342 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. February 15, 1918. with the Coal Controller on the question of transferring workmen from short time collieries to others where there was fuller employment. It was stated at the anthracite miners’ meeting held in Swansea, on Saturday, that Sir R. Redmayne had sent a letter stating that it was decided not to transfer any more British miners to the French pits. The Ogmore and Gilfach district meeting of miners received a complaint from Gilfach Goch as to the working of short time at the collieries, it being stated that the Trane Pit had not worked during the week, and it was decided to approach the central executive of the Federa- tion asking that something should be done in order to secure a better distribution of work. The anthracite miners met in Swansea, on Saturday, when a report was presented that a new company was working in the Ynysamman Colliery, Brynamman, that some of the men had already started, and that there were favourable prospects of re-employment of men who had been idle. A revised scale for hauliers was submitted, and the agent was directed to bring it before the executive council of the Federation. It was reported that the men at the Raven Colliery would be kept in employment at the level until places could be found for them at the company’s other pit. The Western Miners' Association, at Swansea, on Satur- day, passed a resolution calling for amendment of the Insur- ance Act, in order that women should have entire control of the maternity benefit and that the medical attendant and the nurse should be paid from public funds. On Saturday, the Avon Valley district of miners met at Port Talbot, and it was reported that at several collieries a large number of men had received notices. The question was once again brought up as to the allocation of shipping at the different ports, the agent stating that he believed some ship owners have a good deal of control in this respect, and he contended that the Government ought to prevent anyone from manipulating shipments of coal from col- lieries in which they were interested, whilst other col- lieries were short of work. With regard to the transfer of men from mining to other essential industries, such as the felling of trees, etc., the agent reported that as the result of an interview with the Coal Controller he had learned that men transferred would retain their exemption cards. The central executive of the Federation had taken the matter up, and it would be fully discussed by them during the next few days. The agent was directed to take up a complaint from the Cynon Colliery that dele- gates have been refused permission to ascend the pit before the usual time when they required to attend the district meeting. The East Glamorgan miners, at a meeting held on Monday, discussed the circumstances of a dispute at Penallta Collieries as to payment of a proportionate part of a bonus shift. The Federation executive is taking action in the matter, and the meeting decided to await the result of its approach to the Controller. At some col- lieries, it was stated, there were difficulties as to payment of the minimum wage, and Mr. Hubert Jenkins (the agent) suggested that they should take the initiative in agitating for a reform of the Minimum Wage Rate Act, so that rules applying to the workmen should be set aside, the onus being transferred from him to the employer, who should be compelled to pay the minimum wage unless he could prove that the man ought not to receive it. With regard to the difficulty at the Bedwas Collieries as to the pooled earnings on the conveyor, it was announced that this had been settled, and, therefore, the question would be carried to the Law Courts. The hauliers, trammers, and riders in the anthracite district have approached the executive of the South Wales Federation asking support for a claim that their standard daily wage shall be 7s. 6d., and that they shall be entitled to the current percentage in addition. Blaenavon miners have appointed a deputation to inter- view the directors of the company and urge them to con- tinue working the Milfraen Colliery. North of England. The average selling price of coal in Northumberland for the quarter ended November 30 last has been shown to be 17s. l-07d. per ton, as compared with 15s. 9*53d. per ton for the previous quarter, an increase of Is. 3-54d. per ton, attributable to the increased price of coal sanctioned by the Controller, following upon the war wage to miners of Is. 6d. per day. Under the sliding scale arrangement, county miners’ wages would now have been 116 per cent, above the basis of 1879; this scale is, however, suspended by mutual agreement between the owners and the work- men, and wages, therefore, remain unaltered at 120 per cent, above the basis. Following upon a certain amount of unrest at the Cowpen Collieries on the question of non-union workmen, the Cowpen Coal Company Limited has decided to post notices intimating that only workmen in the association will be employed after a given date. The Coal Controller has approved the agreement between the Northumberland Coal Owners’ Association and the Miners’ Association that, “as a temporary measure during the continuance of the war, there shall be added to the legal minimum rates, instead of the present one-half of the excess of any county percentage over 50, five-sevenths of such excess, this being calculated on the legal minimum rates as fixed in accordance with the Minimum Wage Act.” The effect of the agreement is that the pay of boys of from 14 to 15 years of age has been raised from 2s. 8d. per day to 3s., and the grades of pay for young men go up to 6s. daily. Datal men who received 6s. 4d. per shift, now get 7s. l^d., and men pieceworkers who received 7s. 5d. are now entitled to 8s. 3d. The annual meeting of the surfacemen’s delegates to the Cumberland Miners’ Association was held at Workington last week. It was decided that deputations should meet the managers of the Labour Exchanges at Workington on the question of the deduction of unemployment contri- butions from the wages of certain classes of surface workers. A meeting of the Cumberland Minimum Wage Board was held at the Coal Owners’ Association’s offices at Working- ton on Friday of last week, Sir Wm. Job Collins, M.P., presiding. The question before the Board was one that had arisen at Buckhill Colliery with reference to the daily minimum wage. The independent chairman reserved his decision. Federated Area. At a meeting of the Sheffield district committee of the council of the Amalgamated Union of Labour, at Sheffield last Saturday, Coun. A. J. Bailey reported regarding colliery surfacemen’s wages and hours. He stated that the surface workers of South and West Yorkshire had made efforts since 1917 to secure a minimum wage and an eight hours day, and from the Doncaster area a demand was made for Is. an hour advance on basis rates. There was no success until January 1918, when the question was referred to the Committee on Production. An award was issued by the Committee at the end of January fixing a minimum wage for almost every class of surface worker. As to the Doncaster action, the Committee had given minimum wages to practically all classes of workers. A resolution was passed by the meeting accepting the award, but regretting that the Committee had declined to give an eight hours day. At a meeting of miners’ delegates held last Saturday at Bolton, it was reported that various grievances which had arisen in the South Lancashire coal fields, respecting work- ing conditions, had been amicably settled, as had also the wages dispute in the Darwen district. It was mentioned that the non-unionist question was receiving attention from their leaders. Scotland. At Douglas Park Collieries there has been friction because of the refusal of the management to pay for defi- cient work done. A stoppage was threatened, but there has been a satisfactory adjustment of the claims on either side. Professor Irvine, Aberdeen, has been appointed arbiter in the dispute at Raasay. Mr. A. K. McCoch is to repre- sent the owners and Mr. John Robertson the Raasay work- men. A demand has been formulated by the Ayrshire Miners’ Union for the full Conciliation Board wage for all the drawers and shiftmen in the Glenbuck and Muirkirk collieries. The strike at Bedlay Colliery still continues. It is believed that the Commission which is meanwhile enquir- ing into the situation will have concluded its investiga- tions within the next fortnight. Work may be resumed then. Work is proceeding very steadily at practically all the collieries in the West Lothian area of Scotland. At a conference of Midlothian and Haddington miners reports showed that the coal trade had been rather less satisfactory during the past month. Several pits were idle for one or more shifts. There were fairly large orders placed with the majority of collieries, though lack of ship- ping facilities greatly hampered the despatch of supplies. Household coal continues very active. Another war wage dispute has cropped up at Kinneil Colliery Bo’ness. The dispute relates to the pay for a day on which the men had to wait for an hour on the surface before getting down the pit. The keen frost put the sig- nalling gear out of order. The miners’ representatives are taking the matter up with the Coal Controller. Intimation of a reduction in ton rate has been given at Broomrigg Colliery, Dennyloanhead. The miners’ agent has asked for a withdrawal of the reduction to permit of the management presenting a statement of wages. In some districts in Lanarkshire an agitation is being fomented against the Man Power Bill, and some of the collieries were thrown idle by pickets. Iron, Steel and Engineering Trades. Details of sales and prices received by the firms asso- ciated with the Board of Conciliation and Arbitration for the Manufactured Iron and Steel Trade of the North of England during the two months ended December 31 are as follow^ :—Rails, nil, as against nil for the two previous months; plates, 2 tons 10 cwts. 2 qr. 211b., at an average price of £17 19s. 6’23d. per ton, as compared with nil; bars, 7,631 tons 18 cwt. 3 qr. 271b., at <£13 14s. U-09d., as against 8,232 tons 8 cwt. 41b., at £13 14s. ll-32d. ; and angles, 117 tons 16 cwt. 2 qr. 171b., at £12 3s. 7d., as against 230 tons, 9 cwt. 3 qr. 81b.., at £14 10s. l-97d. ; a total of 7,752 tons 6 cwt. 1 qr. 91b., at £13 14s. 5-7d., as against 8,462 tons 7 cwt. 3 qr. 121b., at £13 15s. 4-29d. per ton. The variation in price is so small as to necessitate no change in wages under the sliding scale. THE FREIGHT MARKET. There is no improvement to record in the condition of the outward freight market. In the prolonged absence of any- thing like a sufficiency of neutral tonnage, business con- tinues to be conducted on very “ scrappy ” lines. At the north-east coast, chartering for Swedish ports forms the bulk of the small number of transactions reported. Rates in that direction are firmer once more, Gothenburg having been done, for Tyne loading, at from 160 kr. to 165 kr., as compared with 160 kr. last week; and Stockholm at 180 kr., as against 175 kr. Coasting business has been conspicuous by its absence, the newT fixed rates evidently proving no temptation to ship owners. The Spanish Atlantic is listed at 180s. for Bilbao or Santander, Portugal at 115s. to Lisbon and 125s. to Oporto, the coaling stations are men- tioned at 100s. to Gibraltar and 200s. to Port Said, and the Spanish Mediterranean at up to 450s. to Barcelona. The market in all these latter directions continues untested, and it may be found that the figures quoted are the extreme outside rates, and that shippers may, in several instances, be able to “ get on ” at rather less money. At South Wales, fixtures arranged have been almost wholly for French Atlantic ports at scheduled rates. At the time of writing, business even in this direction is suspended await- ing further information with reference to the new Order of the Ministry of Shipping. Under this Order, rates of freight for the larger types of vessels engaged in French trade are reduced, and reference is made to the French Government undertaking war risks insurance. It is not clear, however, whether ship owners are to bear any part of the cost of such insurance; and that is the point on which information is required. Homewards, the River Plate is quiet, with about 200s. quoted for lower ports loading for the United Kingdom. At the United States, coal freights to the Plate from Virginia continue quoted at 125s. For heavy grain on Committee account, the Northern Range to the United Kingdom or French Atlantic is 5s. dearer, at 55s., with 75s. still quoted for West Italian discharge. On net form basis, Northern Range to France is steady, at 260s., with 360s. for West Italy. At the Far East, there is a good demand for tonnage for Saigon-Haiphong to France with rice at 500s. Madras Coast to Marseilles with kernels is steady, at 550s. Bombay is seeking tonnage for West Italy at 440s. Kurrachee on scale to the United Kingdom is unaltered, at 250s. The Mediterranean ore ports are very firm, and are taking up tonnage freely for the United Kingdom. Tyne to Gothenburg, 1,000, 162^ kr.; 1,800, 165 kr. ; 2,100, 160 kr.; Rouen, 1.100, 74s. 3d., coke, neutral; Stock- holm, 1,600, 180 kr. Cardiff to Bordeaux, 2,600, 69s., neutral; Caen, 700 and 900. 48s.. neutral; 1,400, 46s. 6d., neutral; Cherbourg, 1,800 and 1,835, 47s. 3d., neutral; Granville, 120, 90s., sail; Gibraltar, 4,000, 100s.; Havre, 1,300, 45s. 9d., neutral; Rouen, 1,600, 48s. 9d., neutral; and St. Nazaire, 1,450, 61s. 6d., neutral; and 2,100, 29s., Allied. Newport to Gibraltar, 3,800, 100s. Swansea to Havre, 1,250, 45s. 9d., neutral; St. Nazaire, 2,750, 61s. 6d., neutral; Caen, 1,400, 46s. 6d., neutral; 800, 48s., neutral; and Rouen, 1,300, 48s. 9d., neutral. Port Talbot to Rochefort, 1,600, 61s. 6d., neutral. Later. — The following additional fixtures have been arranged:— Tyne to Gothenburg, 2,300, 160 kr.; and Stockholm, 1,500, 170 kr. Cardiff to Caen^ 600, 48s., neutral; Cherbourg, 1,500, 18s. 6d., plus insurance of war risks, Allied; and Rouen, 1,400, 48s. 9d., neutral. Swansea to St. Nazaire, 1,600, 61s. 6d., neutral; and Rouen, 1,500, 48s. 9d., neutral. The new official schedule of French coal freights is not popular with the ship owners, inasmuch as it consider- ably reduces most of the maximum rates hitherto permis- sible. As, however, boats officially taken up are not recorded on the open freight market, and as the new rates do not appear to have any application to “ free ” tonnage, they need not be discussed in this column. CONTRACTS OPEN FOR COAL AND COKE. Tor Contracts Advertised in this issue received too late for inclusion in this column, see Leader and Last White pages. Abstracts of Contracts Open. Bristol, Feb. 21.—Unwashed small coal (alternatively washed pea coal) for the Electrical Committee for 6 months, horms from the chief engineer, Electricity Department, Exchange, Bristol London, N.W., March 5.—Coal dust and ganister (6 or 12 months) for the Great Central Railway Company. Forms from the stores superintendent, Great Central Rail- way, Gorton, Manchester. New Hunstanton, Feb. 26.-3,000 tons large, double- screened gas nuts (South Yorkshire), in monthly quantities for the U.D. Council. No forms. Tenders to the clerk, Council Offices, New Hunstanton. Rawtenstall, Feb. 25.—Coal and coke for depots and schools. Forms from the acting borough surveyor, Town Hall, Rawtenstall. Walsall, February 20.—Coal (12 months) for the Rural District Council. Forms from the surveyor, Council Offices, Daw End, near Walsall. The date given is the latest upon which tenders can be received. CONTRACTS OPEN FOR ENGINEERING, IRON AND STEEL WORK, &c. Bedwas (Mon.), March 7.—Colliery Stores.—Iron and steel castings, bolts, nuts, colliers’ tools, pitch pines, wire ropes, steel rails, etc. (6 months), for the Bedwas Colliery Navigation Company Limited. Forms from the secretary, Bedwas. Birkenhead, February 18.—Various.—Tubes, castings, tools, bolts, iron, steel, etc. (12 months), for the Corpora- tion. Forms from the gas engineer, Gasworks, Birkenhead. London, N.W., March 5.—Stores.—Firebricks, fireclay, tubing, iron bars, galvanised sheets, nails, oil, tar, rivets, steel billets, steel wire ropes (6 or 12 months), for the Great Central Railway Company. Forms from the stores superintendent, Great Gentral Railway, Gorton Man- chester. Madrid, March 22.—Railway.—Secondary railway from Villaodrid to Villafranca del Bierzo. Estimated cost, 51,165,079 pesetas. Tenders to Direccion-General de Obras Publicas, Ministerio de Fomento, Madrid. Plymouth, Feb. 21.—Various.—Wrought iron tubes and fittings, etc., for the Gas Department. Forms from the engineer, Gas Works, Devonport. Rawtenstall, Feb. 25.—Various.—Pitch, creosote oil, iron castings, etc., for the Corporation. Forms from the acting borough surveyor, Town Hall. Wigan, Feb. 25.—Stores.—Pitch, refined tar, iron tools, etc., for the Corporation. Forms from the borough engi- neer, Municipal Offices, Wigan. OBITUARY. Prof. G. A. L. Labour, Vice-Principal of Armstrong College, Newcastle, who had been Professor of Geology there ever since 1879, died on Thursday of last week, at the age of 70 years. He leaves a widow and three children. He was educated at the Royal School of Mines. He took part in H.M. Geological Survey from 1867 to 1873. From the latter year until 1879, when he attained his professor- ship, he was Lecturer in Geological Surveying at the Durham College of Science. He was awarded the Murchison Medal of the Geological Society in 1904. He was a member of several research committees of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, and sub-editor of the Foreign Geological Section of the “ Geological Record ” from 1874 to 1880. He was the author of “ Geology of Northumberland and Durham,” published in 1878; a geological map of Northumberland in 1877; more than 100 papers on carboniferous geology, the heat con- ductivity of rocks, underground temperature, and many reviews on scientific subjects. Mr. William Parkinson, of Bradford, whose death took place last week, at the age of 71, carried on a coal mer- chant’s business for many years, and was one of the founders of the Bradford Coal Merchants’ and Consumers’ Association. Mr. Errington Thompson, who died recently at Wigton, at the age of 54 years, was for 13 years manager of the Weardale lead mines, during an era of considerable pros- perity for the company. Mining Partnership Dissolved.—At the Chancery Court in Manchester on Thursday of last week, John Stott Holden brought an action against Joseph Heath, asking for a declaration that the partnership between them was dis- solved, and that in taking the accounts sums amounting to £834 should be treated as advances made by him, and not as part of the capital. Plaintiff alleged that in October 1915 he agreed to contribute £100 capital to work coal under land at Wardle leased by defendant, but the busi- ness—the Hurstead Nook Colliery Company—was unsuc- cessful, and he discontinued advancing money. Defen- dant made, a claim against plaintiff, but the court gave judgment for the latter with costs.