April 20, 1916.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

767

INDIAN AND COLONIAL NOTES.

India.

East Indian Railway.—During the six months ended with
September 30, 1915, 5,130,965 tons of coal were carried. Of
the total, 3,357,573 tons were carried for the public, 1,236,066
tons for foreign railways, and 537,326 tons for the purposes
of the undertaking. The total quantity of coal carried during
the period under review was 158,551 tons less than that of
the corresponding period of 1914, but. the receipts therefrom
gave an increase of Bs. 3,94,748. There, was an increase
in the upward traffic, principally for railways, of 242,910
tons in weight carried, and of Bs. 16,08,586 in the receipts.
The downward traffic, however, fell off to the extent of
401,461 tons, with a decrease in the receipts of Bs. 12,13,838.
Owing to the scarcity of tonnage which prevailed at the
port of Calcutta during the whole of the half-year, foreign
railways and mills on the western side of India took a large
proportion of their coal requirements by the all-rail route.
This accounts for the increase in the upward coal traffic, and
to a great extent for the decrease in the downward traffic,
but in the latter traffic there was also a falling off in the
despatches to stations near Calcutta and to the Eastern
Bengal railway. The average earnings of the coal traffic
per ton per mile, both up and down, were 2*10 pies (say
0-175 of a penny), against 2-27 pies (say 0*189 of a penny)
in 1914, while the average distance carried was 321 miles,
as compared with 280 miles in the corresponding period
of 1914. The following figures compare the total quantities
of coal exported from Calcutta by sea during the two half-
years ended September 30, 1915 and 1914 :—

	1915.	1914.
To	Tons.	Tons.
Aden 		10,716	10,464
Bombay 		111,262	...	389,121
Ceylon 		298,122	...	169,544
Karachi 		35,134	...	191,650
Madras 		29,184	57,720
Marmagoa 		—	11,972
Bangoon 		217,366	...	205,196
Straits Settlements		36,286	57,798
Sumatra 		25,807	41,237
Bay of Bengal and East		
’Coast ports 		19,836	21,919
Coromandel Coast ports	108,634	...	124,758
Other ports 		9,146	6,555
Total for the half-year	901,493	... 1,287,934

Of the coal' exported, the East Indian Bailway carried
682,871 tons in the half-year, as compared with 1,040,342 in
the corresponding period of 1914. The outturn of coal
at the company’s collieries during the half-year ended
September 30, 1915, was 417,836 tons (of which 330,663 tons
were steam coal), raised at a cost of Bs. 1 : 15 : 6 per ton at
the pit’s mouth. The quantity of steam coal consumed by
the undertaking, including coal purchased, was 413,595 tons,
at an average cost of Bs. 2:7:5 per ton exclusive of dis-
tribution; against 423,162 tons, at the same average cost
per ton, in the half-year ended September 30, 1914.

Freight Rates on Indian Coal.—Commerce says :—“ The
Government of India are now carrying coal for Admiralty
requirements in their own vessels, the steamers “ Tung-
Shan ” and “Wimbledon” having been requisitioned at
fixed rates for the Colombo run. Ordinary marine freights
are almost prohibitive, Bs. 25 being now asked, as against
Bs. 19 per ton a few weeks previously. Coal, which used to
cost Bs. 11-8 per ton c.i.f. Calcutta to Colombo, now works
out at Bs. 35. Shipping companies are, of course, making
big profits as a result of this situation. An expert, who is at
the head of the coal department of a leading firm, estimates
that a steamer carrying 6,000 tons of coal to Colombo from
Calcutta at the above rate earns a gross freight of about two
lakhs of rupees a month, which is a sum unheard of in normal
times. The amount earned on this ratio should pay for the
steamer in a few months.

Africa.

Coal Production in January.—The 61 producing collieries
in British South Africa sold 709,317 tons of coal in January,
valued at T190,279. The sales of the various provinces was
as follows:—Transvaal, 435,548 tons (4s. 4-97d. per ton);
Cape, 3,565 tons (Ils. 6-01d.); Orange Free State, 58,975 tons
(5s. 2-61d.); Natal, 211,229 tons (7s. 3*16d.). The month is
chiefly remarkable for a rise of 7d. in the price of Natal coal.

Coal in South-West Africa.—According to Dr. P. A.
Wagner (Geological Survey Memoir No. 7), notwithstanding
the fact that a considerable amount of prospecting and boring
has been carried out within the area occupied by the rocks
of the Karroo system, no workable seams of coal have as yet -
been discovered in South-West Africa. A few years back
small lenticles of coal, up to 4 cm. in thickness, were struck
in dark Dwyka shale at Gariganis, situated about nine miles
north-east of Keetmanshoop, in the course of sinking a well.
Prospecting pits and boreholes were at once put down all over
the surrounding country, but, despite the fact that one of the
boreholes, sunk at Auros, attained a depth of almost 500 ft.,
and appears to have penetrated the Dwyka series down to
the basal tillite, no further discoveries were made. A number
of boreholes put down to the east and north of Gibeon, where
thin films of coaly substance occur in the Karroo sandstone,
were no more successful; and the same applies to boreholes
up to 330 ft. in depth that were sunk in Auob Valley, near
Stamprietfontein and Klein Nabas. Altogether, the prospects
of finding exploitable seams of coal in the southern part of
the Protectorate do not appear to be very bright. The Karroo
beds in the eastern and south-eastern portions respectively of
the Gibeon and Gobabis districts, and in the Warmbad dis-
trict, however, still remain to be examined. As regards the
northern portion of South-West Africa, the sandstones and
shales of the Kaoko formation, which are believed to belong to
the Karroo system, and have been thoroughly inspected, have
yielded no indications of coal. Several writers have sug-’
gested the likelihood of coal being discovered in the Caprivi
Belt. As yet no evidence has been adduced for or against
this view, but it appears to the author that, even if coal were
discovered, it would be of very little value, owing to the
inaccessibility and unhealthy character of the area. A
deposit of gilsonite (fissure coal) is said to occur in the Karroo
beds in the Gibeon district, but no information regarding it
is available.

Australia.

Proposed State Coal Mines at Ipswich.—Negotiations have
been entered into, says the Queensland Government Mining
Journal, by the Queensland Minister for Mines (Hon.
W. Hamilton) and Mr. W. B. Black, for the purchase, as

a going concern, of the latter’s Blackheath and Abermain
coal mines, in the Ipswich district, for the purpose of
establishing a State coal mine. Mr. Black has named a
price for these collieries, and other coal mines have been
placed under offer to the Government, at certain prices, in
the same district. The Minister has appointed a board to
consider the suitability or otherwise of the mines offered as
State coal mines, the advisability of establishing a State
colliery, and to arrive at what ds considered a fair price
to pay for the same. This board consists of Mr. A. A.
Atkinson, Chief Inspector of Coal Mines, New South Wales ;
Mr. C. F. V. Jackson, State Mining Engineer and Chief
Inspector of Mines, Queensland; and Mr. W. E. Lawrie,
Inspector of Mines, Ipswich district. Mr. Atkinson has
arrived in Brisbane from Sydney, and the board has
entered upon its duties.

Canada.

Mineral Production in 1915.—The report of the Canadian
Department of Mines gives the total production of coal at
13,209,371 tons (short tons throughout), valued at 31,957,757
dols., as against 13,637,529 tons, valued at 33,471,801 dols.
in 1914, being a decrease of 3-44 per cent, in quantity and
4-52 per cent, in value. The production of provinces was as
follows :—Nova Scotia, 749,888 tons; Alberta, 3,320,431 tons ;
British Columbia, 2,089,966 tons; Saskatchewan, 236,940
tons; New Brunswick, 122,422 tons; and Yukon Territory,
9,724 tons. The exports were 1,766,543 tons, valued at
5,406,058 dols., as compared with exports of 1,423,126 tons,
valued at 3,880,175 dols. in 1914. The imports were
12,465,902 tons, valued at 28,345,605 dols., as against
14,721,057 tons, of the value of 39,801,498 dols. in 1914. The
apparent consumption was 23,849,040 tons, as against
26,852,323 tons during the previous year. Canadian mines
contributed 48 per cent, of the domestic consumption. The
total output of oven coke during 1915 was 1,200,766 tons, as
against 1,015,253 tons in 1914. Nova Scotia produced
584,993 tons, an increase of 239,113 tons over 1914 production.
The by-products of the coke ovens included, for the first time,
a production of benzol and associated compounds. The
output of trinitrotoluene near the close of the year was esti-
mated at 100,0001b. per week. At the end of the year there
were about 1,724 ovens in operation, as contrasted with only
797 at the end of 1914. The imports of coke during 1915
were 637,857 tons, and the exports 35,869 tons.

LABOOR AID WAGES.

South Wales and Monmouthshire.

Owing to the blizzard a fortnight ago, the miners’ annual
conference could not resume its sittings on the second day ;
but the adjourned meeting took place on Monday last,
special importance attaching to it by reason of consideration
given to a letter from the Admiralty. This related to the
Easter holidays, and stated that not only were the needs of
the Allies’ navies and State railways very considerable,
’but that there was also a general shortage in the amount
of coal available for home consumption and for export.
Difficulties experienced in distributing the available output
between the several services requiring coal had increased
since last year; while the disorganisation produced through
adverse climatic conditions recently had rendered the
position still more acute. The Admiralty, therefore, strongly
urged that work should be stopped for only one day—
Easter Monday; stating, that last year, when both Monday
and Tuesday were taken as holiday, much inconvenience
was experienced owing to the holidays synchronising with
an active demand for coal for Admiralty purposes. It was
further urged that the men would attend in full numbers on
Tuesday.—After the reading of this letter, several members
of the executive council strongly recommended the delegates
to endorse the Admiralty request, it being stated that the
council were unanimous in this matter.—Certain of the
delegates had come from their lodges instructed to vote for
three days holiday; others for two days ; and on the first
vote there were 53 delegates for one day, 115 for two days,
and 94 for three. The second vote was 175 for two days,
and 96 for three days. Two days holiday will therefore
be asked for.

The conference had also before it a proposal for
establishing a national wages board, to deal with all matters
affecting general wage rates; and that there should be, as
the basis of a national programme, a 1918 standard estab-
lished, by adding the then existing percentage to the prevail-
ing standards in the respective districts. This proposal was
referred to the executive council for consideration. An amend-
ment of the Minimum Wage Act is also to be sought.

The conference sat for two days. A series of resolutions
from Maes'teg (summary of which has already appeared here)
was moved as suggestions for the proposed amendment of the
Minimum Wage Act : (1) That the minimum for each grade
shall not be less than the actual average earnings of the
men in that grade; (2) all disqualifying rules to be abolished,
so that the minimum shall be subject only to ordinary con-
tractual obligations; (3) where in any grade there are both
piece-workers and day-wage men, the average earnings of the
whole shall be ascertained, and a uniform minimum be estab-
lished; (4) all surfacemen to come under the Act. These
amendments were approved by the conference.—Another reso-
lution requested the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain
executive to ensure protection of compensation due to work-
men in cases of failure or bankruptcy of employers.

A resolution of the national conference upon the Military
Service Act was deemed too weak, and a stronger resolution
was unanimously adopted, declaring opposition to compulsory
service, and calling for repeal of the Act now in operation;
also to get the foregoing adopted as general policy by all
trade unions; and that should the Government proceed with
suggested extension of the scope of the existing Act, another
coal field conference be called to consider the situation.

The outgoing officials were re-elected, no contests taking
place, the conference adopting the recommendation of the
executive in this matter.

Dealing with recent decisions of independent chairmen on
the general wage question, profound dissatisfaction was, by
resolution, formally expressed at the later awards of Lord St.
Aldwyn and Lord Muir Mackenzie, it being held that too
much consideration was given to the increased cost of produc-
tion. It is desired that the next award shall restore the old
basis (Sir D. Dale’s award) of 1903, as to the equivalent to
the selling price. After the next award has been given, a
further conference will be called to consider this matter.

Another resolution advocated increase to 7s. 6d. of old-age
pensions.

Cardiff Coal Trimming Board met on Tuesday to consider
further the demands for higher wages—an increase of the

war bonus from 12f to 25 per cent, on British and Allied
Government vessels; an extra penny per ton upon free
British vessels ; and double rates on neutral and on Allies’
free ships. The owners’ representatives declined to entertain
the demands, which they considered unreasonable. As to
the extension of Saturday working hours for trimmers and
tippers on general exports, no settlement of terms was
reached. Upon both questions the men’s representatives
will report to a conference of delegates from all the South
Wales ports.

Swansea coal trimmers also are .seeking increased rates
of pay. In addition to the 12J per cent, bonus, they ask
Id. per ton extra on free British shipping, and double tariff
on neutral vessels, seeing that these latter are free from
the excess-profits tax.

Because of its relation to the pit wood traffic, special import-,
ance attaches to the action of the South Wales representatives
of the Deckers’ Union. They seek to establish in Cardiff a
scheme for registering transport workers, such as exists in
Swansea; and are waiting to see if the military authorities
will take the matter up at Cardiff, and it is hoped to call a
meeting of employers. The adoption of such a scheme will,
it is submitted, stop men who are not dock workers from
securing work at the docks, and will simplify very consider-
ably the task of the tribunals in deciding whether men should
be retained for employment at the docks, or whether they
should be in the Army. It is contended that such a scheme
would operate to the advantage of the employers, and would
promote efficiency in work, while the interests of the men
would be safeguarded.

At Cardiff, the Bristol Channel Ship Owners’ Association
has discussed the question of tippers’ and trimmers’ extension
of working hours on Saturday afternoons. Whilst the men
have agreed to work, as previously announced, the matter of
remuneration was left to be settled in each locality. The ship
owners decided to leave the matter to a special committee
appointed by the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce, on which the
ship owners and docks authorities are represented. A notice
has been issued by the joint conference of trimmers and tippers
of the Bristol Channel ports to the effect that the men are
prepared to work until 8 p.m. on Saturdays on ships that can
complete loading and bunkering by that hour, subject to
overtime counting as from one o’clock; that British free
tonnage shall pay 3s. 6d. per man per hour or part of an
hour; that all neutral and allied tonnage shall pay 5s. per
man per hour or part of an hour; and that application for
trimmers and tippers to work after one o’clock must be made
to the proper authorities or officials of the men’s unions con-
cerned not later than 11 o’clock on Saturday mornings. On
Saturday last there was no extension of working hours,
arrangements to that end not having been agreed upon.

Owing to a dispute as to the price list, work has been
stopped for several days at the Tormynydd Colliery Cwmavon.

Because of an adverse decision in Aberavon County Court,
when a haulier failed to secure payment of an extra half-
turn per week, Cynon Colliery men came out on strike; but,
after intervention of their agent, the men returned to work
after a brief stoppage.

The local Colliery Examiners’ Association had a meeting
in Cardiff on Saturday, delegates representing about 4,000
members being present. The deputation which had met
representatives of the Board of Trade concerning matters in
dispute with the employers, submitted their report, which was
regarded as favourable, and thanks were voted to the Board
of Trade. As to co-operative action with the Miners’ Federa-
tion upon matters affecting the examiners, a resolution was
passed instructing the council to “seek ways and means
whereby we may become affiliated with the Federation, retain-
ing our identity as the Association of Colliery Examiners.”

The executive committee of the South Wales and Mon-
mouthshire Steel Workers’ Sliding Scale met in Cardiff on
Saturday, and had before it a motion to tender six months’
notice terminating the agreement. This originated with the
Dowlais men, and had secured support elsewhere, though
notice could not be given till July; dissatisfaction having been
prevalent because the men’s representatives had not succeeded
in obtaining abolition of the maximum which they sought
owing to the great increase in prices. Their contention was
that a greater share of the profits should go to the men; but
an appeal by them to the Committee on Production was unsuc-
cessful, that Committee, however, granting a war bonus. At
the executive meeting on Saturday, the matter was fully con-
sidered, and it was decided not to tender notices., a large
majority being against that course. It-was, however, resolved
to seek an early conference with the employers, in order to
obtain removal of some of the restrictions now connected with
the war bonus.

Federated Area.

Trouble has arisen at Waleswood Colliery, near Sheffield,
m consequence of the employment of women to do light
work on the surface. Five women and one girl have been
engaged. No attempt has been made to introduce women
on screening work, such as is done in Lancashire. Two of
Hie women are the wives of men previously employed at the
pit who have been wounded at the front. The Derbyshire
Miners’ Association opposed the introduction of the women,
and .a demand for their dismissal having been refused, they
have taken a ballot on the question of handing in notices.
The voting was 480 in favour of giving notice and 159
against. The result of-the ballot will be reported to the
miners’ association.

The discontent arising out of the recent ballot for miners’
agent to the Cannock Chase Association has led to a develop-
ment. A resolution was adopted at a meeting of miners
held at Heath Hayes to sever connection with the local
association, and to join with the North Warwickshire
organisation. Subsequently a mass meeting of miners was.
held in the Market Hall, Hednesford, when strong criticism
was passed on the efforts of those who were endeavouring
to bring about a spl.t among men on the Chase, and a
resolution of loyalty to Cannock Chase Association was
carried by an overwhelming majority.

Several important matters came up for consideration at
a meeting of the Lancashire and Cheshire Coal Wages
Board, in Manchester. The board was given power to
prevent strikes in the Lancashire and Cheshire coal fields,
and so far it has succeeded in that object. Amongst other
matters discussed was the application for the 5 per cent,
advance recently awarded by Lord Coleridge, .and it was
agreed that the arrears should be paid as from March 3.
Complaints had been made as to the non-fulfilment of the
agreement between coal owners and miners on the non-union
question, and an . arrangement was arrived at whereby a
more rigid enforcement of the agreement will be carried
into effect. It has been suggested in some quarters that,
as was done a few years ago, the unionists should refuse
to ride in the same cage as the non-unionists.