September 3, 1915. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 473 LETTERS TO THE EDITORS. The Editors are not responsible either for the statements made, or the opinions expressed by correspondents. All communications must be authenticated by the name and address of the sender, whether for publication or not. No notice can be taken of anonymous communications. As replies to questions are only given by way of published answers to correspondents, and not by letter, stamped addressed envelopes are not required to be sent. THE DISTRIBUTION OF COAL. Sirs, — With regard to the article in the Colliery Guardian of August 21, on “ The Distribution of Coal,” and the suggested scheme for dividing the country into areas for administration purposes, as an addition to the Price of Coal (Limitation) Act, it is too early to say how far the attempt of the Government to regulate prices and exports, which has so upset the coal trade and its recognised customs, may be successful in meeting the exceptional circumstances they have to provide against, but on the face of it any Act of Parlia- ment dealing with the regulation of “ unregulated supply and demand,” whatever that may mean, can only be of an experimental character, and there will have to be some considerable “ give and take ” in the adminis- tration of it. If the Government were to accept your suggestion and “ round off their policy of expediency by undertaking to re-organise the system of distribution,” they would, I fear, only add to their own and the diffi- culties of others. The method that has been adopted may prove the least harmful, under judicious handling, of the many suggestions which might be put forward to meet the position, and cause the least dislocation. From time to time, as is pointed out in the article, various schemes have been attempted, and some have operated for longer or shorter periods in proportion to, and just as long as, the demand has exceeded the supply, and the rules have not been too strictly enforced against individual parties to the scheme when local inequalities and conditions have pressed heavily under it. No scheme has been made watertight : when the demand falls off, and the pressure, against which it was intended to guard, comes, the scheme falls to pieces, and the con- dition of affairs is worse than before. The article sets out some reasons why these schemes have not succeeded in the past, and suggests that the circumstances have now become so altered that the difficulties may have been removed, to some extent, at any rate; but it seems to me the initial difficulty has not been touched upon. In my view these schemes approach .the subject from the top, the selling price and the distribution, and take no consideration for the basis difficulties in connection with the production — the varying differences and inequalities between the situation, the quality and the conditions of working of one seam, or even one colliery, and another. One colliery can live under circumstances when another must close; one pumps gallons of water when another has none; the difficulties of capital and labour, no matter if capital were represented, by the State, public trusts, or individuals; also the variation in the costs of working, even in the same seam, at two collieries only a mile or so apart, and many others. It is easy to fix a maximum price or to arrange for the distribution of coal during times of inflated prices, but unless these basis difficulties can be regulated and equalised, no scheme can be made that can be continued when, and after, the supply overtakes the demand, with- out very great hardship upon the weaker concerns where the inequalities are most apparent and most keenly felt. There is something here more compelling than ” prejudice,” or even “ the great object to expand pro- duction by every legitimate means.” Here may be found the reason why, as you state, “ every British colliery, in a sense, and certainly every district, considers itself to be quite capable of looking after its own affairs.” It is only the colliery or the district which knows and feels where and when the shoe pinches. Black Park, Ruabon, James Darlington. August 26, 1915. Sirs,—With regard to the main point in the article, viz., the formation of district associations, I think you may take it that such associations already exist in the principal districts—not necessarily registered, but as mutual associations for the purpose of considering matters of interest to the coal trade from time to time. In the Midlands, local associations in the districts you mention, including South Derbyshire, exist in most instances, and from time to time the members are called together to consider important matters of interest. The question of overlapping in sales is exceedingly difficult to regulate, and as far as my experience goes, it is not likely to be obviated. With regard to the question of transport, under normal conditions there is not on the whole any very material difficulty, although congestion of traffic takes place from time to time. My own very strong opinion is, however, that the less the Government interferes, the more likely the competition of the various railways (such as there remains of it) will be to remedy any such obstruction to the smooth working of traffic. With regard to the nationalisation or State control of mines, personally I am very strongly opposed to any such thing. Every interference of the Government in trade which has come within my experience has resulted in failure, and I am perfectly convinced that if the mines are nationalised, the cost of coal will be greatly increased and the public will suffer. M. Deacon. The Sheepbridge Coal and Iron Company Limited, Chesterfield, August 20, 1915. MINING AND OTHER NOTES. Notice is given that Heenan and Fronde Limited, and Henry Norman Leask have made application for the restora- tion of the patent granted to Henry Norman Leask for an invention entitled “ Improvements in charging doors for furnaces,” numbered 16237 of 1910, and bearing date July 7, 1910 (and the Patent of Addition No. 29638 of 1910 bearing date December 21, 1910), which expired on July 7, 1914, owing to the non-payment of the prescribed renewal fee. The report of the Inspector-General in Bankruptcy for the year ended December 31, 1914, states that the number of failures in England and Wales during the year under both bankruptcies and deeds of arrangement shows a very great falling off. “ In the case of failures under the Bank- ruptcy Acts, the decrease in number appears to be,” says the Inspector-General, “ entirely attributable to the war. During the first seven months of the year receiving orders were made in 2,067 cases, and if this rate had been maintained until the end of the year, the total number of receiving orders would have been 3,543, which is nearly 200 more than the number made in the preceding year. During the last five months of the year, however, only 800 receiving orders were made. The check on the number of bankruptcy proceedings attributable to the war was caused primarily by the protective provisions of the Act and Pro- clamations in regard to postponement of payments, and the Courts (Emergency Powers) Act. With regard to deeds of arrangement, the number of cases during the first seven months was 1,091, and the proportionate total number for the year would have been 1,870, as against 1,770, the actual number of deeds executed and remaining valid. The total estimated loss to creditors under both forms of administra- tion, however, is nearly two million pounds in excess of the loss estimated in the preceding year. There was a great falling off in the bunkering trade at Teneriffe and Las Palmas last year, only 706,565 tons being supplied to steamers, as against 1,160,000 tons in 1913, and 1,347,036 tons in 1912. The 1914 total included 422,577 ^ons.of Welsh coal and 283,988 tons of Durham coal. The British coaling depots supplied 636,478 tons of the total quantity, the balance, 70,087 tons, all British coal, being Table A.—Production of Coal in the United Kingdom in 1915. District. Quarter ended March 31. Quarter ended June 30.* Half-year ended June 30. 1.000 tons of coal raised. De- crease per cent. 1,000 tons of coal raised. De- crease per cent. 1,000 tons of coal raised. De- crease per c<"nt. 1915. 1914. 1915. 1914. 1915. 19! 4. England and Wales. Northumberland 2,710 3,639 25’5 2,702 3,600 24'9 5,412 7,239 25’2 Durham 8,607 10,634 19T 8,591 10,46! 17 9 17,198 21,095 18’5 Yorkshire 10,311 10,852 5’0 10,094 8,892]; 13 5f 20,405 19,744]: Lancashire, Cheshire, and North Wales ... 6,358 7,142 11-0 6,194 6,624 6’5 12,552 13,766 8'8 Derby, Nottingham, and Leicester 7,9'8 8,640 8’5 7,843 7,526 4'2f 15,751 16,166 2’6 Stafford, Salop, Worcester, and Warwick... 5,116 5,552 7’9 4,833 4,875 0*9 9,949 10,427 4’6 South Wales and Monmouth 13,266 14,708 9’8 12,845 13,608 5*6 26,111 28,316 7’8 Other English districts 1,331 1,422 6’4 1,311 1,306 0'4f 2,642 2,728 3 2 Scotland. East of Scotland 3.119 3,842 18-8 3,197 4,126 22’5 6,316 7.9C?8 20’7 West of Scotland 5,624 6,346 114 5,830 6,436 9*4 11,454 12,782 10’4 Ireland 19 23 17’4 17 20 150 36 43 16’3 United Kingdom 64 369 72,800 11-6 63,457 67,474 6’0 127,826 140,274 8’9 * This quarter includes the Easter and Whitsuntide holidays in each year (see Table B). t Increases are shown in italics. X The output in Yorkshire during the first three weeks of April 1914 was almost entirely suspended owing to the minimum wage dispute. 'Table C.—Output of Coal at Mines in the United Kingdom in the undermentioned Periods of the Years 1913, 1914 and 1915; also the Quantities Exported and Available for Consumption. Period. Output. Exports (including the coal equivalent of coke and manufactured fuel). Quantities available for consumption, f Quantity shipped for the use of steamers]; engaged in the foreign trade, included in the preceding column. Half-year ended June 30, 1913* Quarter ended September 30, 1913* Quarter ended December 31, 1913* Half-year ended December 31, 1913* Quarter ended March 31, 1914 Quarter ended June 30, 1914 Half-year ended June 30,1914 Quarter ended September 30, 1914* Quarter ended December 31, 1914* Half-year ended December 31, 1914* Quarter ended March 31, 1915 Quarter ended June 30, 1915 Half-year ended June 30, 1915 1,000 tons. 145,923 1,000 tons. 37,279 1,000 tons. 108,644 1,000 tons. 10,087 68,836 72,653 20,024 20,004 48,812 52,649 5,459 5,486 141,489 40,028 101,461 10,945 72,800 67,474 18,385 18,005 54,415 49,469 5.035 5,147 140,274 36,390 103,884 10,182 62,329 63,040 14,389 11,679 47,940 51,361 4,400 3,954 1 125,369 26,068 99,301 8,354 ■ 64,369 63,457 11,829 11,766 52,540 51,691 3,979 3,421 127,826 23,595 104,231 7,400 * Output estimated from the ‘‘Mines and Quarries” Return issued by the Home Office, and from information supplied to the Coal Mining Organisation Committee. f Including coal for the use of the Admiralty, or for use as bunker coal in merchant ships. I Not including steamers taken up by the Admiralty. the share of the business handled by the German depots at Teneriffe and Las Palmas. The latter was supplied almost exclusively to German ships. During the last few years an enormous bunkering business had been attracted to the islands by the low prices brought about by the keen com- petition amongst the coaling depots. But the first six months of 1914 witnessed a reversion to reasonable prices; the supplies for the first six months of 1914 amounted to 493,769 tons, whilst in the year 1909 (the year before the competition above referred to) the total for the 12 months was only 484,000 tons. The outbreak of war, however, paralysed the business temporarily, and supplies to steamers dropped upwards of 50 per cent. Apart from the reduced demand caused by the sudden disappearance from the seas of the German mercantile marine, the islands suffered particularly from the dislocation of trade, owing to the fact that British shipowners found it more convenient to vary their usual routes. Normal conditions, according to H.M. Consul, are, however, being gradually restored, now that the seas are almost free from enemy armed ships.’ The state of the coal and freight markets in the United Kingdom is such that no regular fixed prices at the islands can be arranged, and all contract business is for the present sus- pended. For some time after the commencement of the war the depot proprietors continued to supply their regular customers at contract prices until their stocks became exhausted, since when prices have ruled as follow :— November, Welsh LI 13s., Durham LI 9s. 6d.; December, LI 15s., LI 11s. 6d.January, LI 18s., LI 14s. 6d.; February, L2 10s., L2 6s. 6d. per ton. It is feared, however, that a further rise must take place. Towards the close of 1914 two Norwegian steamers arrived at Santa Cruz unconsigned, with cargoes of Pocahontas coal. After lying in port for some time, these cargoes were discharged, and the greater portion purchased by the British depots. Since the outbreak of war coal freights to the islands have varied from 7s. to LI 8s. per ton, and are now LI 2s. 6d. per ton Cardiff, and LI 4s. 6d. per ton Tyne. A coalition Government has been formed in New Zealand, with the Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey as Prime Minister, with which he combines the three offices of Minister of Land, Labour, Industries and Commerce. The Hon. W. H. Herries has charge of railway matters, whilst the Hon. W. D. S. MacDonald is the Minister of Agriculture and Mines. OUTPUT OF COAL IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1915. A return has just been issued showing the estimated quantities of coal raised in the United Kingdom in each of the quarters ended March 31 and June 30, 1915, compared with particulars for the corresponding periods of 1914. Table B.—Proportionate Numbers of Persons Employed at Coal Mines which were idle on account of Holidays during the Easter and Whitsuntide Holiday periods for the numbers of days shown. Number of days on Easter. Whitsuntide. which pits wrere idle on account of 1915. 1914? (— 1915. 1914? holidays during the Per Per Per Per holiday period. cent. cent. cent. cent. None . 12 ... 15 .. 9 9 Not more than 1 . 10 2 .. 52 ... 25 Not more than 2 71 ... 29 32 ... 18 Not more than 3 6 .. 40 6 ... 42 More than 3 1 ... 14 1 6 »■ — 1. ■ III ■ 100 ... 100 . 100 ... 100