May 9, 1913. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 971 Letters to the Editor. The HMitor is not resnonsibh either for the statements made or r-ho nninionp ArnrARRHd hv corr^RnondontP. Al communications must be authenticated by the name and address of the sender, whether for publication or not. No notice can be taken of anonymous communi- cations. A.s replies to questions are only given by way of published answers to correspondents, and not by letter, stamped addressed envelopes are not required to be sent. LIFE-SAVING IN MINES. Sir,—In your issue of May 2 you report a meeting at Kilsyth in connection with the above subject. You also say a resolution was unanimously passed demanding that the coalowners put into operation the Order passed by the Home Office. As I was the lecturer, I might say that the same resolution was passed at every lecture I have given—and they have been given in every part of Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Stirlingshire. I am now going through the Lothians, and up to now the same has been carried. Several statements have been made that I was paid by the makers of these appliances. I wish, therefore, through your columns, to contradict these. I have never, either directly or indirectly, received any remu- neration from them. When using the Draeger I had to pay for the hire of same until, owing to financial ernbarrasment, I could not pay, and had to return same. Owing to the kindness of Mr. Davies (Siebe, Gorman and Co. Limited) and Mr. Jenkins (Mining Engineering Company Limited), I was able to carry on my work of education to the miners, they having placed their appliances at my disposal free of charge. Now, the only pay I have received is from the miners’ subscriptions for which I have been grateful. I, in conclusion, wish to thank those who have helped me, along with those officials who have also been most kind to me. I can only say I regret I have to give up the work owing to financial reasons, as I feel sure, had I been able to carry on the education of the miners themselves, it would have had beneficial results in the cause of humanity. 53, Standish-street, Burnley, G. W. Blythe. May 5,1913. COASTWISE SHIPMENTS DURING MARCH. According to the monthly coal tables, the quantities of coal shipped coastwise during the month of March were as follow:— From Total cargo. Total bunker. 1912. 1913. 1912. 1913. Bristol Channel ports North-western ports N >rth-eastern ports Humber ports Other ports on east coast Other English ports Tons. 96,689 37,067 71,965 39,577 4,902 1,441 Tons. 293,722 211,810 634 596 231,716 6,528 4,012 Tons. 9,062 34 422 5 892 2,470 7298 4,835 Tons. 16,836 57,377 24,394 11,096 7,119 6,144 Total from England and Wales .. 251,641 1,382,384 63,979 122,966 Ports on east coast of Scotland Ports on west coast of Scotland 83,754 52,799 127,096 128,147 15,370 18 420 21,868 38 909 Total from Scotland 136,553 255,243 33,790 60,777 Irish ports 330 6 5,339 4,441 Total from United Kingdom 388,524 1,637,633 103,108 188,184 The destination of cargo shipments was as follows :— March 1912. March 1913. Tons. 280,730 19,929 87,865 To ports in England and Wales Scotland.......... Ireland .......... The shipments to London amounted to 726,043 tons. Tons. 1,179.728 97,529 360,376 Windsor Sheet Metal Works Limited.—This private company has been registered in Edinburgh, with a capital of £10,000 in £1 shares (5,000 preference), to acquire the business of Jamieson and Co., ventilating engineers, Glasgow and E iinburgh. First directors -. G. Browning and S. J, Mackinnon. Registered office, 150, North Woodside-road. Glasgow. Institute of Metals.—The annual autumn meeting of the Institute of Metals will this year, under the presidency of Prof. A. K. Huntington, ASsoc.R S.M., for the first time since the institute’s formation in 1908, be held on the Continent. It will take place in connection with the Ghent International Exhibition, the dates fixed being August 28, 29 and 30. Among many important papers to be communi- cated will be the Report of the Corrosion Committee. Gentlemen desirous of attending the Ghent meeting of the In-titute of Metals should send in their forms of application for membership to the secretary of the Institute of Medals, Caxton House, Westminster, S W., at the earliest possible moment, and not later than July 31. PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—May 6. The Duties of Inspectors. Mr. John Taylor asked the Home Secretary whether he was aware that certain men employed in No. 1 pit, Chop well Colliery, refused to continue to work in No. 7 west conveyor face on the ground that it was unsafe, an opinion which was endorsed by the local inspectors, and that the men stopped working on April 14 and that the Government inspector visited the place on April 16, and that his opinion had not yet been communicated; and whether he would consider the desirability in such cases of the Government inspector giving his opinion in writing before he left the colliery, just as the local inspectors did. Mr. McKenna, in reply, said: I have made enquiries. The inspector who visited the mine was accompanied by the manager and the workmen’s representative who made the report. He considered the face at the time of his visit to be well timbered and safe, but he advised that special care should be given to the timbering, and the manager promised to do this and to put a deputy overman to devote his whole time to the work. It would not be desirable as a general rule for an inspector to give a written opinion at the time of making a visit. In the case of a subordinate inspector, his duty is to report to the inspector in charge of the district, who then takes further action if further action be necessary. April 23. Miners’ Wages in Rhenish-Westphalia. Sir Henry Havelock-Allan asked the Secretary to the Board of Trade whether he was aware that the combined effect of the increase of wages and the increase in the cost of living in the Rhenish-Westphalian district had been to make the miners in that area 10£ per cent, worse off than they were in 1907; and whether he had any figures to show to what extent the rise in miners’ wages in England and Wales during the last six months had been prejudiced by an increase in the cost of living ? Mr. Buxton said that between 1907 and 1911 the average daily wages of coalminers in the Dortmund district of Rhenish-Westphalia fell from 4s. 9|d. to 4s. 7£d. In the same period retail food prices rose by 107 per cent, according to the statistics relating to Prussia as a whole. During the last six months the net increase on “standard” of miners’ wages in England and Wales had been 10 per cent, in the Federated districts, 7| per cent, in North- umberland and Durham, and 6| per cent, in South Wales. During the same six months the level of retail food prices remained practically stationary. April 28. Mineral Rights Duty. Mr. C. Bathurst wished to know on what principle undeveloped land duty was levied in rural districts and what was to be done with regard to land containing minerals. If the owner of land containing unworked minerals placed a fancy price on those minerals, his successor would have to pay heavy death duties, while if he did not heavy increment value duty would have to be paid. He thought the time had come when they were entitled to ask for a report from the Departmental Com- mittee on Imperial and Local Taxation. Mr. Pretyman had asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to state the total yield since the land taxes came into operation and up to March 31,1913, of increment value duty, undeveloped land duty, reversion duty, and mineral rights duty respectively; and the total cost of the valuation up to the same date, including the cost of issuing Form IV. and of offices and stationery ; and the total number of officials engaged in the work of the valuation department on March 31,1913, and the total figure of their annual salaries. Mr. Lloyd George said the total yield of the land values duties up to March 31, 1913, is as follows:— £ Increment value duty ........ 23 254 Reversion duty ............... 70,878 Undeveloped land duty ....... 129,298 Mineral rights duty ....... 1,234,483 The total cost of valuation (including cost of collecting above duties and of certain incidental services, and cost of issuing Form IV. and of offices and stationery) up to the same date has been £1,393,000. The total number of officials engaged in the Land Valuation Office on March 31, 1913, was 4,153, and the total figure of their annual salaries was £492,626. Mr. FitzRoy asked the Chancellor to state what portion of the sum of £455,000 received for land value duties in 1912-13 consisted of mineral rights duty, undeveloped land duty, increment value duty, and reversion duty, respec- tively ; and how the estimate of £750,000 for land value duties for 1913-14 is similarly apportioned. Mr. Lloyd George replied : The allocation is approxi- mately as follows:— Exchequer Estimated receipts, receipts, 1912-13. 1913-14. £ £ Increment value duty ... ... 17,000 .. . 20,000 Reversion duty ... 48,000 .. . 100,000 Undeveloped land duty.... ... 98,000 .. . 325,000 Mineral rights duty ... 292,000 .. . 305,000 £455,000 £750,000 Rossington Main Colliery.—Our Doncaster correspondent says:—Some interesting statements concerning the new Rossington Main Colliery, now being sunk near Doncaster, were made last Friday, when Mr. F. O. Stanford, M.I.C.E., one of the Local Government Board inspectors, heard the application of the Doncaster Rural District Council to borrow £3,990 for a scheme of sewerage and sewage disposal for the new colliery village. Ooposition was forthcoming from the Rossington Parish Council. The inspector was informed that it was proposed to erect a new colliery village of about 800 to 1,000 houses at a rental of 6s. 6d. per week, which would increase the ratable value of the place by £8,800, and for this property the sewage scheme was proposed. In addition to this, there would be the ratable value of the colliery, which, if the company worked the coal under the parish of Rossington, might be £20,000 or £30,000 in a short time. It might be £2,000 or £3,000 the first year, and £5,000 after that. If they came to Rossington first it would be very valuable; it all depended which way the company worked the coal. The clerk to the Council said he based his statements Jon the developments which were taking place in the district in regard to other collieries. One colliery went up to £20,000 in one year, after being worked three years. The Rossington Main Colliery were now sinking a shaft about a mile away from the village, and 84 acres of land had been secured by the company for building operations, and houses were in course of erection. This limitation had been placed upon them by Mr. Streat- field, of Rossington Hall. The colliery village was to be built on modern lines, and the company were constructing the whole of the sewers. In reply to a question, Mr. Thompson, agent of the colliery company, stated the water in the shafts would be tubbed back, and would not have any effect upon the local wells. The inspector asked Mr. Thompson what the risks of subsidence were, and the latter replied that the Rossington shafts were now down 64 yards. They would not get into the coal measures for another 200 yards. They would reach the Barnsley seam at 900 yards; it would not be less, and might be 950 yards. Their objective was the main Barnsley seam, and there would be more than sufficient coal in that seam to last the lease of the colliery out. He did not expect any risk of subsidence. They were working the same Barnsley seam at 667 yards under a village now, and there was no sign of subsidence whatever. This was at Dinnington Colliery. The village and the works were both outside the shaft pillar; if there was any subsidence village and works would go down together. The only water pumped when the colliery developed would be the water sent to the village for drinking purposes. They were pumping now into the Rossington drain up to 20,000 gallons an hour. In three or four months’ time that would all be tubbed back. The workings would progress in all directions from the shaft, and Rossington parish would get the benefit of the rateable value of the whole colliery immediately it started. The colliery lease terminated in January 1968. Dr. Dunne, medical officer of health to the Doncaster Rural District Council, said last month there were 234* people actually in the place, making, with the census population, 605 souls. Next week 60 more sinkers were expected. The experience of population in the Doncaster district was that you could rely upon five in one house ; overcrowding was more the rule than anything else, and six would be a conservative estimate. This, said the medical officer, was one of the best attempts that had been made to dispose of the sewage and provide works before the colliery village actually came into existence, and he hoped it would receive the early sanction of the Local Government Board. The application was opposed by Mr. A. Jeaffreson (chairman of the Parish Council), who said the Council objected to haying to pay this sanitary rate ; the colliery ought to have a scheme and area of its own. If they had to pay this rate and in future years put in a scheme for old Rossington, which was not included in the present proposals, they would be paying twice over, which was not fair. The inspector said he would make a note of the objection.