July 24, 1914. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 215 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ Mr. McKenna said the inspector for the South Wales division was a man of few words but great administrative ability, and the hon. member must not measure the amount of work done by the brevity of his reports. He found that between February and December 1913, in addition to inspec- tion by the general staff, 219 mines were inspected and 6,264 horses individually examined by the horse inspector. He was not, however, satisfied that in South Wales the ground had been adequately covered, and the chief inspector, who visited South Wales next month, would advise whether addi- tional staff or better arrangements were required. Fuller reports would be made in future years. As regards the past year (1913), he could not promise hastily to issue another report. Coal Miners’ Earnings. Mr. Duncan Millar asked the President of' the Board of Trade if he could state the wages paid to the various grades of . miners in Scotland, England, and Wales immediately prior. to the coming into operation of the Coal Mines (Minimum Wage) Act of 1912, and as at January 1, 1914, or at any subsequent date at which the calculation can more conveniently be made. Mr. Burns replied : There are no returns showing the actual earnings of miners before and after the Coal Mines (Minimum Wage) Act of 1912, but the following table gives the percentage that the wages of coal miners were above the standard or base year in each of the principal districts at March 29, 1912, and July 14, 1914, respectively. Of course, my hon. friend will be aware that there are other factors affecting actual earnings besides the percentage on standard. rolling stock, and, as I mentioned recently, Russia is expected to send some heavy railway orders also. The President’s visit to St. Petersburg should help these along. Indeed, I hear that an order for 70,000 wagons is already practically settled. Meanwhile, out of the 167 blast furnaces existing in France, only 116 are at present working, as compared with 123 on January 1 last, turning out 13,115 tons of pig iron daily. In the East of France 70 furnaces are working out of 93 existing, the greatest quiet being observable in the Longwy district, where only 29 are working out of 44. The following figures available for the East of France show a considerable fall in the output of pig iron :— 1912. 1913. 1914. 380,600 346,900 386,400 388,900 429,100 402,200 437,200 429,800 420,800 377,700 410,800 412,000 January February March April , ... ___ H.M. Consul at Lyons (Mr. E. R. E. Vicars) reports that a coal seam has been discovered some 1,500 ft. below the surface near Mions, about nine miles east of Lyons. This seam is supposed to be the eastern continuation of the great bed of the Loire, which, despite much shaft sinking, has not hitherto been found further east than Communay, on the left bank of the Rhone. This discovery has given a great impetus to shaft sinking in search of coal in the neighbourhood of Lyons, and several mining companies of the Loire basin are engaged in operations in the western part of the Department of the Isfere. District. Percentage of wages above standard at Northumberland_____ Durham ... ........ Cumberland ........ Federated districts ... South Stalls, and East Worcester ........ Forest of Dean...... Bristol ............. Somerset............ South Wales and Mon- mouthshire........... Scotland ............ ( ----------------________ ________ March 29, July 14. 1912. 1914. Increase in percentage above standard. 2S| 521 ' ... 23| ... 57.? ... 18| 47| ... 621 ... 15 ' 50 65 15 50 65 15 55 35 -20* 40 & 45 ... 52I&571 ... 121 40 ... 521 ... 12£ 51| 60 50 75 25 * Decrease. _____________________________________ CONTINENTAL MINING NOTES. ______ ______ _________ ___________________ Austria. Official Wholesale Coal Prices, Vienna Exchange.—Pilsen large coal, 33'90 kr. per ton; in truck loads, ex Franz-Josefs Bahnhof. Ostrau-Dombrau-Karwin coals : Large, 30-31 kr.; cubes, 29'60-30'60 kr.; nuts, 29-30 kr.; small, 23-23'20 kr.; washed smithy coals, 30-30'50 kr. ; coke, 38-40 kr.; net cash, ex shutes Nordbahnhof. Bossitz-Zbeschau-Oslawan coals : Washed smithy coals, coarse or fine, 30’50-31’50 kr. ; coke, 30-32 kr., ex shutes Nordbahnhof or Staatsbahnhof. Upper Silesian coals: Best large or cubes, 32'30-33’10 kr. ; inter- mediate, large or cubes, 31’50-32'30 kr.; seconds, large or cubes, 26’70-27'80kr.; best nuts, I., 32'70-33’50kr.; II., 29’60-30'10 kr.; best smalls, 23'50-24 kr.; seconds, 22'50 to 23kr., net cast, ex shutes Nordbahnhof. In truck loads : best large or cubes, 30'70-31’50 kr. per ton, ex Nordbahnhof. Gas coke from the Vienna gasworks, 33’60-35’40 kr., ex works. Lignites : Dux large, 22'10-23'60 kr. ; Brux or Dux cubes, 22’10-23’60 kr.; nuts, 21'60-23'10 kr.; Mariaschein cubes, 24'10-25'60 kr. ; nuts, 23'60-25'10 kr., ex shutes Franz- Josefs or Nordwest Bahnhof. ___________ ...... France. Our Paris correspondent writes :—Now that the agitation in connection with the application of the eight hours day is completely over, the French collieries are able to state that htey have sustained very little loss through it, because it was accompanied by no violence. It follows naturally, however, that the output is suffering. During the first six months of this year, thanks to the efforts put forth to take the full advantage of the time remaining before the Act came into force, the output in France was only slightly lower than in the first six months of last year, notwithstanding the reduction of available labour through the three years’ army service law. In the Northern coalfield 835,491 10-ton wagons were despatched this last half-year, as compared with 846,630 last year. It must not be overlooked either that the first six months of 1913 showed a very consider- able increase over the same period in 1912, and the decline which the total figures for the year showed came about entirely in the second six months. As things are going, the 1913 experience promises to repeat itself this year. The unfortunate Eight Hours Bill pleases no one, unless the legislators find some satisfaction in having by its means further asserted their Socialistic doctrines, but as regards the miners themselves, it was engineered by a turbulent minority. The majority, some assert a great majority, especially of the older, steadier men, are working under it very much against their liking, for they regret the restric- tions which now render it impossible for them to increase their wages. They will miss this all the more in a few weeks, when their annual holiday time, the fetes of St. Barbe, come along, for this is a great event in the North, and the miners were wont to put in as much overtime as they could to provide funds for the feast. Coal prices are easily maintained in the meantime, but when a busy time comes with the revival of the metallurgical industries, which is confidently expected, the French col- lieries will not be able to take advantage of it, and foreigners will profit. Colliery shares on the Lille Bourse remain depressed, and there is very little business doing in them. The expectation of a revival in the metallurgical indus- tries, which will, of course, bring with it an increased demand for coal, is based upon the completion of the new French loan issue, a great part of which must be spent on urgent orders, especially of war material. It is said that some are already placed, and they will be. all the more heavy and urgent because of the serious view taken by Parliament of the state of preparedness of the artillery and other allied departments. Further the railways require ___________ ______ Germany. Annual Report of the Kohlenkontor.—The tonnage handled by the Kontor amounted to 12,644,345 tons, as compared with 12,319,363 tons the previous year, and a profit of 75 pfennigs was made on each ton. Ruhr Coal Market.—Business is again less favourable, and the further restrictions placed on the output by the Syndicate imply that no improvement ’ is anticipated for the time being. The time for placing contracts is approaching, but no one seems inclined to do business, and in all the fuel-consuming industries the conditions are so unsatis- factory that purchases are being cut down to the smallest limit, especially in the iron industry. The demand for all other kinds is very restricted, and the necessity for going on short time is increasing. Even in the export trade business is appreciably slacker. The up river traffic is fairly brisk, but the harbour stocks are full, and oncoming cargoes are difficult to dispose of. Foreign competition is very severe, especially in Belgium now the local prices have been lowered. The coke market is still bad, and the reduction of the output to 40 per cent, shows the unsatis- factory character of the situation. Coal Market in Upper Silesia.—The volume of traffic has not appreciably increased, and is not at all satisfactory. Coals for industrial purposes go off slowly, owing to the general depression, the iron industry and those depending on the building trade being specially affected. Up to the present too, the demand for house coal has not increased to the desired extent; so the output cannot be marketed anything like completely, and stocks are therefore increasing again. The export trade is also impeded in various ways, for though the requirements of Russian Poland are heavy, there is difficulty in getting consignments through promptly. In the other outlying markets, business is only secured by reducing prices; and in the capital, the authori- ties are taking English coals to a larger extent than before. The coke market is unchanged, but although the whole out- put cannot be disposed of, especially in the smaller kinds, business on the whole cannot be considered altogether bad. Employment in German Mines during 1913.—Official statistics have now appeared with regard to wages and the conditions of employment in Germany during 1913. The following table shows the number of workmen employed in the different districts and the average amount of wages :— Net wages-* Number of (------------K-----------> workmen. Per worker Per worker ______________ per shift. per year. 1912. 1913. 1912. 1913. 1912. 193. PrussiaM. M. M. M. Upper Silesia ... 117.585...121,617... 3 50... 3 63...1,085 1.1^4 Lower Silesia ... 27,923 27,864... 3’2°... 3’43 1,043...1.098 Dortmund .. 350,359 . 382,951 .. 5’03. . 5-36... 1,629 .1,755 ..... Sarre (State Mines) .... 48,918... 49,696... 4'22... 4’45..1,286..1,381 Jjeir Oct UK rvDin© ) ( .) ( o’bO) * (.1, /51 Do. (lignite) 9,547... 10,486... 4T0... 4’24 1,275..1,’ 28 Halle (lignite)... 40,624... 41,678... 3-68... 3 77..1,151..1,175 Bavaria ....... 8,292... 8,583... 4’08... 4*20..1,232. .1,301 Saxe - Altenburg (lignite) ..... 4,059... 4,292... 3 83... 3’95 . 1,127... 1,189 Alsace-Lorraine 15,053... 16,333... 4’33... 4’42... 1,306... 1,325 * After deducting cost of tools, lighting, explosives, and contributions to relief and pension funds. The next table shows the average wages for shift of different classes of workpeople in the principal coal mining districts in 1913 :— Other under- Surfa e- Youths District. Hewers. ground men. workmen. unoer 16). Women Mk. Mk. Mk. Mk. Mk. Upper Silesia ... 4-85 ... 3-5” ... 3T9 ... I’z7 ... 1’29 Lower Silesia ... 3-84 ... 3’41 ... 3’09 ... 1’35 ... 1’70 Dortmund 6’47 ... 4’54 ... 4’34 ... 1’46 Sarre 5T8 ... 4’10 ... 3’84 ... 1’41 Aachen Left bank of 5’62 ... 4’33 ... 407 ... 1’64 ... — Rhine 6’33 ... 5’21 ... 4’37 ... 1’59 Alsace-Lorraine 5’27 ... 3’93 ... 3’97 ... 1’49 — In Upper Silesia the hewers constitute 31’9 per cent, of the total number employed, as against 50’7 per cent, in the Dortmund district, 47’9 per cent, in the Sarre, 62’3 per cent, in the Left-Rhine district, and 47’9 per cent, in Alsace- Lorraine. The boys form 5’4 per cent, of the total in Upper Silesia, 3’7 per cent, in the Dortmund district, 4’4 per cent, in the Sarre and 6’2 per cent, in Alsace- Lorraine; 4’5 per cent, of those employed in Upper Silesia are females, and 1’2 per cent, of those in Lower Silesia. Some figures published by the Bochum Knapp- schafts-v erein, or general relief and pension fund may supple- ment the above figures. Of the total number of members, 409,271 (5,543 in 1913) received an average of under 1’40 ink. per shift; 7,725 from 1’41 to 1'80 mk.; 2,477 from 1'81 to 2’20 mk.; 1,424 from 2'21 to 2’60 mk.; 2,119 from 2’61 to 3 mk.; 3,584 from 3’01 to 3’40 mk. ; 5,584 from 3'41 to 3'80 mk.; 10,625 from 3'81 to 4'20 mk.; 17,269 from 4'21 to 4’60 mk.; 20,428 from 4'61 to 5 mk.; and 332,493 from 5’01 mk. upwards. The following shows the social charges imposed upon the mines and workmen, during 1913, per ton raised :—Sick- ness fund, each 0’11 mk. ; relief fund, each 0'16 mk. ; assur- ance, 0’05 mk. (mines only); supplementary cost to mines for payments to miners incapacitated as the result of accidents, 0'05 mk.; ditto in respect of accidents, 0'16 mk. Total cost to mines, 0’48 mk.; ditto to miners, 0’32 mk.— total, 0’80 mk. In 1912 the total was 0’75 mk.—0'44 mk. being the charge to the mines, and 0'31 mk. that to the workmen. Traffic on the Dortmund :Ems Canal.—The approaching opening of the canal from Herne to the Rhine gives added interest to the returns just published, relating to traffic on the Dortmund Ems Canal. The principal commodities con- veyed are in one direction, iron ore, of which 1,499,602 tons were carried in 1913; and, in the other, coal, the total in 1913 amounting to 1,636,144 tons. This, the after trade, has been fostered by the establishment of a briquette factory at Emden, and the increased utilisation of that port by the Syndicate pits for export. Notwithstanding the develop- ment of traffic, the financial position of the canal leaves much to be desired, and in no year have the receipts balanced the expenditure. In 1913 the revenue amounted to 696,158 mk., and the expenses to 1,158,850 mk. The capital is about 80 million marks. State Mining in Westphalia.—Last year the State pro- duced 4’13 per cent, of the output of coal from the entire Rhenish-Westphalian basin, as compared with 3'45 per cent, in 1912. The total production amounted to 4,728,258 tons, to which the following collieries contributed :—Ibbenburen, 286,923 tons; Gladbeck, 1,830,916 tons; Bergmanns-Gliick, 1,888,355 tons; Waltrop, 153,199 tons; Zwecken and Scholven, 568,865 tons. In addition 1,478,227 tons of coke were made, contrasted with 930,711 tons in 1912; 45,257 tons of tar, as against 28,858 tons; and 20,638 tons of sulphate of ammonia, as against 13,065 tons. The fiscal mines also produced 30 tons of pitch, 401 tons of crude naphthaline, 6,498 tons of 90 degs. benzol, 421 tons of pure toluol, 904 tons of pure solvent naphtha, and 57,900,000 kw. hours of electric energy, and 57,000,000 bricks. Miners' Wages in Prussia during the First Quarter of 1914.—Average net earnings of the various classes of workers per shift :—Upper Silesia : hewers (31'6 per cent of the total staff), 4'87 mk.; other underground and opencast workers (34'5 per cent.), 3'52 mk.; adult surface workers (25T per cent.), 3'22 mk.; youths under 16 (4’8 per cent.), 1'28 mk.; female workers (4 per cent.), 1’30 mk. Lower Silesia : hewers (42’3 per cent.), 3'92 mk.; other underground and opencast workers (27 per cent.), 3’47 mk.; surface workers (26’5 per cent.), 3’16 mk.; youths (3 per cent.), 1’36 mk.; females (1'2 per cent.), 1’72 mk. Dortmund district : Hewers (50’9 per cent.), 6’25 mk.; other underground and opencast workers (26’2 per cent.), 4’51 mk.; surface workers (19’5 per cent.), 4’34 mk.; youths (3’4 per cent.), 1’48 mk. Saarbriicken State collieries : Hewers (48 per cent.), 5T4 mk.; other underground and opencast workers (27'7 per cent.), 4’11 mk.; surface workers (19’8 per cent.), 3’85 mk. ; youths (4’5 per cent.), 1’41 mk. Aachen district : Hewers (56 per cent.), 5’57 mk.; other underground and opencast workers (18’1 per cent.), 4’37 mk.; surface workers (22’5 per cent.), 4’10 mk.; youths (3’4 per cent.), 1’64 mk. Rhine Left Bank district: Hewers (64’8 per cent.), 6T6 mk.; other underground and opencast workers (10'9 per cent.), 5’10 mk.; surface workers (21’2 per cent.), 4'38 mk.; youths (3'1 per cent.), 1’62 mk. Official Fuel Prices, Dusseldorf Exchange.—Gas and open- burning coal, through and through, 11’50-12’50 mk. per ton, ex pit; bituminous coals, through and through, 11’25-12 mk.; best mixed, 12’50-13 mk.; coking coal, 12 25-13 mk.; lean coals, through and through, 10’50-12 mk.: improved mixed, 12’75-14’25 mk.; anthracite nuts, II., 21'50-25’50 mk. Coke : Foundry coke, 17’50-19’50 mk.; blast furnace coke, 15-17 mk. ; broken coke, I. and II., 19-22 mk. Briquettes, 11 14’25 mk. Russia. The Department of Ways and Communications has decided to institute a Commission to study the question of the employment of peat in locomotives and works boilers in various forms. A report has been received of the discovery of important deposits of excellent coal in Siberia, in the valley of the Tchika River, not far distant from the Transb a ikalian line. The Government, with the object of utilising the coal in Eastern Siberia, has decided not to open the deposits to private enterprise. The Imperial Council has adopted a law authorising the free importation of coal for needs of the State and private railways for one year from the 17th inst. ______________________________ Society of Chemical Industry.—The thirty-third annual meeting opened at Nottingham last week, under the presidency of Dr. ’Rudolph Messel, F.R.S. Dr. Rudolph Messel read the presidential address, which had been prepared by Sir William Crookes, which dealt with the great strides made by technical chemistry, and referred in particular to the work of Dr. Walter Feld in preparing ammonium sulphate direct from crude coal gas. In spite of recent advances, however, he said the world was greatly in need of able researchers, perhaps more so now than at any previous time in its history. Scientific men had to deplore the fact that there appeared to be a lack of men gifted with the genius for research and for grappling with the riddles of the earth. Scientific research had been and was being starved. It was high time that measures should be taken to remedy this state of affairs, which otherwise could only end disastrously for the nation. He knew they would be in hearty and enthusiastic agreement with him when he said that the allotment of public moneys to the furtherance of scientific work, the tangible recognition of the services of scientific men, the provision of opportunities for all kinds of investigations of scientific problems without reference to their immediate commercial value were the benefits to be looked for at the hands of Government and of the nation. The society’s medal was awarded to Sir Henry Roscoe, the first president, for his services to science, education, and society.