626

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

September 18, 1914

wise restricted; (6) that the cargo is carried on a Belgian
steamer which is insured for the voyage in question under
the Belgian Government’s war risks insurance scheme,
and (c) that the voyage is not one which is prohibited by
the British Admiralty or by the Belgian Government. The
War Risks Assurance Committee are prepared in certain
circumstances to consider applications for the issue of open
policies. The brokerage to be deducted should be calculated
at the rate of one shilling per guinea of premium. No
discount is allowed. Payment of admitted claims will be
made promply by cheque on the Bank of England.

The Board of Trade has issued an announcement stating
that his Majesty’s Government have agreed with the
railway companies that, subject to the under-mentioned
condition, the compensation to be paid them shall be the
sum by which the aggregate net receipts of their railways
for the period during which the Government are in posses-
sion of them fall short of the aggregate net receipts for the
corresponding period of 1913. If, however, the net receipts
of the companies for the first half of 1914 were less than
the net receipts for the first half of 1913, the sum payable
is to be reduced in the same proportion. This sum,
together with the net receipts of the railway companies
taken over, is to be distributed amongst those companies in
proportion to the net receipts of each company during the
period with which comparison is made.

We are informed that the business of Mr. Richard
Jacobson will henceforth be carried on under the style of
Richard Jacobson Limited, at 70, Shoe-lane, Holborn, E.C.
We are also asked to state that the new firm is an English
company under English management and control. All the
employees of the company are English, all the shares issued
are held by English-born subjects with the exception of one,
which is held by a Norwegian subject, who is a director of
the company. All the specialities, including those marketed
by Mr. Richard Jacobson, will be manufactured in England
with British materials and British labour.

United Water Softeners Limited, of Imperial House,
Kingsway, London, W.C., request us to state that the
company have no connection in any shape or form with
Germany, German subjects or German products, and no
interest or control, either financial or managerial, is held in
this company by Germans. The directors are:—Messrs.
Arthur O. Burton, London (British) ; L. A. Neel, London
(British); S. Henry Menzies, London (British) ; V. Hjort,
London (Danish); and J. J. Lassen, London (Danish,
naturalised in Great Britain). The water softening and
purification plants, in which the company exclusively deal,
are all manufactured in Great Britain by British workmen,
and the technical and clerical staffs are entirely British.
All rights in the Permutit patents are under the sole and
exclusive control of the above British company.

INDIAN AND COLONIAL NOTES.

Australia.

Our Sydney correspondent says :—On receipt of the news
of the outbreak of hostilities between Russia and Germany,
the Commonwealth authorities decided that it was necessary
to take precautionary measures, as provided in the scheme
of defence previously arranged, on the advice and with the
concurrence of the Imperial authorities. At Newcastle on
August 2, three German steamers—the “ Luneburg,”
“ Linden,” and “ Ulm ”—left the port hurriedly. The
“ Luneburg ” left a few minutes after midnight, she cleared
at the Custom House for Java, and took no coal whatever.
The “ Ulm ” left with only 2,700 tons of coal, instead of
6,000 tons as provided in the contract. On August 3 the
N.D.L. steamer “ Westfalen,” which cleared the Customs
on the 1st with 1,650 tons of coal cargo and 2,000 tons for
bunkers, left at noon in a half-loaded state. The strike over
the afternoon shift question in the Maitland district still con-
tinues. On July 29 strike pay at the rate of £2 per man
and 3s. each child was given out, making £4 in nine weeks.

Trade in the East.—Our correspondent says : A well-
known shipping merchant of Sydney, recently returned from
a trip through Java, the Straits Settlements, Manila, China,
Japan, Burmah, and India, states that Java is a big buyer
of Australian coal, and would become a much better cus-
tomer if the industrial condition of affairs at Newcastle were
more reliable. As regards the Straits Settlements, Aus-
tralia had not any chance against Japanese and Indian
coal. In Japan time charter fixtures had been arranged at
very low figures, particularly for trip from Japan to Puget
Sound and back again. Capt. Steel, of the mission steamer
“ John Williams,” arrived in Sydney on July 29 from a
cruise in the Pacific Islands. He reports that a shortage of
coal exists amongst several steamers at Ocean Island. When
he arrived at the island eight steamers were waiting to load
phosphates. The captains of several of the vessels informed
him that the coal supplies were getting very low, and unless
they got a chance to load shortly they would have barely
enough to carry them to the nearest coaling station. There
is no safe anchorage at Ocean Island, and the waiting
vessels have to cruise about the vicinity until their turn
comes to load. Practically no coal was available on the
island.

Proposed State Coal Mine for New South Wales.—Mr. J.
Cann, the New South Wales Minister for Mines, who visited
Lithgow during July in connection with the proposed open-
ing of a State coal mine in the Western district, stated that
he had decided to recommend his colleagues to open such a
mine at Lithgow. The offer of a mine a few miles out of
Lithgow has been discarded, and the site now selected is in
what is known as Mort’s Gully. Mr. Cann states that there
are two 40 acre blocks situated in Mort’s Gully, opposite
Messrs. Hoskins’s coke ovens, and adjoining the Zig-Zag
Colliery, in which the coal is reserved to the Crown. Then
there is a 195 acre narrow strip, which forms the connection
with 40,000 acres of Crown land to the north. These three
blocks, and the right of easement to two of them with the
Government railway, would make the whole of the 40,000
acres available, and there is no reason to believe that the
depth of coal from the surface exceeds 200 ft. or 250 ft. They
have put down two bores on the 40,000 acres, making really
three bores, including the bore on the extreme edge of tho
Oakey Park Company’s property. It was not expected that
they would be able to supply the whole of the railway
requirements for some time, but there is a certain amount
of coal required by the Government that may be brought
successfully from the site. The Minister idea is that more
than one mine is needed; really three are required. The
contract will provide for about 1,600 tons of coal per day.
The mines officers are just now looking for two or three likely

sites on the north, but the Minister was not in a position to
say which they, were until the properties had been tested.
They were also investigating sites on the south coast. They
wanted quite 1,900 tons a day to supply present contracts
in the south. He had also reserved the coal in the National
Park, near Sydney. There is nothing to prevent the
Government having a good colliery there, capable of putting
out 2,000 tons a day, but there will be % good deal of sink-
ing to be done, possibly 1,800 ft. Most of the mines placed
under offer to the Government have had some fatal difficulty
—either a fault running through them, or they would require
new equipment, which would cost as much as a new colliery;
or else the owners want an excessive amount of money for
them. No mine offered to the Government, worthy o£ con-
sideration, was less than £200,000. The Minister thinks
that the Government could establish the colliery on the site
in the west, develop it, and equal the output of the best
collieries in the district, for about £70,000.

Municipal Power Station for Sydney.—The Municipal
Council of Sydney has under consideration the establish-
ment of an electric generating station on a large scale on
one of the coalfields of New South Wales, the object being
to obtain a cheap supply of fuel. The Council has now
invited propositions for the supply of coal to either the
proposed generating station on a coalfield, or for the supply
of coal to both the generating station on the coalfield and
the existing generating station in Sydney. Propositions
may take the form of :—(1) The acquiring, developing, and
working by the Council itself of a coal property. (2) The
acquiring by the Council of a coal property and the working
of it by a contract or on terms to be arranged, which would
include the supply of small coal to the Council. (3) The
acquiring by the Council of the right to raise coal from a
property, paying a rate per ton for the coal raised. (4) The
supply by a colliery at present working to the Council under
a contract, covering not less than 20 years, of the coal
required by the Conned at the generating station on the coal-
fields only or at both generating stations. (5) The same as
No. 4, but by a number of collieries in combination. The
generating station would require to have for a site a spot
on the edge of a large body of water, and this site must
not be more than 120 miles measured in a straight line,
overland, from Sydney. The site of the generating station
must immediately adjoin the shaft or shafts from which the
coal supply is to come. “ Small ” coal only would be
used in the proposed new’ generating station. The quantity
of coal which would be used in the current year would be
about 65,000 tons, and it is estimated the quantity of coal
used annually will increase at the rate of about 10,000 tons
per annum for at least 10 years.

Canada.

Cause of Hillcrest Explosion.—The finding of the jury in
the Hillcrest Mine explosion, which occurred on June 19,
1914, in Alberta, Canada, and caused the death of 189 men,
was that the disaster wis caused by an explosion of gas and
coal dust. The inqueS; lasted from June 20 to July 21.
The jury added that they did not think the regulations of
the Coal Mines Act have been strictly adhered to, and
recommended that the Government enforce an inspection at
intervals of not less than once a month for matches and pipes
of all men employed in the mine. The jury further recom-
mended that each company keep on hand as near the mine
mouth as possible safety apparatus for use in case of acci-
dent.

The Pit Timber Supply Question.—The Board of Agricul-
ture’s forestry advisory officers for the northern district have
received numerous enquiries from woodland owners, colliery
proprietors, and timber merchants. There appears to be no
necessity for alarm or panic on the part of colliery pro-
prietors or timber merchants as to any real scarcity, and
there should be no difficulty in meeting this unexpected
demand for pit timber by providing suitable supplies from
home sources. On the other hand, there is a very great
danger of many young coniferous woods being seriously
damaged by injudicious treatment in the way of extraordi-
nary thinnings, under the mistaken idea that it is necessary
in the present circumstances. After consultation with many
of the leading practical foresters in the northern district, the
following notes have been prepared to assist those immedi-
ately concerned. There is a good demand for all classes of
timber used at collieries, but the sorts most affected by the
temporary stoppage from the Baltic are pit props in the
round (3 in. diameter and upwards), small pit sleepers, and
“ crown ” trees. Crown trees vary in length, and are sawn
into sections about 5 in. by 2| in. They can best be pro-
cured, and are most economically cut from comparatively
small trees (say, those having a quarter girth of about 5 in.
to 8 in. at breast height). They can also be sawn from the
smaller and top cuts of large trees, the butts of which can be
used for other purposes, such as pit baulks of 8 in. by 5 in.
section, or railway sleepers. For providing round props,
thinnings from coniferous woods of 25 to 50 years’ growth
are most suitable. Smaller logs for cutting into “ crown ”
trees and pit sleepers can also be obtained from the same
source. As a result of excessive thinning, serious damage
may be caused by gales. Again, by the cutting out of the
best stems, simply because they happen to be of suitable
size, the value of the final crop may be greatly reduced.
Thinnings may also be of such a character as to cause imme-
diate. loss by leaving the land too thinly stocked, with a
consequent falling off in annual increment. Moderate thin-
ning is therefore strongly recommended to woodland owners.
Where no skilled forester is employed, the safe rule for the
owner to adopt is to under-thin rather than over-thin. Rather
than damage young woods by over-thinning, it may very
often be preferable to clear-fell portions of unthrifty or very
thinly stocked coniferous woods nearing maturity. The
Board of Agriculture’s Advisers in Forestry for the Northern
District offer to help landowners as far as possible in con-
nection with the above. Letters of application for advice
should be addressed to Mr. J. F. Annand, Adviser in
Forestry for the Northern District, Armstrong College, New-
castle.

LABOUR AND WAGES.

South Wales and Monmouthshire.

The sub-committee of the Conciliation Board which was
appointed to deal with the long-standing grievances of the
banksmen, met again on Friday last week, and made con-
siderable advance with the duty assigned them, this having
become more extensive since the outbreak of the war,
because the workmen’s representatives wished to have the
question of the extra hour also dealt with. It was decided,
however, to restrict the negotiations to the matters originally
assigned, and therefore the demand that banksmen should
have additional pay for the extra hour at Admiralty pits
(worked under the permissive provision of the Eight Hours
Act) will have to come before the full meeting of the Con-
ciliation Board.

Settlement was reached by the sub-committee in three
cases, the procedure being to take each separately. Mr.
Evan Williams presided over the owners’ representatives,
and Mr. George Barker over the workmen’s. Agreement
was signed in respect of hours, duties, and rates of pay at
Locket’s Methyr (Mardy), Naval Colliery, and Celynen; and
recommendation was made that the terms should come into
operation at once. It is stated that these are such as will
give satisfaction to the men, there being an advance in the
wage rate originally offered.

Speaking on Friday at the meeting of shareholders in the
Windsor Steam Coal Company, Mr. North Lewis stated that
the company at the present time was suffering from a
shortage of men, -between 500 and 600 having joined the
Forces during the last few weeks.

The Rhymney Valley miners’ agent, addressing a meeting
of delegates who represented over 10,000 miners, stated that
the Federationists had been called upon to assist in
enquiries of hundreds of cases where their comrades had
joined the Colours and gone to the front. He proceeded to
make a very strong appeal for increase of the allowance to
soldiers’ wives and dependants. Separation allowance of
7s. 7d. per week for the wife of a soldier, with Is. 2d. per
w’eek for the child, was net enough, he said. There ought
to be a minimum payment of £1 per week for the widows of
men who sacrifice their lives, and where a man was per-
manently disabled he should receive a minimum compensa-
tion of the same amount.

North of England.

Owing to an abnormal demand for coal at Russian ports,
the North of England Shipowners’ Association, local
Chambers of Commerce, and the North-Eastern Railway
Company have been pressing the men at north-east coast ports
to extend their working hours on Saturdays. On Monday
the men agreed to work until eight o’clock on Saturday
nights to deal with coal for Russia only. The decision is
likely to apply to all north-east coast ports.

Scotland.

A meeting of the executive committee of the Scottish
Miners’ Federation was held on the 9th inst. in Glasgow.
Mr. Robert Smillie presided. Reports received from the
districts regarding employment were very favourable, arid
with the exception of Fife and a few small collieries in Mid
and East Lothian, the conditions were good. It was hoped
that an average of four days a week might be secured
shortly in Fife. It was stated that a large number of the
members of the federation had joined the Army, and this
would tend to improve the working conditions of the miners
left at home. The men throughout the entire Scottish
mining districts were paying generously to the Prince of
Wales’s Relief Fund. In Lanarkshire the miners had
agreed to a deduction of 3d. per w’eek in their wages, which
would be the means of raising £2,500 per month, while the
first contribution made last week, when the men contributed
6d. each, reached a total of £1,250.

Iron, Steel, and Engineering Trades.

Sheriff Mackenzie, arbiter in the dispute between a section
of the workers at the Steel Company of Scotland’s works,
Cambuslang, has heard parties at Newton. The strike
lasted 13 weeks, and ultimately both sides agreed to arbi-
trate. The men were represented by Mr. Gavin Smith,
Clydebridge Steel Works; Mr. Wliliam Mulholland, of
Messrs. D. Colville and Sons, Motherwell; and Mr. Thomas
Hamilton, of the Lanarkshire Steel Works. The company
were represented by Mr. Matthew L. Simpson, general
manager, and others from the Steel and Ingot Makers’
Association.

The monthly report of the Amalgamated Society of Engi-
neers states as the result of the war, the number of unem-
ployed members was 9,133 at the end of August, or an
increase of 3.926 over the previous month. An appeal is
made to employers to share the work as far as possible,
and reduce overtime to a minimum.

Messrs. The Klein Engineering Company (1908) Limited,
of 94, Market-street, Manchester, make the following state-
ment “ This company was formed in 1908. and took over
the entire assets from the old companv, of which at the time
all the shareholders were British. The present company is
entirely British is every respect, capital, directors, share-
holders, staff, and workmen, and. has no connection whatever
with any foreign country. Everyone connected with it in
any way is British born. We do not work any foreign
patents, and all our manufactures—water coolers, baro-
metric and other condensing plants, air and vacuum pumps,
centrifugal pumps, etc—are made throughout in England.
Our directors are also the directors of Entwisle and Gass
Limited, Atlas Foundry, Bolton.”

Patents and Designs.—By virtue of the provisions of the
Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks (Temporary) Rules
Act, 1914, the Board of Trade have made the following
Rule :—“ In any case in which the Board of Trade make an
Order by virtue of the powers vested in them under the pro-
visions of the Patents. Designs, and Trade Marks (Tem-
porary) Rules Acts, 1914, and under any Rules made under
these Acts or either of them, avoiding or suspending in
whole or in part a patent, or avoiding or suspending the
registration and all or any rights conferred bv the registra-
tion of any design, the Board may in their discretion grant
in favour of persons other than the subject of any State at
war with his Majesty, licences to make, use, exercise, or
vend the patented invention or registered design so avoided
or suspended upon such terms and conditions, and either for
the whole term of the patent or registration of the design,
nr for such less period as the Board of Trade may think fit.”