936

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

October 30, 1914.

defects in roof, sides, etc. George McFarlane, Great Clif-
ton, under-manager, -was similarly summoned. Lancelot
Holstock Fletcher, Ellerleigh, Brigham, was summoned for
being a person acting as agent to the owners of William
Pit, Great Clifton, and causing to be used earth conductors
to certain cables carrying electricity having a cross sec-
tional area of less than 0'022 sq in., contrary to the Regu-
lations made under the Coal Mines Act. Mr. Fletcher was
also summoned for causing cables to be laid carrying medium
pressure alternating electric current unprotected by metallic
coverings. Mr. McDonald, the manager of the pit, was
also summoned for the same offences as those alleged against
Mr. Fletcher. Mr. St. George Curwen prosecuted on behalf
of the Treasury, and Mr. G. A. Lightfoot appeared for the
defence. Mr. Lightfoot, at the outset, stated that his
clients had decided to plead guilty, and he had discussed
the matter with Mr. Curwen, and they had agreed to take
no evidence.—Mr. Curwen, in opening the case, dealt at
some length wTith the various charges. He said these
charges arose out of the Lickbank seam. This was a new
seam only opened out this year, and as they nerhaps knew,
under the recent Act a mine was now divided into different
parts, and each part forms a separate mine by itself, and
before they could get to a different seam they had to pass
into another station. Under the Act no person or persons
could go behind this station until it was properly examined
and to be found free from noxious or inflammable gas, or
defects of roof. The under-manager was charged with not
making an examination of this seam on August 3, and he
was also charged with not causing a correct report to be
made on the same. It appeared from a letter that Mr.
McFarlane wrote to the Home Secretary on August 20 that
the pit was not working on August 4, they were having their
annual holiday, and only a very few men were working.
According to his letter, he stated that the only examination
he made was in the pump house, which was near to the
entrance of this particular seam, and in the immediate
vicinity of the pump house. It was a matter of common
knowledge that an explosion had occurred in this pit on
August 4, when three men lost their lives and another one
wras injured. It was admitted, and the defendants all
pleaded guilty, that no inspection was made by McFarlane,
who accepted responsibility on this occasion. There was
also no record kept, and therefore that was an offence which
had been committed, and Mr. McDonald was charged for
not seeing that it was done. With regard to the other
charges, Mr. McDonald and Mr. Fletcher were both charged
with allowing cables carrying electricity to be used in this
part of the mine, the same not conforming with the Act.
These .particular kind of cables were known as medium
cables, and they must be covered with metallic coverings.
The mine was inspected on August 10 by two mines inspec-
tors, when it was found that one set of wires were not
according to the Act, and two other sets which had not
been used did not conform with the regulations. Then the
earth conductors had to be of a certain diameter; and they
found certain earth conductors which did not conform to
the standard; there were other earth conductors which
were not in conformity with the Act. At the inquest which
was held, it was admitted by the manager that this par-
ticular fact had been discussed by many of the officials of
the colliery, but no definite decision had been arrived at.
—Mr. Lightfoot, for the defence referred in the first place
to the position of Mr. Fletcher, who, he said, was charged
as a person acting as agent. Quoting from the Act,
section 122, Mr. Lightfoot contended that in this case there
had been no appointment. He felt, after careful considera-
tion, that Mr. Fletcher was an agent to this extent, that he
acted as managing director, and, therefore, being an agent,
it might be quite a proper thing that he should be prose-
cuted for this particular offence. Referring to the question
of electrical apparatus, Mr. Lightfoot stated that it had
been constructed on June 1, 1911, and it had been adapted
so as to comply with the requirements relating to the con-
struction of electrical apparatus in mines before that date.
This particular plant was specified in March 1911, and,
therefore, the position was this, if they had been a few
months earlier, if they had specified in 1910, and all put
down and in use before June, these regulations would not
have affected them. They could not say, however, that this
particular apparatus was constructed and in use, but what
they did say was this, that it was being installed, and
would have come in use before the end of the year. Mr.
Lightfoot then referred to the charge against McFarlane,
and said he wished to draw the Bench’s attention to this
point : the explosion occurred on August 4, and with respect
to the defects in the electrical apparatus, that had nothing
whatever to do with the accident. The charge had refer-
ence to August 3. The pit stopped owing to the annual
holiday on the Friday, and on the Saturday certain officials
who did not want a holiday went down to do some road
repairs. On the Sunday the pump gave out, and on that
day they were directed to put it right. On Mond ly they
were continuing that work in the pump house. On this
particular day McFarlane, who was then under-manager,
and acting as a deputy, went down the pit at 10.30, and he
thought the men were going to work at the pump house.
He made an inspection of the pump house, and on coming
up the pit he made a report, stating that he had inspected
the pump house. In this report he had struck out certain
words, “ every part of the mine,” and made a record of the
only part of the mine which he had inspected, and which
he thought was the only part of the mine which was his
duty to inspect. The Act said : “ Inspect all places where
work is temporarily stopped in which men have to work,”
and he did not understand it referred to the whole of the
ventilating district. He read it : “ All working places in
ventilating district where the men have to work.” He
therefore inspected the pump house; that was where men
were going to work, and that was the only place he
inspected. That was the sum and substance of McFarlane’s
offence. Of course, there was another charge against him,
and that was he had got to make a full and accurate report
specifying whether noxious or inflammable gas was found
and what defects there were. As he had only made a part
inspection, it naturally followed he could not make a cor-
rect report, and, therefore, if he had made a report, he
would have told a lie. Because he did not do that he got a
summons. Then McDonald was charged with not causing
McFarlane to make a report. No one could say it was
McDonald’s duty to go down and see where McFarlane made
an examination. McDonald had nothing to do with it. He
was not down at all, and it was not his duty to go down.
In conclusion, Mr. Lightfoot drew’ attention to the fact’that
Mr. McDonald was a mining lecturer in Cumberland, and
had been managing Cumberland mines since 1901.—The
Bench retired, and on their return the chairman (Mr. J.

Cape) said they considered that a technical offence had been
committed, but they also thought payment of costs would
meet the case.

Yorkshire.

More About the Harworth Colliery : The German Share-
holders—Col. Shaw's Recruiting Efforts : Doncaster's
Poor Show—Canteen Fire at Rossington.

A propos of the proposed acquisition of the German
colliery at Harworth by an English firm, and its failure, for
reasons explained in our last issue, there are some interest-
ing circumstances which have not been mentioned. The
project was taken up by a well-known colliery proprietor,
whose name is supposed to be a secret, but since it has
been stated that he has already extensive interests in the
new Doncaster coalfield, and that of an adjoining county as
wrell, his identity may be pretty easily gathered. Thus
backed, the enterprise had, apparently, every likelihood of
being carried to a successful issue till the difficulty of obtain-
ing the signatures of the German shareholders presented
itself. The leading figure on the directorate at Harworth
is Herr Hugo Stinnes, who is a Westphalian mining mag-
nate, and the capital has been very largely subscribed from
German sources. The two English directors are Mr.
Arnold Lupton and Mr. J. Russell Ferguson, the latter
being the English representative of the Stinnes Company.
The whole of the sinking and freezing contract is in the
hands of a German company. Meanwhile work is practi-
cally suspended, as all the foreigners have been interned.
There can be no doubt that, as soon as the war is over, an
attempt will be made to transfer the Harworth under-
taking to a company representing purely British interests,
as the idea of a German pit in England in the light of
present events is felt to be out of all reason.

By the way, Mr. W. Hayes Fisher, M.P., has had some-
thing to say concerning the Harworth pit. “ I have
reason to think the Germans intended to build whole vil-
lages for German workmen, and to establish there a regular
German community,” he writes. “ Now were those col-
lieries bought merely with a view7 to getting coal, or was
the object also to have a community in our midst to spy
upon us, and to act as a most useful auxiliary force to the
Germans if invasion ever took place? It is to be hoped
our authorities have enquired into this, and found what
land those Germans have bought, and whether it com-
mands a main railway.”

Col. Shaw, of Cantley Hall, Doncaster, Mayor of Ponte-
fract, and well known as a South Yorkshire colliery pro-
prietor, has good reason to be proud of his accomplishments
since the outbreak of the war. He has recruited between
4,000 and 5,000 men, and the raising of the West Yorkshire
Miners’ Battalion is almost wholly due to his efforts. This
mining battalion is being most highly spoken of, and the
physique and intelligence of the recruits is stated to be
first-class. It will have one of the best camps in the king-
dom at Farnley Park, lighted by electricity, and supplied
with water from Farnley Hall. Recreation rooms and a
gymnasium are being provided. The battalion numbers
between 1,200 and 1,300 men, and the latter are said to be
of a stamp capable of enduring the greatest hardships of
the war.

Meanwhile the finger of scorn is being pointed at Don-
caster for its wretched recruiting record, only about 1,500
since war broke out, and the bulk of these have been
miners. Col. Shaw states he has been ashamed to notice
hundreds of smart looking men walking about the town
smoking cigarettes instead of enlisting, and has suggested
the Press Gang should again be put into operation. It
is perfectly true that Doncaster has not yet by any means
done its duty in respect to recruiting. Sixty to 70 per cent,
of the miners who have enlisted are married men, which
throws the unpatriotic attitude of the single men still
more in the limelight.

How splendidly the miners have come forward, and are
still continuing to do so, is daily apparent. Take the case
of Frickley Colliery, South Elmsail, for example. When
Lord Kitchener issued his appeal for men there was a
steady stream from this colliery, and in a short time no
fewer than 650 men had enlisted for the Army. This is
exclusive of a large number of Reservists called out. Mean-
while, the colliery company are allowing the dependants
of the men who have gone, to live rent free in their houses.
In addition, they receive a ton of coal per month from the
colliery company, whilst each wife has a grant of 5s. per
week, and Is. for each child. At Aidershot there is a South
Elmsail contingent of 270 men.

The Denaby and Cadeby Colliery Company have played
their part nobly in regard to the Belgian refugees, and on
Friday last they welcomed 37 of these unfortunate people to
Denaby, who, as long as need be, will be quartered
rent free in 10 of the colliery company’s houses. The
refugees came from Antwerp and Louvain. Had they
been miners the colliery company would have been pre-
pared to find them work, but none of them are from a
mining district. The refugees will receive gas and coal
free from the company, and the miners of Denaby and
Cadeby are subscribing £5 per week for the hire of furni-
ture for them, in addition to £1 per week for the current
expenses of each house. The miners’ wives prepared the
homes, and when the train steamed into Conisboro’ Station
the refugees were received with true Yorkshire cordiality
and hospitality.

A fire at the Rossington Main Colliery, by which the
canteen was destroyed, was mentioned to the Doncaster
magistrates last week, when Mr. W. M. Gichard, of Rother-
ham, made application for sanction to rebuild the canteen.
He said the experience of the colliery company in the fort-
night which had elapsed since the canteen was destroyed
had convinced them that a licence was necessary. Some
of the men went into the town, some did not return, some
came back in quarrelsome mood. The colliery company felt
they must try to do something to keep these people together,
as there w’as no other licence in the neighbourhood at a
suitable distance from the colliery. The company, in time,
intended to erect an institute, but that time was not yet
ripe. The Bench granted the application to erect premises
on the burnt out site, and transferred the licence of the
canteen to the new manager of the colliery, Mr. Dyson, as
explained last week, having joined the commissioned ranks
of the Army.

Lancashire and Cheshire.

Scarcity of Labour in the Leigh District.

Owing to a breakdown in the electricity supply, close upon
1,000 men and youths were thrown idle on Tuesday at Lord
Ellesmere's Bridgewater, Ashton Field, and Linnyshaw
collieries, Walkden. In one case numbers of men had been

lowered, but they were drawn up again. The defect was
remedied during the morning.

Messrs. Fletcher, Burrows and Company, colliery pro-
prietors, of Atherton, have subscribed £400 to the fund
which has been established with the object of procuring
additional ambulance cars for sick and wounded soldiers.
The sum mentioned is sufficient to provide a completely
equipped motor ambulance.

From enquiries made on the spot, it would appear as if
the dearth of colliers in various parts of the Leigh division
of South Lancashire, where several new mines are being
opened out, is becoming more marked. Many hundreds of
local miners have joined the Colours, hence the difficulty.

At a meeting of the Rochdale Corporation Gas and Elec-
tricity Committee, held on Wednesday, October 21, it was
reported that the committee had just placed orders for 15,000
tons of coal for the electricity works at an average reduc-
tion of just over 2s. 6d. per ton. Last year the price aver-
aged 13s. 9d. a ton, whilst this year it works out at about
Ils. 2d.

Close upon 1,000 men and youths are now employed at
the new works on the Ship Canal at Irlam, near Man-
chester, belonging to the Partington Steel and Iron Com-
pany Limited, with which is affiliated the powerful Pearson
and Knowles Coal and Iron Company Limited. Several new
departments have recently been started at the Irlam works.
The local District Council authorities are now pushing for-
ward with the erection of 156 houses for the accommodation
of the workmen and families.

North Wales.

Efforts are being made by several councils in North Wales
to endeavour to get the governors of Bangor University
College to establish a chair of mining, and the matter will
come up for discussion at the next meeting of the governors,
with, it is hoped, success.

Mr. Ernest Craig, M.P. (of Messrs. W. Y. Craig and
Sons Limited), colliery proprietors, Chirk and Alsager, has
been placed upon the Commission of Peace for the County
of Chester.

Notts and Derbyshire.

Nottingham as a Port.

From a comparison of the numbers on September 30 last
with those at the end of June, it would appear that approxi-
mately 2,300 members of the Midland District Miners’
Fatal Accident Relief Society are now engaged in the service
of the country. The fact was reported to the board of
management at their 126th quarterly meeting at Derby
on Tuesday, and it was added that, as at some of the
agencies there was little variation or an actual increase of
membership, the probability was that the figure did not
represent the whole of those members who had joined the
Colours. The board expressed pleasure at the patriotism
thus displayed, and the hope for the safe return of the
men. The chairman (Mr. A. G. Barnes) gave an assur-
ance that when they came back they would be regarded as
in full membership. It not having been found possible,
owing to the provisions of the moratorium, to invest £3,000
in Dominion of Canada and South Australian stocks, as
directed at the last meeting, it was decided to place the
amount on deposit at the bank at 2J per cent, interest,
with a view to the stocks being purchased on the re-open-
ing of the Stock Exchange. The quarterly report showed a
membership of 43,580, an increase of 351 on the correspond-
ing period of last year. Ten members had died, a decrease
of five, and six widows and 18 children had become entitled
to benefit, these totals being a decrease of five and an
increase of four respectively. There were now 305 widows
and 429 children in receipt of benefit, increases of 17 and 71
respectively. The income for the quarter amounted to
£4,046 Is. 4d., of which £2,412 16s. 4d. represented mem-
bers’ contributions, and £1,633 5s. interest on investments.
The expenditure totalled £1,844 2s.	6d., including

£1,669 2s. 6d. in annuities to widows and orphans, and
£145 in funeral allowances. The sum thus carried to the
credit of the benefit fund was £2,201 18s. 10d., as com-
pared with £2,055 Is. lid. for the same quarter of last year.

The opening meeting of the winter session of the Notts
and Derbyshire branch of the Association of Mining Elec-
trical Engineers was held at the University College, Not-
tingham, on Saturday, October 24, Mr. L. G. F. Routledge
(president), Eastwood, being in the chair. The election of
officers resulted as follows :—President, Mr. L. G. F. Rout-
ledge ; vice-president, Mr. E. E. Beadsmore, Salterwood;
hon. secretary and treasurer, Mr. E. R. Hudson, Ilkeston;
auditors, Mr. F. Smith, Pinxton, and Mr. F. Church, Tib-
shelf; branch council, Messrs. A. R. Davis, Creswell; F.
Cusworth, East Kirkby; C. A. Newton, Derby; J. Higton,
Ilkeston; J. T. Taylor, Swanwick; and F. W. Rowley, East-
wood; representatives on the general council, Mr. Routledge
and Mr. Hudson. Mr. F. Smith read a paper on “ Repairs
to Electrical Plant." Discussion followed, in which the
president. Mr. W. J. Furze (Nottingham), Mr. P. Holmes
(Mansfield), Mr. C. J. Fox (Nottingham). Mr. Beadsmore,
and Mr. Church took part. The president congratulated
Mr. Smith on having obtained a prize of one guinea and
also a special prize of two guineas for his paper. It was
announced that certificates had been obtained by Mr. W.
Bamford (South Normanton), Mr. B. Buckland (Bolsover),
Mr. C. J. McKenna (Manton)., Mr. L. G. Barke, Mr. P.
Holmes, and Mr. W. Wyness.

A miniature rifle range was opened at Cinder Hill, Not-
tingham. on Saturdav afternoon. October 24, for the use
of workmen of the Babbington Colliery Company. The
range had been built entirely by the company's employees,
under the direction of the general manager of the company,
Mr. G. C. Fowler.

The Nottingham Corporation on Monday decided to pro-
ceed with important works, towards which the Development
Commissioners have promised to advance £50.000, the rate-
payers contributing £100.000, for improving the navigation
of the River Trent between Nottingham and Newark. It
was urged that the effect of the proposal would be to make
Nottingham an important inland port, whilst the carrying
out of the scheme would provide employment during the 'war.

The Midlands.

Mr. W. F. S. Dugdale, of Merevale Hall, Atherstone. has
issued the following notice to the men employed at Baddes-
ley Collieries, of which he is one of the proprietors :—‘‘The
trustees desire to point out to the workmen that, though the
state of trade affords good employment for the present,