592

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

March 23, 1917.

Notes from the Coal Fields.

["Local Correspondence.]

South Wales and Monmouthshire.

Action for Subsidence in the Rhondda — Improvement of
Newport Harbour—Seam Won at Pontyberem—Sir R.
Redmayne on Fatality Stoppages—Extended Licensing
Period

The announcement is made that Mr. J. H. Gardiner has
contracted to purchase the Cwmllynfell Colliery, in the
Swansea Valley, on behalf of the Colliery Investment Trust,
of London and Swansea, the present owners to act as sales
agents for a period of six months. It is said that the pur-
chasers will sink to the lower measures, and work the coal,
as is done at their Ystradowen and Henllys collieries.

The Tredegar magistrates had before tnem on Monday a
case of considerable importance to workmen. At the Mark-
ham Colliery the men underground had been losing their
tools; and as the result of an investigation carried tnrough
by the colliers’ lodge, several men were charged with steal-
ing a mandril each. A number of mandrills had been
placed at the bottom of the pit to be sharpened, and after
this had been done they were replaced at the bottom of the
pit for the owners. It was from this place that they were
taken, and it was stated for the prosecution that men
frequently lost work in consequence of these thefts. Two
of the accused were ordered to pay 30s., and three others
10s. each towards the costs, no conviction being recorded
because nothing previously was known against the
defendants.

The case in which Messrs. Cory Brothers and Company,
Cardiff, were sued in respect of subsidence to premises m
the Rhondda, came to a close on Friday of last week, the
jury returning a verdict for the plaintiff for a total sum of
£250. The question of costs is to be dealt with at another
hearing. In summing up the case, Mr. dustice Atkin, at the
Glamorgan Assizes, said the matter had had quite a long
run. It was not the first performance, though there had
been many rehearsals. They had had the same street, the
same counsel, the same witnesses, the same mountain, but
not quite the same judge and jury. In their verdict, the
jury found that injury had been caused by subsidence due to
working of the Seven-foot seam, but not to the working of
the Six-foot seam. Although the jury had given a verdict
for damages against Messrs. Cory, Mr. Llewellyn Williams,
K.C., M.P., applied that judgment should be entered for
them on the ground that it was common knowledge that
colliery workings meant liability to subsidence; and also that
under certain clauses of the lease of the premises defendants
were not liable to compensate plaintiff for such damage. The
judge, however, held that it had not been made out to his
satisfaction that common knowledge existed at the material
times, even in the mining world, tnat the result of the work-
ing would be to let down the surface, and he therefore
entered judgment for the plaintiff for .£250, with costs.
Defendants applied for a stay of execution, and this was
granted.

It was stated by Mr. Fifoot at the meeting of the Cardiff
Chamber of Commerce, that the regulations which prohi-
bited chartering ships except with permission of the
authorities had been amended in a very important parti-
cular. As the regulation previously stood, vessels of 1,000
tons or under were excluded; but by an Order in Council
just issued, that limit was now abolished, and vessels under
1,000 tons had now to obtain permission.

Mr. David R. Llewellyn has been elected vice-chairman of
the Cardiff District Board of the Coal Owners’ Association.
Mr. D. A. Williams was erroneously mentioned last week
as having been elected to the position.

The Newport Harbour Commissioners have decided, in
view of the great increase of coal traffic, to carry out new
works in the deep water channel. The joint committee
recommended that dredging for a distance of 400 yds. should
be undertaken; and the Commissioners’ engineer having
reported and estimated the probable cost' to be about £800,
it was resolved to adopt the recommendation of the joint
committee as part of the improvement scheme of the river—
the work to be taken in hand as soon as the dredging plant
is released by the dock company. The improvement com-
mittee suggested an understanding that no obligation should
rest upon the Commissioners to maintain any such work in
the future; but Mr. T. H. Mordey took exception to this,
stating that the Act of Parliament placed upon them an obli-
gation to maintain the navigation of the river. Other
speakers stated that the work was purely experimental, and
the committee wished to protect themselves, and be in a
position to repudiate liability to proceed further unless they
desired it. An amendment to delete the declaration was
defeated by 11 votes to 10. According to a report of the
finance committee, there has been a decrease in revenue for
the two months of this year to the extent of £570.

Advertisements in the local Press invite miners between
19 and 23 years of age to volunteer for military service; and
these have been issued as the result of the understanding
arrived at by the Miners’ Federation—the agreement being
that men selected by the medical board in the course of the
“ combing out ” should’not be called up before May 8, and
not necessarily then, provided 20,000 men from the whole
country can be secured. As many as 5,000 are required
from South Wales.

A prosecution was instituted at Bridgend on Saturday by
the Great Western Railway Company, which was intended
to serve as a warning in respect of coal taken from an other-
wise empty wagon. It was stated by the solicitor for the
company that an erroneous impression prevailed that pieces
of coal left in the wagon could be taken away; but it was
important it should be clearly understood that no one had
any right to take away coal left in the trucks. A police
constable who gave evidence stated that he met defendant
coming from the wagon sheds carrying coal. There was no
attempt at concealment, and defendant said he did not think
he was doing anything wrong. The chairman of the magis-
trates said the Bench had taken into consideration that
defendant thought he had a right to the coal. There would
be no conviction, but he must pay the costs.

At the annual meeting of the Cardiff Chamber of Com-
merce, called for to-day (Friday), the term of office of Mr.
T. E. Watson (president) will end, as also of Mr. F. Fifoot
and Mr. W. H. Beckingham (vice-presidents), with members
of the council, etc.

An old subject which has proved very contentious, especi-
ally in South Wales, is dealt with in a letter which Sir
Richard Redmayne has forwarded to the secretary of the
Miners’ Federation of Great Britain,, at the instance of the
Coal Mining Organisation Committee. Sir Richard proposes

to discontinue the custom of suspending work when a
fatality occurs at a colliery; and the executive of the Miners’
Federation of Great Britain has distributed Sir Richard’s
communication to the different unions which are affiliated
with the Federation. Sir Richard states in the course of
his letter : “ This practice of stopping pits on the day on
which an accident occurs conduces to a considerable loss of
output. Of course, one realises the motive which underlies
the practice, namely, respect to the deceased and to the rela-
tives; but in the present circumstances, when coal is so
badly’required, would it not be a better mark of respect to
continue working the colliery ? At some collieries, I under-
stand, not only are the pits idle on the day on which the
fatal accident happens, but sometimes on the day following.”

At Pontyberem, the Ammanford Colliery Company have
won the Trichwart seam of coal, which proves to be 1yd.
thick; and further developments are foreshadowed in the
undertaking, which already includes the Clyne Hebog and
Pontyberem pits, employing 500 men.

Northumberland and Durham.

Miners and Military Service—Value of “ First-Aid ” Train-
ing—Mr. Wing's Explanation—Sunderland Dock Rates
—A Conscientious Objector—Stoppage After Fatalities
—Disastrous Fire at Seaham.

Col. Dashwood, commanding the fifth recruiting area,
Newcastle, has issued an appeal to Northumberland miners
to volunteer for military service. He states : “ It is hoped
and expected that a ready response will be made, more especi-
ally by the younger men. In the early days of the war,
the miners were foremost in their applications to enlist, and
they have since bravely borne the brunt of the hardships and
losses experienced by our Army. The end seems to be within
sight, and now is the time for a strenuous effort on the part
of all to bring about a successful and triumphant termina-
tion. A man can be posted to any infantry regiment he
desires, provided vacancies exist. There are also a few
vacancies in the R.F.A. Only those passed fit for general
service can be accepted.”

Mr. R. Donald Bain, presiding over the annual meeting
of the executive committee of the Durham Alines Inspection
District Ambulance League, moved the adoption of a report
which stated that 7,000 members had joined the Forces, and
that excellent reports as to the highly satisfactory manner
in which they had carried out their duties had been received.
The committee urged upon all connected with mines and
quarries the necessity of keeping up the good work of “ first-
aid.” They realised the great difficulty of securing the ser-
vices of doctors to provide the necessary training, but felt
that they could confidently leave such matters in the hands
of those who had brought the league to its present high
state of usefulness. Unfortunately, accidents in* mines and
quarries continued to occur, and, putting aside the purely
humanitarian element in these days of national requirements,
it was of the utmost importance that every man should be
restored to health and capacity for work in the shortest
possible time. The report was adopted. It was decided to
hold the divisional competitions on April 14 and 21, and the
final competition on April 28.

Mr. Tom Wing, M.P., has very handsomely withdrawn
the allegation he made recently as to the return of the verdict
“ Death from natural causes ” after inquests into fatalities
resulting from falls of roof. He has informed the House of
Commons that, when he put the question down, he was
influenced by correspondence, and passing, as he was,
through the deep waters of bereavement, he framed the
question without exercising his usual care and judgment.

The South Durham Steel and Iron Company Limited has
leased the Tudhoe Iron Works, Spennymoor, from the Wear-
dale Steel, Coal and Coke Company Limited, and has put
into operation again the blast furnaces which have been
closed down for over a year.

On the recommendation of the Traffic Committee, the
River Wear Commission has decided that any steamer which
calls at the port of Sunderland for the purpose of obtaining
bunker coal or fuel oil at the South Docks, and, whilst in
the port, does not break bulk with inward cargo, nor load
any outward cargo, and does not remain in the port for a
longer period than 96 hours, and leaves with not more than
the vessel’s net register tonnage, and with not less than
one-fourth of the vessel’s net register tonnage of bunker
coal (or not less than one-fifth of the vessel’s net register
tonnage of fuel oil), should be charged half dock rates per
net register ton, according to the vessel’s destination, pms
25 per cent, port dues to be charged at coastwise rates, no
vessels taking bunkers or fuel oil in the South Docks to be
charged less than these rates. It has also been decided that,
if the Commissioners find it expedient, at any time during
the year commencing on July 1 next, to increase the rate for
the shipment of coal, coke, culm, or cinders at the South
Docks, they should exercise their powers in that respect.

In consequence of a miners’ representative on the Hebburn
District Council having stated that he was proud to be a
conscientious objector, the miners at Hebburn Colliery held
a meeting on Monday morning of this week, and unani-
mously decided to inform the management that they refused
to go down the pit with any men who were conscientious
objectors. They decided, also, to refuse to work with the
councillor, and called upon him to resign his seat as their
representative. The threatened stoppage of work was
averted by the manager agreeing to dismiss two men.

The executive committee of the Northumberland Miners’
Association has been requested by the Home Office to recom-
mend the abandonment of the practice of laying the pit idle
when a fatal accident occurs therein. The committee has
resolved, however, that it cannot advise any departure from
the present custom, which it considers is deep rooted in the
nature and sentiments of the miners of the county.

Mr. F. C. Hallowes, who for some years past has acted as
manager of the Burradon and Killingworth Lizzie pits of the
Burradon and Coxlodge Coal Company Limited, has been
appointed agent to the Bebside Coal Company Limited, in
succession to the late Col. T. E. Jobling.

A disastrous fire occurred last week at the heapstead of
No. 3 pit, Sealiam Colliery. The outbreak appeared to origi-
nate on the east side of the shaft mouth, which is the upcast
of Nos. 1 and 2 pits, situated about 300 yds. away. Fortu-
nately, the pit was idle at the time of the occurrence, and
the dozen men who were underground were all safely
liberated by other shafts. The wooden heapstead blazed
furiously, and all the timbering along the shaft top was
destroyed, and the winding engine house gutted. The efforts
of the colliery firemen and of the collieries’ fire and rescue
brigades from Houghton-le-Spring and Scotswood were suc-
cessful in preventing much further damage being done. As
a result of the fire, it is probable that work at the pit will be

stopped for some considerable time, which will involve the
transference to other pits of nearly 1,000 men and boys.

Cleveland.

It has been decided to hold a conference of Cleveland
mine owners, delegates of the Cleveland miners, and repre-
sentatives of the Alinistry of Munitions, at Aliddlesbrougn on
Saturday, to discuss a proposal to increase the output of
ironstone at the Cleveland mines. Last week, the Cleve-
land miners’ officials, in a letter, urged that the first steps
should be the release of the ironstone miners now with tne
Colours.

Notts and Derbyshire.

A meeting of the Midland branch of the Association of
Mining Electrical Engineers was held at the Midland Hotel,
Mansfield, on Saturday, Mr. F. Church, of Tibshelf (presi-
dent), in the chair. A paper on “ Overhead rower Trans-
mission Lines,” by Mr. A. F. W. Richards, was the subject
of discussion, the principal contributors to which were Mr.

E.	E. Beadsmore, Mr. F. Cusworth, Mr. E. Hudson, Mr.

F.	Smith, and the branch president.

Capt. H. Dennis Bayley, speaking at a meeting of the
Notts branch of the Red Cross Society at Nottingham on
Friday of last week, at which the Duke of Portland pre-
sided, gave some interesting particulars of the work of the
motor convoys sent out as the result of bis appeal to coal
owners and miners, referring especially to the convoys
supplied by the Notts and Derbyshire section.

Messrs. Barber, Walker and Company Limited, have
bought the options, leases, and other properties in North
Notts and Yorkshire belonging to the Northern Union Mining
Company Limited (a German concern), covering approxi-
mately 14,000 acres. Extensive sinking operations were
carried on until the war began, and it is understood that
the work will now be proceeded wTith as speedily as pos-
sible. It is thought that a pit shaft may be put down near
Bly th.

Kent.

The amount of sinking achieved last week in the No. 2
pit at Snowdown Colliery was 14J ft.—from 2,962J ft. to
2,977 ft. The 4 ft. 7 in. seam of coal, which it is hoped
shortly to enter, was struck in the Barfrestone boring at a
point equal to 3,010 ft. at Snowdown.

About 6,000 tons of coal were raised from the Tilmanstone
and Snowdown collieries last week.

* Forest of Dean.

At an auction sale in Coleford on T'riday of last week, the
coal mining right, Bixolade, No. 2 colliery gale, was sold to
Messrs. Taylor and Jones, of Coleford, for £500. The area
is 200 acres, subject to dead rent of £15 per annum, with a
royalty of 2^d. per ton payable to the Crown.

Scotland.

Underground Electrical Plant—Tonnage Shortage Affects
Output — Flooded Workings — Compensation Case—
Mining Students at Barrochnie Collieries.

At a meeting of the West of Scotland branch of the Asso-
ciation of Alining Electrical Engineers, held on Saturday in
the Royal Technical College, Glasgow, a paper was react by
Mr. M. Baird, junr., on” The Installation, Care, and iVIain-
tenance of Underground Electrical Riant.” The author
claimed that while much had recently been said and done to
improve the standard of electrical machinery below ground,
both in efficiency and construction, many weL-installed
underground plants had become beds of trouble owing to the
want of strict supervision. There appeared to be no finality
to the number of repairs which entered the repairing shops
due to nothing else but carelessness on the part of the atten-
dants, or to infrequent examination by tnose responsible.
When any part of electrical apparatus went wrong, it was
necessary to make a sound job of the repair. At the same
time, it was of equally great importance to find out the
cause of the breakdown. It was rather an unfortunate cir-
cumstance that many repairs which were made did not stand
the tests thoroughly, and that was as much due to the want
of proper material for the job as to bad workmanship. It
was inadvisable to interfere with electrical apparatus unless
one had received a practical training, and was sufficiently
skilled to handle and repair it. Breakdowns were not nearly
so numerous with electrical machinery on the surface as
below ground, but there was a notable difference in the
conditions which prevailed. Dealing with the training of
motor attendants in collieries, the writer said he had
authorised his electricians to give periodical instruction to
attendants on the following points : The name of the
different parts of the apparatus; whether the supply was
alternating or direct current, and the features peculiar to
each system; the voltage of supply; the class of motor in
use the horse-power of motor and full-load current in
amperes; precautions to be taken in starting a direct-current
motor; the necessity for making no alteration in the fuse
wire; and the importance of replacing any bolts, screws, or
nuts which have been disturbed. Air. Baird also gave a
number of useful hints in the handling and maintenance of
cables, underground motors, switchgear, earthing arrange-
ments, and underground lighting. Appreciative remarks on
the paper were made by Messrs. A. H. Steele, H.M.
inspector of mines; A. B. Muirhead (Glasgow), H. A.
McGuffie (Glasgow), and Mr. A. Smellie (New Cumnock).

Steam coal collieries in Fife are having a great amount of
idle time, due to a falling-off in the export trade, steam
tonnage being scarce.

Work in Laurieston coal mine has ceased, and will not
be resumed until new pumping machinery has been installed
to cope with the water.—Owing to serious floodings from
old workings close at hand, work has had to be stopped in
St. Flannan’s Colliery, Kilsyth.

Sheriff Lee, at Airdrie Court, has issued his decision in
an action by Adam Wilson, miner, Shotts, against the Baton
Collieries Limited, in which Wilson sued for £1 per week
compensation for injuries sustained through an explosion in
defenders colliery. Defenders pleaded that accident was
due to pursuer s own serious and wilful misconduct in
breach of the Mines Regulation Act. The Sheriff finds that
while the pursuer was engaged in the course of his employ-
ment stemming a shot-hole, the shot exploded, injuring him
to such an extent that he is totally incapacitated. While
there appears to have been some irregularity in the method
by which pursuer obtained gelignite and detonator, they
would, as a matter of course, have been supplied him by an
authorised official. The accident was not caused or con-
tributed to by any fault or irregularity or breach of rules
on the part of the pursuer, and there was no evidence of
careless or improper stemming of the shot. Compensation as
claimed was awarded during total incapacity.

Judgment was given by the First Division of the Court of
Session in a reclaiming note for the defender in an action by