232

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

February 4, 1916.

Notes from the Coal Fields.

[Local Correspondence.]

South Wales and Monmouthshire.

Swansea Chamber on Shipping Delays—Penalising Coal
Merchants for Expeditious Work—Local Government
Committee on the Coal Trade—The Tonnage Difficulty
—Miners and Motor Ambulances.

Swansea Chamber of Commerce held its annual meeting on
Friday, and the report then presented dealt, amongst other
matters, with the delays in coal shipping. Vexatious delays
had occurred at the docks, the report stating that these were
in practically every instance due to disputes to which the
shippers were not parties—in some cases owing to disputes
among the men themselves, and those stoppages had resulted
in serious losses. Also, considerable delays had been
experienced in obtaining licences for coal shipment; but
latterly matters had gone more smoothly. The Chamber had
agreed to support the motions of other Chambers in resist-
ing the intention of the railway companies to alter rates of
demurrage of wagons as from July 1 next. The War Office,
it was stated, had been experimenting in France with samples
of balls of anthracite dust and clay as economical fuel for
braziers in the trenches, and also in order to reduce the
demand for more valuable sizes of coal. The Bill of the
Harbour Trust had compelled close attention on the part of
the council of the Chamber, and also the important decision
of the Trust to increase the tolls on coal and fuel by ^d. per
ton. A protest had been forwarded against any resolution in
respect of pooling of privately-owned trucks. The report
mentioned also the demand for a new tariff by the coal
trimmers. Incidentally, it was mentioned that the remuner-
ation for ships requisitioned by the Government was only
about one-fourth of what was obtainable on the open market.
—Mr. T. P. Cook, president, moved the adoption of the report,
remarking that the trade of Swansea had shown a vitality and
elasticity which was surprising. Their coal exports were 44
million tens, practically the same as in 1914, and theirPtotal
trade was approximately 5,875,000 tons. They could, he
said, give practical assent to the proposals put forward by the
Cardiff Chamber on the subject of freights, for it was dan-
gerous that rates should remain as high as at present.

The case of Messrs. Lysberg Limited, who were fined £10
for commencing shipment of coal before having received the
licence, has occasioned considerable discussion in South
Wales. Mr. F. H. Lambert (of Lambert Brothers), origi-
nating it, has pointed out that the charge was only technic-
ally true, seeing that the firm had ascertained from their
London agents that the licence had been granted on the day
before the steamer commenced loading; but that, either owing
to late posting or some other cause, the actual licence had
not been received in Cardiff. In view of the pressing needs
of coal for the Allies, and particularly' to the fact that the
coal being loaded by Messrs. Lysberg was for France, it is
contended that considerable delay in shipment would have
been occasioned had not the loading been commenced, for the
boat would have lost her turn, and would have been ordered
to the buoys, while.the coal which was in readiness for the
wagons would have had to be shunted back to the railway;
and this just at a time when it is most important to make
the greatest possible use of steamers and railway facilities.
Seeing that the delay was a delay in transmission of the
licence by the authorities in London, the penalising of the
firm for expedition is very adversely criticised; and Mr.
Lambert asked—what possible objection could there be for
steamers to commence loading without licence,.the authorities
declining to grant clearance if the licence is not in order when
the steamer is ready for sailing? Why could not the licence
for shipment of coal apoly to the sailing of steamers, and not
to the commencement of loading?

A remarkable suggestion relating to the. question of high
freights comes from Swansea. Regulation of British craft is
in progress, but neutral vessels are able still to extract the
highest possible rates that the needs, of the shippers compel
them to pay; and the suggestion is that these should be
refused any supply of bunker coals unless they come to reason-
able terms. Seeing that the foreign ship owner is making
huge profits, and is not liable to the 50 per cent, impost
which the Exchequer levies on the British excess profits, it
is regarded as a scandal that he should be endowed with
perfect freedom to fleece the shipper, while the British owner
is limited in his charges.

The. decision of the Government to set up district com-
mittees working in conjunction with a central body for the
organisation of coal supplies, has led to emphasis being laid
upon the fact that already in South Wales the work to be
taken up by such a committee has been dealt with. There
has been in existence for some time the Home ’Consumption
Coal Sales Committee, with Mr. Hugh Bramwell as chair-
man; and one of its members is Mr. T. E. Watson, presi-
dent of the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce, who has been
appointed by the Government on the new committee just
announced, his colleagues in this fresh organisation being
Mr. W. R. Hann, Mr. Evan Williams, and Mr. B. Nicholas.
The- circumstances in South Wales are quite different from
those in other parts of the country in regard to home sup-
plies. The collieries of South Wales depend upon speedy
clearance of the trucks—24 hours from pit to port is ample
time—and for the service of the iron and steel and tin-plate
and other works, short runs are the usual experience. Just
what the new committee is to do, or what it can do different
from what its predecessor has undertaken,As the question of
the moment; for it is difficult to see that any improvement
can be made by this new departure.

The Senghenvdd Explosion Relief Fund Committee held
its annual meeting on Saturday, when the audited statement
of accounts for the year 1915 showed that relief had been
distributed to the amount of £10,146. There were still 169
widows, 469 children, and 50 other dependants on the fund.

Mr. Paul Fairweather, speaking at the Italian Benevolent
Society’s dinner last week, described the rise of freight -as
a great iniquity. At the Chamber of Commerce meeting
it had been stated that England was suffering with regard
to the cost of coal, and it was £2 per ton; but buyers in
many parts of Italy had to pay £8 per ton, and he hoped
for an early removal of that iniquity.

Addressing the shareholders of the Field Line of steam-
ships, Mr. W. W. Jones, chairman, dwelt upon the tonnage
question, and said that he understood there was something
approaching one million tons dead weight that was in an
advanced state of construction, and was within about two
or three months of completion. If the Government would
render the ship builders some help, shippers would, from

that source alone, secure a valuable supply of tonnage
which would meet their needs considerably.

In view of the fact that protests are being made from Italy
■as to the cost of coal in that country, allegations being that
this is due to the high rates of freight demanded by British
ship owners, it is interesting to note that out of a list of
cargoes from Cardiff to Italian ports during four weeks of
January only four were carried by British steamers ; 18 were
shipped in Italian vessels; the remainder in other foreign
craft, the total number of cargoes during the four weeks
being 35.

The provision of a fleet of motor ambulances was a chief
subject of discussion on Monday at a delegates’ conference
of miners, held in Cardiff. Lieut. Dennis Bailey, of
Nottingham, made an eloquent appeal; and Mr. Winstone,
the acting president of the South Wales Federation, said
it was desired to get the workmen’s 'approval, and to hand
over the ambulances to the Red Cross Society and the St. John
Ambulance Association. Other coal fields had contributed
handsomely, and the proposal was that the miners should
make a levy, while the colliery proprietors and royalty
receivers should also contribute. He added that the
associated coal owners had agreed to put £1 for every 1,000
tons of output, which would produce about £53,000. The
suggestion was that the miners should, for 15 or 16 weeks,
pay a levy of 6d. per man and 3d. per boy each week, the
money to be collected at the colliery offices. It was decided
to ballot the men on the question, and to recommend that
the scheme be supported.

Addressing a meeting at Newport in connection with the
Association for Infant Welfare, one speaker declared that
the mining communities were the worst in respect of
infantile mortality, for 160 per thousand of the babies died;
and this was attributable chiefly to the bad housing con-
ditions in mining areas.

Mr. Timothy Davies, M.P., member of the Parliamentary
Munitions Committee, addressing a pit head meeting of
miners at Cwmaman, dwelt upon the importance of the coal
trade. Coal was, he said, essential in carrying on the war,
both in regard to the supply of the Navy and also for the
manufacture of high explosives. The miners were not asked
to forego anything which they had gained through their
trade unions. All that was desired was that they would,
during the war, do all that was necessary to keep up the
supply of coal. They could depend upon it that whatever
rules their trade union might give up for the period of the
war, these would be restored afterwards.

Northumberland and Durham.

Miners and the Military Service Tribunal — Proposed
Employment of Children.

Mr. J. Lightley, who has been manager of Messrs.
Bolckow, Vaughan and Company’s Byers Green collieries
for about 11 years, has been appointed to fill an important
post at Messrs. Cochrane and Company’s Sleetburn Colliery.

At the first session of the Northumberland and North
Durham Military Service Tribunal for miners, held at the
Coal Trade Offices, Newcastle, last Friday, applications for
exemption from service from over 600 surface workers were
dealt with.

At Durham County Council meeting last week, when the
rates for the ensuing year were made, the chairman (Sir
Frank Brown) stated that the ratable value of the county
would be very much decreased this year owing to the great
reduction in the production of coal.

At the Miners’ Hall, Hebburn, last week, a roll of honour
bearing the names of 472 members of the Hebburn lodge of
the Durham Miners’ Association who have joined the Colours
was unveiled. The lodge has raised over £2,000, one-third
of which is to be retained for the men who return, whilst
two-thirds have already been sent to the local war relief
fund.

Mr. Fred G. Hooper, who has retired after 42 years’
service with the South Derwent Coal Company Limited,
during which time he rose from a minor position to be
manager of the South Derwent Willie Colliery, has been
presented by the officials .and workmen at the colliery with
a large aneroid hall barometer and a massive onyx clock,
with a gold and diamond ring for Mrs. Hooper.

Mr. Dryo Haise, of Trondhjem, Norway, a coal merchant
dealing exclusively in Northumberland steam coals, has
forwarded to Mr. T. E. Ruddock, of the firm of Messrs.
Watts, Watts and Company Limited, ship owners and coal
exporters, of Newcastle and Cardiff, a cheque for £100 “ for
the benefit of widows and orphans of Northumberland
miners who have fallen in the war,” .and .as an expression of
” sincere sympathy for the brave men who are now bleeding
on the field of battle in heroic struggle for their beloved
country, .and also for their relations who suffer at home.”

Discussing a recommendation that children of from 12 to
14 years of age might be released from school for work
upon the land, Mr. R. F. Spence, agent for the Backworth
collieries, addressing the members of the Northumberland
Education Committee last week, stated that the mining
industry was experiencing a great shortage of boys. They
had, at present, to employ men to do boys’ work below
ground, and if, by releasing boys earlier from school, these
boys could be employed on -the screens and heaps .above
ground, that would release others for work underground.
The chairman (Sir Francis Blake) replied that he was afraid
that committee could only consider the question of agricul-
ture, because that directly concerned the food of the people.

Yorkshire.

The Hatfield Sinking—Assessment of Colliery Company's
Houses—Conservation of Coal Measures—New Shaft at
Thorncliffe.

In connection with the sinking of the Hatfield Main
Colliery, near Doncaster, it was hoped that the Barnsley bed
of coal would have been reached by this time, the official
estimate being that the sinkers would be easily through to
the main objective by the beginning of the new year. Doubt-
less they would have been but for untoward circumstances.
An unfortunate delay has been occasioned through a breakage
of machinery. Whereas in normal times a broken part can
be replaced in comparatively quick time, it is very different
in war days. Valuable time has, therefore, been lost in the
making good of the damage -done, and no sooner was this
effected than a second unfortunate breakage occurred. It was
rumoured in the Doncaster district last week that the main
seam of coal had actually been reached, but this was not the
case. This interesting rumour probably arose from the fact

that a few days ago a 3 ft. seam of coal was penetrated in
the sinking to the Barnsley bed, and the fact that coal was
being brought to the surface.

There was an interesting application before the Adwick-le-
Street Urban District Council at its meeting last week. It
came from the Brods worth Colliery Company, who asked the
Council if they would, by virtue of the powers conferred upon
them by the Public Health Act, cause the whole of the
colliery company’s houses at Woodlands and Highfields to
be assessed at one-half for the purposes of the general dis-
trict rate. The company wrote that in this event they would
guarantee to pay the rates of these houses whether they were
occupied or not. They pointed out that the whole cost of
the water supply, street lighting, sewerage, and maintenance
of roads was borne by the company, and that the recent
asphalting had put them to a considerable amount of expense.
The Adwick Council did not seem to be at all impressed with
the application. It was pointed out that such a proceeding
would involve the Council in a considerable reduction of
income, and that if such concession was granted to the colliery
company, it would have to be granted to others. The appli-
cation was unanimously refused.

Presiding over the annual meeting of the Lofthouse Colliery
Limited at Leeds on Saturday, Mr. Abraham Armitage said
that some of the contracts of the company made in 1914 were
more profitable to the consumer than to the producer. The
demand for coal throughout the year had been in excess of
the output, and though the selling price had advanced con-
siderably, the cost of production had increased in proportion.
War bonuses of 15 per cent, were granted to miners last
year, the cost of mining timber had risen something like 300
to 400 per cent., and other stores had increased in price by
100 per cent., which made the margin available for profit
less than many people would suppose. In conjunction with
the employees, allowances had been made by the company to
the dependants of 196 men and lads who were serving with
the Forces, the firm’s contribution (representing one-third to
the employees’ two-thirds) amounting to £900. The colliery
had worked every available day during the year. It had
produced more coal during the oast year than in the previous
one, though on the normal working hours the output wTas
down 18 per cent.

The use of electricity as a means for conserving our coal-
measures was the subject of an interesting paper at a meet-
ing of the Leeds Association of Engineers by Mr. G.
Wilkinson, electrical engineer to the Corporation of Harro-
gate. The author pointed out that one of this country’s chief
assets was coal, and economy in its use and consumption was
very needful. It had been calculated that there were about
9,000,000 householders in the United Kingdom, and we should
not be far wrong if we allowed for each, on the average, a
consumption of three tons of fuel per annum. Thus some-
thing like 27,000,000 tons, or about one-tenth of all the coal
raised in these islands, was burned in private fires. Some
economy was already effected by the use of gas fires, because
the by-products of the coal were saved, and incidentally the
use conferred a benefit upon the community by decreasing
the amount of smoke and scot discharged by the domestic
chimney. It was only by an educational campaign that the
householder could be convinced of the importance of domestic
fuel economy in its aggregate result. A great saving could
be effected at once by abandoning the wasteful open fire in
favour of other more economical forms of heating, but, for
sentimental reasons, this was not immediately practicable.

An interesting event in connection with developments at
the Thorncliffe Collieries of Messrs. Newton, Chambers and
Company Limited, took place on Monday, when the first sod
was cut of an accommodation shaft, near the Skiers Spring
Brick Works of Earl Fitzwilliam, and not far from Went-
worth Midland Station. The main object of the undertaking
is to lower workmen to their working places on the coal face
more expeditiously, and thus avoid long walks underground.
The scheme is unique in respect to the electric winder, which
is the first to be used in the district. Among those present
at the opening ceremony were Mr. T. C. Newton (chairman
of directors), Mr. W. Newton Drew (managing director), Mr.
W. Hay (general • manager of the .collieries), Mr. C. W.
Dawson (director), Mr. D. Russell (assistant general manager
of the collieries), Mr. J. A. Davson (engineer), Mr. W.
Wardell, Miss Newton, Mrs. Hav. Mrs. Dawson, Miss
Dawson, and Mrs. Wardell. Mr. W. Hay stated that the
undertaking would mean an immense saving in the time
taken by miners to reach the workings, and consequently
increased earnings should result. Miss Newton, daughter
of Mr. T. C. Newton, then cut the first sod, and christened
the pit Staindrop.

Lancashire and Cheshire.

New Coal Boring.

Messrs. Henry Wall and Company, mining engineers, of
Wigan, have sought the permission of the Ghorley Corpora-
tion, on behalf of a client, to put a few trial boreholes down
to prove the ground under Common Bank. The application
has been referred for consideration to u sub-committee.

According to the minutes of the Tyldesley Health
Committee, which were adopted by the District Council
last week, the sanitary inspector had reported that he
had made arrangements to interview the Astley and
Tyldesley Collieries Limited, with regard to the alleged
dust nuisance from the firm’s colliery chimneys.

New seams are being rapidly opened out by Messrs. J.
Speakman and Sons at their Woodend collieries on the
eastern side of Leigh, whilst the work of sinking new mines
at their Parsonage Colliery, Westleigh, on the western side
of Leigh, is being pushed forward by the Wigan Coal
and Iron Company Limited.

North Wales.

With reference to the case recently heard before the
Munitions Tribunal for North Wales, wherein an engineer
named J. T. Roberts made application to the Court to compel
his employers, Messrs. J. Summers and Company Limited.
Shotton, to release him from their employment, in order that
he might take up a post of chief electrical engineer at
Wynnstay Colliery, Ruabon, the Court dismissed the
application. The Munitions Act, they state, applies to each
and every works or factory where Government work is being
performed. It is suggested, however, that Messrs. Summers
might endeavour to arrange to increase applicant’s salary,
and also in the event of their being able to find an efficient-
man to take his place, that they should try to release him
in order that he may take up the more lucrative post at
the colliery mentioned.