1038

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

June 2, 1916.

coal, as it is called), which is abundant there, is largely
used in the form of briquettes, at least for home con-
sumption. The principal maritime coaling stations o f
Germany, for steamship bunker supplies, have been
Wilhelmshaven, Emden, Bremerhaven, and Hamburg,
available to the North Sea; and Kiel, Stettin, Memel,
and Dantzig to the Baltic. As . to Germany’s cargo
exports, the largest supplies no doubt find their way to
Rotterdam from the Westphalian coal fields.

Concerning France, which takes the fourth place of
the coal-producing countries of the world, she obtained
from us in 1913 the largest quantity exported to any one
country in that year, the figure having already been
given; and it may be mentioned here that Welsh steam
coal is used on French battleships. In addition, France
has obtained some 3J million tons per annum from
Belgium, and a similar quantity from Germany. The
coaling stations on the northern coast of France avail-
able to the English Channel include Havre, Calais,
Cherbourg, and Dunkirk, whilst in the Mediterranean
there are prominent stations at Marseilles, Toulon, and
Cette, and, in the Bay of Biscay, at Bordeaux, La
Rochelle and Nantes. The coal production of France
has been some 40 million tons per annum, about three-
fourths of which was obtained from the Nord arid Pas-de-
Calais districts.

Austria has important coaling stations in the Adriatic
Sea—at Trieste, Fiume, and Pola: but is dependent on
foreign supplies for about one-half of the total coal
requirements of that country, of which supplies the
greater quantity is obtained from Germany, although
over a million tons per annum were shipped from _
England. -As in Germany, the production of lignite in
Austria is considerable. The coal
fields are at Pilsen, Kladno, etc., and
also in Moravia, but the most pro-
mising are extensions of the Silesian
fields of Germany.

As far as Russia is concerned,
although there are enormous coal
areas in that country, as well as
extensive lignite resources, they
have not been fully developed, and
are .only worked to a limited extent;
moreover, some of the coal seams
are thin and of inferior quality. As
already mentioned, about six million
tons of coal were exported from this
country to Russia during the year
1913, or two million tons in excess of
the previous year; this excess was
accounted for to a large extent by
the temporary abolition of the duty
on imported coal, to meet the
requirements of the Government rail-
ways. The coaling stations of Russia
include Revel, Petrograd, Kronstadt,
Riga, and Abo, available to the
Baltic; whilst on the shores of the
Black Sea are Odessa and Batoum.

The Belgian coal fields are of con-
siderable importance, the output in
1913 being about 22| million tons, of
which quantity about 3| million tons
were exported to France. Last year
the total output was only 14| million
tons. Large quantities of coal, how-
ever, have been imported from the
Westphalian fields of Germany,
amounting to about 6 million tons
per annum; and previous to the war
some 2 million tons per annum were
exported from England to Belgium—
a reversal of which figures may be
anticipated in the future, notwith-
standing Germany’s geographical
advantage. Antwerp, of course, is a
prominent port for bunker coal supplies, as is also
Ostend; these, as well as Bruges, being also receiving
ports for our coal exports to Belgium.

Italy is almost entirely dependent on imported coal,
the shipments from this country having, for example,
exceeded 9| million tons in 1913. The principal coaling
stations are Genoa, Naples, Leghorn, and Savona.

Turkey is dependent on England for most of the coal
supplies, although there is a local coal available from
the Oandyli mines. Constantinople is, of course, the
chief coal port, but supplies of local coal are available at
Benderecli. It should be noted that a coal famine has
prevailed of late in Turkey, and it has recently been
reported that about 200 railway truck loads per w'eek are
now being sent through from Germany.

Colonial Coal Shipments.

We may next briefly consider the more important
British oversea possessions with coal resources available
for shipment. These British possessions include South
Africa, Australia, India, Canada, etc.

Coal from the Natal fields of South Africa is exten-
sively supplied for steamships’ bunkers at Durban and
Cape Town, besides which cargoes are exported to East
African ports, and also to India, Ceylon, the Straits,
etc. The production in Natal is only about three
million tons per annum now, but the output is capable
of considerable development. Shipment of Natal coal
is, however, greatly hampered by the inadequate rail-
way facilities - Durban being an average distance of
about 250 miles from the Natal coal fields. As regards
supplies from the Transvaal coal fields, the port
of shipment is Delagoa Bay. Since the restriction
of coal exports from this country for steamship
supplies, and owing to the increase in the number of
vessels using the Cape route on account of the war,
instead of the Suez Canal route to Australia and the
Far East, the supply from the Natal coal fields has not
been sufficient to meet the demand for bunker require-
ments at Durban.

The Australian coals of greatest importance for ship-
ment are those from the New' South Wales fields, the

nearest port for which is Newcastle (New South Wales),
but shipment is also effected at Sydney and Port
Kembla, and bunker supplies are also available at the
several ports. Other Australian coal of some promi-
nence is obtained from the southern fields, supplies of
which are available for steamship bunkers at the several
ports of call. Coal from the Colley fields of Western
Australia is shipped at Fremantle, Albany, and Bun-
bury. Furthermore, Queensland coal from the mines
distant some 25 miles from Brisbane is shipped at that
port. As regards the destination of Australian coal
exports, the principal markets are the ports on the west
coast of South America, notwithstanding that local
supplies are available there; cargoes are also shipped to
Singapore, Honolulu, etc.

Indian coal from the Bengal fields is exported at
Calcutta, principally to Colombo for steamship supplies,
but also to Singapore, etc. It is also available for
bunkers at Calcutta and the other Indian ports—
Bombay, Madras, etc. The exports of coal from this
country to India amount normally to about 750,000 tons
per annum, chiefly for Government railway use, and for
the power requirements of cotton mills; the. price of
English coal in India being usually about double the
cost of the local export coal. The output of the Indian
coal fields has been over 16 million tons per annum
for the last few years, the supplies to steamships’
bunkers at-Calcutta amounting to about a million tons
per annum, whilst the principal exports are approxi-
mately about 400,000 tons to Colombo, about 100,000
tons to Singapore, and 70,000 tons to Sumatra. At the
important coaling station of Aden an average of about
5,000 tons of Indian coal is received per annum, but

i

Coal Shipping with Hoist Tips.

during last year this figure was increased to over 16,000
tons on account of the restricted supplies from England.

In Canada we possess enormous coal resources, the
supplies mostly available at present being from the pro-
vinces of Nova Scotia and British Columbia, but the
coal fields of New Brunswick, Alberta, and Manitoba
also offer an extensive output, and are considered to be
practically inexhaustible. Coal from Cape Breton has
been exported to a considerable extent oversea to make
up for insufficient supplies of Welsh coal. Shipment
from the Nova Scotia fields is principally to Quebec and
other Canadian ports on the St. Lawrence River,
although cargoes are shipped to the New' England ports
in the United States of America on account of the
advantage possessed in transport facilities. The prin-
cipal Canadian ports for steamships’ bunker supplies
are Halifax (Nova Scotia), Louisberg, Sydney (Cape
Breton), and St. John (New Brunswick).

Coal Cargoes and Return Freights.

The markets for exported coal are, of course, affected
by the geographical position, but depend largely on the
possibility of return, cargoes, which reduce the freight
charges. In fact, the question of return cargoes is a
dominating feature, and it is due to coal exports from
this country that return cargoes have been possible and
our oversea commerce has been developed. For
example, in the case of Argentina and Brazil, about 80
per cent, of the outward cargoes normally are coal. The
great reduction in the regular exports from this country,
on account of the war, has been a matter of considerable
concern, and has had the effect of increasing freights to
such an extent as to cause serious complaints from
various interests, and also from allied countries, w'ho
depend so largely on getting their coal supplies from us.
As regards the causes of this reduction, it is estimated,
in the first place, that about one-fifth of the shipping
tonnage of this country (i.e., about 10 per cent, of the
total merchant shipping of the world) is now' being
utilised for Admiralty requirements. It must also be
remembered that the oversea commerce with Germany,
Austria, and Belgium has ceased, as w’ell as shipping

to the Black Sea and Baltic port of Russia; and it may
be reasonably estimated that British oversea commerce
has been reduced by one-third. Coal exports from the
United States have naturally increased largely on
account of the restricted supplies and high freights from
Great Britain, and extensive shipments have been made
from the States to some of our export coal markets,
including the Mediterranean and River Plate ports. The
diversion of coal shipping from usual trade routes has,
in fact, affected freights by reason of the absence of
return cargoes, or of the longer voyages necessary to
obtain return cargoes.

Space does not permit here of enlarging further on
this question of restricted coal exports and the position
of freights in relation to coal, but it should perhaps be
mentioned that at the close of the war there will doubt-
less be a great endeavour made on the part of the
United States to increase coal exports from that country,
to secure or retain some at least of the markets so far
considered to have been practically monopolised by us.

A brief outline of the importance of coal to shipping
and of its national value has been indicated above. In
future issues the subject will be enlarged upon, and it is
proposed to describe some of the many coaling stations
and ports, and also mechanical equipment for coal
shipping and bunkering, as well as to refer more fully to
coal supplies and the economics of steamship coaling.

COKE OVEN MANAGERS’
ASSOCIATION.

A party of about 50 members of the Coke Oven
Managers’ Association visited the coke oven and
by-product works of the Waleswood Collieries on
Saturday afternoon, May 27. They were received by
Mr. T. P. Carr, the manager of the coke ovens, and his
foreman, Mr. Charles Shinn, and made a most interest-
ing inspection of the works. The plant consists of 30
hoppers’ regenerative ovens, with by-product plant for
the recovery of tar, ammonia, benzol, and naphtha. It
deals with coal from the company’s own collieries, close
by. The material, first of all, passes through a Baum
washer, with a capacity of 40 tons an hour. It is
charged in the ovens by a combination ram and charging
machine, each oven taking a charge of nine tons of coal,
which yields a little over six tons of coke. The coal
from this pit is very salty, and for that reason has to be
specially treated. A good deal of the salt is got out in
the washing process, but a certain percentage remains,
and consequently the lining of the ovens has often to be
renewed, owing to the corrosion of the brickw'ork.
There is a surplus of about 1,000,000 cu. ft. of gas per
day, which is transmitted to the colliery for steam
raising under four Lancashire boilers. All the
machinery in the by-product plant is operated by elec-
tricity received from the colliery. The duration of the
coking pericd is 36 hours, and the ovens are operated
continuously, but only two shifts of men are employed,
with an interval of four hours between, the discharges
being so arranged that none fall due to be operated
during these intervals. The by-products recovered are
about 5 per cent, of tar (of the weight of coal), 301b. of
sulphate of ammonia per ton, about 3 gals, of benzol per
ton, and a small quantity of naphthalene.

After tea a cordial vote of thanks was passed to the
colliery company for their hospitality, on the motion of
Mr. Diamond, seconded by Mr. Philipson.—Mr. Carr
replied. Proposed General Council.

Mr. George Chrisp, president of the association,
occupied the chair at the subsequent meeting. The
chief business was the following resolution, which was
moved by Mr. J. T. Price, the secretary :—“ That the
present system of control of the association (that is, by
a council of five members, together with the president,
treasurer, and secretary, together with a co-opted
member from each branch) be altered, and that the
so-called parent body becomes a branch, and that a
general council be formed for the whole country, made
up of representatives from different areas in proportion
to the strength of the branches. This to take place at
the annual meeting.” The association at the present
time, he said, had grown out of proportion to what they
expected at the beginning. The present system was
unwieldy, and, considering that they had 122 associate
and honorary members, he thought they would agree
that it was getting out of bounds. His idea of the new
association was that it should form eight branches, viz.,
Cumberland and Scotland (which had asked for a
branch), Durham, Staffordshire, and West Yorkshire
(which had also asked for a branch), South Yorkshire,
Derbyshire, Lancashire, and Wales. How could they
expect men from Durham, Cumberland, and West
Yorkshire to come down to Sheffield to attend their
meetings? The present system of control was quite
contrary to the idea of the formation of the association
in the first place, namely, the interchange of ideas.
How could they have interchange of ideas with mem-
bers in Cumberland and they holding their meetings in
Sheffield? Why should the parent body, as they called
themselves, monopolise the control of the whole associa-
tion? Every man, no matter where he came from, so
long as he was a member of the association, should have
a share in the ruling and control of it. The only argu-
ment he had heard against the formation of these
branches was by Mr. Haigh, viz., that they were tinker-
ing with the constitution of the association. The parent
body should become a branch, and have a national
or a general executive, made up of representatives
from the various branches in proportion to the number
of branches they had got. The national association
should have a general president, a general secretary, a
general vice-president, and a general treasurer. The
general executive should meet so many times a year.
Then they should have one conference annually, not
merely at Sheffield, but at some other places as well—
Durham and Stoke-on-Trent, for instance. He sincerely
believed that if they did not organise the association on
a different basis, it would die a natural death.