April 7, 1916.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

655

tube and mouthpiece is efficacious if properly used. A
more elaborate and useful type of oxygen reviving
apparatus has a mask fitted with straps, by which it is
fastened closely on the face of the disabled man. The
mask has a non-return outlet valve opening to the air,
by which the expired air escapes. It has also a tube
having an inlet valve connected with a breathing bag.
With this apparatus oxygen #an be delivered to the mask
under a slight pressure.

Several mechanical appliances have been introduced
to take the place of artificial respiration, or for use in
cases, e.g., of extensive fracture of the ribs, where that
procedure cannot be employed. In ordinary accidents
the combination of gassing with broken ribs is, however,
very rare, and can usually be met by t'he use of a
modified Howard’s method of artificial respiration.

Mr. A. M. Anderson, ambulance officer, Crown Mines,
states that in sharp cases of gassing he employs the
movements of artificial respiration, even where the
breathing is regular, to aid the expulsion of mucus and
gas from the lungs. This is a useful suggestion, and I
see that it has been recommended also by Dr. I. J.
Davies in the treatment of bad cases of carbon monoxide
poisoning, and by Drs. Elliot Black, Glenny, and McNee
in the treatment of cases of acute oedema of the lungs
occurring amongst our troops, and caused by the use of
poisonous gases by the enemy.

A word about emetics. Those used are not always to
be relied on to produce prompt and efficient emesis, and
if they do not do so may cause nausea and depression.
In slight cases of carbon monoxide poisoning two drachm
doses of bicarbonate of soda have been found a useful
substitute. The eructation of gas which it causes acts
in a similar way to the act of vomiting.

For the more severe cases, and in all cases of nitrous
fumes poisoning, I should suggest the use of apomor-
phine hypodermically. This drug is more reliable, and
produces a prompt and not too prolonged emesis.
Ambulance officers could easily be instructed in its use.
Apomorphine should be preceded(or followed by an injec-
tion of strychnine or (preferably) pituitrin.

MINING INDUSTRY AND MILITARY SERVICE.

At a meeting of the Rhymney Valley miners, it was
reported that the net result of the sittings of the military
courts respecting Monmouthshire cases was that practically
the whole of the men were exempted from military service,
and that the employers were doing their utmost to get their
men exempt. Refusals were less than "one in every 2,000
employed.

The Monmouthshire mining tribunal dealing with recruits
was informed that the Powell Tillery Company had 284 fewer
men employed now than was the case before the w’ar. From
the Talywain Collieries of the same company, 165 men had
joined the Colours, and their absentees averaged 7 per cent.

The Blaenavon Collieries do not show a large record of
enlistments, only 177 men out of 2,562 having joined; but
it is explained that the majority of the men are engaged on
material urgently needed by the War Authorities. It should
be noted, of course, that the Blaenavon undertaking includes
iron works, as well as collieries.

Calculating the figures submitted to the Warwickshire
mining tribunal it appears that there were over 18,700
employed in the Warwickshire coal field before the war,
and that 16,500 are employed at the present time. The
number of voluntary enlistments was over 4,800, and it is
claimed that this figure constitutes a record for the county
in proportion to the number employed.

The Lanarkshire colliery tribunal heard an interesting
point recently in connection with the non-barred classes.
A man who had entered the pit since August 1915 had pre-
viously been a printer. The military representative argued
that such a man did not come within the words of the
Act, “ habitually engaged in coal mining,” and that mining
was not his usual and principal occupation. Mr. Robertson,
for the man, thought, seeing they were being asked to relieve
more miners for the Army, the printer should be relieved in
this instance, especially as so many practical miners were
already at the front. The colliery company eventually with-
drew the application for exemption.

Mr. W. L. Halpin, manager of the Manton Colliery,
informed the Notts colliery tribunal that 1,756 men and boys
were employed at the pit, or 120 more than before the war.
A large number of men were engaged in keeping the pit dry.
They had to pump water from a depth of 120 yds. down the
shaft at the rate cf 7| tons a minute. Only 46 of the men
had not had previous experience. All but’ 20 men were
exempted; those “taken” were drawn from various occu-
pations, and several had not bad previous experience in
colliery work.

At Workington tribunal, a colliery agent and shipper
applied for the exemption of a coal trimmer, aged 29, on
the ground that he was working with a minimum of hands,
and any further withdrawal would considerably delay the
loading of steamers, and a reduction of the supply of coal to
railways and works under Government control in Ireland. A
conditional exemption was granted, so long as the man
remained in his present employment.

At the appeal tribunal for Cumberland and Westmorland,
Joseph Harris, of the Brayton Domain Colliery, appealed
against the decision of the Aspatria tribunal in the cases
of John Barrow, colliery wages clerk, and Jas. Wilkinson,
chief clerk and cashier. The local tribunal had refused the
application in the case of Barrow, and in the case of Wilkinson
had granted exemption for one month. There were 530
employed, and the amount of money paid weekly was practi-
cally £1,000. Wilkinson was granted three months’ exemp-
tion from April 3, and the appeal in regard to Barrow was
dismissed.

Tn the House of Commons, Mr. Walter Long explained
the procedure regarding miners. He said that for
a very considerable time the most complete overhauling had
been going on through the colliery inspectors. The Govern-
ment decided that the cases of single men of military age
who had gone into reserved occupations since August 15
should be specially reviewed. The following procedure would
be followed in the coal mines with regard to every case. The
Home Office asked the owner of each coal mine to furnish
to' the colliery recruiting court a list of all men taken into
employment since August 15, 1915. The court would for-
ward ‘these to the military representative. If the .military
representative was of opinion that the case of any mine—this

was a drastic alteration—ought to be investigated. by the
court, with a view of seeing whether any such man could
be released from the mines for military service, he would, in
the first instance, confer with the colliery court. If the
court agreed that there was a prima facie case for investi-
gation, they would fix a date of hearing, and the procedure
laid down would be adopted. If the court were satisfied,
after hearing the parties, that any of the men could be
released without seriously affecting the output of coal from
that particular colliery, the court would withdraw the certi-
ficate of exemption from such men, but the court would not
fail to bear in mind that the ’maintenance of the national
output of coal was a matter quite as important as the main-
tenance of the supply of men for the Army in the field. A
record of the decision of the court in the case of each man
would be entered on the list furnished by the owner.

Addressing a meeting of Bellshill district miners, Mr.
John Robertson, vice-president of the Scottish Miners’
Federation, said he did not agree with the statement that
the 160,000 men who had entered the mines since the com-
mencement of the war represented the natural increase of
the mining population, or that they had entered the mines
with the essentia’l purpose of helping their country. Rather
were they in very many instances prompted with the desire
to escape military service. He was proud of the miners, if
only for their unexampled patriotism, and it was up to their
trades union to see when the time came that those mean
individuals did not stand in the way of their comrades
getting back their jobs.

The first appeal under the Munitions of War Act came
before Mr. Justice Atkin in the King’s Bench last Friday.
In it the Lincoln Wagon and Engine Company Limited
appealed from a decision of the North Staffordshire
munitions tribunal granting a leaving certificate to George
Shaw, wagon builder and repairer. The appeal raised the
question whether the respondent as a builder and repairer
of railway wagons could be deemed to be engaged upon
munitions work. During the last six weeks of his service
he had been partly employed in repairing colliery companies’
wagons and partly in wagon lifting. It was said that he
did not receive the district rate of pay. His lordship said
that this question of definition involved a decision which
concerned the whole scope of the Act, and he adjourned the
hearing in order that the Ministry of Munitions might be
communicated with.

At Foleshill tribunal, Ernest Kelsey, colliery clerk,
claimed exemption, 'and the claim jvas supported by the
Warwickshire Coal Company, who said he was indispens-
able. Efforts had been made to get lady clerks, but they
would not come to a colliery that was off the tram route.
Mr. Hall, secretary of the colliery company, said the staff
was working overtime. In the very near future the Board
of Trade would make further calls for information from
collieries, which would entail considerable extra work on
the office staff. Temporary exemption to April 30 was
granted.

Several appeals by miners for exemption on conscientious
grounds were mentioned to the appeal tribunal for the
Northern Division of Durham, held at Gateshead. The
chairman (Judge Greenwell) announced that the court could
not hear such cases, as miners were starred. It was pointed
out, however, that circumstances might arise—such as the
shutting down of collieries—whereby these men would cease
to be starred and, unless the appeals were now considered,
would be deprived of the right of appeal. In the circum-
stances, it was agreed to adjourn these cases sine die so
as to preserve the right of appeal.

At Sunderland tribunal, a shipbreaker and timber
merchant claimed exemption for a sawyer, on the ground
that his was a reserved occupation. The man, he said, was
engaged in cutting timber of a special kind from old ships
for use in collieries. The appeal was dismissed, but leave
was granted for the man to appeal again on personal
grounds.

Mr. W. E. Walker informed the Nottingham colliery
tribunal that 30 Belgians were among those taken on at'the
Clifton Colliery since the war began, and eight of them
remained. The military representative stated that many of
the Belgians were treated so well that they tried to escape
their obligations to their country. In this respect he
thought the Belgians were badly supervised.

At Lanchester tribunal, Mr. John Cummings, manager
of Hamsterley Colliery, 'applied for the total exemption of
his bill clerk. There were no clerks left, and he (Mr.
Cummings) was now the only certificated man at the
colliery. Out of 575 men employed before the war, only
316 remained. Exemption was granted until the end of
May.

The application of Mr. Henry Armstrong, manager of the
Pelton Collieries, for exemption for a chief pay and wyages
clerk, at Chester-le-Street tribunal last week was refused.
Mr. Armstrong stated that they had two women clerks
training for pay bill work, but it would be impossible to
train a woman quickly for this man’s work. They had sent
away 470 men. A member of the tribunal said that he
could hardly understand how a man of 25 years could be
indispensable, but Mr. Armstrong replied that the work was
technical and the man had been trained to do it.

At Durham, six months’ exemption was granted to a chief
clerk and cashier employed by Messrs. Bell Brothers Limited.
He had charge of all the books of the colliery and of the
traffic arrangements. The other three men'of military age
who were employed in the office had been liberated for service,
and their places filled by boys who had just left school. At
the same tribunal, conditional exemption was asked for for a
young assistant keeper of three magazines of high explosives,
which supplied 15 collieries and one quarry in the district.
One month’s postponement was granted.

A firm of coal masters in Lanarkshire lodged a claim in
respect of a number of men who were working at a pit in
course of sinking. The operations were commenced shortly
after war was declared, and it would be at least twro years
before coal could be obtained. The military representative
argued that these men were not employed in a coal mine. It
was pointed out that the coal seams in this particular dis-
trict were being rapidly exhausted, and that unless the work
of opening up this new pit was allowed to proceed, there
would be a serious shrinkage of labour when the war was
over. The tribunal eventually agreed to remit the matter to
the Home Office.

A. matter of great importance was raised last week at the
Glamorgan colliery tribunal. Dr. Atkinson (H.M. inspector
of mines), the chairman, made a statement of far-reaching
effect. An appeal came from the Corrwg Colliery of the
Glenavon Company, who desired exemption for a collier;
bu this was not granted. Postponement for two months
was ordered, the man then having to join the tunnelling
corps. Mr. William Jenkins, miners’ agent, strongly con-

tested the decision of the court, which he urged was not
in accordance with instructions issued by the Government.
He said it had been understood that underground workmen
were exempt from service. Mr. Vernon Hartshorn, miners’
leader, who is a member of the tribunal, stated that 'a
definite understanding has been arrived at between the War
Office and the Home Office respecting the matter; and the
procedure of the court was in direct contravention of that
understanding. He did not think it right for the mines
inspector or military representative to be releasing men for
tunnelling work, except on the basis of voluntaryism. None
of the members of the Appeal Court would have consented to
act except on the understanding that they would not be
called upon to force miners into the tunnelling companies.—
The chairman said there was nothing to prevent an 'appeal
to the Central Tribunal. Mr. F. Hodges, miners’ agent, said
that men now enlisting from the mines were being absorbed
into other army units instead of being attached to the
tunnelling corps.—Mr. Jenkins, in further contention, urged
that the court had no right to refuse exemption, and said
that he should appeal against the decision on two grounds :

(1)	That, by refusing exemption to underground workmen,
the tribunal were over-riding Home Office instructions; and

(2)	that no opportunity was given for investigation of
individual cases. Mr. Jenkins desired the chairman to pro-
duce his authority for refusing exemption.

After a consultation by the Glamorgan tribunal, the
chairman said that the tribunal adhered to its decision.
The result of the appeal to the Central Tribunal would cover
all the cases. Should the decision of that court be reversed,
then the whole of the underground men now refused exemp-
tion and referred to the tunnelling corps would be exempted.
One test case would be taken to cover all the others.—Mr.
Vernon Hartshorn said that the chairman was taking the
course of refusing exemption to a certain percentage of men
from the Admiralty collieries, a certain percentage from
the non-Admiralty collieries, and a certain percentage from
the anthracite collieries.—It was stated further that every
facility would be given in regard to the appeal, no technical
issues would be raised as to the appeal not being within the
prescribed period, etc.—A number of underground workmen
were then referred to the tunnelling corps from all the
collieries dealt with.

Mr. Dyer Lewis, H.M. inspector of mines, presided on
Friday" over the sitting of the mining tribunal for the
anthracite 'area, which took place at Swansea, and upon
reference being made to the decision of the Glamorgan court
that underground workmen must be taken for work in the
tunnelling company, Mr. Lewis said that with respect to
anthracite colliers, unless single men could be obtained
voluntarily, the court could not now attach them.

When the Glamorgan tribunal resumed its sittings on
Monday, Dr. Atkinson stated that additional instructions
had been received. These applied to single men of military
age who had gone into reserved occupations since August 15
last. Colliery owners have been asked to furnish the courts
with lists of such men taken into employ since that date;
and Dr. Atkinson said that investigation of those lists might
necessitate reappearance of a number of the representatives
of the employers and workmen. Dr. Atkinson stated also,
on the question of the selection of men for tunnelling com-
panies, that the appeal to the Central Court would, if
practicable, be sent at once, and the selection of men for
tunnelling would be postponed until the result of the
appeal was known. Men already selected would not be in
any way prejudiced, and if the Court of Appeal decided
against that method of obtaining tunnellers, the men would
be granted exemption in the same way as underground
workmen. He hoped that all colliery people would make a
determined effort to get men for tunnelling, as it was most
desirable as soon .as possible. They were urgently called for.
—Applications were made to the court for forms of appeal
in respect of men desired for tunnelling work, but the
chairman stated that he had not got any forms.—Mr. Ben
Davis (miners’ leader), who is one of the assessors of the
court, 'asked, if appeal were made only upon what happened .
at the court on the 30 th ult., what would be the position
of men who had been ordered for tunnelling on the day
preceding? Mr. Davies made strong protest against the
chairman’s previous ruling, and Dr. Atkinson stated that
only one case would go to the Court of Appeal, and the :
result upon that would decide the whole question of the
method of selecting tunnellers.

On the 30th ult., however, the whole of the circumstances
were put before Mr. Brace, M.P. (Under-Secretary for Home
Affairs); and Mr. W. Abraham, M.P., was informed that,
the decision to compel men to enter tunnelling companies
was entirely wrong, and altogether contrary to express
instructions from the Home Office. Men for tunnelling
would volunteer; and every confidence was felt that the
requisite number would be forthcoming. Sir R. Redmayne
(Chief Inspector of Mines) was present at the interview.

Th Abercarn men on strike have had their circumstances
brought before the Monmouthshire colliery tribunal. Mr.
Tallis, the military reprsentative, asked for the whole of
the men who were not at work to be released for military
service. The chairman (Mr. T. G. Davies, H.M. inspector
of mines) stated that as the men had not given notice or
been given notice, they were still in the employ of the
company. The workmen’s representative said that the men
wished to return to work that morning, but were not allowed
to do go; but the employers’ representative said that he
thought the men wanted to return to work in order to give
14 days’ notice, thus entitling themselves to strike pay.
The tribunal’s decision upon the matter was postponed.

A highly creditable standard of enlistment was disclosed
during the hearing of the adjourned application to Dover
Borough tribunal for the exemption of Mr. W. H. Barrell,
chief accountant to Kent Coal Concessions. Mr. Walter
Moens claimed that Mr. Barrell’s services were of the
greatest importance to the company. Out of a total staff of
50, of Kent Coal Concessions and allied companies, 38 were
now serving. The tribunal granted three months’
exemption.

At Tipton (Staffordshire) tribunal, on Monday, Mr. J.
Richards, president of the local miners’ association, appeared
to represent four members of his organisation whose cases
had been submitted by the colliery court.. Mr. Doughty
(a member of the tribunal) raised an objection to Mr.
Richards, on the ground that proper notice had not been
given. The tribunal decided to adjourn the cases for a
week so that individual notice could be given by the men
concerned.

According to official reports, Sweden produced in
6,586,630 tons of iron ore and 366,639 tons of coal. Owing
to the war there was a reduction in the output of iron ore
of about 11-9 per cent.