134

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

July 19, 1918.

gravity. It is well known to all who are engaged
in the mining industry that a great difference exists
between the economic position of the coal fields. In
main essentials the existing Conciliation Boards
recognise, and to some extent respect, those economic
differences. So long as the coal mining industry is
conducted on a commercial basis, the economic position
of the various coal fields imposes a considerable varia-
tion in the economic position as to wages and profits.
A National Wages Board presupposes uniform
economic conditions and a uniform wage, and herein
lies the danger of this proposal. It is an attempt
to cut right across the economic problem, to treat
it as non-existent, and to use the power of the Federa-
tion, the giant force of numbers, to impose a uniform
wage, at the highest possible rate, upon the whole
industry. It is true that so long as coal mining is
a commercial industry, the forcing of an uneconomic
wage will result in the closing of a large number of
pits, and the throwing idle of the men who are now
employed. Here again the purple is to make the
National Wages Board a step towards the nationalisa-
tion of the mines, and the confiscation of the interests
of the present owners. The men’s representatives have
found in the negotiations of the war period that they
can secure through the State concessions as to wages
which are not justified by the economic position of
the industry or the true interests of the country.

PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—July 18.

The Price of Coal.

Earl Russell called attention to recent advances in the
price of coal. He asked for some explanation of the in-
crease, and who made the profit out of it. He had heard
to his surprise that in a great many coal pits it was
the practice at present to work not more than two, three
of four shifts a week. If this were the fact, he asked
if it could not be arranged that some pits should work
full time.

Lord Somerleyton, replying for the Government, said
in regard to the first question, as to the recent advance
in the price of coal, he thought the explanation he had
to offer was\ satisfactory. There had been two recent in-
creases in the price of coal, viz., 2s. 6d. per ton on June 24
last to meet the increased cost of production due to the
enhanced price of equipment and materials, and Is. 6d.
per ton on July 8, which was calculated to- be necessary
to meet the increased war wage granted by the Govern-
ment to mine workers. The increased profits went to
the Treasury, and not to the coal owners. The price to
be paid by the consumer was the price prevailing at
the date of delivery, so that when the time arrived for
a reduction in the cost, the consumer would have the
advantage. For the four weeks ending May 25, 1918,
the coal pits situated in England won coal on 5-30 days
per week, and in Wales on 5-34 days per week, and in
Scotland on 5'42 days per week. The pits in Carmarthen
won coal on 4'8 days per week, and in Glamorgan on
a fraction over five days per week.

The Marquess of Crewe appealed to the miners to put
in a full week’s work, just as their brothers and sisters
were doing in the munition and other works of all kinds.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—July 15.

Coal Supplies (Ireland).

Sir A. Stanley, replying to questions, said that it was
not possible to apply the coal rationing system in Ireland,
as the conditions were totally different, but the amount
of coal imported into Ireland was reduced, so that the
results were practically the same.

Fuel and Lighting Order.

Mr. Bonar Law informed Mr. Harris that the clauses
embodying the Fuel and Lighting Order were limited in
number, and a pamphlet embodying them was being issued
to the public. The local fuel overseers would render every
assistance to the public in carrying out the Order, and
would explain any provision which at first sight might
appear to be complex. If the House desired to .discuss
the matter he would try to give facilities.

Mining Royalties.

Mr. Currie asked the Minister of Reconstruction
whether any of the committees appointed by him were
instructed to consider the desirability eof legislating for
the commutation on reasonable terms of mining royalties
in the United Kingdom.

Dr. Addison said that the whole range of economic
questions connected with mining royalties was ex-
haustively considered by a Royal Commission in 1891,
and the suggestion now put forward was not adopted by
the Commission. There was no Committee at present
engaged in considering the question of commutation.

July 17.
Fuel and Lighting Order.

Captain G. Lloyd asked the President of the Board of
Trade whether, in the coal rationing scheme, regard was
had to the existence of village coal clubs; and, if so,
what steps these clubs should take in order to ensure
that the requisite supplies of coal are forthcoming.

Sir A. Stanley said that due regard had been given to
the existence of village coal clubs, etc. Where a coal
club did not control its own supplies of coal, but trans-
mitted the orders to registered coal merchants or licensed
coal dealers, it would take out a licence as a dealer, de-
claring itself the agent of such merchant or dealer. This
licence would be obtainable through the local fuel over-
seer of the respective districts in which the coal clubs
were situated. A coal club receiving coal by truck direct
from a colliery must register as a coal merchant, and may
be required to establish a reserve stock of coal for its
members. Subject to the above regulations, coal clubs
would continue to receive their coal through the ordinary
channels as heretofore.

July 18.

Percentage of Miners’ Wages.

Major H. Terrell asked the President of the Board
of Trade whether he 'had any information which shows
that the statement contained in the letter issued by the
Monmouthshire and South Wales Coal Owners’ Associa-
tion, to the effect that the wages of different classes of
underground labour in the South Wales coal field were

between 24 and 170 per cent, higher than those ruling in
July 1914, was based upon the wages of one small class
of the lowest paid underground labour ; and, if so, what
class of underground labour was that statement based on.

Sii; A. Stanley stated that according to a statement of
wage rates issued by the Monmouthshire and South Wales
Coal Owners’ Association on June 12, 1918 (which the
Controller of Coal Mines had not had an opportunity of
verifying), the weekly wage of the lamplockers (a numeri-
cally small class) in South Wales and Monmouthshire
showed a maximum increase from 21s. 7d. in July 1914
to 58s. 4d. in June 1918 (after reckoning in the war bonus,
the 1917 war wage, the value of the increase in the price
of house coal, and certain other advantages accruing
during that period). This increase was approximately 170
per cent. Having regard, however, to the fact that this
class of colliery labour was amongst the lowest paid in
July 1914, and was numerically small, this percentage of
increase could not be regarded as typical of colliery
labour. In answer to other questions, Sir A. Stanley said
that in 1913 the average output per person employed under-
ground at collieries in the South Wales coal field was
286 tons ; in 1915 the output rose to 297 tons, but fell to
290 tons in 1916, and to 262 tons in 1917. The average
number of hours worked per week at collieries in the South
Wales coal field was as follows : 1913, 47’36 hours; 1914,
44-88 hours; 1915, 46-32 hours; 1916, 46-48 hours; and
in 1917, 44-64 hours.

OBITUARY.

Mr. Chas. Henderson, aged 72, manager of the Cowpen,
Isabella, and Mill collieries of the Cowpen Coal Company
Limited, died suddenly in the lamp cabin at one of the
pits on Friday of last week. Mr. Henderson had been
manager of the collieries for many years, and was held
in high esteem as a mining engineer and the inventor of
devices in connection with colliery work.

Mr. John Westgarth Hetherington, who died at Hexham
last Friday, aged 70, *was connected for 20 years with
Messrs. W. Benson and Son Limited, coal and quarry
owners. Later he joined his sons, Messrs. J. R. and L. E.
Hetherington, land and mining surveyors and architects,
Newcastle, with whom he remained associated till his
death.

Mr. Edward Sisterson, who has died at his residence,
Woodley Field, near Hexham, at the age of 68 years, was
for many years well known as an iron and steel merchant.

The death took place suddenly on Saturday afternoon
of Mr. George Hann, at the age of 40 years. He held
a position under the Powell Duffryn Company as assistant
to his father (Mr. E. M. Hann, the director and general
manager). Mr. George Hann, as engineer in charge of
the high-class mechanical equipment of the Powell Duffryn
Company’s great undertaking, held a prominent position
amongst the engineers of South Wales, and he was re-
garded as having a sound and practical knowledge of every
branch of mining engineering.

Mr. William Lewis, colliery proprietor, of Llwyndu,
Glais, in the Swansea Valley, died on July 12 at the age
of 88. One of his sons (Mr. Evan Lewis) is a colliery pro-
prietor in that district.

MINING INDUSTRY AND MILITARY SERVICE.

Many young miners resident in the industrial districts
of Monmouthshire, who have been called up for military
service and who sought exemption on domestic grounds,
find themselves in a difficult position in consequence of
their having lodged their appeals with local tribunals
instead of county appeals tribunals. A number of cases
were down for hearing by th Abersychan Tribunal, and
although the tribunal had no power to decide whether
or not the men should be exempted, the men were allowed
to state the grounds of their appeals. In several instances
the tribunal found there was a printa facie case fof exemp-
tion, and resolved to recommend the Regional Director of
National Service to allow the appeals to be heard by the
county appeals tribunal.

Newcastle Military Tribunal did not apply the “ comb ”
tenderly when reviewing, at the request of the National
Service representative, a number of exemptions of “ coal-
men ” engaged in the offices of Newcastle Quayside. Some
of the respondents had not been troubled • by such pro-
ceedings for two years. The result of the National Ser-
vice intervention left it clear that the tribunal had only
a very hazy idea of the value of the work in which these
business men were engaged. A Grade 2 man, 39 years of
age, who was stated to be indispensable to a shipping
and coal-exporting business, was ordered to join up in two
months, a decision on all-fours with practically every other
case of a Grade 2 man, irrespective of his utility to the
trade and commerce of the Tyne. One of the directors of
an old-established coal exporting business, who was 39 years
of age, in Grade 1, and in receipt of a salary of <£600 per
annum and commission, was ordered to join up in two
months, as was also a Grade 3 man employed as assistant
manager of a home and foreign coaling business. The
43-year-old managing director of a coal-exporting business,
Grade 1, had a like period put to his civil liberty. Three
months exemption, with the privilege to apply for a
further extension, was granted to a Grade 3 shipping clerk
who was stated to be assisting the Nefitral Tonnage Com-
mission, one of the duties of which was to allocate berths
to neutral steamers entering the river. A coal and timber
merchant, aged 43, in Grade 1, appealed on personal
grounds. He stated that he was the only support of his
parents. Three months final exemption was granted. A
similar period, with leave to apply further, was granted
to another coal exporter, who was the only remaining
member of his firm. He had three brothers already serv-
ing, one discharged through wounds, and a fifth killed.

Breach of the Coal Order.—At Bow-street Police Court,
on Friday, Harold Pamplin, trolleyman, was fined £20
for delivering 5 cwt. of coal otherwise than under a requi-
sion, and Salvatore Fulcome was fined £10 for acquiring
the coal. Pamplin admitted to an inspector that he knew
he was not allowed to sell more than 2 cwt. at a time,
but gave as a reason for letting Fulcome have 5 cwt. on
June 18 that he had been unable to deliver his usual quan-
tity to him on the two preceding days.

Education Grant to Wigan Mining College.—As the re-
sult of a conference, attended by representatives of the
Lancashire County Education Committee, the County
Borough of Wigan, and the Wigan and District Mining
and Technical College, thne representatives of the County
Education Committee have recommended that the grant to
the governors of the Wigan Mining College for the year
1918-1919 be increased from £1,000 to £1,500, provided that
a similar grant be made to the college by the County
Borough of Wigan.

COAL MINING IN QUEENSLAND.

According to ’the annual report of the Under-Secre-
tary for Mines (Mr. H. T. Marshall), there was a
considerable increase in the quantity of coal raised
during the year, the total output from the collieries
working in the various districts of the State being
1,048,473 tons, valued at £597,360. These figures
compared with those for 1916, when the output was
907,727 tons, valued at £389,348, show that the increase
in quantity amounted to 140,746 tons and in value to
£208,012. The overage value of the coal at the pit’s
mouth (Ils. 4-7d.) was. 2s. 7-8d. higher. The greater
quantity of coal raised is accounted for by increase of
trade generally during the year, and the greater part
of it is due to the larger output of some of the prin-
cipal collieries in the Ipswich district. The output
of the Darling Downs collieries was very little more
than in the previous year, while that of the collieries
in the Maryborough and Rockhampton districts and
at Mount Mulligan in the Chillagoe district was some-
what less than in 1916. The yield of the collieries in
the Clermont district increased by about 18,000 tons.

There w6re 25 collieries in the Ipswich district con-
tributing to the output during the year, some of these
comprising several shafts or tunnels from which coal
is raised. Six collieries were working in the Darling
Downs district, four in the Maryborough district, six
in the Central district at Blair Athol and Bluff, and
one at Mount Mulligan in the Chillagoe district.

In the various collieries above mentioned, the
average value of the coal at the pit mouth worked out
—for the Ipswich district at 10s. 8-37d. per ton, for
the Darling Downs district at 12s. 9-5d., and for the
Maryborough and Burrum districts at 15s. 10-38d. ;
the corresponding figures for 1916 being 7s. lid.,
9s. 9’7d., and 12s. 2d. For the Clermont or Blair
Athol district the average was Ils. 4-84d., compared
with 7s. 9-3d. The average value at Mount Mulligan
was 15s. 6-24d., that of the previous year being
13s. 4-3d., while the average in the Central district
(Bluff) was Ils. 10-16d., compared with 9s. 6d. in the
previous year. A certain amount of development work
was done at the collieries in the Ipswich district, one
or two new tunnels being started, and ventilating
shafts sunk, etc., but nothing in this connection calls
for special mention. Efforts were made early in the
year, in which the Department assisted in every way
possible to encourage coke-making and improve the
prospects of that industry at North Ipswich, but very
little result was achieved, and more than three-quarters
of the amount of coke used for smelting in the State
was, as in previous years, supplied from New South
Wales.

There was very little change in connection with the
small collieries on the Darling Downs. The majority
of them worked steadily, in some cases with improving
prospects and in one or two cases with less satisfactory
results. Practically the same remarks apply to the
collieries in the Maryborough or Burrum district,
where trade was slack in the early part of the year
and the demand later on more than could be met.
These collieries, on the whole, however, produced less
coal than in 1916, and one of the smaller ones was
closed.

More new work was undertaken in connection with
the collieries at Blair Athol, and comprised sinking
of a new shaft on lease No. 27 at the Newcastle Col-
liery, the opening up of a small seam in the No. 3 shaft
at the Blair Athol No. 2 pit, and the sinking of a
small shaft from the main north heading to explore
the thickness of the seam in the Blair Athol No. 1 pit.
This proved the seam to be practically 91 ft. thick at
that point, while in the sinking on the Newcastle lease
the big seam was found to be 61 ft. 6 in. thick where
the shaft was sunk. Two other seams, 4 ft. 6 in. and
4 ft. 2 in. respectively, were met with in the Newcastle
shaft above and below the big seam, the lowest one
being inferior to the uppermost seam. A quantity
of graded coal from Blair Athol was shipped to a
Northern port during the year, and may lead to aug-
menting the future production of the field.

The old workings of the Co-operative Colliery at
Blair Athol, which had been flooded at the end of
1916, were not reopened, but a tunnel was started
during the year to work the seam at another place, and
it is expected that this colliery will be producing coal
again shortly.

The Bluff Colliery, in the Central district, was
worked continuously by a party of tributers for an
output of a little over 6,000 tons, and operations were
confined to the various rooms previously broken off
from the main dip.

Considerable extensions were made at the Mount
Mulligan Colliery in the No. 2 seam, and work is
being pushed forward in the No. 1 bottom seam, a
portion of which, some 2 ft. in thickness, it appears
from experiments, is equally suitable for coking as
the coal in No. 2 seam. The locality of the mine places
it at some disadvantage in regard to securing
experienced coal miners, and on this account more coal
cutting machinery has been installed.

The death rate per 1,000 persons employed in coal
mines was 1-79, and in all mines, mills, and metallur-
gical works 1-07. There were 11 prosecutions during
the year in connection with the working of metallifer-
ous mines and collieries.

The records in connection with the ventilation of
the mines agree largely with those of previous years,
and show generally a good margin between wet and
dry bulb readings. In the collieries in some cases the
quantity of air circulating has been increased, either
with the appliances available or by the introduction
of auxiliary fans. In some of those in the Burrum
district more fans and mechanical appliances and a
better system of conducting the air to the working
faces are now required.

There were two accidents due to ignitions of explo-
sive gas, which was reported in seven of the collieries,
one being in the Burrum district and six in the Bun-
damba district. The amendment of the Act to pro-
vide for the reporting of gas in any of the collieries
is an important provision and one which it is necessary
should be strictly enforced.