May 11, 1917..

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

Ml

The governors of the Northumberland Aged Mine
Workers’ Homes Association, at their annual meeting in
Newcastle last Saturday, adopted the 17th annual report
and balance-slieet, which were summarised in this column
last week. The president (Mr. John Cairns) remarked
that the year had been a -good one from the association’s
standpoint, notwithstanding that between 10,000 and
11,000 of the county miners were away fighting. It was
stated that the governors were ready with three sites for
new homes when it should be wise to resume building.
Woodhorn’s motion protesting against the present system
of governors visiting the homes, and suggesting that the
work should be done by the deputy landlords and the
secretary, was negatived by 42 votes to 17. Dinnington’s
motion that, where a group of aged miners’ cottages is
built, the local committee should have power to investigate
any complaints made by the aged miners and report to
the central committee, was also negatived. It was agreed
to advise the lodges to initiate tag days on behalf of the
association in the various districts on July 14 and 21. Mr.
Cairns was re-elected president, Mr. John Wilson secre-
tary, and Mr. Wm. Hogg treasurer. Messrs. M. R. Miller
and T. McHugh were re-appointed auditors. The ballot
for governors resulted in the re-election of Messrs. Wm.
Straker, Wm. Weir, G. E. Middleton, J. S. Dunigan, J.
McCowey, D. Marshall, J. Carr, J. Davison, J. Batey, and
S. Coulthard.,

Yorkshire.

On Saturday, Mr. J. E. Parkinson (instructor at the
Barnsley mines’ rescue station) was the recipient of a gold
hunter watch, suitably inscribed, and- which had been
subscribed for by the various rescue teams which have
passed their preliminary training in mines rescue work
under his direction and supervision. The presentation was
made as a mark of esteem, for patience, courtesy, and kind-
ness shown to the pupils during their training. Mr. Earl
Ward, under-manager of the Kent seam of the Wharncliffe
Woodmoor Colliery Company Limited, handed the gift to
Mr. Parkinson, who, in reply, said that rescue workers
were a valuable asset to the various collieries which they
represented.

Lancashire and Cheshire.

At the annual meeting of the Lancashire branch of the
National Association of Colliery Managers, Mr. F. H.
Hollingworth was again unanimously elected president.
Mr. Hollingworth is the general manager of the Hop wood
Colliery Limited, Oldham, and is also connected with the
private company which is taking over the Bower Colliery.,

For the further development of new mines at the Moss
Collieries of the Pearson and Knowles Coal and Iron Com-
pany Limited at Lower Ince, which, it is expected, will
give employment to a large number of hands in the future,
new plant has been installed, and Mrs. W. Peter Rylands,
the wife of one of the directors, last week started a new
1,250 kw. mixed pressure turbine,'in the presence of a large
company, which included Lady Harmood-Banner, Mrs.
Carruthers Johnstone, Lady Savory, Mr. Peter Rylands
(director), Maj. H. Harmood-Banner (director), Sir Wm.
Scott Barrett, D.L., J.P., and Mr. C. W. Eames, J.P. (the
general manager of the collieries). In the evening, at the
invitation of the directors, the senior officials of all the
collieries were entertained in honour of the event, when the
opportunity was taken to bid farewell and wish a quick
return to Mr. C. W. Eames, the general manager of the
collieries, who has been given leave of absence for a period
of 12 months by the board of directors for the purpose of
taking up a commission in the Royal Engineers, Tunnelling
Section.

North Wales.

The annual meeting of the North Wales Permanent
Relief Society was held last week at Wrexham. The report
showed at December 31, 1915, a membership of 2,605,
which increased to 2,902 by the end of 1916. The revenue
for the year was =£3,208, and the expenditure £1,292. At
the end of the year the accumulated funds amounted to
£6,413, compared with £4,497 in 1915. The number of
disablement cases relieved was 545, and the disablement
pay amounted to £737, equalling £1 7s. for each case;
while at the close of the year 11 widows, 14 children, and
43 members were in receipt of relief. Maj. G. FitzHugh
was re-elected president, Sir Henry B. Robertson and Mr.
W. F. Butler vice-presidents; Mr. Thomas Parry, J.P.,
Mr. G. F. Findlay, and Maj. G. R. Mayes members of the
board of management; Messrs. H. Croom Johnson, John
Francis, F. W. Soames, R. H. V. Kyrke, Clement Edwards,
Arthur E. Evans, and J. Oswell Bury were appointed as
arbitrators; and Messrs. Haswell Brothers were re-elected
auditors of the society.

Notts and Derbyshire.

Judge Macpherson, in Chesterfield County Court, granted
an application for leave to issue execution against the
Blackwell Colliery Company for £29 arrears of compensa-
tion payable to George Moakes, miner. The case had been
before the Court of Appeal. The doctors agreed that he
could do light work after the injury he suffered in 1907,
but he complained of pain in standing at certain work.
Regarding the contention that, in signing for the 8s. 8d.
per week compensation, Moakes agreed to accept that sum
in full settlement, the judge said he could not accept the
filling in of the receipt form as equivalent to a binding
agreement. The man signed the form because that was
the only way in which he could get any money at all. His
Honour granted a stay of execution for one month, with a
view to appeal.

Kent.

The amount of sinking necessary to reach the first seam
of coal at Chislet Colliery, near Canterbury, is estimated
by the chairman of the company, Mr. Joseph Shaw, K.C.,
at about 600 ft. below the 627 ft. point at which the North
pit has already been sunk. The matters referred to in the
report of the company, which has already appeared in these
columns, were also spoken of by Mr. Shaw at the annual
meeting, with the added information concerning the official
notice served on them to suspend sinking, and the negotia-
tions that have been taking place on the matter, that the
Government have allowed the company to sink through the
chalk to the gault in order to make the pit safe, and then
the work must be stopped until the termination of the
war. The cementation process has had a really good test
in sinking through the chalk, as it was mentioned by the
chairman that a great pressure of water was encountered
in that section, but this had been stopped, and had given
no further trouble.

Scotland.

Fifeshire’s Unsatisfactory Trade—Burntisland Shipments
—Prospective Closing of Two Pits — Conviction Set
Aside.

The Fife coal trade is still in an unsatisfactory state, as
has obtained here for the past few months. The working
time in the country is far from being equally divided among,
the men, as a number of the pits are getting 11 days per

fortnight, whilst the majority are only winding coal three
and four days per week. Dunfermline collieries are in’ a
very bad position, where some pits are closed till further
orders have been received, which may not be for a month.
The miners’ board are endeavouring to bring about better
shipping facilities. A promise has been made by the Board
of Trade office that if possible an improvement would be
effected. Even in the same collieries unequal work exists,
and naturally the men are dissatisfied.

For the month ended April 30, there were shipped at
Burntisland 24,460 tons of coal, as compared with 14,757
tons in March, and 73,746 tons in April 1916. Of the total
quantity, 16,834 tons were shipped coastwise. For the
week ending May 5, the export of coal was 6,150 tons, a
decrease of exactly 20,000 tons on the same week of 1916.

Mr. Andrew Burt, for many years one of the managers
of the Banknock Coal Company, has been appointed
manager of Coursington Colliery, belonging to the Wishaw
Coal Company.

As a result of the present dulness in the coal trade
throughout Fifeshire, it is reported that one of the coal
companies is about to close dowii two of its pits.

After lengthy negotiations, the tradesmen employed at
Douglas Water Colliery, Lanarkshire, have had their
wages advanced by 6d. per day. This is in addition to
the advance given under Sir George Askwith’s award.

The Court of Session has set aside a conviction relating
to John Macdonald and Son, coal masters, 65, Renfield-
street, Glasgow. It was stated that in October last they
sold to the Royal Field Artillery at a certain depot in
Glasgow a cart of smithy dross. It was not sold as a ton,
but as a load, and the buyer was charged according to the
actual weight as ascertained. The dross was taken from
a colliery salesman’s depot at Maryhill, and the railway
company supplied a slip to the carter, an employee of the
contractors employed by the appellants, on which was
marked the tare of the cart, loaded and unloaded, the net
difference supplying the basis of payment. The inspector of
weights and measures stopped the cart, had it weighed
full and then empty, and found that the dross weighed
2 cwt. less than the slip allowed, and that the cart was by
that amount heavier. The appellants were thereafter
charged with contravening section 58 of the Glasgow Cor-
poration Act, 1907. They pleaded not guilty, but Stipen-
diary Neilson found the charge proven, and imposed a fine
of 21s. The appellants now submitted that there was no
representation by them to the purchasers'as to the weight
of the coal, as was required by section 58, which had no
application to the actual circumstances. The court upheld
the appeal, and granted £10 10s. costs, on the ground that
the Procurator-Fiscal had entirely failed to prove the
alleged offence.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE.

CHANCERY DI VISION.—May 1.

Before Mr. Justice Sargant.

A German Patent.

In re Stahlwerk Becker Aktien-Gesellschaft.—Arthur
Balfour and Company Limited, Sheffield (styled Seebohm
and Dieckstahl Limited before the war) sought revocation
of a patent for high-speed steel (No. 27858 of 1912) granted
to the Stahlwerk Becker Company, Germany. The appli-
cants claimed that there was a want of novelty (by reason
of prior user by Seebohm and Dieckstahl Limited, and
prior common general knowledge), and that the alleged
invention was not proper subject-matter for letters patent.
This petition could not be served in the ordinary way on
the German patentees, so, by order, service was effected
by advertisement, and the patentees appeared. They
recently moved for an order that they might be at liberty
to amend the specification of the patent by way of dis-
claimer, under section 22 of the Patents and Designs Act,
1907.

The Attorney-General, who represented the Crown,
expressed the opinion that the proposed amendment ought
to be allowed, as the application for leave to amend was
really a defence to the proceedings for revocation, and not
an initiative proceeding by an alien enemy.

His lordship said he had come to the same conclusion,
although not disposed to do so at first. Under section 21
of the Act, a patentee might make a substantive appli-
cation for leave to amend his specification by disclaimer,
correction, or explanation. It was admitted that a
patentee who was an alien enemy could not initiatively
apply to amend under section 21. He (his lordship) had
thought that by an application under secti'on 22, an alien
enemy might gain an advantage against all the world, and
that this might be obtained in proceedings. on a friendly
petition for revocation. But that danger might be guarded
against by imposing terms under section 22, and the
court could impose the term that proceedings should not
be brought after the termination of the war for infringe-
ments during it or before its commencement. With the
greatest doubt, he decided that the proceedings for amend-
ment should be allowed to go on.

KING’S BENCH DI VISION.—May 8.

Before the Lord Chief Justice, Mr. Justice Ridley, and
Mr. Justice Avory.

A Magisterial Decision.

Neate v. Alcock. — Mr. J. B. Matthews, K.C., for the
appellants, stated that this-was an appeal against a deci-
sion of the Llangollen justices, who had refused to convict
a miner for having broken the Regulations under the Coal
Mines Act, 1911, on the ground that there was not suffi-
cient evidence. The Regulation in question was with
regard to the use of safety lamps in the mines, and pro-
vided that any damage to a lamp should be deemed to
be due to the neglect or default of the person to whom the
lamp was given out, unless he proved it to be due to no
fault of his own. A miner named Alcock was charged
with having damaged his lamp, and for not having
reported the damage. The magistrates dismissed the case.
Counsel contended that this decision was wrong.

Mr. Montgomery, K.C., for the respondent, said there
was no evidence before the justices that the lamp was
damaged when returned. He argued that the finding of
the justices that there was not sufficient evidence to convict
was correct.

The court decided that the case should be remitted to
the justices for them to state: Was the damage due to any
fault of respondent; did the respondent immediately give
notice of the damage, and, if so, to whom ? and also state
generally on what grounds they decided that no offence
had been committed.

LABOUR ANO WAGES.

, South Wales and Monmouthshire.

The enginemen and stokers who are members of the
Miners’ Federation have a separate committee of the Con-
ciliation Board termed the Craftsmen’s Committee, and a
meeting of this joint body was held in Cardiff on Friday.
One of the subjects discussed was the refusal of the Powell
Duffryn Co. to pay extra rates to men who claimed that
they were entitled to receive something in excess of the
scale, and this was referred to a member from each side for
investigation and report.—In another colliery the tram
smiths had been refused recognition as smiths; and in
another matter there was application that the agreed
enginemen’s rates should apply to young fellows under 21
when they were doing the work of adults. In this also
reference was made to a representative of each side.
— Contradition was given from the employers to a state-
ment which had been published as to inclusion in the
enginemen’s agreement of men not previously admitted, it
being stated that no such arrangement had been made with
the Enginemen and Stokers’ Association.

The tippers and hydraulic repairers in the employ of the
Cardiff Railway Company, owners of Bute Docks, held a
meeting on Sunday to consider the question of the war
bonus. ! A resolution was carried endorsing their previous
demand to share the bonus given to the railwaymen, and it
was decided to send a deputation to the headquarters of
the railwaymen’s trade union, in which they are members,
so that the whole circumstances might be discussed

At a special meeting of the Tin-plate Conciliation Board,
held -on Friday in Swansea, applications were made from
the different unions for 25 per cent, additional war bonus,
and the matter was debated at length. Mr. Gibbins
occupied the chair, and Mr. Ben Tillett (of the Dockers’
Union) submitted the claims, urging as a justification that
the cost of living had nearly doubled j ince the war
commenced. There were several consultations and retire-
ments of the two sides, and finally an offer was made of
advances which averaged 18| per cent, all round. Men
earning 21 s. will receive an increase of 15 per cent., making
their total war bonus 42 per cent. From that point up to
30s. the added bonus will be 20 per cent., making the total
52| per cent.; whilst those earning between 30s. and 40s.
will have their total raised to 47 o per. cent.; and those
earning more than £2 per week will, in future, receive a
total bonus of 37i per cent. These rates were agreed upon.

It is notified that the members of the Welsh Artisan
Union, who are chiefly employed in the tinplate works, will
not'share the Tinplate Conciliation Board war bonus which
was fixed last week, their wages, it is understood, being
regulated under the award of April 1, which granted a
bonus of 12s. per week on pre-war rates to the members of
the Amalgamated Society of Engineers.

Swansea Harbour Trust have an application from the
employees for a further war bonus ranging from 5s. to
7s. 6d. per week ; and this is an application quite separate
from that of the transport workmen who asked for 25 per
cent, increase. Already the greater number of the men
have received increases amounting to 10s. per week; and if
the new application be granted it will mean an additional
outlay of not far short of £10,000 a year, and this at a
time when the Harbour Trust’s income, owing to war con-
ditions, has been so greatly reduced that the Corporation
have had to come to its aid by monetary contribution from
the rates.

The Western Miners’ Association (steam coal), covering
a wide area between Neath and Swansea, shows considerable
irregularity, for nearly one-fourth of their members were
reported in February to have worked half time or less ;
whilst anywhere from 1,500 to 1,800 have been idle in the
two months since then. In the Vale of Neath and Skewen
area, collieries have been working only two or three days a
week; and the same is reported concerning the Avon
Valley behind Port Talbot. It is the anthracite district
which suffers most severely and needs special attention,
owing to the lack of tonnage, reports from Swansea in this
respect being really serious.

In the course of a report to the meeting of Blaenavon
miners, submitted by the local leaders, it was stated that
certain local collieries had been closed for work for 46 days
between November and April, and that the Federation
executive, which had made grants to meet similar cases,
had voted only £1,200 to the eastern valleys of Monmouth-
shire, which meant very small amounts to the individuals
affected. The report further dealt with arrangements
made with the employers at the outbreak of war as to
discontinuing the employment of non-unionists. That
arrangement had been carried out. but lately the question
had been raised whether men who paid only Is. per month
to the funds, instead of the 2s. fixed by the Federation,
were trade unionists, these men contending that as a ballot
had not been taken on the question of the second Is. it was
not legal to demand it. Some of the employers favoured
these discontented men, and the report stated that unless
the Federation insisted on the payment of the 2s. it would
mean that South Wales would have to sever its con-
nection with the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain.
If the discontented men succeeded in the legal action on
this subject, the organisation would be split. A resolution
was unanimously carried calling upon all the men in the
coal field to “ down tools ” if serious difficulty were expe-
rienced in dealing with this situation.

The Monmouthshire Eastern Valley miners have passed
a resolution calling upon the Government to establish a
national minimum wage of 30s., the reason being that the
Government had given preferential treatment to farmers
and, according to the statement of Mr. Winstone (one of
the speakers), had “subsidised the landlords.”

The Pontypridd miners met on Monday, and it was stated
that the award of the arbitrator on the claims of the
Coedcae house coal colliery workmen had been received,
and that the decision was favourable to the men.

The Tredegar district of miners met on Monday, and it
was reported by the sub-agent that there had been trouble
at Nine Mile Point Colliery on account of notices given to
350 men ; but inasmuch as 298 of them had re-started, and
the others would be found places as soon as possible, he
regarded a settlement as highly probable.—A report was
submitted on the question of the military comb-out, and
the members were urged to fall in with the majority
decision of the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain, so that
South Wales should not stand aloof, but should act
democratically and accept the decision of the majority.

North of England.

Mr. J. Dickinson presided over the quarterly meeting of
the Cumberland Miners’ Association held at Workington
last week. Mr. T. Cape, miners’ agent, submitted the
balance-sheet, which showed that the funds of the
association now amount to £18,645, and that £7,175