January 25, 1918. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. 181 Fourteenth Edition, Revised. Enlarged (by 100 pages). Be-set. With Numerous Diagrams. Cloth. 7s. 6d. net. A TREATISE on MINESURVEYING: For the use of Managers of Mines and Collieries, Students at the Royal School of Mines, 6c. By BENNETT H. BROUGH, Assoc.B.S.M., E.G.S. Revised and Enlarged by HARRY DEAN, M.Sc,, A.R.S.M. Contents General Explanations -Measurement of Distances—Chain Surveying—Traverse Surveying—Variations of the Magnetic Needle—Loose- Needle Traversing—Local Variations of the Magnetic Needle—The German Dial—The Vernier Dial—The Theodolite—Fixed-Needle Traversing— Surface-Surveying with the Theodolite—Plotting the Survey—Plane-Table Surveying—Calculation of Areas—Levelling—Underground and Surface Surveys—Measuring Distances by Telescope—Setting-out—Mine Surveying Problems—Mine Plans—Application of the Magnetic-Needle in Mining- Photographic Surveying—Appendices—Index. “ This book forms one of the famous ‘ Mining Series ’ issued by Messrs. C. Griffin & Co. Ltd. The new edition is a masterly production.”— Mining World. CHAS. GRIFFIN & CO. LTD., 12, Exeter St., Strand, London, W.C. 2. J. W. BAIRD AND COMPANY, PITWOOD IMPORTERS, WEST HARTLEPOOL. YEARLY CONTRACTS ENTERED INTO WITH COLLIERIES. OSBECK & COMPANY LIMITED, PIl’-TIMBER MERCHANTS, NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE. SUPPLY ALL KINDS OF COLLIERY TIMBER. Telegrams—“ Osbecks, Newcastle-on-Tyne.” *** For other Miscellaneous Advertisements see Last White Page. Joint Editors— J. V. ELSDEN, D.Sc. (Lond.), F.G.S. HUBERT GREENWELL, F.S.S., Assoc.M.I.M.E. {At present on Active Service'). LONDON. FRIDAY. JANUARY 2b. 1918. London supplies are much more satisfactory. Hard steams and small nuts are exceedingly scarce and slacks are selling freely. Steam and gas coals are plentiful, and special smithies very scarce in Northumberland and Durham. Warmer weather has relieved Lancashire of some of the pressure for household fuel, but merchants are still anxious to obtain reserves. Industrial fuel is steady and slack is in rather better demand. Enquiries are brisk in Yorkshire for all sorts, steam coal being particularly sought. Household coal supplies are about equal to demand. Trade in the Midlands retains the features which have characterised it of late. The Cardiflc market is almost at a standstill, and the position is described as depressing. Stocks have become excessive. Although still in an unsatisfactory condition, the Scotch coal trade has been busier during the past week than for a long time. The extremely cold weather has increased domestic sales, while industrial sales have been heavy. In some instances where coal has been dumped stocks have been almost entirely cleared. Only a slow business in large anthracite is reported by Swansea and Llanelly correspondents. Machine- made kinds appear to be rather more firmly held in Swansea. Freight rates have become a secondary matter in the competition for uncontrolled tonnage, and con- sequently prices are very strong. Chartering on the north-east coast and in South Wales is almost lifeless, with the result that a mass of market business is unable to proceed. Coastwise rates are firm. The scheme of restricted fuel consumption in the United States appears to have had a satisfactory beginning. Railway congestion has been greatly relieved. The Coke Oven Managers’ Association (Midland Section), will hold the third meeting of the session at the Grand Hotel, Sheffield, to-morrow (Saturday), commencing at 3 p.m. A paper on “ Some Compara- tive Notes on Cake Oven Crude Benzol,” by Mr. B. Wilson Haigh and Mr H. Lamb will be read. The Home Secretary has appointed Mr. William Walker, Acting Chief Inspector of Mines, to hold a formal investigation under Section 83 of the Coal Mines Act, of the causes and circumstances of the recent disaster at the Podmore Hall Colliery. The death roll is believed to be 155, and relief funds have been opened for the benefit of relatives. Bodies are still being recovered. A Press report states that new directions prepared by the Controller of Coal Mines are being considered by the Consultative Committee, and may be issued at an early date. It is understood that the proposed alteration of prices of coal for the Allies is receiving attention. It is stated that the question of the control of all forms of inland transport—except the railways, which will be controlled as heretofore by the Rail- way Executive—is engaging the immediate attention of the Government. A Memorandum has been published A with respect to the reorganisation Step towards of the Board of Trade. This has a Ministry been approved for the purpose of □f Commerce, meeting the requirements arising out of post-war conditions. Until, how- ever, those conditions arise the score of temporary departments and executive authorities set up for war purposes will be retained. This is, of course, inevitable; but it is none the less advisable to lose no time in taking steps to strengthen and im- prove the organisation of the permanent departments so that these may be in a position to assist in the difficult task of maintaining and improving our commercial and industrial position in the economic struggle which, in the natural order of things, can scarcely fail to arise when the war comes to an end. For the restoration of peace will not mean a resump- tion of normal conditions, so great is the disorgani- sation that has arisen in almost every part of the world. It would be idle even to speculate upon the nature of the problems that will arise, for these will largely depend upon the kind of peace that will be secured. Whatever may happen, however, there is un- doubted wisdom in the decision now taken to make a clean cut in the Board of Trade, dividing it into two distinct divisions, the Department of Commerce and Industry and the Department of Public Services Administration. At first sight it might appear that this separation had already been effected by the recent setting up of the Joint Department of Over- seas Trade, presided over by Sir A. Steel-Maitland. This, however, is not the case, because the latter body is not exclusively an appanage of the Board of Trade, but is connected also with the Foreign Office. Its hybrid character is a natural consequence of the attempt which has been made to satisfy two overlapping interests. This solution of an inter- departmental difficulty will, it is to be hoped, work satisfactorily; but it is undoubtedly a complicated arrangement, ’ and the position of Sir A. Steel- Maitland’s Department is scarcely made simpler by this new scheme, by which it becomes a section of the Department of Commerce and Industry. The main question which arises is whether this splitting up of the Board of Trade brings us any nearer towards a Ministry of Commerce, the demand for which has been so insistent of late on part of the commercial community of the country. In a sense the answer to this question is in the affirmative, and Sir Albert Stanley will become to all intents and purposes a Minister of Commerce; but he will also remain the Minister of Public Services Administra- tion, and the question remains whether this dual capacity is compatible with the effective administra- tion of each. Viewed on broad grounds the arrangement scarcely seems satisfactory. As the Minister of Public Services Administration, Sir A. Stanley will be responsible for the due observance of many important statutes for the regulation of trade, and presumably, also, he will be responsible for such new enactments as may be deemed advisable for the Government control of trade. All these, however necessary they may be in the public interest, are virtually in restraint of trade. As Minister of Commerce and Industry, on the other hand, his duties will unques- tionably lie in the direction of promoting and fostering trades to its fullest extent. Is it, then, certain, that there will be no clashing of public duty, when the same officer of State is charged both with the promotion and restraint of trade? It is even possible to conceive that under such conditions a typical Gilbertian position might arise. When, however, the situation is examined more closely, the above criticism loses much of its force. Let us take an example. One of the new de- partments of Commerce and Industry will be concerned with all questions of policy relating to transport in its commercial aspect, including shipping, canal and railway rates. It will also deal with questions of policy relating to industrial power, including electricity, gas and water-power and the conservation of duel, petroleum, etc. This department will presumably regard these matters purely from the point of view of promoting trade. Corresponding departments of the Department of Public Service Administration will possess regulating and restrictive legislative functions in respect of shipping, railways, canals, harbours and public supplies of gas, water and electricity. The quasi- rival claims of these several bodies will be finally controlled by the dual Minister, who should thus be in a position to determine the relative importance to the nation of any questions that may arise, and from his wider knowledge of both sides of the argument his decisions are likely to be more reasonable than would otherwise be the case. It has often been complained that our merchants have been handi- capped in the past by departmental restrictions which did not apply to their foreign competitors. We are informed that foreign shipping could enter our ports under conditions which were prohibited to vessels sailing under the British flag. Such a state of things, if true, ought not to be continued under a Minister responsible for the maintenance of British trade supremacy. Another section under the Minister of Com- merce and Industry will be concerned with home industries and questions of policy connected with trade monopolies and combinations, alien penetration into British industries and the promotion of new trades; while the Companies Department under the Minister of Public Service Administration will be responsible for the general administration of legisla- tion with respect to the Government control of joint stock companies, and all such matters. The dual Minister in such circumstances should be excep- tionally situated to guard the nation against any repetition of the gross abuse; of our easy-going hospitality in the past, which has threatened the foreign control of some of our vital industries. Thus we see that the new arrangement is not without obvious advantages; and there appears to be no reason why it should not work satisfactorily, and prove to be a real step in the direction demanded by the critical times ahead. The limit of profitable mining of Mining thin coal seams has always been a Thin Seams, matter of considerable economic interest, and the question has lately assumed increased importance in connection with the possibilities of augmenting fuel oil supplies by the distillation of cannel coal. It is, therefore, a fitting occasion to call attention to a recent publication issued by the Canadian Department of Mines upon The Alining of Thin Coal Seams as Applied to the Eastern Coal Fields of Canada* by Mr. J. F. Keldoor- Brown. The author points out that a country’s coal production usually passes through three stages:— (1) The period up to the production of maximum output; (2) an intermediate period, during which the ratio between mining cost and selling price approaches unity; (3) a time when it becomes cheaper to import coal than to mine it. It is the first of these periods that provides the cheapest coal, and it is the natural tendency to prolong this stage as much as possible, which necessarily involves a limitation in the exploitation of the thinner seams. Yet these thin coals may well possess considerable economic . importance. Hitherto, the limit of profitable extraction has been determined by purely commercial considerations, and it has been left to individual mine owners to determine what seams shall be extracted and what left undeveloped. In East Canada, in Mr. Brown’s view, the stage of best productivity has already been reached, and under the influence of outside competition and rising costs, the coal mining companies, often over-capitalised, find their earning capacity reduced to somewhat modest proportions, with-a return of only 3 or 4 per cent, upon the invested capital. He believes that the seams now being worked will be exhausted in about 100 years, and urges that the time has come to institute a definite policy of reorganisation of the industry, whereby the companies by combining may be placed in a stronger position and also compelled by legislative action to work a certain proportion of the thin coals in conjunction with the thicker seams. The problem first to be determined is the definition of a thin seam, and its limit of workability. Upon this question the last Royal Commission on Coal Supplies adopted 1 ft. as the lowest possible workable thickness in Great Britain, but an earlier Commission placed the limit somewhat higher. The reason for adopting the lower thickness limit of 12 in. was stated to be in consequence of improvements in * Bulletin No. 15, Mines Branch, Government Printing Bureau, Ottawa, 1917. See Colliery Guardian, cxv., p. 122 (January 18, 1918).