500 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. September 6, 1918. CONTENTS. Editorial Articles :— Page Scientific Research in the Coal Industry..... 501 A Ministry of Mines and Minerals............. 501 Articles:— Fuel Economy in a Modern Steel Works......... 493 Determination of Incombustible Matter in Mine Dusts..................................... 494 Influence of Ash in Anthracite .............. 495 Coal and Shipping............................ 496 Coal Conservation Committee— Final Report.... 497 Metallurgical Coke and the Recovery of By- products ................................... 498 Absorption of Gases by Coal ................. 499 Trades Union Congress..................... 505 South Wales Mining Timber Trade .......'..... 505 Benzine Substitutes for Safety Lamps ........ 505 Fuel Research in 1917-18..................... 505 z Mining Industry and Military Service .......... 506 Brown Coal for Steam Raising ................ 507 The American Coal Trade ..................... 507 Mean Magnetic Declination.................... 508 Labour and Wages ............................ 508 Mine Rescue Apparatus Research Committee..... 508 Open Contracts .............................. 510 The Freight Market .......................... 510 Abstracts of Patent Specifications Recently Acptd. 510 New Patents Connected with the Coal and Iron Trades .................................... 512 Government Publications..................... 512 Publications Received ..................... 512 The Coal and Iron Trades .....................502—504 The Tin-plate Trade......................... 503 The London Coal Trade ....................... 504 The By-Products Trade ....................... 505 Notes from the Coal Fields...................... 507 Coal, Iron and Engineering Companies............. 510 Miscellanea:— Derbyshire Oil Fields—Economy in the Use of Steam Coal—German Capital in Roumanian Lignite Mining ............................ 495 Local Committees with Requisitioning Powers — Coal in Malaya ............................ 496 Bradford Coal Dealers* Association ......... 499 Italian Gas Works and Coal Shortage ......... 501 Irish Lignite Supply to be Utilised ....'.... 503 Middlesbrough Iron and Steel Shipments....... 504 Fuel Wood—Bar Iron Conference—Allies’ Coal Supplies .................................. 505 Local Authorities Urged to Economise......... 506 Examination for Mine Managers’ Certificates.. 508 Conference of Local Authorities............. 510 Coal in Algeria ............................. 512 Offices for ADVERTISEMENTS and PUBLICATION: 30 and 31, Furnival Street, Holborn, London, E.C. 4. Telegraphic Address—“Colliery Guardian, Fleet, London.” Telephone—1354 Holborn. Established 1866. PATENTS, DESIGNS, and TRADE MARKS. TTARRIS AND MILLS, Chartered Patent Agents, 34 and 35, HIGH HOLBORN, LONDON, W.C. 1. Telegraphic Address—“ Privilege, London.” Tel. No.—Holborn 2763. “COMRITE” JOINTINGS, SHEETINGS & PACKINGS, «c. The BEST for Steam, Hydraulic, and Highest Pressures. UfiCir Delivery, Suction (Plain or Armoured), Hvvt- Seamless Woven Canvas. VALVES & WASHERS, Ac. BALATA BELTING. ASBESTOS GOODS of all descriptions. Prompt Attention. Deliveries FROM STOCK. ----- Direct Service per G.W. Ry. - ALEX! COMRIE 8 SONS 23/27, Bridge St., SOUTHAMPTON. Tel. Add.—“ Comrite, Southampton.” Tel. No.—1695 Southampton. AERIAL The Oldest Diamond Drill Company. Established 1872. PORING fob •MINERALS. . SPEED AND CERTAINTY. CYLINDRICAL “CORES.” THE AQUEOUS WORKS and DIAMOND ROCK-BORING CO. Ltd. Cuildfo.vd St.*, York Road, Lambeth, London, S.E. Besides numerous other Important Contracts, completed (in 1897) the Deepest Boring in the United Kingdom to 3,500 ft. Great Experience in Boring for WATER. The U.M.S. LESSONS BY POST. The best Mining Education. Unapproachable Successes. 52 H.M. Inspectors are U.M.S. Men. — Syllabus free. — THE UNIVERSAL MINING SCHOOL (WO 50, Connaught Road, Cardiff. Briquette Machinery Ltd., Charmouth Street, LEEDS. Machinery for Briquetting Peat, Lignite, Coke, Coal, Iron, Copper, Nickel, Cement; Also Sawdust, Waste Cereals, Offals, Sewage. PATENT COAL DRIER. YEADONS’ LATEST PATENTED BRIQUETTE MACHINERY, For Coal, Coke, Iron and other Ores. YEADON, SON & CO., Engineers, LEEDS, Have a World-wide Reputation, and 40 Years’ Experience. They have supplied MORE BRIQUETTE PLANTS than any other firm in this country. ARMYTAGE & JONES Ltd SHEAF STREET, SHEFFIELD. RAILS. WAGONS. (For all purposes). (Coal & Ballast). Boiler Tanks. Points and Crossings. CRANES. (Loco & Derrick). Sleepers. Buffer Stops. Buyers of all kinds Steel and Iron Scrap. Bridge’s Patent Friction Clutches & Hauling Installations A SPECIALITY SEE ADVERTISEMENT LAST ISSUE, PAGE 475. Sole Makers— DAVID BRIDGE & CO. LTD. ■Haulage Works, CASTLETON, Manchester. MINES REPORT, 1917 !!! WE regret a large number of profit- and coal-wasting CAGE SMASHES in districts where the competency and profitable nature of the HANLEY CAGE ARRESTERS is fully acknowledged. WE would ask shareholders to remember that it is unnecessary for their profits to be thrown to the sump, besides LOSS OF COAL. In some districts the use of cage guards has been fashion- able since 1870, so that new users need not lack precedent. WE cannot go on for ever ‘ desiring safety,’ and at the same time omitting to use things necessary for preventing injury. This is 1918 instead of 1819.”* Hum Office^ Wakehall. Details : A. HANLEY, Thirlmere, Sheffield. ARE YOU GETTING THE BEST OUT OF YOUR COAL ? A “Lea” V. notch Recorder, by continuously measuring your Boiler Feed Water, would tell you and so help you to —: PREVENT WASTE. THE LEA RECORDER CO. LTD., Deansgate, MANCHESTER. Geo. N. Dixon & Co., 43, Cattle Street, Liverpool, Auctioneers and Valuers, COLLIERIES, Brickworks & Mining Plant. PUBLIC NOTICE. Mr. Joseph Oxley, of 131, Norfolk- STREET, SHEFFIELD, IRON, STEEL AND MACHINERY MERCHANT, begs to inform his numerous friends and patrons that he has entirely severed his connection with Messrs. Thos. Oxley Ltd., of Shiloh Works, Sheffield, with which firm he was a partner for so many years. He trusts, however, that the pleasant business relations existing between his patrons and himself will be long continued at his new address, viz.:— 131, NORFOLK STREET, SHEFFIELD. Brattice Cloth. — Gentleman Wanted with influence amongst colliery'managers and proprietors, to sell BRATTICE CLOTH on good commission only.—Address, FAIRCIiOUGH & SON’S, Bank-lane, Clayton, near Manchester. Experienced Draughtsman Required by large South Wales Colliery Company, with knowledge of coal washery construction preferred. Salary, £300 per annum.—Apply, with full particulars, to Box 7151, Colliery Guardian Office, 30 & 31, Furnival-street, Holborn, London, E.C. 4. COAL MINES ACT, 1911. Examination for Certificates as Manager and Under-Manager, and for Certificates of Qualification as Surveyor of Mines. An Examination for First- and Second- class Certificates of Competency as Manager and Urtder-Manager of Mineswill be held on the 26th November, 1918, at Edinburgh, Newcastle-upon- Tyne, Sheffield, Wigan, Cardiff and Birmingham. An Examination for Certificates of Qualification as Surveyor of Mines will be held at the same places on the 27th November. Candidates must, on or before the 5th October, send their names, and state the district in which they are employed, to the Secretary at the Home Office, Whitehall, London, S.W., from whom all particulars can be obtained. W. W. WARE, Secretary to the Board for Mining Examinations. anted to Purchase a Large Colliery, with Coke and By-product Plant, in Yorkshire. £750,000 avail- able if necessary.—Full particulars to Box 7145, Colliery Guardian Office, 30 & 31, Furnival-street, Holborn, London, E.C. 4. COAL SHORTAGE. To Colliery Owners and Managers.— Expert, of considerable experience in Mechanical Coal Mining, is OPEN to INSPECT and ADVISE with a view to increasing OUTPUT.— Apply, Box 7146, Colliery Guardian Office, 30 & 31, Furnival-street, Holborn, London, E.C. 4. Oecond-hand Timber, 10,000 cubic ft., ►O for SALE, in all kinds of sizes; also, our stock consists of 5,000 DOORS, WINDOWS, STAIRS, MOULDINGS, SKIRTINGS; also New Timber of all kinds (Permit required for new timber over £5 weekly). Call and inspect all we have to offer. Send stamp fdi? sheets, or Is. for fully illustrated list.—JENNINGS LTD., Bristol. Also small quantity stocked at Leicester and Porthcawl. NOW READY. Crown 8vo. Cloth. Pp. i.-viii. + 204. With 87 Diagrams. 7s. 6d. net, plus Postage. PRACTICAL SURVEYING AND FIELD WORK. By VICTOR G. SALMON, M.A., Government Land and Mine Surveyor, Johannesburg. Contents.—Co-ordinate Calculations — Area — Base Measurement — Reduction on the Field Book—Various Problems—Adjustment of Instru- ments—Index. LONDON : CHAS. GRIFFIN & CO. LTD., Exeter St., Strand, W.C. 2. J. W. BAIRD AND COMPANY., PITWOOD IMPORTERS, WEST HARTLEPOOL. YEARLY CONTRACTS ENTERED INTO WITH COLLIERIES. OSBECK & COMPANY LIMITED, PIT-TIMBER MERCHANTS, NE WCASTLE-ON-T YNE. SUPPLY ALL KINDS OF COLLIERY TIMBER. Telegrams—“ Osbecks, Newcastle-on-Tyne.” *♦* I°r other Miscellaneous Advertisements see Last White Page. TO OUR READERS. The Government, by Order in Council, is issuing In- structions prohibiting the return of all unsold papers and periodicals. The effect of this will be that newsagents will only stock the “ Colliery Guardian" if actually ordered by their customers, and to prevent disappoint- ment our readers should either subscribe for the regular supply of the journal direct, or place a definite order with their newsagent. ROPEWAYS ANY SYSTEM. The British Ropeway Engineering Co. Ltd., 7, MINCING LANE, LONDON, E.C. 3. Tele—CENTRAL 11250. ASSOCIATION OF PRIVATE OWNERS OF RAILWAY ROLLING STOCK. Formed in 1891 for the Protection of the Rights find Interests of Private Owners. Applications for particulars and terms of membership may be sent to the SECRETARY, Clarence Chambers, Gloucester. — “TREFOR”— BORING AND SINKING CO., Contractors for Deep Borings and Pit Sinkings a// over the World. Bank Chambers, 329, High Holborn, LONDON, W.C. AND Journal of the Coal and Iron Trades. Joint Editors— J. V. ELSDEN, D.So. (Loud.), F.G.S. HUBERT GREENWELL, F.S.S., Assoc.M.I.M.E. (At present on Active Service). LONDON, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1918. The London demand for all kinds of coal con- tinues unabated. The depot trade is unusually busy, and strenuous efforts are being made to over- take the public orders. Forward business in steam coal has improved in the Newcastle market, owing to a better supply of vessels and wagons. Gas coal is still easily obtained by neutrals having prompt tonnage. Durham bunkers are moderately plentiful, but rather firmer. The sharp demand for house coal is still a feature in Lancashire, and the scarcity of this fuel is serious in Yorkshire. Pressure on Midland collieries con- tinues. The position in Cardiff eased, owing to larger output, but on the other hand the shortage