492

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

March 9, 1917.

MINING INDUSTRY AND MILITARY
SERVICE.

At the hearing of West Glamorgan appeals, one of the
Swansea shipping firms sought to retain the manager of
their inland coal trade, who had been passed in Class A. It
was stated that the man had charge of about 800 wagons ;
and a telegram from the principal of the firm, himself in
Army service, stated that “ he would not seek to deprive the
Army of a willing recruit were it not that his present ser-
vices rendered him far more valuable to the nation than he
could ever be as .a soldier.” The appeal was dismissed.

At the Tredegar tribunal, the traffic manager of the
Tredegar Company sought for exemption of their chief traffic
clerk, the contention being that the man was indispensable
because it took years to get necessary acquaintance with the
duty. The present applicant had been in the department for
18 years; his second in the office had already joined the
Army, with four other clerks from that department. It was
submitted that the company’s work was of national import-
ance, and that it was as important to have this work done
as it was to have men cutting the coal. The tribunal
granted conditional exemption.—In another case, however,
where a clerk allocated orders to the different departments,
the application was refused, •although it was submitted that
the company was engaged on Government work of import-
ance.

Mr. W. Moens, manager of Kent Coal Concessions, men-
tioned, in an appeal case before the Dover tribunal, that
320,000 tons of coal are now being raised from the local
collieries 'annually. Mr. Moens was supporting an appeal
by the company for Mr. T. Bowman, secretary and registrar
of the Kent Coal Concessions and Allied Companies,-who is
the only man of military age left out of a staff of 70. Mr.
Moens said that Mr. Bowman’s knowledge of the business
caused him to be indispensable at present, as there are
certain actions at law, involving many thousands of pounds,
pending in the courts, which will shortly be heard, and Mr.
Bowman is the principal witness for the companies. The
first of these actions is in the list for hearing on March 12.
The appeal was refused, but Mr. Bowman is not to be called
up till March '31.

The executive council of the South Wales Miners’ Federa-
tion considered at length on Friday of last week some diffi-
culties which have arisen under the “ combing-out ” in the
case of attested men. These men are, it is said, given only
14 days before they are called up for military service; whilst
unattested men have two months. The question has aroused
strong feeling in the colliery districts, because, as a result of
repealed negotiations between the Miners’ Federation of
Great Britain and the Home Secretary, it was understood
that two months’ delay had been secured. One statement
made at a colliery recruiting court was that the men
“ combed out ” would be sent to Army service within two
days, but no action of this kind has been taken by the
military .authorities, these having given two weeks. The
council decided to call the Home Secretary’s attention to
the matter.

When the cases of 12 employees of Messrs. Monkhouse,
Goddard and Company, chartered accountants, were brought
forward for revision by the Newcastle local tribunal, it was
pointed out that, owing to the new Order as to the control
of the coal mines, which came into operation on March 1,
there was an immense amount of work to do in preparing
balance-sheets showing the condition of affairs up to
February 28. It had been a suggestion of the authorities
that professional audit staffs should be taken to London to
work on 'accounts there, but, 'as it had been pointed out that
this work was close on hand, it was agreed to keep the
accountants on the spot. Work was very much in arrear,
and, at some of the collieries, the balance-sheets up to
December 31 were not yet ready, and the new requirements
could hardly be complied with under two months. The
court decided that the best thing would be to postpone the
cases for a fortnight.

In the course of a claim at Chesterfield Rural District
tribunal for a confidential clerk, Mr. Roull, colliery owner,
of Newcastle, said that the Mickley Colliery, Dronfield, was
shortly to be taken over by a syndicate for the purpose of
working and developing it. There were now between 50
and 60 men employed in the mine. The case was adjourned
for a medical examination.

Before the South-West Wales mining tribunal on Friday
of last week, a curious case came up in respect of a haulier
in a Carmarthenshire colliery. The man had been granted
exemption, but he did not work regularly. A police con-
stable who was called as witness stated that the man would
work for two or three weeks, and then idle for two or three
months, dependent on his parents, who were over 70 years
of age. He had been convicted for being drunk and dis-
orderly. The colliery manager, who obtained the exemp-
tion for the man, stated that he was a capable workman.
The exemption was withdrawn.

When Jas. Hodgson, 24, colliery timberman, appeared
before the Bly th tribunal, it was stated that, although he
had been passed for general service by the colliery medical
board, he was really unfit, by reason of having been injured
five years ago, on which occasion he had an arm broken and
was severely crushed about the head and chest. Since that
time he had been engaged in driving a pony with timber
from the timber yard to the pit mouth. It was agreed that
Hodgson should submit himself to the Newcastle medical
board for re-examination.

Capt. E. H. Kirkup, applying to the Chester-le-Street
tribunal for the exemption of a colliery bill clerk, 18, passed
Cl, stated that the Birtley Iron "and Coal Company, which
the youth served, had lost three clerks during the month, one
of whom was a 0 3 man, who had gone to the Army and
would not allow an appeal to be made for him. They had
now 17 ladies in the office. Exemption until the end of
September was granted.—To the same court, Mr. Severs
applied for a colliery bill clerk, 38, married, who had been
passed for general service. He explained that the man was
really a colliery blacksmith, and would have been exempt
had he not been brought into the office under the present
circumstances of shortage of staff. Conditional exemption
was granted.—Conditional exemption was granted also in
the cases of a coke drawer, 38, married, and a small coal
runner, 27, applied for by the Charlaw and Sacriston
Collieries Company Limited.

At Seaham Harbour, an underground worker at Dawdon
Colliery bad his case revised. Passed for general service,
and 39 years of age, he was formerly a licensed victualler,
but obtained conditional exemption last year on condition
that he got work in the mines. The military representative
applied for revision on the ground that the colliery recruit-

ing court had not seen fit to issue a certificate of exemption
to the man. The respondent stated that be had understood
that the colliery tribunal did not give an exemption because
he already held that given by the local tribunal. His exemp-
tion was continued until June 1, conditional on his remain-
ing in his present employment, and he was informed that
his case would be subject to review at the end of that time.
—A somewhat similar case was that of a man, passed B2,
formerly an assistant superintendent of insurance, now a
surface worker at Dawdon Colliery. The military represen-
tative said the colliery tribunal had not thought lit to issue a
certificate of exemption, and that, therefore, respondent’s
conditional exemption should be altered to a short temporary
exemption. Respondent advanced the same argument as
that used by the previous respondent. He was granted final
exemption until April 1.

At Sedgefield, when the military representative opposed
exemption for a chemical worker, 21 years of age, who had
been de-badged, on the ground that there could be no appeal
on behalf of a man under 23 years of age, a colliery agent
on the tribunal remarked .- “ If all our men whose badges
have been withdrawn had to go, we could close down
to-morrow. We are keeping them until substitutes are
found.” Eventually the young man was granted three
months’ exemption, and was told to appeal to the Ministry
of Munitions if necessary.

PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—March 7.
Home-Grown Timber.

The Earl of Selborne asked why the War Office had taken
over the work of the Home-Grown Timber Supply Com-
mittee, and why that Committee had been dissolved. The
important matter of the supply of pit props appeared now
not to be controlled by anybody.

The Earl of Derby said the staff and operations of the
Home-Grown Timber Committee had been placed under the
general control of the Director of Timber Supplies, in accord-
ance with a recommendation by the committee which had
been considering the best means of adapting importation to
our restricted tonnage. The French Government had
placed at our disposal huge tracts of forests, and he hoped
that by bringing the organisations in France and England
together under one. head they might be able very largely to
increase our supply. They were asking the Director of
National Service to help them with regard to any substituted
men who might volunteer to serve under him, and whenever
possible they were going to release from the Army really
skilled men. The War Office desired, if possible, to get
proprietors of coal mines to undertake to supply labour to
cut the pit props they required. A lead had been given by
some colliery owners in South Wales, who had detailed
3,000 men to cut the timber if the Department would supply
skilled supervision. He appealed to the country to econo-
mise in timber. It might be necessary before long to issue
hard-and-fast regulations.

Viscount Haldane called .attention to the advance in the
price of coal owing partly to the enormous increase in the
cost of pit props.

The Earl of Selborne said that mine owners had not
been dependent entirely on home-grown timber; there bad
been a large importation for this purpose.

The Earl of Derby said that if, in the new situation
created by the stoppage of pit props from Scandinavia, it
became necessary to take steps to prevent certain land
owners using their monopoly to enhance prices, those steps
would be taken.

The motion was withdrawn.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—March 6.

Iron Ore in Ireland.

Mr. MacVeagh asked whether, in view of the Prime
Minister’s statement as to the importance of obtaining iron
ore, an immediate enquiry would be made regarding the
ore available at Deckomet, co. Down.

Sir W. Evans replied that owing to the pockety char-
acter of the deposits, the attempts to work the ore had been
abandoned. Further enquiries were being made, and the
result would be made known.

Magnesite.

Sir W. Evans, replying to Mr. Watt, said that no
embargo bad been placed upon the importation of magnesite,
but special arrangements have been made to secure the
maintenance of a sufficient supply for munitions purposes.
Permits were granted in suitable cases. Applicants would
have to show that no substitutes are available before they
get it.

Ore Trading Company : Enemy Interest.

Mr. Roberts, in replying to questions, .stated that the
shares of the Ore Trading. Company Limited belonging to
enemies had been vested in the custodian. The sale of the
shares would have so little effect on the interests of the com-
pany that it had been thought desirable to charge the
custodian with the care of them.

Coal Imports at Limerick.

Mr. Joyce asked whether, in view of the greatly
diminished coal importation into Limerick during the war,
the Board of Trade would refuse to sanction the proposed
erection of steam cranes on the quays and docks at
Limerick.

Mr. Roberts replied that the Limerick Harbour Com-
missioners had given permission to the Limerick Elevating
Company to erect electric cranes on the Mount Kennett
Quay, with the object of checking the falling-off of coal
imports to the port. The Board of Trade’s authority was
not required, and he did not think that the Harbour Com-
missioners’ discretion in the matter could be interfered
with.

March 7.

Coal Prices.

" Mr. Gilbert asked what decision had been come to >as to
dealing with retail coal dealers who sell at higher prices
than those issued by the Board of Trade.

Mr. Roberts replied that the Controller of Coal Mines
had received from the Merchants’ Committee a first report
on the complaints into which they are enquiring. Of the
cases so far investigated, about half have been found to
relate to seaborne coal which could not be sold at the agreed
prices owing to high freights. Some of the cases appeared
to be unfounded, and in others the dealer was warned that
his supplies will be withheld if the agreed prices are again
exceeded. The investigation was proceeding.

LANCASHIRE MINERS’ AGENTS AT THE
SOMME FRONT. .

The following report of a visit of the Lancashire
miners’ agents at the British front on the Somme and
at Ypres, made at the invitation of the War Office, has
been prepared by Messrs. (Treenail, Houghley, Twist
and McGurk:—

As stated by the president at the last conference,
in response to the invitation of the War Office, we
visited the Western Front in Northern France and
Belgium. We left for London on Sunday, the 14th
ult., and became the guests of the War Office on
Monday, leaving London for France at 12.50 p.m.
On arriving at Calais we were at once taken to our
billet about 60 miles inland.

On Tuesday we visited the battlefield of the Somme.
A more complete destruction of a once peaceful
countryside could not be imagined. In the great
advance of last July the villages of Contalmaison,
Montauban, Guillemont and Longueval, including many
farms and a large sugar refinery, were completely wiped
out, not one brick remaining upon another. The whole
ground for miles is ploughed up many feet deep with
shell fire, which the rain has since turned into a
quagmire. We walked across the ground taken by our
Army in July, visiting the mine crater at La Boiselle
made by our mining operations. Thousands of tons of
earth had been lifted clean out by the explosion, leaving
a huge crater about 100 ft. deep by about 300 ft. across.

We crossed the field by Delville and Trones Woods,
where there had been much heavy fighting in July, par-
ticularly by the 30th Division, which, by the way, was
raised by Lord Derby, and consisted mostly of Lanca-
shire and Cheshire men.

On our return we were received by the General in
Command, Sir Henry Rawlinson, who gave us much
valuable information concerning the difficulties to be
overcome after the advance, in extending the lines of
communication, making new roads, &c., requiring the
service of an army of men and large quantities of
material. The following few particulars will give some
idea of what had to be done to cover the ground won in
July:—22,000 miles of wire laid, and 120 miles of water
pipes to carry water after the troops, together with
many miles of railway and roads, requiring thousands
of tons of material, all of which had to be brought up
by transport, as there is not a pound of stone in this
part of the country fit to use for road making.

On Wednesday the 17th we were taken to Ypres.
We first visited the ruined and shell-shattered city,
where not one building has escaped—and no wonder • for
the Germans have systematically shelled the place for
two years, scarcely a day passing without a few
hundred shells being put into it. From the city we
were conducted to our lines some two miles away, walk-
t ing for the most part across “ duck walks ”—wooden
footpaths laid on long stretches of soft mud several
feet deep. Here we came within about 300 yards of the
German trenches; shelling and sniping were going on
continually on both sides. We went into one of our
mines worked by a Canadian company—and very fine
work they are doing. The ground is waterlogged, and
the shaft is sunk through several feet of quicksand ; and
the difficulties of this work cannot be appreciated except'
by seeing it.

After our tour we were received by the General in
Command, Sir Herbert Plumer, and on Thursday we
went to the British General Headquarters, where, in the
absence of Sir Douglas Haig, we were received by
General Chaters. We visited the printing establishment,
from which all printed matter issued to the armies in
France is produced and distributed—a marvellous piece
of organisation. We then visited the great St. John’s
Hospital at Etaples, which has been erected during
the war, and contains 15,000 beds. The wards,
each of which holds 34 beds, are made of wood, and
are raised about 3 ft. from the ground. They are
light and warm, and looked very comfortable. Dr.,
Trimble, of Preston, is in charge, and the staff of
doctors and nurses do credit to the institution. All the
latest appliances are in use, and to us it seemed that
nothing is spared to save the lives and limbs of the
wounded men.

Our visit has proved to us, as no paper information
could, the great need there is for more men and more
material. To make an advance, the places that afford
shelter to the enemy and the roads have to be blown out
of existence. Then they have to be reconstructed,
requiring armies of men to lay lines of communication,
make roads, and transport the material.

What we have seen and learned compels us to say
that it is the supreme duty of the people of this country
to fill up the ranks and pile up the munitions • spare
nothing ; refuse no sacrifice to help those brave lads
whom we saw cheerfully facing all the rigours of frost,
snow, water and mud, in addition to fighting night and
day for our safety.

We desire to express our thanks to Lord Derby, the
Secretary for War, for giving us the opportunity of the
visit, and to Captain Townroe, who accompanied us as
guide, and who was a real friend and companion. Our
thanks are also due to the five Generals in Command,
and to their staffs, whose unfailing kindness and courtesy
made our visit both pleasant and profitable.