Association, who has
been granted three months’ leave of absence in order to
recuperate from recent illness, will once again be at the
association’s helm.

Mr. Wm. Weir presided over the annual council meeting
of the Northumberland Miners’ Association, held in New-
castle last week-end. The election of committees resulted
as follows:—Committee of management: A. Walton, E.
Edwards, A. Kinghorn, W. Beavloy, B. Browell, H. Dunn,
W. Ogle and G. Campbell. Wages board : G. W. Shield,
G. E. Middleton, G. IT. Warne, J. Carr, J. Chapman, B. J.
Taylor, J. S. Dunigan, Chas. Fenwick, M.P., W. Dent,
J. Bigg and P. McKay. Trustees: E. Edwards, G. E.
Middleton, C. Fenwick, M.P., J. Chapman, P. McKay, W.
Bainbridge, G. Campbell and J. S. Dunigan. Member of
Miners’ Federation committee: W. Straker. The annual
balance-sheet was considered and approved, it being noted
with satisfaction that the bank overdraft had been cleared
off and that the securities deposited with the bank had been
returned. The financial statement showed a credit balance
of nearly £6,000. The council then discussed the motions
of which notice had been given by branches. (These were
detailed in this column, p. 865, on May 4 last.) New-
biggin’s proposal to seek to have rent and fire-coal
allowance for all married surface workers was unanimously
carried, as was also North Walbottle’s motion to seek an
advance in the basis wage of screeners and surface workers
at 11-hour collieries. West Wylam’s motion, that
any hewer permanently not entitled to be made up to
minimum wages should be paid extra tonnage equal to
the average co~t per ton of the sum required at the colliery
to make his earnings up to the minimum, was rejected by
31 votes to 16. Algernon’s motion in favour of a continu-
ance after the war of the present arrangement of no local
reductions was carried by 27 votes to five. Hartford’s
suggestion, that part compensation men doing light work
should be allowed to work not less than five days per week
when the pits were working slack time, was unanimously
supported. Only two voted for Bising Sun’s proposition to
abolish absentee penalties in cases where the pits lost time
in any one week. West Cramlington’s motion in favour of
a fortnight’s holiday, with pay, each year was endorsed by
42 votes to two. Sleekburn’s plea for more liberal expenses
for men required to be medically examined at Newcastle
was favoured by 25 votes to 15.

Ashington’s motion commending the claims of the Central
Labour College to the notice of the executive of the Miners’
Federation was defeated by 39 votes to 21, and Walker’s
motion, “ That in future we send no more of our members
as students to Buskin College,” failed by 54 votes to three.
West Wylam’s motion in favour of an immediate peace by
negotiation was voted down by 42 to 14—as against 52
votes to 19 at the previous ,half-yearly council meeting.
Cramlington Ann’s motion asking the Federation executive
to arrange meetings throughout the British coal fields
protesting against the continuance of British pensions to
the Dukes of Albany and Cumberland was approved by
31 votes to 29. The following special resolutions were
unanimously carried :—“That we ask the Miners’ Federa-
tion to request the Coal Controller or, if necessary, the coal
owners of Great Britain to grant a general advance in
miners’ wages, in consequence of the serious increase in the
cost of living, since the present wages point was reached,
such advance to apply also to minimum wage men.’
“That this meeting endorses the policy of the Miners’
Federation on the food question, and agrees to put into
force any act recommended by the Federation an order to
force the Government to purchase, commandeer and control
the food of the people, and to stop profiteering so that we
can have a fair distribution of the necessities of life. It
also recommends the branches of this association to hold
meetings in order to create an intelligent interest in this
important matter.” “ That we ask the Coal Controller to
take the necessary steps in order to have the available coal
trade in Northumberland equitably distributed among the

various collieries, instead of, as at present, some of our
collieries scarcely working at all and others working full
time.”

The annual meeting of the Cumberland Minimum Wage
Board was held at Workington. Sir W. J. Collins was
reappointed neutral chairman of the Board. The other
reappointments were as followPresident, Mr. W. Graham;
vice-president, Mr. G. Todhunter ; joint secretaries, Messrs.
T. P. Martin and T. Cape. The Board was constituted
as follows :—Coal owners’ representatives : Messrs. W. L
Fletcher, J. Coates, W. Graham, A. Thom, B. Steel, A.
Miller, H. Bichford, G. Askew and T. Durham. Coal miners’
representatives : Messrs. J. Hanlon, G. Todhunter, B. Bigg,
J. Bird, T. G McKeating, J. Temple, B. Bell, J. Wright and
John Barker.

Federated Area.

The offer of the coalowners of ,a 4 per cent, advance of
wages and pre-war rates having been refused, 736 out of
823 members of the Leicestershire and South Derbyshire
branches of the National Union of Colliery Enginemen and
Firemen have handed in notices to cease work on June 6
failing a wages advance of from 6d. to 2d. per day,
according to rates of pay. Unless a settlement is reached
it will mean a stoppage at 21 collieries in the Leicester-
shire and South Derbyshire areas.

Scotland.

Notwithstanding the seriousness of the fire which
recently took place in the engine-house at No. 1 Pit,
Greenfield Colliery, Hamilton, whereby the winding engine
and pithead frame was damaged to a considerable extent,
the management have been able to put things right in the
comparatively short space cf a fortnight, with the result
that work has now been resumed at the colliery.

In connection with the dispute at Bedlay Collieries, a
meeting of the joint committee of coal owners’ and
workmen’s representatives has been held to discuss the
situation. No settlement has so far been effected, but
negotiations are still proceed! g.

Trouble is threatened at Thankerton Colliery in the
Holytown district owing to the alleged unfair dismissal of
a local union official. A member of the Lanarkshire
Miners’ executive has been appointed to make enquiry into
the complaint.

Mr. James Brown, secretary of the Ayrshire Miners’
Union, has been advised that the intervention of Sir
George Askwith will not now be needed at the Gauchalland
Collieries, Galston. The old workmen who had been
displaced have now been fully reinstated.

Complaint has been made that the miners employed at
Sundrum Colliery, Coylton, belonging to the Dalmellington
Iron Company, Limited, are failing to observe the fort-
nightly idle day. As the outcome of a mass meeting the
men have now decided by a two to one majority to abide by
the National Union policy—subject, of course, to the
qualification that miners in developing places and men who
had lost time during the fortnight were to be allowed to
work on the idle Saturday.

At Bolquhairn Colliery, Ayrshire, representations have
been made to the miners’ union that the surface workers
have not been receiving the full advance of 8d. per day.
,Mr. James Brown, county secretary, has taken the matter
in hand on behalf of the pithead staff.

PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—May 17.

; Ironstone Mining.

Mr. Kellaway, ‘ replying to Mr. Turton, said that he
was not aware of the development and working of iron-
stone being unduly hampered by the price of wayleaves.
Speaking generally, the request for wayleaves had been met
in a generous spirit. 

Use of Pitch.

Mr. Kella way stated that he was enquiring into the
statement that large quantities of pitch were accumulating,
and that it could be used in some furnaces as fuel either
alone or mixed with coal or coke.

Mining Royalties.

Mr. Dundas White asked what was the practice of the
Commissioners of Inland Revenue in ascertaining the
assessable value of mining royalties, etc.

Mr. Bonar Law replied that income tax was chargeable
on the fall amount of the mining royalties without deduc-
tion on account of mineral rights duty or excess mineral
rights duty, but the latter duties were computed by refer-
ence to the net amount of the royalties after deduction of
income tax. As regards super tax, no deduction was made
in respect of mineral rights duty, but a deduction on
account of excess mineral rights duty was allowed in com-
puting super-tax liability for the year following that which
included Rhe end of the accounting year in which the pay-
ment was made.

Mr. Dundas White asked what was the aggregate
amount of the mining royalties, etc., assessable, to mineral
rights duty during the financial year 1915-16; and how
much of that amount was also assessable to excess mineral
rights duty during that financial year.

Mr. Bonar Law referred the hon. member to the Report
of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue for the year ended
March 31, .1916, pp. 61, 63, and 67.

Pit Shaft Accidents.

Mr. Stanton asked whether attention had been called
to the number of fatal accidents to pitmen through falling
down the pits; and whether the Home Secretary would
enforce an Order that all men engaged in working in pit
shafts should wear proper safety slings or harness.

Sir G. Cave said his attention had not been specially
drawn to this matter. He was advised that safety appli-
ances of the kind referred to were commonly used when
necessary for safety, and that it would not be practicable
to make their use compulsory in all cases. The total
number of fatal accidents from falls in shafts had
decreased in the last two or three years. No representa-
tions had been made to the effect that unskilled or unfit
workers were employed at the lamp rooms of some of the
collieries in South Wales.

May 23.
Mid-Scotland Canal.

Dr. Macnamara, replying to Maj. Chapple, said he did
not think any decision had been arrived at regarding the
proposed canal across Scotland.

Peat Fuel.

Mr. Duke stated that the Fuel Research Board hoped to
be able to announce at an early date the appointment,
terms of reference, and personnel of an Irish Committee to
report upon peat.

Notes from the Coal Fields.

[Local Correspondence.]

South Wales and Monmouthshire.

The Shipping Question and the Action of France—South
Wales and the Coal Famine in Argentine — Serious
Restriction of Pitwood Supplies — Ho using Question
in Colliery Districts.

An interesting point to coal shippers is the profit earned
by vessels which they have to charter; but owing to the
doubts which exist as to the effect of the new Finance Bill
on the returns for excess profits, a number of balance-
sheets have lately been delayed in issue. It now appears
from the Finance Bill—the text of which has just been
published—that some of the difficulties which seemed to
exist are purely imaginary. Consequently, there is anti-
cipation that the balance-sheets will now be issued
promptly, and some fuller idea be obtained of the extent
to which the coal trade has been affected by the enormous
rates of freight.

In this connection it is well to note the new Shipping
Act of the French Government, which will supply about
160,000,000 fr. during the next year or two to encourage
shipbuilding. There is a condition that the work must be
done in France, and that about two-thirds of the grant
will be for new craft. The encouragement given to ship
owners goes so far as to guarantee a certain amount of
profit. The money will be lent to the ship owners, and
is repayable in 25 years, there being prohibition of transfer
to foreign ownership, and a further limitation as to car-
riage of cargo between France and French oversea posses-
sions. It is evident, however, that so far as regards the
coal trade, these subsidised vessels are likely to come into
competition with the British.

Another- subject of interest on ’Change has'had relation
to another chief customer for South Wales coal—namely,
the Argentine Republic, where, owing to prohibition of
coal exports from the United States, as well as from Eng-
land, the gas and railway companies, and similar coal
consuming undertakings, have been placed in very difficult
circumstances. Even under war conditions, and the very
great restrictions that existed during the second half of
last year, over 110,000 tons of coal were imported into
Argentina from Great Britain; and the National Govern-
ment is now trying to obtain coal from Chili, but finds it
to be of inferior quality. As much as 100,000 tons is
required weekly by the railways, and 1,000 tons for the gas
and electricity company. Endeavour is being made to meet
the shortage by using wood, turf, and petroleum, but these
are only palliatives, and very keen interest is felt in the
probabilities as to war termination, so that something
like normal conditions of export may be resumed as
between South Wales and South America, the ordinary
course of trade being coal outwards, with return cargoes
of corn, frozen meat, etc.

Fire occurred on Sunday morning at the Atlantic Patent
Fuel Works, North Docks, Swansea, the stage which is
used for discharging pitch for vessels having caught fire.
The town brigade extinguished the outbreak in about an
hour. The damage is estimated at about <£150.

At a special meeting of the Bristol Channel Pitwood
Importers’ Association, held to consider the withdrawal of
general licences for pitwood imports, a deputation was
appointed to interview the Board of Trade. Mr. Hender-
son, Deputy-Controller of the Imports Restriction Depart-
ment, informed the deputation that he could not say how
long the restriction would last. It was pointed out to him
that the production of coal would be seriously interfered
with ; that the collieries were left short of timber; and that
the Order as it existed meant really a stoppage of the pit-
wood trade. The average requirements of the pits in
South Wales amount to between 25,000 and 30,000 tons
per week. The matter is under further consideration.

The difficulty is one which should be dealt with promptly
—seeing that the quantities of pitwood imported during
the last month or so have been unsatisfactory; and in
regard to certain lengths scarcity is already manifest. It
is not enough that the colliery proprietors should be
referred to the Home-Grown Timber Committee, because,
even with the best will in the world, that committee cannot
extinguish the hindrances to an adequate supply which are
created by the lack of facilities at home for transport.

A deputation from the Welsh Housing Development
Association, which waited upon Lord Rhondda at the office
of the Local Government Board, was introduced by Maj.
David Davies, M.P., of the Ocean Coal Company. Maj.
Davies said that in South Wales 40,000 houses would be
required after the war; and the deputation desired that the
Local Government Board would stimulate local authorities
by insisting that housing provision should be made on
town planning and garden city lines. A-Swansea speaker,
Mr. Ruthen, said he considered that 40,000 was a very low
figure; and the chairman of Aberdare Council (Mr.
Hopkins) stated that the shortage of houses in South Wales
was now 60,000, there being in his own district a require-
ment of no less than 600 houses, which the local authorities
would put up if they could, get the land. Almost entirely,
the shortage is in the colliery areas. Lord Rhondda, in
reply to the deputation, stated that the Board was fully
alive to the importance of the question, for they recog-
nised that housing and health were closely connected. He
thought the State would have to come to the assistance
of private enterprise; but very little could be done before
the end of the war.

Another deputation has waited upon Lord Rhondda with
regard to the lack of houses in South Wales, and Mr. G.
Lipscombe (Port Talbot) speaking with the deputation that
was received on Tuesday, stated that after the war the
Government would have to guarantee builders a supply of
materials at reasonable rates, for the cost had gone up 60
to 70 per cent., and if that cost were put on the rent after
the war it would mean that the working class would not
be able to pay. If local councils provided houses for work-
ing people, that would partly solve the problem.

The Divisional Court has had before it the appeal case
which raised the question whether a lamp man is an
“ underground workman ” employed at a daily wage within
the meaning of the Conciliation Board agreement. A
collier employed by the Ocean Company met with an acci-
dent in 1898, whereby he lost a leg. Full compensation
was paid for a while, and, after total incapacity had ceased,
the company employed him as a lamp man at <£1 per week ;
and the man also carried on an independent business, in
regard to which he absented himself from the colliery on
Saturdays, a deduction being made from his wages on that
account. The point in dispute was whether he was an
underground man at daily wages, because, if so, he was
entitled to 5s. a day instead of the 3s. 4d. per day which
was paid him ; and he claimed the difference—a total sum
of <£23—alleged to be due. The county court judge decided
against the claim, but the Divisional Court now holds that