239 July 30, 1915. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN _________________________________ COAL, IRON AND ENGINEERING COMPANIES. REPORTS AND DIVIDENDS. Carnforth Haematite Iron Company Limited.—The share- holders on Monday, at a meeting in Manchester, sanctioned the sale of the company’s property to a London financial corporation, the management of which includes Lord Balfour of Burleigh, Mr. Austen Chamberlain, and Sir J. S. Harmood-Banner. The Carnforth Company has had a pros- perous career, the recent dividends, all free of tax, having been 15 per cent, for 1913-14, 12J per cent, for 1912-13, and 10 per cent, for 1911-12, and there is a reserve fund of 4135,000. The purchasers undertake to form a new company, with the same share capital—£144,000—as the present one, but instead of having only one class of shares, of the denomi- nation of £10, they propose to issue 72,000 6 per cent, non- cumulative preference and a like number of ordinary shares, all of £1 each. They will also have an authorised issue of 5 J per cent, debentures, amounting to 41144,000, which will apparently be a new faeture, and to which the present share- holders can subscribe if they wish. A new feature of the terms of purchase is that 413 of the 4121 10s. to be paid for each £10 share will be in the new War Loan. The remain- ing £18 10s. will be paid, as to 4111 10§. in cash, £3 10s. in preference shares, and £3 10s. in ordinary shares. In addi- tion to this, subject to the interim dividend of 4 per cent, already paid, and to the provision of £5,000 for depreciation and reserves, a further dividend not exceeding 11 per cent, will be paid to the shareholders. The profits, if any, in excess of the sum required for the payment of this dividend will go to the purchasers. The directors express the opinion that the terms are advantageous to the shareholders, and recommend their acceptance. Each of the directors who is not appointed to the new board will receive 900 fully-paid preference shares of the new company as compensation for loss of office. Dundee Coal Company Limited.—Dividend of 2| per cent, has been declared. East Indian Coal Company Limited.—The report for the half-year ended April 30 states that, after making the usual allowance for the depreciation of buildings, plant, and machinery, and writing £7,000 off development account, the half-year has resulted in a profit of £9,231. The sum of £2,607 brought forward makes £11,838 for disposal. The directors recommend a dividend of 8 per cent, for the half- year, less income-tax, on the issued share capital, and that the balance be carried forward. The output was 332,878 tons, as compared with 292,464 tons for the half-year ended April 30, 1914. Graham’s Navigation (Merthyr) Collieries Limited.—The directors announce an interim dividend at the rate of 10 per cent, per annum for the half-year. National Gas Engine Company Limited.—The directors announce interim dividends for the six months ended June of 5 per cent, per annum on the preference shares and 7| per cent, per annum on the ordinary shares, less income-tax. Normanby Iron Works Company Limited.—A final divi- dend for the half-year ending June 30 last has been declared at the rate of 6 per cent, per annum on the preference shares, and a final dividend at the rate of 3 per cent, on the ordinary shares, making 6 per cent, for the year. Vryheid (Natal) Railway Coal and Iron Company Limited. —The report for the year ended January 31 states that, after providing for depreciation and interest on debenture stock and loan, the result of the year’s trading shows a profit of £6,162, to which has to be added from last year’s accounts the credit balance of £4,435, leaving an amount of £10,598 to the credit of profit and loss account, and this the directors recommend should be carried forward. The output of coal has totalled 261,697 tons, an increase over the previous year of 23,924 tons. This would have been largely increased but for the disorganisation caused both to the railway and shipping contracts owing to the outbreak of hostilities. The excellent quality of the coal is maintained■, and it is now being used in larger quantities than ever before by both the Union of South African railways and for shipping purposes. Warner and Company Limited.—The annual report of the directors states that the profit on trading for the year amounts to £12,137 4s. 5d., to which must be added the amount carried forward from last year, £2,868 18s. 2d., making a total of £15,006 2s. 7d. The following interim dividends were paid on February 1, 1915 :—On preference shares at the rate of 3 per cent, (less income-tax) for half- year ending December 31, 1914, £1,223 8s. 9d.; on ordinary shares at the rate of 2-1- per cent, (less income-tax), £858 6s. 8d.; leaving a balance of £12,924 7s. 2d. It is proposed to allot for directors’ fees £300, for income-tax £1.844 2s. Id.; audit fee £40; final dividend on preference shares at the rate of 3 per cent, (less income-tax) for half- year ending June 30, 1915, £1,209 7s. 6d.; final dividend on ordinary shares at the rate of 15 per cent, (less income- tax), making, with the interim dividend already paid, 17| per cent, for the year, £5,427 Is. 8d., depreciation (property, plant, etc.), £1,000; depreciation (investments), £2,510 5s.; leaving a balance carried forward to next account of £593 10s. lid. NEW COMPANIES. Goodbrand and Company Limited.—Registered July 19. To acquire the business of a mechanical engineer carried on as Goodbrand and Company at Britannia Foundry, Staly- bridge, county Chester, and 19, Victoria-street, Manchester, and to enter into an agreement. Also to carry on the busi- ness of mechanical engineers, tool makers, iron founders, etc. Nominal capital, £20,000 in 20,000 £1 shares. Direc- tors :—P. W. Goodbrand, 3, The Willows, Chorlton Ville, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, mechanical engineer; A. N. Goodbrand, Cardewlee, Wood-lane, Temperley, county Chester, mechanical engineer; E. C. Dickinson, Beechfield, St. Leonard’s-road, St. Annes-on-Sea, Lancashire, bleacher. Qualification of directors, £500. Phoenix Armouring and Cable Company Limited.—Private company. Registered July 20. To enter into an agree- ment, and to carry on business of cable armourers, cable makers, iron founders, mechanical engineers, tool makers, builders, saddlers, electrical engineers, carriers, etc. Nominal capital, £1,000 in 1,000 £1 ordinary shares. Directors and subscribers (one share each) :—F. H. Pugsley, 85, Ulles- water-road, Southgate, N., manufacturer; I. S. Watts, Sunnydene, 130, Argyle-road, West Ealing, solicitor. Quali- fication of directors, £100. Shaw (Joe) and Sons Limited.—Private company. Regis- tered office, Old Park Quarry, Crosland Moor, Huddersfield. Registered June 29. To acquire the business of quarry owner and stone merchant now carried on as Joe Shaw and Sons at Crosland Moor. Huddersfield, and to enter into an agreement. Also to carry on business of quarry owners, colliery masters, coal, lime, slate, and coke merchants, and dealers in sand, bricks, timber, etc., brick and tile makers. Nominal capital, £1,500 in 1,500 £1 shares. Qualification of directors, £100. Subscribers (one share each) :—Joseph Shaw, 60, Blackmoorfoot-road, Crosland Moor, Huddersfield, stone merchant; John Shaw, 15, Blackmoorfoot-road, Cros- land Moor, Huddersfield, quarry foreman. Smethwick Foundry Company Limited. — Private com- pany. Registered July 22. To acquire the business of an iron, founder and engineers’ tool maker for several years carried on by G. H. Bruce as the Accessories Company at Cross-street, Smethwick, Staffs., and latterly carried on by D. J. Hamilton, at the same address, and to enter into an agreement, and to carry on business of iron founders, engi- neers, tool makers, etc. Nominal capital, £1,000 in 1,000 £1 shares. Directors and subscribers (one share each) :—D. J. Hamilton, 153, Cape-hill, Smethwick, engineer; S. Egerton, 17, Paignton-road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, com- pany’s secretary. Smethwick Machine Shops Limited.—Private company. Registered July 22. To carry on business as iron founders, mechanical and electrical engineers, manufacturers of steel and iron tools, implements of all kinds, munitions of war, etc. Nominal capital, £2,000 in 500 £1 preference shares, and 1,500 £1 ordinary shares. Directors and subscribers (one share each) :—C. G. Garrard, Goldthorn-road, Wolver- hampton; S. Egerton, 17, Paignton-road, Edgbaston, Bir- mingham. Stonebridge Foundry Company Limited. — Private com- pany. Registered office, Stonebridge Foundry, Colne. To carry on business as iron and brass founders, engineers, steel and metal merchants, tool makers, etc. Nominal capital, £2,000 in 2,000 £1 shares. Director : A. Hartley, Noynaroyd, Colne, ironmonger. Qualification of directors, £100. Telepad Limited.—Private company. Registered July 19. To purchase or otherwise acquire any patents, brevets d’invention, etc., but in particular to acquire full benefit of Patent No. 8973, and to enter into an agreement. Also to carry on business as electrical, mechanical, consulting, and general engineers, iron, steel, and brass founders, etc. Nominal capital, £4,000 in 1,000 £1 preference shares, 1,830 £1 ordinary shares, 1,170 £1 deferred shares. Directors and subscribers (one preference share each) :—G. W. Kekerich, K. C.B., Feltham, Middlesex; Mrs. W. J. Cameron, Two Oaks, Balham Park-road, S.W.; H. W. White, 28, St. James-square, Holland Park, W., merchant. Ward End Metal Company Limited.—Private company. Registered July 20. To carry on business as founders, smelters, refiners, dealers in brass, copper, iron, steel, spelter, etc., mechanical, electrical, and general engineers, manufacturers of and dealers in explosives, cartridges, arms, and munitions of war of all kinds, etc. Nominal capital, £5,000 in 5,000 £1 shares. The first directors shall be appointed by the subscribers, or a majority of them. Quali- fication of directors, £10. Subscribers (one share each) :— C. L. Davis, 31, Carlyle-road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, manager’s clerk; J. A. W. Bennett, 207, Kenelm-road, Small Heath, Birmingham, commercial clerk; L. Lirlgr, 51, Great Charles-street, Birmingham, electrical engineer. Whittingham (Edwin) and Sons Limited.—Private com- pany. Registered July 20. To acquire the business of builders, contractors, timber merchants, etc., now carried on as Edwin Whittingham and Sons, at Newport, in the county of Salop, and to enter into an agreement. To carry on busi- ness as colliery owners, coal, coke, lime, marble, granite, iron, steel, clay, sand, brick, brick earth, cement, tile, and oil manufacturers, etc. Nominal capital, £6,800 in 6,800 £1 shares. First directors and subscribers (one share each) : A. E. Whittingham and C. E. Whittingham, Newport, Salop, builders and contractors. . Qualification of first directors, £500; other directors, £200. (The said C. E. Whittingham may, for a period of 10 years from the date of the incorporation of the company, act on a qualification of £200 shares). This list of new companies is taken from the Daily Register specially compiled by Messrs. Jordan and Sons Limited, company registration agents, Chancery-lane, E.C. ___________________________ CONTRACTS OPEN FOR COAL AND COKE. For Contracts Advertised in this issue received too late for inclusion in this column, see Leader and Last White pages. Athlone, August 4.—The Urban District Council invite tenders for the supply of about 1,000 tons of best screened gas coal, to be delivered in good and dry condition into the coal sheds at the Council’s Gas Works, Athlone, at such times and in such quantities as may be required over the period of one year from the date of the acceptance of the contract. Tenders should be placed in sealed envelopes marked “ Tender for coal,” and must be sent by registered post so as to reach the undersigned not later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, August 4, 1915. The lowest or any tender not necessarily accepted. No tender forms issued. Dated this 22nd day of July, 1915, P. V. C. Murtagh, clerk of the Council, Town Hall, Athlone. Wigan, August 13.—The Gas Committee invite tenders for the supply of gas nuts, cobbles, or screened or unscreened coal. Particulars and forms of tender may be obtained on application to Mr. F. Betley, gas engineer, Gas Works, Wigan. The Corporation do not bind themselves to accept the lowest or any tender. Tenders, sealed and endorsed “ Tender for gas coal,” to be delivered to me not later than August 13 next. William Henry Tyrer, town clerk. Abstracts of Contracts Open. Cambridge, August 4.—Coal and coke for the Corporation. Forms from Town Clerk, Guildhall. Hastings, August 3.—190 tons of house coal for the Cor- poration. Forms from P. H. Palmer, Town Hall, Hastings. Haverhill, August 10.—800, 1,400, or 2,000 tons of best gas coal for the Urban District Council. Tenders to J. Beasley, clerk, Haverhill, Suffolk. Haverfordwest, August 16.—About 1,600 tons of double screened best quality gas coal for the Corporation. Forms from R. T. P. Williams, town clerk, Haverfordwest. Kanturk (Ireland), August 11.—300 tons of best coal for the Guardians. Tenders to tender box, Board-room. Margate, August 5.—Broomhill, Caradoc, or other steam coal, and also best house coal, broken and unbroken coke for the Isolation Hospital, Haine, near Ramsgate, for the Isle of Thanet Joint Hospital Board. Forms from S. Shea, clerk, 19, Cecil-square, Margate. Middleton, August 10.—Coal to the Electricity Works of the Corporation. Forms from S. Pauls, electrical engineer, Townley-street. Newport (I.W.), September 16. — Fuel for the Isle of Wight County Council. Particulars from J. Dufton, clerk, Newport, I.W. Plymouth, August 5.—600 tons of good large house coal (free from small) for the Guardians. Tenders to W. H. Davy, clerk, Greenbank-road, Plymouth. Portsmouth, August 9.—1,000 tons of good Welsh or inland steam coal for the Committee of Visitors of the Ports- mouth Borough Mental Hospital. Particulars of J. C. Kersey, clerk and steward, Borough Mental Hospital, Milton, Portsmouth. Rochester, August 31.—Coal for the Corporation. Forms from W. Banks, city surveyor, Guildhall. The date given is the latest upon which tenders can be received. CONTRACTS OPEN FOR ENGINEERING, IRON AND STEEL WORK, Ac. Alton, August 4.—Steel Girders.—Steel girders and steel trough flooring for the Rural District Council. Par- ticulars from C. W. Maudsley, surveyor, Park Close-road, Alton, Hants. Brentwood.—Boiler.—One cast iron sectional boiler capable of heating about 5,000 sq. ft. of radiator surface, with ‘ smoke register, for the Asylum Committee. Further par- ticulars from the Engineer, Brentwood Asylum, Essex. Methley, August 4.—Cast Iron Mains.—About 120 yards of 9 in. sewer and about 120 yards of 3 in. cast iron water mains for the Urban District Council. Specification from T. Thompson, junr., Red House, Methley. Navan (Ireland), August 4.—Pump Well.—Sinking and building a pump well and erecting pump thereon for the Rural District Council. Specification from architect, A. Scott, Board-room. _____________________________________ Coal Mining Accidents in the United States.—The fatalities in coal mines in the United States in 1914 were 334 less than during the preceding year, the total being 2,451, as compared with 2,785 in 1913. There were 331 fatalities due to gas explosions, as compared with 91 in 1913, 261 of these being due to four explosions, viz., Eccles Mine, W. Va., April 28. 181 deaths; Rock Castle Mine, Alabama, January 10, 12 deaths; Mulga Mine, Alabama, October 5, 16 deaths; Royalton No. 1 Mine, Illinois, October 27, 52 deaths. On the other hand, only 17 men lost their lives in explosions attributed to coal dust, as against 423 in 1913, when the Dawson explosion in New Mexico, accounted for 263 deaths. There were also decreases in deaths from haulage accidents and falls of roof and pillar coal, but there were slight increases in fatal accidents from explosives and electricity, a net increase of 26 fatalities in shaft accidents, and of five in fatal accidents on the surface. The estimated total number of employees for the year is 742,868, and the fatality rate is 3*30 per 1,000 men employed, as compared with 3-73 in 1913; excluding 1912, when the rate was 3*27 per 1,000 men employed, the 1914 rate is lower than that for any year since 1903. It should be pointed out that, accompanying the reduction of 12 per cent, in the number of fatalities, there was also a reduction of 10-5 per cent, in the production of coal, which, according to the estimates of the Geological Survey, amounted to 510,000,000 short tons, as compared with 570,048,125 tons in 1913. The fatality rate per million tons of coal produced in 1913 was thus 4-89 in 1913, and in 1911 4-81. The latter, with the exception of 1912, is the lowest rate yet recorded for the United States. Classified according to cause, the deaths in 1913 and 1914 were as follows :— Number Percentage of killed. grand total. Cause. (-----*------v-----*-----* Killed underground:— By falls of roof (coal, rock, etc.) 1913. 1914. V 1913. 1914? 1.060., . 985... 38’06... 40’19 By falls of face or pillar coal... 20 k. . 145... 7’33... 5’92 By mine cars and locomotives 424 . . 380... 15 22... 15’50 By gas explosions and burning gas 91.. . 331... 3 27... 13’50 By coal dust explosions 423.. 17... 15’19... 0’69 By explosives (includes prema- ture blasts, explosion of mis- fires, suffocation by gases from explosives, flying pieces from blasts, &c.) 138.. . 146... 4’96... 5’96 By suffocation from mine gases 33.. 14... 1’18... 0’57 By electricity (shock or burns) 80.. 89... 2’87... 3’63 By animals 9.. 7... 0’32... 0’29 By mining machines 24.. 20... 0’86... 0’82 By mine fires (burned, suffo- cated, &c.) 4.. 7... 0’14... 0’29 By other causes 72.. . 56... 2’59... 2’28 _____ Total .................... 2,562... 2,197... 91’99... 89’64 Killed in shaft:— By falling down shafts or slopes ...................... By objects falling down shafts or slopes.................... By cages or skips ...................... By other causes .............. 50... 70... 1’80... 2’86 1.. . 5... 0’04... 0’20 9.. . 12... 0’32... 0’49 2.. . 1... 0’07... 0’04 Total .................. Killed on the surface :— By mine cars and mine loco- motives ;.................. By electricity (shock or burns) By machinery............................ By boiler explosions or bursting steam pipes ___4............ By railway cars (^locomotives By other causes ............. 62... 88... 2’23... 3’59 78... 68... 2’80... 2’77 8... 11... 0’29... 0'45 26... 26... 093... 1’06 1... 5... 0’04... 0’20 8 . 13... 0’29... 0’53 40... 43... 1’43... 1’76 ________ ________ 161... 166... 5’78... 6’77 2,785... 2,451... 100’00... 100’00 Total .................. Grand total .......... No less than 556 men were killed in West Virginia, the death rate being 7-43 per 1,000 employed, a higher rate than that for any other State. The death rate in some of the more important producing States was as follows :—Pennsylvania (bituminous), 2-33: ditto (anthracite). 3-39; Illinois, 2’43; Ohio. 1-35: Kentucky. 2-32: Alabama. 5’21: Indiana. 1-99; Iowa. 2-35: Kansas, 2-64: Colorado. 7T1: Missouri. 1*82.