882 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. Octobek 23, 1914. presenting an obstacle to the carrying out of a planned increase of the production. Several blast furnaces have also been blown out in order to carry out necessary rebuilding work and alterations. Similar cases have been reported with regard to certain Martin and robing mills. The investigation of the amount of unemploy- ment has been of special interest. From this it appears that the works under report employ under normal conditions, 23,565 hands, but, after the reduction of working activities, it has been impossible to give employment to 750 workmen. Besides the ironworks, the iron mines in Central Sweden have also been the subject of investigation; from this it is seen that a deficiency in the water supply has also caused reduction of work at several centres—in some instances to a very great extent. The war has not so far caused any further reduction of the working at the mines in cases where the iron is intended for home consumption, the work proceeding as usual, although stocks of ore are thereby accumulated. At some mining fields owned by foreign companie s, where the iron is intended for export, it has been necessary to reduce the working; no extraoidinary unemployment has, however, resulted thereby. We give below a specification of the total export of iron and steel from Sweden during the period January- July, 1914, as compared with the same period in 1913. Pig iron Jan. 1 to July 31. Increase or decrease 1914. .. - 8, ’00 ^1914. 89,000 .. 1913? . 97,400 , Ferro-silicon and ferro- manganese 6,700 .. 5,600 . .. + 1,100 Spiegel iron, puddled iron, &c 2,000 ... 4,000 .. . - 2,000 Scrap 3,200 ... 5,500 .. . - 2,300 Ingots 7,< 00 ... 7,300 .. . - 300 Blooms 13,400 ... 18,800 .. . - 5,400 Billets 12,100 ... 17,600 .. . - 5,500 Bar iron 62,300 ... 72,100 .. . - 9,800 Bar ends 2,700 ... 4,000 .. . - 1,300 Wire rods 19,400 .. 22,000 .. - 2,600 Iron plates 900 .. 1,400 .. . - 500 Tubes 9,900 ... 9,300 .. . + 600 Wire drawn or cold drawn 800 800 .. — Nails 3,600 ... 3,500 .. ' + 100 Tons ........ 233,000 ... 269,300 ... - 36,300 The following is a report from Jarnverksfbreningen, Stockholm showing the exports of iron ore 1913. 1914. Increase. Tons. Tons. Tons. January 1 to June 30... 2,498,000 ... 2,528,000 ... 30,000 January Ito July 31... 3,284,000 ... 3,392,000 ... 108,000 APPLICATIONS TO AVOID OR SUSPEND PATENTS. An application has been made by Mr. E. Mills, of 9, Harper-street, The Manor, Willenhall, Staffordshire, to avoid or suspend two patents granted in 1912 and 1913 to W. Hinselmann, of Duisburg, and the firm Gebriider Hinsel- mann, of Essen-Ruhr, respectively. An abridged descrip- tion of these specifications, which relate to underground conveyors, is given below :— Improvements in Conveyors of the Jigging Type (No. 362/12).—This invention primarily consists in effecting the transverse strengthening of the conveyor trough by means of reinforcing plates, which are fitted to the under surface of the trough, and closely conform to the shape of the trough, where the latter is supported by the wheels or rollers, the lateral portions of the said reinforcing plates resting on the rollers, affording roller paths, slightly exceeding in length the normal travel of the rollers. These flat plates do not materially increase the height of the structure, and enable the trough sections to be made of thinner sheet metal than could other- wise be used. Moreover, the wear due to contact with the rollers falls upon the reinforcing plates, which can be renewed more easily and inexpensively than the trough sections. The reinforcing plates form as it were dishes, on which the ends of the sections rest, and the distance between them can easily be varied according to requirements. By Jo] (6E. t -I providing these reinforcing plates with hangers or members having slots, in which the roller axles can move freely during the normal working of the conveyor, a convenient loose connection of the rollers to the trough is made. Con- nection of the trough sections to each other may be made by providing two consecutive sections with abutments, which abut against the edges of the reinforcing plate, on which the ends of the sections lie, and then connecting the sections to each other by means of bolts or tie rods, so that the said abutments are held against the reinforcing plate. The abutments may be cross bars fixed to the under surfaces of the sections, and having lugs or flanges engaging under the reinforcing plate. The latter can be used to provide a guard for the rollers, by lengthening the plate at the sides of the conveyor, so that it projects over, or overhangs, the rollers. One form of construction, embodying all the improvements referred to, is illustrated in the accompanying drawing. Improvements in Jig Conveyors (No. 25719/13). — This invention consists in arranging the rolling surfaces, of the roller or supporting body, which, are eccentric to each other at opposite sides of a plane intersecting their axes, so that there is no mutual interference, the said rolling surfaces working on runways, on the conveyor and ground respec- tively, which are not directly opposite each other. As the rollers are always used in pairs, and for practical reasons the pair is connected by a common axle to form an integral whole, this disposition of the supporting pressures in two different planes avoids the tipping moment which would otherwise obtain. The swinging movement of the rolling body may exceed 90degs., without the upper and lower rolling surfaces interfering with one another. In the draw- ing one form of construction, according to the invention, is shown in longitudinal section. Fixed to the jig conveyor a, which has the now usual shape, are the rolling tracks or runways b, which are in the form of inclined planes or ascending curves. The tracks b rest on rollers c, which are connected by an axle d. To these inner rollers c are con- nected outer rollers e, which are eccentric to the former, and run on runways /, supported by the track frame g. The tracks may be of any desired configuration. As the conveyor moves it is not only lifted by reason of the rise of the run- ways b and /, but the eccentric rollers are at the same time rotated, and there is no limit to the full utilisation of the eccentricity. The arrangement of the rollers c of smaller radius inside, and of the rollers e of larger radius outside, enables the runways b to be fixed to the bottom of the con- veyor, instead of to the side flanges, as hitherto usual. The rollers e can move freely in the spaces under the side flanges of the conveyor, without causing any disturbance. The flange-like upward projection of the track frame g provides guidance for the rollers. The arrangement also has the advantage that the disposition does not require any par- ticular care, since the rolling bodies automatically return to the correct end position. COAL SHIPPED FROM PORTS IN ENGLAND, SCOTLAND AND WALES During the Month of September 1914 Compared with the Corresponding Month of 1913. Both in cargo and bunker shipments there were increases during September when compared with the previous month ; the following figures have been taken from the monthly tables issued by the Commissioners of H.M. Customs and Excise:— Carg x Bristol Channel ports— Sept. 1913. Tons. Sept. 1914. Tons. Bristol 42 — • ardiff 1,675,361 898,098 Gloucester ' 4,247 — Llanelly 19,060 6,576 Newport 352,799 ... 270,994 Port Talbot 166,051 69,292 Swansea 292,778 . ... 143,838 Total 2,510,338 ... 1,388,798 North-western ports— Liverpool 33,950 36,017 Manchester 13,189 25,917 Preston — 1,171 Runcorn 354 — Total 47,493 63,105 North eastern ports— Amble 44, 90 36,322 Berwick-on-Tweed 264 — Blyth 330,851 7. 158,597 Hartlepool 117,778 ... 111,058 Middlesbrough 1,546 1,980 Newcastle and North and South Shields 1,168,887 ... 710,477 Sunderland 227,899 ... 145,459 Seaham 79,048 89,468 Total 1,970,763 ... 1,253,361 Humber ports— Go ole 117,252 48,799 Grimsby 106,434 85,372 Immingham 1-2,581 ... 121,690 Hull 313,173 ... 214,292 Total 689,440 ... 470,153 Other ports on east coast— Boston 23,064 5,681 King’s Lynn 12,835 8,311 London 527 — Total 36,426 13,992 Other English ports— Southampton 90 5 Total 90 5 Ports on the east coast of Scotland— Alloa 12,812 .. 3,620 Borrowstoness 50,686 .. 37,861 Burntisland ... 172,390 .. . 126,456 Grangemouth 129,754 .. 66,565 Gianton 14,261 .. 6,177 Kirkcaldy 13,746 .. 8,335 Leith 139,366 . 103,180 Methil 229,493 .. . 133,050 Total 762,508 .. .. ’ 485,244 Ports on the west coast of Scotland Ardrossan 5,290 . 2,126 Ayr 7,012 14,704 Glasgow 157,382 157,<>76 Irvine ' — 508 Trot n 10,438 ' 9,819 Total 180,122 . 181,233 Irish ports— Belfast — 297 Total — 297 Grand total 6,197,180 . .. 3,859,188 Bunker. Sept. 1913. Sept. 1914. Tons. Tons. Bristol Channel ports 421,487 . ... 322,337 North-western ports 347,100 . ... 325,856 North-eastern ports 296,192 . ... 202,420 Humber ports 270,629 ... 169,008 Other east coast ports 129,586 ... 113,945 Other English pores 90,094 . 25,344 Ports on east coast of Scotia ndv.. 150,628 . 75,289 Ports on west coast of Scotland .. 117,016 . 97,916 Irish ports 2,325 . ’ 820 Grand total............. 1,825,057 ... 1,332,935 THE WAGES OF COAL MINERS IN 1913. In the annual report on changes in rates of wages and hours of labour in the United Kingdom in 1913, it is stated that the year was one in which there was an active demand for labour, especially in the first half, and wages rose in sympathy. The movement of wages has been in an upward direction since 1910, and reached its culminating point in the first half of 1913. After the month of August, however, there began to be a falling off in those branches of the metal trades in which changes in wages are automatically regulated by fluctuations in the selling prices of pig iron and manufactured iron and steel; while the increases in the coal mining industry were checked. In spite of the set-back in the iron and steel trades, the net effect of all the changes of the year was to increase wages by £179,000 a week, an amount which has only been exceeded, during the last 20 years, in 1900 (£208,500) and 1907 (£201,000), both years of very good employ- ment. From the time the several changes in 1913 took effect until the end of the year, the aggregate wages- bill was increased by over £6,000,000 ; if they had all been in force for a complete year, the total increase would have been £9,000,000. Of the increase of £179,000 per week in 1913, coal mining accounted for £102,000, the building trades for £23,000, and engineering and shipbuilding for £13,500. In 11 of the last 20 years wages have risen, and in nine they have fallen. The average increase in years of rising wages has been about £97,000 a year, and the average decrease in years of falling wages about £48,000, with the result that wages show a net increase of over £630,000 during 20 years in the weekly wages of all classes of workpeople, except agricultural labourers, seamen, and railwaymen, covered by these statistics. The net result of the changes in all trades over the whole period of 20 years is to reduce to some extent the preponderating effect which the changes in the fluctuating group of industries have in any particular year, and thus to bring into greater prominence the changes in the non-flactuating group—the building, textile, &c., trades. Coal mining in particular, though it accounts for 59 2 per cent, of the gross increases in all trades, accounts also for no less than 82 7 per cent, of the total decreases ; with the result that the proportion of the aggregate net advance due to this trade becomes reduced to 41 0 per cent. In some years, such as 1894 and 1895, a downward movement in the coal mining industry has even been sufficient to counteract a general rising movement in other industries, so that these yeais have had to be recorded as “ years of falling wages,” although there was, in fact, a rise in wages in the great majority of trades. Complete figures with regard to the fii st eight months of 1914 are not yet available, but so far as they go they indicate that in coal and iron mining and the iron and steel industries, the decline already noticed in the later months of 1913 has continued. In the principal other groups of industries, however, there have been further advances. The total number of workpeople affected by changes in the coal mining industry was 978,724, all of whom received net increases, amounting in the aggregate to £102,175 per week. All the principal coalfields shared in this increase, but the amounts showed considerable variation, as will be seen from the following table :— Percentage Percentage increase on of wages District. standard above wages standard at in 1913. end of 1913. Northumberland Df 52.) Durham .. 131- 60 Cumberland 10 65 Federated districts* 10 65 South Staffordshire and East Worcestershire (parts of) ... 10 65 Forest of Dean 5 40f Bristol 10 . 55 A 60+ Somersetshire (Radstock dist.) 10 55 South Wales and Monmouth- shire 2 k 60 Scotland 18| 87| * Comprising Yorkshire, Lane .shire, Che .-hire, Notting- hamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, v\ arwickshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire (parts of) and Norih Wales. t At certain collieries the percentage above standard was 5 per cent. more. XTlie lower percentage was on the Gloucestershire side of the district, the higher on the Somersetshire side. It should be explained that the general percentage changes are calculated by percentage additions to. or deductions from, the standard rate of wages prevailing in each of the districts at a particular date, which varies in each coalfield. It is 1888 in the Federated districts and in Scotland, November 1879 in Northumberland and Durham, and December 1879 in South Wales and Monmouthshire. In most of the districts all the changes in the year were increases, but in Scotland there was a decrease of 61 per cent, in October, counterbalanced by an increase of the same amount in December; while in the Bristol and Somersetshire districts there was the usual seasonal reduction of 2A per cent, in April, which was restored in October. All the increases, however, with the exception of those just mentioned for Scotland, and for Bristol