April 28, 1916. _____________________________________________ 812 _____________________________________________________________________ THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 13s. 11-6d. per day, after deducting cost of explosives and lights. The selling prices of coal on November 24, 1915, were as follow :—To the Railways Department, screened, 11s. per ton ; run-of-mine, 9s.; slack, 6s. 6d. To other public departments, screened, Ils. 6d.; run-of-mine, 9s.; slack, 7s. ; to the general public, slack, 7s. “So irregular and so much faulted is the coal in the State mine area,’’ says the report, “ that it has been found necessary to employ five drills con- stantly in the work of close ‘ boring,’ and I have conse- quently been unable to undertake any experimental boring during the year. As a result of the year’s boring, I am not prepared to disturb my previous estimates of the total quan- tity of coal contained in the State mine area, given in my annual report for the financial year 1912-13, wherein it is stated that the total quantity of coal 2 ft. 6 in. and over in the mine area is estimated to be 28,000,000 tons; and that, allowing 20 per cent, for loss in working, and deducting 1,434,000 tons already worked, leaves about 21,000,000 tons available for extraction. Since the submission of this esti- mate, 1,077,547 tons has been extracted, leaving approxi- mately 20,000,000 tons of available coal.’’ New South Wales Coal Trade.—During 1915 the trade was in an unsettled state, owing mainly to the conditions produced by the war. There was, fortunately, no general strike, but many stoppages occurred at individual collieries. The coke workers of the South Coast returned to work early in January of the present year after a fortnight’s idleness, the proprietors’ unconditional offer of 10s. per ebay having been accepted; but the South Coast coal mines have since refused to work owing to the shelving of the Eight Hour Bill. In 1914, the production of coal in New South Wales amounted to 10,390,622 tons, valued at £3,737,761, and was the second largest in the history of the State. The returns showing the quantity of coal exported to Australasian and other ports during the first nine months of 1915 exhibit a decrease of 1,091,667 tons and £611,264 in value on that recorded for a similar period in 1914. The coke trade has been in a fairly satisfactory condition, the coke ovens on the South Coast having been employed during the greater portion of the year. In the western district the only coke ovens in operation are those at Oakey Park Colliery and Messrs. Hoskins’ property respectively. The shale industry in the western district will furnish a comparatively small output. The alteration to the retorts at Wolgan are giving satisfactory results, and it is expected that this will lead to an increased production of shale during the coming year. Owing to the closing down of the works of the British Australian Oil Company the production of shale at Murrurundi has ceased for the present. At Newcastle a return issued by the railway berthing master shows that there was a decrease of 1,042,414 tons in tlie shipments of coal from the port during the last year as compared with the previous 12 months. The quantity shipped was 4,276,492 tons, compared with 5,318,906 tons during 1914. The figures for 1915 represent 581,497 wagon loads discharged into 3,204 steamers, 147 sailing vessels, and 74 lighters. Despite the decline in the export of coal, the condition of trade in the Newcastle and Maitland district was far better than had been expected, and the Walsh Island Government wnrks and the Broken Hill Proprietary Company’s steel works have helped to improve matters. These two big industries .employ 3',000 men, and pay about £10,000 in wages. The Broken Hill Proprietary Company has commenced a battery of 66 by-product ovens of the Semet-Solvay type, and it is understood that these are giving general satisfaction. Under-Secretary of Mines (N.S.Wd). — After filling the position of Under-Secretary for Mines in New South Wales for 13 years, Mr. E. E. Pittman retired at the end of the past year, though, having 144 months’ leave, he remains the nominal head of his department until the expiration of that term; 37 years have passed since Mr. Pittman entered the Department of Mines at Sydney, and for 24 years he was Government Geologist before his advancement to the Under- Secretaryship, which he has held ever since. On the recom- mendation of the Minister of Mines, Mr. Estell, the Public Service Board has appointed Mr. Richard Hind Cambage, chief mining surveyor, Acting Under-Secretary, in succession to Mr. Pittman, the appointment to become permanent at the expiration of Mr. Pittman’s leave. On the occasion of the visit of the delegates to the British Association Congress last year, Air. Cambage was the chairman of the New South Wales Science Committee. _________________________ Canada. Nova Scotia Coal Production in 1915.—A careful estimate places the tonnage for the year at about 6,600,000 tons, or within 50,000 tons of the production of 1914. When it is remembered that .at the end of the first half of 1915 the output figures showed a decrease of over 400,000 tons when compared with the first half of 1914, the change in the conditions of the coal industry is clearly seen. The increase has, moreover, been almost entirely obtained in the last quarter of 1915. The effect of several underground fires in Pictou County has been to diminish the percentage production of Nova Scotia proper when compared with Cape Breton Island, so that the latter will probably produce 82 per cent, of the entire coal output of Nova Scotia, as compared with 81 per cent, during the last four years. The production of the Dominion Coal Company will, it is estimated, work out at about 76 per cent, of the entire tonnage of Nova Scotia. The percentage production of the mainland collieries when compared with the Cape Breton collieries will probably continue to decline, and the position of the Dominion Coal Company in the Province becomes steadily of greater importance. The percentage of the outputs of the Dominion Coal Company in 1911 was 66 per cent.; during 1912 to 1914 this company contributed 71 per cent, of the tonnage of the province, and during the past year the percentage has, as already stated, risen to 76 per cent. A few years ago it seemed as if the production of some of the smaller operators would increase to an appre- ciable extent, but the financial stringency has since brought about the permanent, or temporary closing of a number of collieries, and the underground fires in Pictou County have helped to lessen the tonnages mined by the smaller com- panies. The fall and rise of the coal production has been exactly coincident with the small or larger demand that has been made by the steel companies for coal. At the present time the steel companies of Nova Scotia are working at fullest pressure, and a heavy demand is being made upon the collieries. No new development work at all has been done at the Nova Scotian collieries since, the summer or the late autumn of 1913, and no new mines have been developed to replace the exhausted ones that have closed down in the interim'. Even if new mines were available, the labour to operate could not be obtained at the present time. 'These conditions have brought about a stiffer demand for coal than has existed for many months past, and indications are for a continuance of the demand, so long at least as the artificial conditions brought about by the war continue to exist. One effect of the war upon the coal trade of Nova Scotia should be the recognition of the excellent qualities of the coal for steamship bunkers. The mail steamers from Halifax and St. John, the converted cruisers, and even warships, use Canadian coal—a circumstance that will without doubt be turned to advantage when things become normal, and may serve to shatter the prejudices of conservative owners and captains. The bunker trade has assumed quite important proportions, and promises to become even more extensive. The shortage of labour due to enlistments has reached serious pro- portions. Including the French, Belgian, and Italian reservists who have joined their respective Forces since the war commenced, and enlistments in the Canadian contin- gents', the number of recruits from among the workmen at the collieries is between 2,900 and 3,000 men, or 22 per cent, of the mine employees. The reduction in outputs has been in direct proportion to the enlistments, as owing to the specialised nature of the miner’s work, the men who have left cannot be replaced. These conditions have created what promises to prove a general coal shortage, and some action will have to be taken by the Canadian Government to lessen recruiting among the mine workers, unless the supply of coal for munitions purposes is to fall short of the quantity required. Since the outbreak of war the workmen of the Dominion Coal' Company have contributed nearly 2,000 recruits, more than half of whom are Canadian born, or of some other British nationality. By small monthly contributions, the workmen of this company have raised 8,000 dols. for the Canadian Patriotic Fund, and are continuing collections at the rate of slightly below 1,000 dols. per month. For machine guns and motor ambulances, a further 8,000 dols. were raised, and, in addition, the men have contributed to such patriotic benefac- tions as the Belgian Relief Fund, the Red Cross Funds, and to the other very numerous objects for which funds are now being asked, and of which no exact record is available. Similar action has taken place in each colliery centre through- out Nova Scotia. _________________________ SOME RECENT DECISIONS UNDER THE WORKMEN’S COMPENSATION ACT. [Specially Contributed.] A War Bonus as “ Earnings.” In connection with 'a claim against the Fife Coal Company at Dunfermline, the Sheriff there recently had occasion to discuss the question whether a wuar bonus should rank as “ earnings ” within the meaning of the Act in fixing the amount of compensation. A war bonus, he said, was paid only to workers on the surface, and not to those under- ground. Halving a powerful organisation behind them the miners could secure adequate wages; the county wage had been raised by Is. 6d. per shift since the beginning of the war, and they were earning big wages. But the men who did the various odd jobs about the surface were not organised, and their wages were on a lower scale. Every rise in the miners’ county wages involved a rise in the wages of the surface workers. Thus, if the miner had an additional 3d. a shift, the surface workers had Id. It had been found, however, that the first automatic increase of wages to those who did the surface work had not been suffi- cient to enable them to overcome the difficulties caused by the war. Owing to the increased cost of living and other circumstances they were not getting a living wage, and it was necessary to raise their wages beyond the automatic increase consequent on the miners’ rise. That was done, but it was done through the device of a “ war bonus,” which depended on exactly the same conditions as wages, and was earned in the same manner. It was only called a war bonus in order that it might be taken off at the conclusion of the war without the appearance of reducing wages. It was an extra wage given on account of the war, and was to last only till the war was at an end. That, said the Sheriff, in conclusion, was the whole mystery of the war bonus, which was clearly part of the claimant’s earnings. Reference to a Medical Referee. Under the provisions of Schedule I. of the Workmen’s Compensation Act., a-workman claiming or receiving com- pensation payments may be required to submit himself for examination by a duly qualified medical practitioner pro- vided and paid by the employer. If the workman refuses to submit himself to such examination or in any way obstructs it, his right to compensation or to the continuation of pay- ments is suspended until the examination takes place. In the event of no agreement being come to between an employer and workman as to the latter’s condition or fitness for employment, the registrar of a county court (in Scotland, the sheriff clerk) may, on the application of both parties, refer the matter to a medical referee. In this case, also, refusal or obstruction entails the liability already referred to. An interesting instance of an attempt to evade liability was recently dealt with by the Sheriff at Linlithgow, in a claim against the Bridgeness Coal Company, Bo’ness. After signing a joint application for reference to a medical referee, the workman refused to attend for examination on the grounds that the document was not read over to him, that he did not understand its contents, and that the employers led him to believe that he was simply allowing himself to be medically examined on their behalf. The company had discontinued compensation payments on the ground that the man was fit Jor light work, and he now applied for an award ordering the continuance of the compensation. The Sheriff, however, suspended the payments from the date on which the workman should have attended for examina- tion, and suspended the. right to prosecute arbitration proceedings until the medical examination had taken place. A Voluntary Settlement. An interesting example of a claim in which the employers agreed to concede the benefit of the doubt and effect a settle- ment, has been heard at Chorley County Court. Towards the end of July a drawer in the service of the Blainscough Colliery Company Limited, Coppull, on returning home from work complained to his wife that he had injured his shoulder in lifting a full box. No one saw the accident, and no claim for compensation was then made. After a rest of a day or two the man resumed work, and remained at it on and off until August 17, on which date, he alleged, he again injured the same shoulder. As in the first accident, there was no witness, but the workman made a statement to the checkweigher four days after, and the checkweigher sent in a formal claim for compensation on the man’s behalf, giving August 17 as the date of the accident. The man saw a doctor on August 18, and subsequently it was discovered that he was suffering from a fractured shoulder blade. He was afterwards removed to the infirmary and underwent . an operation, but blood poisoning supervened, and he. died. From the first the company denied liability, but in view of the fact that no one witnessed either of the alleged accidents and that the only evidence that could be called on behalf of the widow consisted of statements made by the deceased himself, and also in view of the general difficulties and uncertainties of the case, it was thought desirable in the interests of the applicant to endeavour to effect a settlement, and eventually the company agreed to make a payment of £120. That sum was paid into court, with a denial of liability, and the judge .approved the settlement. Lack of Notice. At Newcastle (Staffs) recently, his Honour Judge Ruegg heard an arbitration application made on behalf of Fredk. Dyke, of Church View, Leycett, who was in the employ of the Madeley Coal, Coke and Brick Company, the respondents. The applicant, aged 57, stated that he was employed as a dataller, and went to the pit about 5.15 in the morn- ing, and received instructions to go to work in the New Dip. He had previously left an axe and a saw in a disused level, and, leaving two companions, he went to fetch them. He had recovered them, and was trotting along the level to overtake his companions, when he knocked his head against a girder. Dr. .Moody said there was.no mark or injury to the head, but the place was tender. He came to the con- clusion that the man was suffering from a stroke caused by haemorrhage of the brain. His arteries showed signs of degeneration, and he was a man quite likely to have a stroke. Dr. Shufflebotham also said he was of opinion that the stroke was quite natural. His Honour said so far as the medical issues of the case were concerned, he proposed to seek the assistance of a referee, but he could not dispose of the legal point at once. The submission was that the applicant was not entitled to claim because he had not given proper notice of the accident. Well, he was glad to hear that the House of Lords had.held the Court of Appeal to be wrong on this point. He said so with great respect, but he had felt for some time that this ruling would come. Directly it was proved that the appli- cant had omitted some opportunity of giving notice of an accident to his employer, it was held that the latter had been prejudiced, even though there was not a scrap of evidence to show it. The applicant was then confronted with the almost impossible task of proving a negative. Now, by the House of Lords’ ruling, there must be evidence on one side or the other that prejudice had been occasioned by the delay; otherwise, that court need not give a decision on the point. So far as that particular case was concerned, if ever there was an arbitration in which the employer was not prejudiced it was that one. The applicant did not appreciate at first that his accident migdit have something to do with his illness, and it was not until it was found out for him by skilled medical men that the employers received the inti- mation. __________________ THE BY-PRODUCTS TRADE. Tar Products.—The market is quiet, and the tone rather flat. Benzols are quite nominal. Naphthas and pitch dull. Toluol unchanged. Nearest values are :— Rise ( + ) or fall (-) on the week. Benzols, 90’s ..................1/0J ... — ,, 90’s North ............... /10£—/11J ... — ........................... ,, 50’s North ___\.... 1/3—1/4 ... — Toluol .......................... 2/3 ... — Carbolic acid, crude (60 per cent.)... 3/4 ... — ,, crystals (40 per cent.) 1/4 ... — Solvent naphtha, south (90% at 190 degs.), as in quality and package... 2/3—2/4 ... — Solvent naphtha, north (90% at 190 degs.),