728 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. April 13, 1917. INDIAN AMD COLONIAL NOTES. Africa. South African Coal Trade.—Considerable activity is dis- played in the coal trade of South Africa, particularly amongst the collieries of the Transvaal Province, which contribute quite two-thirds of the whole output of coal of South Africa. In November last the total output of sale- able coal in the Transvaal is returned by the Union Mines Department at 562,573 tons. Of this quantity, the Middelburg coal field contributed 454,478 tons, the average selling price at the pit tops being 4s. 8d. per ton, as com- pared with 4s. 6d. for the Springs district, and 4s. 3d. for the different collieries of the Transvaal. For the first time the tonnage sold in any one year has exceeded six million tons. A great deal of the improvement is due to the better demand for bunker coal, which, despite the advance of 6s. per ton io the railway rate to the ports, still continues to increase. Owing to the inferior quality of the coal, seven collieries in the Stormberg district of the Cape Province only sold 3,075 tons. The whole output for the year will only amount to 43,000 tons, but the price at the pit tops has been maintained at Ils. 6d. per ton throughout the year. The collieries in the Orange Free State in November produced a record output of coal, five collieries selling 71,548 tons of coal, at an average pit top price of 5s. Id. per ton. This is the lowest average sell- ing price obtained throughout the year, and compares with 5s. 2d. per ton for 1915. Compared with other provinces, the collieries in Natal have done the best business during the year, for not only is the increased output little short of that of the Transvaal, but the average pit top selling price has increased from 6s. 9d. to 7s. 2d. per ton. The total coal output of the Union of South Africa in 1915 was 8,281,324 tons, and last year, according to the figures pub- lished, the output for 1916 was near 11 million tons. Encouragement of First-Aid. Work. — The Chamber of Mines has lately agreed to the following suggestions of the Prevention of Accidents Committee :—(a) The class fees of any man who attends more than 90 per cent, of the classes forming a course of first-aid instructions, as offered by the South African Red Cross Society, be refunded. (6) A bonus of , say, one guinea be paid to every man who obtains the advanced certificate or medallion of the South African Red Cross Society. (These recommendations do not apply to officials who are compelled by the Regula- tions to hold certificates.) (c) A monthly bonus be paid to a competent certificated man at each shaft (such as the mine captain’s clerk), or, where two shafts are close together, to one man for two shafts. This man to be designated ambulance officer, and to be charged with the duty of looking after all first-aid equipment, supervising the rendering of first-aid to all serious cases, and gener- ally keeping in touch with first-aid work on his mine, or section of his mine, as the case may be. He should be in possession of a roll of all first-aid men on his section, and, further, he should be in possession of a certificate not more than three years old. (d) prizes shall be provided, to be competed for by the several teams from each mine, say, an underground team against a surface team, or section against section, (e) The necessary expenditure for the purchase of first-aid class apparatus should be authorised. Australia. Brown Coal Deposits.—A deputation from the Institute of Victorian Industries waited upon the Premier of Vic- toria, in order to urge that steps be taken immediately to develop a scheme for the utilisation of the brown coal deposits of the State, especially in the direction of (a) briquette manufacture, and (&) power production on a large-scale. The Premier promised that the Cabinet would consider the matter. Undoubtedly great scope exists for the utilisation of the vast seams of brown coal, the cheap- ness of the latter being regarded as compensating for inferior calorific value. The Morwell deposits are within convenient reach of the Victorian markets, and calcula- tions have been published to show that it could be retailed in Melbourne at ,6s. or 7s. per ton. According to the par- ticulars which have been published, the Morwell brown coal in its natural state could be used in an admixture with 50 per cent, of New South Wales black coal for firing steam boilers and for similar purposes. Thus handled, it would have a heating efficiency of about 45 per cent., and its cost in Melbourne would be from 25 to 30 per cent, that of Newcastle (Australian) coal. Gas suitable for firing steam boilers could be readily produced from the Morwell coal with gas producers. If the gas were used for firing in*connection with high-class steam power plants, it is likely that the power could be produced with a con- sumption of about 2-5 lb. of Morwell coal per horse-power per hour. Gas engines of various well-known types could be similarly supplied. In this case, it is estimated that power could be produced with a consumption of 1-5 to 2 lb. of brown coal per horse-power per hour. In certain types of gas producers, the Morwell coal is capable of yielding, according to one expert calculation, tar and ammonia by-products worth from Is. to 2s., or possibly more, per ton of coal dealt with. Thus the by-products would about pay the cost of winning the coal. Queensland Coal Fields.—The Queensland Mines Depart- ment has received a report from its experts, who have been boring on the Bowen coal fields for some time, stating that they have now proved that within an area of one square mile there are 22 million tons of coal. The electrolytic works at Bowen and the smelters and mines at Cloncurry would be very large consumers of Coal were these'fields exploited. Bowen and Townsville are the two nearest Australian ports to the Panama Canal, and this coal dis- covery must increase their importance, from the fact that ships leaving Australia for Panama would have to coal at one or the other of them. There were 500,000 acres of Crown lands on the Bowen coal field district that could be made available for settlement at once. Canada. Canadian Coal Output in 1916.—The Canadian Depart- ment of Mines has issued an estimate of the coal produc- tion of Canada during 1916, based on returns from the operators covering the first 10 months of the year and estimates for November and December. The total will approximate 14,365,000 short tons, as compared with 13,267,023 tons in 1915. The figures by provinces are as follow Nova Scotia, 6,950,000 tons, a decrease of 513,370 tons; New Brunswick, 135,000 tons, increase 7,609 tons; Saskatchewan, 260,000 tons, increase 19,893 tons; Alberta, 4,400,000 tonsg increase 1,039,182 tons; British Columbia, 2,620,000 tons, increase 554,387 tons ; Yukon, 9,724 tons. The estimate is believed to be fairly close for Nova Scotia and British Columbia, but in Alberta there are so many small operators that final returns may show a wider varia- tion from the estimates now made. The production in New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia is the highest on record. Coal in British Columbia.—The gross production of coal in British Columbia in 1916, including the coal made into coke, is estimated at 2,495,893 long tons, against 1,972,580 tons in 1915, and 2,166,428 tons in 1914. The 1916 figures are subject to revision, as the production for the month of December had to be estimated. The coal mining companies operating in British Columbia had to contend last year against conditions that were not favour- able to any considerable increase. There was a general shortage of labour for coal mining. The increase in gross production of coal in 1916 as compared with 1915 was 523,313 tons. Concerning value of products, it has been customary to calculate coal at 3-50 dols. a long ton, and coke at 6 dols. This will give the following results : Net coal (that is, after deduction of 443,930 tons made into coke), 2,051,963 tons at 3-50 dols., 7,181,870 dols. ; coke, 270,475 tons at 6 dols., 1,622,850 dols. Total value of coal and coke, 8,804,270 dols. The value of coal in 1915 was 5,638,952 dols., and of coke, 1,475,226 dols.—total value, 7,114,178 dols. Thus the increase in value in 1916 over 1915 was 1,690,542 dols., on the assumption that similar prices, not higher ones, will be used officially for the 1916 production. EXPLOSIVES IN COAL MINES. The following is a complete list of Permitted Explosives to date :— Part 1.—Explosives which have Passed the Rotherham Test. Explosive. Permissible maximum charge in oz. Pendulum swing in inches.* Abbcite No- 2 18 2’54- Abelite No. 1 14 2’85 Abelite No. 4 ..: 18 2’79 Ajax Powder 12 ... 2’69 Ammonite No. 1 24 2’42 Ammo dte No. 4 30 1’76 Anchorite Il 2’73 , A. 1. Monobel 28 2’78 A. 2. Monobel 22 2’44 Arkite No. 2 40 2’41 Bellite No. 1 20 2'74 Bellite No. 2 32 2’42 Bellite No. 4 18 2’92 Black Bellite 30 2’48 Britonite No. 2 24 2’26 Britonite No. 3 24 2’17 Cambrite 30 1’98 Cambrite No. 2 24 200 Denaby Powder 18 2’74 Dreadnought Powder 32 2’05 du Pont Permissible No. 1 18 2’82 Dynobel 22 2’61 Dynobel No. 2 24 2’46 Dynobel No. 3 18 2’50 Dynobel No. 4 30 2’35 Essex Powder 38 2T7 Expedite 32 2’62 Faversham Powder No. 2 24 2’61 Hay lite No. 1 10 2T8 Hay lite No. 2 . 18 1 ’96 Herculite 16 2’72 Kent it e .'. 18 2’64 Kent Powder 32 2'01 Kynarkite 20 2’21 Kynarkite No. 2 23 2’06 Mellin g Powder 12 2’62 Mersey Powder 18 2 60 Monarkite ; 26 2’67 Monobel No. 1 10 ... 2’81 Nationalite No. 1 12 2’92 Nationalite No. 2 20 2’63 Negro Powder No. 2 ... 20 2’21 Neonal 16 2’56 Neonal No. 1 30 2’51 New Fortex 10 2’61 Nitro-Densite 28 1’47 Pit-ite No. 2 32 ’2T5 Pitsea Powder No. 2 ... 8 2’64 Rex Powder 20 2’61 Roburite No. 4 18 2’86 Stomonal No. 1 20 2’68 Sunderite 16 2’66 Super-Cliffite No. 1 26 2’53 Super-Cliffit e No. 2 ... 39 2’53 Super-Curtisite 16 2’71 Super-Excellite 10 2’74 Super-Excellite No. 2 14 2’72 Super-Excellite No. 3 36 2’73 Super-Kolax 30 2’10 Super-Kolax No. 2 32 2’21 Super-Rippite 18 2’53 Swale Powder 20 2’50 Thames Powddr 32 2’78 Thames Powder No. 2 22 2’59 Victor Powder 18 2'96 Victor Powder No. 2... 16 2’63 Viking Powder No. 1 26 2 44 Viking Powder No. 2 18 2’59 . Westfalite No. 3 12 Part 2. Bobbinite. 2’55 (Permitted only for the purpose of bringing down coal in certain mines for a period of five years from 1st Jan., 1914.) * This is the swing given to the ballistic pendulum at the Home Office Testing Station by firing at it a shot of 4 oz. of the explosive. It may be compared with the swing of 3"27 in. given by a shot of 4 oz. of gelignite containing 60 per cent, of nitro-glycerine. OBITUARY. The death has occurred, at Leigh, of Mr. Francis Pickett, a well-known South Lancashire colliery contractor, who had in hand the new sinking at the Wigan Coal and Iron Company’s Parsonage Collieries, Westleigh, Leigh. Mr. Pickett had carreid out many important mining contracts in the Leigh and Hindley localities. The death is announced of Mr. J. G. A. Baird, of Colstoun, Haddington, and Well wood and Rosemount, Ayrshire, in his 63rd year. He was from 1886 to 1906 one of the members for the Central Division of Glasgow. Mr. Baird was a son of the late William Baird, of Elie, one of the founders of the firm of Baird and Co., well known in the West of Scotland iron trade. MINING INDUSTRY AND MILITARY SERVICE. Mr. Coad, cashier to the Cramliugton Coal Company Limited, in opposing the military representative’s claim to a 29-year-old colliery clerk, classed Bl, stated that nine men had joined up from the offices. The company had given every assistance to recruiting, and was paying about J6400 a fortnight to the dependants of men who were serving. The staff of the department affected consisted of himself, the clerk in question (who acted as book-keeper) and two girls. They had to keep the-accounts of collieries, several farms, and hotels. It was impossible for a woman to do this man’s work. Mr. Coad was reminded that women were employed in banks nowadays. He replied that he did not know how' they managed it. Exemption was refused. Mr. R. L. Weeks, agent for Messrs. Strakers and Love, appealing at Willington for four colliery clerks, said the men could not be done without. All the colliery bills had to be made out, and there was more work than ever now that the Government had taken the mines over. There were 66 cases of Class A men at a recent medical exami- nation at Brancepeth Colliery, and not one had gone into the Army. Mr. W^eks thought it was a shame to claim these four clerks, for they could not be wanted urgently, otherwise some of the 66 A men would have been taken. Everything had to be done twice over, with weekly pays, etc. Every bill clerk in Durham county was working on Saturdays and Sundays. Three of the clerks were granted exemption until May 14, final, and the fourth until August 30. Mr. Whitfield, applying, on behalf of Messrs. Bolckow, Vaughan and Company Limited, for a timekeeper, store- keeper, and pay clerk at the Dean and Chapter Colliery, informed the Sedgefield tribunal that the man was a most important official, who was responsible for stores amount- ing to T13,000 or T14,000 per month, in addition to which he kept the time of nearly 1,000 men. It would take a very efficient man to fill his place. Conditional exemption was granted. At the same tribunal, Mr. J. M. Crawford, manager of the Dean and Chapter Colliery, remarked that the Labour Exchanges were enrolling men and keeping them doing nothing. A man residing near him had been lying at home for three months. The colliery was nearly stopped through having so. many broken tubs. He wanted a man to repair them; this man could do the work, yet the speaker could not get the man’s services unless he released a man fit for general service. Other men who had enrolled were not allowed to start work unless they released men for general service.. He would have to ask the Minister of Munitions to provide men to repair the tubs, or the pit would have to stop. To have to release a general service man before one could get a man made the job worse than at first. Other members of the tribunal expressed agreement with Mr. Crawford, and it was remarked that the Labour Exchange business was more or less a farce. There has been a drastic “ combing-out ” in the Humber coal trade. Lieut. Runton, at the "Hull tribunal, stated that the advisory committee, with the assistance of experts in the coal trade, had reviewed the whole position of exemptions, and had come to the conclusion, in view of the fact of collieries, the railways, and the docks being under Government control, that many of the middlemen should be taken for the Army. The coal trade was now of limited dimensions, on account of fewer licences and the position of shipping. It was a fact that the general export of coal to-day was only 30 per cent, of what it was at the beginning of 1914. It had been suggested that many of the collieries which had agencies in Hull could easily come to a pooling arrangement and to an agreement as to the superintendence of shipping and of stocks, as the time had now arrived when the military authorities must have every “ general service ” man. At the West Riding appeal tribunal at Bradford last week, Messrs. Wheatley, Akeroyd and Company Limited, colliery owners,, appealed against the decision of the Drigh- lington local tribunal in giving June 30, final, in the case of Mr. L. Akeroyd, their managing director. Mr. Akeroyd had been for four years in the employ of Messrs. Wheatley and Render, at Horseriggs Colliery, of which he was manager for several years before it closed down three years ago. On the colliery closing down, Mr. Akeroyd commenced business as a manufacturing confectioner. In the meantime, however, Messrs.. Wheatley and Render commenced to work the Graystone Colliery. Difficulties arose there owing to water in'the works, and Mr. Akeroyd had now taken it over, and was himself acting as surface manager and agent. The confectionery business was in his wife’s care. The appeal was disallowed. At Tanfield, when the case of a head colliery clerk at Burnopfield was considered, it was stated that he was originally passed for home service, but had since been passed for general service. He had agreed to remain with his present employers for the duration of the war. Such a position was difficult to fill. All the coals produced at the colliery were required for war service. The military representative (Canon Archdale) stated that the advisory committee was unanimous in thinking that the man should be granted exemption until June 30, with leave to appeal, and he (the Canon) was not going behind the committee. The recommendation was agreed to.—At the same tribunal, a Tanfield Lea colliery clerk, aged 33, and passed for general service, was claimed by his employers as indis- pensable. It was stated that the office work was now being done by four men (one 68 years of age, another 53. the third 23, but physically unfit, and the man applied for), three boys, and three girls. The man’s duties were very technical, and he worked from 9 a.m. until 7, 8, or 9 p.m. The chairman suggested that, as the man superin- tended office work, that was a case for three months’ exemption, with leave to appeal. Society of British Gas Industries.—The annual general meeting of the society will be held next Tuesday at the Trocadero Restaurant, Piccadilly-circus, W. A paper on “ The Education and Training of Engineering Appren- tices ” will be read by Mr. H. A. Bennie Gray, a director of Messrs. W. C. Holmes and Company Limited, of Huddersfield. The discussion will be followed by the induction of the new president (Sir Robert A. Hadfield).