June 9, 1916.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

1105

For what was described as a very cruel act, Albert John-
son, 15, driver, employed at Cornsay Colliery, was fined £2
by the Manchester magistrates last week. His pony was
found to be bleeding from the hindquarters, and the boy
admitted having “ progged ” the animal with a bolt. One
of the pony’s bowels was lacerated, and the animal' had
since been off work, suffering considerable pain. Defendant
was informed by the Bench that but for his youth he would
have been sent to prison.

Miss Mabel Watson, whose family are the principal
owners of Hamsterley Colliery, on Saturday unveiled a roll
of honour bearing tne names of 191 inhabitants of the
village, mostly w’orkers at the colliery, who have responded
to the call to arms. Mr. J. Cummings, manager of the
colliery, presided, and stated that 117 of the men had been
in the firing line, of whom 10 had been killed, 22 were
wounded, and 10 were missing. All these men enlisted
voluntarily within the first six months of the war.

The business at the annual meeting of delegates to the
Northumberland and Durham Miners’ Permanent Belief
Fund, held in Newcastle last Saturday was soon transacted.
The chairman (Mr. John Caine) remarked that they were
passing through a critical period. Although things looked
black financially, they were in no worse position than any
other society; in fact, they were in a good deal better posi-
tion than a large number of societies were in. The maniage-
ment board suggested that, having regard to the approaching
quinquennial valuation and the fact that so many of their
members were away, the rules should remain unaltered, .and
this course was adopted. Mr. Thomas Taylor was elected
president.

Mr. Reginald Guthrie, secretary to the Northumberland
Coal Owners’ Association, and Mr. William Straker, secre-
tary to the Northumberland Miners’ Association, are the
signatories to a joint circular which has been issued on the
question of absenteeism at the pits. They state that if the
present proposals fail to prevent unnecessary absenteeism
there is a danger that the Government, in order to secure
greater output of coal, will take some such steps as the
suspension of the Eight Hours Act and the application of the
Munitions Act to the industry. It is recommended that in
each colliery accurate records should be kept of the attend-
ance of workmen in the classes of hewers, stonemen, and
shifters, in order that a committee may investigate cases of
absenteeism and bring pressure to bear on those concerned.

Durham coal owners and representatives of the Durham
Miners’ Association met in conference at the Coal Trade
Hall, Newcastle, on Saturday to consider the question of the
postponement of the Whitsuntide holidays. It was generally
recognised that it was essential, in the national interests in
the present crisis, to secure the largest possible output of
coal, and the following resolution was unanimously agreed
to : “‘That the collieries shall be open for work on Monday,
June 12, and the Miners’ Committee shall use all possible
endeavours to secure the attendance of the workmen at all
the mines on that day. Payment for the day named will be,
in addition to the ordinary wage, a sum of Is. for each
person of 16 years of age and under, and 2s. for each person
over that age, these figures-not to be subject to any addition
of county percentage.’’

The same agreement with reference to Whit-Monday work
that has been come to between the Durham coal owners and
miners has been sanctioned by the Northumberland coal
owners and men, and those of Cleveland.

Mr. Ridley Warham, of Newcastle, who has been
appointed as a member of the Board of Trade Committee to
consider the position of the coal trade after the war, has
been for many years fitter to the Ashington Coal Company
Limited at Newcastle, and has on many previous occasions
taken an active part in representing the northern coal trade
Interests before the authorities.

Cleveland.

Sir Hugh Bell presided on Monday over a meeting of
Cleveland ironstone mine owners and representatives of the
miners held at Middlesbrough, to devise means to secure the
attendance of workmen to the fullest extent. It was agreed
that a sub-committee be appointed at each mine to deal with
absenteeism, and that a committee be appointed for the
district, to whom the local sub-committee will report.

The Cleveland ironstone mine owners and the miners’
representatives have agreed to appoint a sub-committee at
each mine to deal with the question of men absenting them-
selves from work.

Cumberland.

The first fatal accident at Plenmellor Colliery occurred last
week. Richard Lightfoot, 45 years of age, was hewing at
the face, when a large stone fell without warning and buried
him. At the inquest it was shown that the deceased and
his “ marrow ’’ had examined the place where the stone fell,
and were quite’ satisfied. The men’s representatives also
visited the place, and reported that there was not the
slightest negligence on the part of either the workmen or the
management, and the jury returned a verdict of “ Accidental
death. ’’

The annual meeting of the Cumberland Coal Trade
.Minimum Wage Board was held at Workington last week.
Mr. William Graham, of Moresby, was re-elected president;
Mr. G. Todhunter, vice-president; Messrs. T. Cape and
T. P. Martin were reappointed joint secretaries, and the
committee was constituted as follows : Owners’ representa-
tives : Messrs. W. Graham, R. Steele, L. H. Fletcher, T.
Banks, C. Miller, J. Coates, G. H. Askew, T. S. Durham,
and H. Richford. Workmen’s representatives : Messrs. J.
Hanlin, G. Todhunter, J. Temple, J. Barker, R. Bell, J.
Wright, A. Sharp, T. J. McKeating, and J. Bird. It was
unanimously agreed to ask Sir William J. Collins, of
London, to continue as neutral chairman, and Canon Sutton
as neutral vice-chairman.

Yorkshire.

At the monthly meeting of the coal merchants' section of
the Bradford Chamber of Trade, some discussion was raised
on the advisability or otherwise of recommending the
public, through the Press, to get in their winter supply of
coal during the summer wherever there was sufficient
accommodation. It was decided that the matter should
receive more deliberate consideration at the next meeting.
A committee was appointed to consider the subject of
weekly accounts.

Mr. Joseph Constantine, High Sheriff of Yorkshire, offered
to increase his subscription to IMO,000 towards the proposed

technical college for Middlesbrough, and a meeting on
Monday decided that a committee should confer with Mr.
Constantine regarding ways and means. The desirability of
such an institution was pointed out by the president of the
Cleveland Institution of Engineers, and Dr. Stead, who took
up the movement, offered £500. Sir B. Samuelson and Com-
pany Limited, Middlesbrough, who own the Hedley Hope,
Sherburn (Lady Durham), Sherburn House and Sherburn
Hill collieries, have given £5,000 towards the equipment.
Sir Hugh Bell and Mr. A. J. Dorman are contributing
£10,000 on behalf of the concerns with which they are asso-
ciated. The Government will be asked to contribute to the
upkeep.

The naphthalene plant in the New Brancepeth Colliery
caught fire on Tuesday, but no serious damage is reported.

Lancashire and Cheshire.

Pulley Removal Facilitated—Leigh Developments—Pithead
Baths—Extension at Partington—Gas Costs—Grave
Absenteeism.

At several collieries in the Tyldesley district special
framework arrangements are being placed on the top of the
headgears for the purpose of facilitating the removal of
pulleys.

A number of important extensions are being carried out
in the Leigh division, in the shape of opening new collieries
and new mines at existing collieries and the putting down of
additional surface plant.

Upon the occasion of his leaving to take up another
appointment, Mr. D. Darlington, manager of the New Moss
Colliery, Ashton, has been presented by the employees at
the New Moss Colliery with a gold watch and chain.

A local representative learns that various colliery firms
in the Leigh, Tyldesley, Bolton, and Manchester neighbour-
hoods have had plans for pithead baths prepared, but the
projects will not be proceeded with until a more opportune
time.

According to a trade correspondent the excavations for
extensions at the Partington Steel and Iron Company’s new
works on the Ship Cana], at Irlam, near Manchester, are
now being carried on, the work proceeding night and day.
With the extension of the works and the consequent engage-
ment of more men, the demand for housing accommodation
will become more accentuated.

Speaking at a meeting of the Gasworks Committee of the
Oldham Corporation, Mr. Andrew, in reporting a net profit
of £17,000 in the gasworks department, said it would not be
wise to reduce the price of gas at present, seeing that the
cost of coal would be much more in the current year than
last. The chairman (Aid. FI. Wilde) agreed, because coal
would cost from £10,000 to £12,000 more for the current
year on present contracts than last year.

The difficulties of colliery companies due to the large per-
centage of absenteeism among the workers were alluded to
in a letter read at a.meeting of the Oldham Corporation Gas-
works Committee last week. The corporation, it appeared,
had been pressing the collieries for deliveries of coal, and
one of those with whom contracts had been placed wrote that
the results depended on this percentage of absenteeism. On
the very day on which the letter was written no fewer than
35 per cent, of the workers were absent, and on other days
referred to there was a large percentage of absentees. The
firm very truly pointed out that so long as this state of
tilings continued they could not give to their customers any-
thing like the quantity of coal they would do otherwise.

Mr. J. F. Fogg, manager of the Lostock Lane Colliery,
near Bolton, has been transferred to the managership of the
New "Moss Collieries, Audenshaw, which are in the same
ownership.

Notts and Derbyshire.

Losses through Absenteeism—Sleepy Lad's Offence—
Holiday Postponed.

As a consequence of a stoppage which occurred at the
Best wood Colliery, Notts, recently, no fewer than 47 pit lads
appeared at the Nottingham Shire Hall on Saturday. Mr.
E. Williams, who represented the Bestwood Coal and Iron
Company, explained that the company were claiming 10s.
each from the lads for absenting themselves from work
without reasonable excuse on the afternoon of May 19. They
attended to receive their wages as usual, but after they had
drawn their money they did not go down for the afternoon
shift, but went home, thus bringing the work of the colliery
to .a standstill. For this reason about 300 men. could not
work, the output of coal was reduced by 800 tons, and a loss
in wages of £150 resulted. The management were not
aware of uny grievance, although there had been difficulties
with regard to the Friday afternoon shift. Each lad was
. ordered to pay 10s.

How a fire was almost started in the Creswell Pit was
described at the Eckington Police Court, when Alfred
Ibberson, rope lad, Whitwell, was summoned for being asleep
in the mine. Ibberson’s duty was to unclip tubs as they
came along. On this particular morning he fell asleep, and
allowed tubs containing three tons of coal to pass. They
crashed into the motor house, where a great deal of friction
was caused, and a fire almost started. Noticing a strong
smell, a rope lad had the good sense to stop the rope at
once. The magistrates imposed a fine of £2.

At a conference at Nottingham on Monday between repre-
sentative coal owners, miners, and enginemen of Nottingham-
shire, it was decided to recommend that the Whitsuntide
holiday should be postponed at all collieries in the county.

An inquest was held at Hucknall on Benjamin Butt, who
was killed at Watnall Colliery. The evidence showed that
while riding in an empty tram going into 27 stall, the tram
left the rails and knocked down a prop. About 15 cwt. of
stuff fell on deceased, and broke his neck. The pony, a
witness stated, was broken-winded, and was going at a
walking pace.- A deputy stated that the prop was set about
four months ago, and should not be knocked out by an empty
tram. It would have been better to put up more props.—
The jury returned a verdict of “ Accidental death,” and
recommended that particular attention should be paid to the
spot to prevent a recurrence of the accident.

In the Annesley Colliery last week, a miner, named G. E.
Ward, aged 27, cut his thumb while at work, and said that
a piece of coal was the cause. A fellow miner advised him
to poultice it, which he did, but septic pneumonia set in, and
caused death. At the inquest, the representative of the
colliery company • expressed sympathy with the widow.

A serious warning was issued to two young miners at the
Nottingham Shire Hall on Wednesday by the chairman of
the Bench in convicting them of tampering with the creeper

electric switch at the foot of the Moorgreen soft coal pit on
May 27. The lads were seen to be handling the nuts con-
nected with the switch, and the oil bath fell, leaving the
terminals and the wires exposed. The prosecuting solicitor
explained that Messrs. Barber and Walker did not wish to
press the case unduly, but wished to warn their employees
against such a practice. In fining the lads 20s. each, the
chairman said that the defendants did not seem to under-
stand the seriousness of their action. The oil tank was not
for lubrication, but to stop the electric spark, which might
in some circumstances blow the pit up. By leaving the
wires exposed, too, anyone accidentally touching them might
have been killed. Any similar offenders in future would not
be given, the option of a fine.

The Midlands.

Fined for Neglect—Drainage Commission's Report.

Eleven miners were ordered by the South Staffordshire
stipendiary at Brierley Hill last week to pay damages
varying from 45s. to 25s. for neglecting their work at Lord
Dudley’s Baggeridge Colliery, Dudley. The solicitor for the
company said the defendants were whitestone miners, and
the damages claimed represented 5s. in respect of each day
on which they absented themselves. The neglect was
spread over several weeks, the men being absent one day and
sometimes two days a week. Even a coal allowance to which
they were not entitled by the custom and the payment of
higher wages did not induce the defendants to attend to their
work.—Mr. Newey said the damages were merely nominal.—
The plea of two of the men that they were sick on some of
the days was accepted, and the damages accordingly
reduced in their cases.

The engineer’s monthly reports to the South Staff ord-
shire Mines Drainage Commission were issued on Saturday.
With regard to the Tipton district, the general manager
(Mr. E. Howl) reports a rainfall for the past five weeks of
2-60 in. The pumping had been 13,060,000 gallons per 24
hours, as compared with 13,211,100 gallons last month, and
13,228,500 gallons in the corresponding period last year.
The Moat old engine was being worked part time, and
Gospel Oak Mond gas-driven plant full time. There was
little change in the level of water at Tibbington Bye pit of
the Empire Colliery. At Bradley there was no appreciable
diminution in the water. It was still necessary to work the
old Deepfields engine full time, to assist the new engine, by
dealing with the Thick Coal water, but the water was being
lowered at the new engine. No water had been raised at
Havacre Colliery during the month. Stowheath and
Herbert’s Park engines had worked at full speed during the
month.—The surface drainage engineer (Mr. S. B. Priest)
reported that the raising of the Boggy arm course where
swagged by mining was completed. With regard to the Old
Hill district, Mr. W. B. Collis states that the water in the
northern portion remained at the same amount as during
the last two months, and was being satisfactorily dealt with
by the Windmill End pumping engine. ■

Kent.

The number of gas companies that are using Kent coal
has now been joined by the Ash (Sandwich) Gas Company,
which has had a special plant installed.

At the East Kent Colliery Company’s Tilmanstone Colliery
the amount of coal raised last week was 1,980 tons. A
steady weekly increase in tonnage has now been shown for
some time.

Snowdown Colliery deep sinking in No. 2 pit was taken
down a further 15 ft. during last week, from 2,360 ft. to
2,375 ft. The sinking is now proceeding through hard sand-
stone. The erection of the new capstan engines was com-
pleted during the-week. The pit is bricked to 2,259 ft.

Scotland.

Another' D.C.M.—Prosecutions—Loose Cartridges — New
Mine at Robroyston—Fife Miners as Soldiers.

Another Lanarkshire miner has won the D.C.M., namely,
Private A. C. Hamilton, who was a miner employed at Rose-
hall Colliery, near Coatbridge. •

The workmen and officials connected with Viewpark
Colliery, Uddingston, have presented. Mr. Alexander
Anthony, who has been cashier at the colliery for a number
of years, with a handsome watch, on the occasion of his
leaving to join the Army.

On the occasion of his retiring from his appointment as
under-manager at Clyde Colliery, Tollcross, Mr. Archibald
Millar was entertained to a complimentary supper in Sloan’s
Restaurant, Glasgow, and presented with a purse of money,
gold albert and seal, a timepiece and ornaments, together
with a gold chain and pendant for Mrs. Millar.

In the Hamilton Sheriff Court, William Courtenay,
colliery fireman, Bothwell Castle Colliery, was fined 20s. for
having failed to keep a number of explosive cartridges in a
securely-fastened box until they were about to be used, and
for having failed to charge a shot which was fired by a
miner. The latter, who was not an authorised shot firer,
was fined 15s.

Messrs. John Watson Limited are about to open up a new
coal field at Robroyston, and have approached the County
Council of Lanark for water and drainage facilities. It is
proposed in the first place to erect eight foremen’s houses,
and to proceed with the erection of 500 workmen’s houses
as the colliery develops. A plan and estimate of the cost
involved in granting these facilities are to be prepared.

Mr. William Adamson, M.P., in his annual report as
general secretary to the Fife and Kinross Miners’ Association,
states that fully 10,000 men who prior to the war were
engaged in the Fife mining industry have joined his
Majesty’s Forces. During the year, he says, wages have
been raised 43| per cent, on the 1888 basis, bringing them
up to the highest point that has been reached in the history
of the Scottish coal trade. The financial statement of the
association shows that the total income, including a balance
of £33,815 from last year, was £52,296, and the total
expenditure £14,525.

English Coal for France.—The Mines Commission of the
Chamber of Deputies on June 1 heard M. Sembat, Minister
of Public Works, regarding the Anglo-French agreement con-
cerning coal prices and the regulation of freights. It
appeared from the explanations of the Minister that a con-
siderable decline in the price of British coal delivered in
France might be anticipated. The Commission urged the
Minister to make a similar effort in order to increase the
national output.