February 8, 1918.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

281

SALE OF CRANES.

The Minister of Munitions points out that in
virtue of the Order made by him under the Defence
of the Realm Regulations on December 20th, 1916,
NO PERSON SHALL UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
SELL OR SUPPLY ANY CRANE WHETHER
STEAM, ELECTRIC, HYDRAULIC OR HAND
DRIVEN EXCEPT UNDERAND IN ACCORDANCE
WITH THE TERMS OF A PERMIT ISSUED
UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE MINISTER
OF MUNITIONS.

NOTE.—All persons must forthwith send in to the
Director, T.M.4. (CRANES), Ministry of Munitions,
Charing Cross Buildings, London, W.C. 2, returns
containing full particulars of all cranes, whether
steam, electric, hydraulic, or hand driven in their
possession or under their control which may be
for sale.

All applications for a permit in connection with
the above Order should be addressed to the Director
T.M.4. (CRANES), Ministry of Munitions, at the
address above mentioned, giving full particulars
of the crane, maker's name and number of machine,
name and address of intending purchaser, price to
be paid and purpose for which crane is required.

Fourteenth Edition, Revised. Enlarged (by 100 pages). Re-set.
With Numerous Diagrams. Cloth. 7s.6d.net.

A TREATISE on MINE-SURVEYING:

For the use of Managers of Mines and Collieries,
Students at the Royal School of Mines, 6c.

By BENNETT H. BROUGH, Assoc.R.S.M., F.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,

PIT-TIMBER MERCHANTS,
NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE.

SUPPLY ALL KINDS OF COLLIERY TIMBER.

Telegrams—“ Osbecks, Newcastle-on-Tyne.”

Bite (Mwnj Guardian

AND

Journal of the Coal and Iron Trades.

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, FRIDA Y, FEBREARY 8, 1918.

The London market is now well supplied with
house coal, and many of the depots are holding back
from further purchases. Steam coal continues scarce.

To a large extent, the market is duplicating itself
from week to week, inasmuch as the variations in
tonnage arrivals do not affect the general outlook.
A better report is forthcoming regarding steam
coals in Northumberland and Durham, and the
inland demand for fuel generally is strong. Quo-
tations are unchanged. The position in Lancashire
benefited by the arrival of a fair number of steamers,
but the coastwise and cross-channel trade is far from
being satisfied. House coal in Yorkshire is fairly
brisk. Although the market in Cardiff is very quiet,
the conditions are a little more satisfactory. Trade
in Scotland is dull.

Chartering is still very difficult owing to the lack
of tonnage, with the result that merchants’ orders are
accumulating, and some of the collieries are losing
time. Fixed rates have been introduced for many of
the Irish ports. These are below the level which
prevailed recently. Swedish ports are easier, and the
tendency is lower from the Tyne and Humber ports
to London.

A general meeting of the Mining Institute of Scot-
land will be held in the Heriot Watt College, Edin-
burgh, to-morrow (Saturday), commencing at 2.30
p.m. A paper on “ Stripping and Re-lining a Shaft
at Cowdenbeath, Fife,” by Mr. H. Rowan, and
another on “ The Occurrence of Coking Coal in Scot-
land,” by Mr. R.W. Dron, will be read. Two papers
will be open for discussion—Mr. G. Gibbs’s paper on
a A Fresh Aspect of Intensive Mining in Thin
Seams,” and Mr. D. M. Mowat’s paper on “ Capital
Charges considered along with Current Expenses.”

A general meeting of the North of England
Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers will

be held in the Wood Memorial Hall, Newcastle-on-
Tyne, to-morrow (Saturday), commencing at 2 p.m.
The papers to be read or taken as read include:
“ A System of Storing and Filling Small Coal, with
remarks upon the Prevention of Spontaneous Heating
in Coal Heaps,” by Mr. J. Morison, and a The
Strength of Pit Props,” by Mr. F. L. Booth.
Mr. G. Gibbs’s paper on “ A Fresh Aspect of Inten-
sive Mining Thin Seams,” and Mr. G. G. T. Poole’s
paper on “ Notes on the Uniflow Steam Engine,”
will be open for discussion.

It is understood that the contract prices of Admir-
alty coals are being revised.

An unofficial report has been circulated to the
effect that the Coal Controller proposes to take away
the brokerage on freight now retained by the coal
exporter, and to hand it over to the colliery company
shipping the coal.

The subject selected by Mr. W. L.

Problems Of Hichens for the Watt Anniversary
Modern Lecture, delivered last month at
Industry Greenock, had but little direct bear-
ing upon the work of the great
mechanical engineer in whose memory this lecture
was founded. But indirectly there is an evident
fitness in taking this opportunity of considering
some of the problems which have sprung from the
introduction of steam power into industry. James
Watt may be considered the father of the modern
factory system. He revolutionised industry in more
senses than one, and rendered inevitable the growth
of what is rather vaguely termed “ capitalism,” which
enters so prominently into many of the labour propa-
ganda of the present day. Mr. Hichens holds pro-
nounced opinions about the degree of freedom which
should henceforth be permitted to industrial corpora-
tions. He takes the undisputed standpoint that
industry is a national service in which private gain
should be subordinated to the public good. While
that doctrine, however, may be acceptable as a
general proposition, there will probably be consider-
able divergence of opinion as to the limitations
which should be placed upon individual freedom.
He suggests, for instance, that no business should
be entitled to make unlimited profits. He would
like to see a fixed standard rate of interest upon
capital, with a substantial proportion of profits
accruing to the State, after making adequate
provision for depreciation and reserve. This means
that he would like to see an excess profits tax
retained as a permanent feature of our financial
system.

One of the obvious objections to such a proposal,
however, is the difficulty of assigning a fair return
on capital based upon an annual valuation. Some
labour protagonists are fond of pointing out the big
profits made by some colliery companies; but they
invariably fail to remember either the barren years
which have often preceded the period of prosperity,
or the many cases where little or no profit at all is
earned. How, for example, would the public
respond to an appeal for capital for a new colliery
if the profits were limited to a definite small per-
centage. In cases where the security is unquestion-
able it would be possible to raise money on such
terms; but in the case of a coal mine, and in many
other enterprises of a hazardous character, the money
would simply not be forthcoming without the induce-
ment of a substantial reward in the event of a successful
issue. It may reasonably be questioned, therefore,
how far it would be to the public good to check
private initiative. There may be ethical objections to
unlimited profits; but whatever restrictions are im-
posed, we agree with Mr. Hichens’ proviso that all
opportunity for individual profit should not be taken
away by legislation.

We are glad to find also that Mr. Hichens deplores
the wholly inadequate provision for depreciation
allowed under the existing income tax regulations.
This, he thinks, has done serious injury to the
industries of this country. It has encouraged over-
capitalisation, and it has hampered the scrapping of
old machinery in favour of modern types of plant.
In this respect the State has been guilty of imposing
a retrograde standard upon industry.

There were many other things in the lecture which
deserve attention, but we will be content with one
only. Labour, Mr. Hichens says, has no more right
than Capital to make a corner in its own commodity,
and hold up the community to ransom.

Generally, this address must be regarded as a most
valuable contribution to the question of the relations
between workmen and employers; and if many of the
latter are not prepared to go quite so far as is here
indicated, the direction of mutual agreement is clearly
laid down for all who are disposed to follow.

A timely publication has just been
Trade issued by the Industrial Reconstruc-
Parliaments. tion Council in explanation of the

Whitley Report. This Council, it
may be stated, is a newly constituted body formed
with the expressed object of popularising the central
idea of the report of the Whitley Committee, which
is to establish in every organised trade a Standing
Industrial Council, representative both of employers
and employed. This scheme appears still to be but
imperfectly understood ; or it may be either that its
advantages have not yet been fully appreciated, or
that the urgency of the question is not realised. For
this attitude there is certainly some excuse, for so
much is present attention concentrated upon the
critical phases of the war, now approaching its
climax, that in many minds there may be an
appearance of incongruity in organising for peace.

This view, as the pamphlet before us urges, is
wrong. The business of industrial reconstruction is
urgent. It cannot wait for the end of the war,*
because it will then be too late to act effectively if
the machinery for the purpose has not already been
devised. Some may think that when the war is over
it will be the simplest thing in the world to revert to
former conditions. It may, however, emphatically
be stated that pre-war conditions can never return.
When the history of these times is written it will be
found that a new industrial era will date from the
conclusion of this titanic struggle^ to which the
Napoleonic wars form but a feeble comparison. One
important epoch in industry will have been perma-
nently closed, and a new one will have begun.

It is not easy to define precisely what will be the
position of British industries when peace is restored,
because we cannot yet foreshadow the exact political
situation that will arise. We have lately witnessed,
for example, the temporary disintegration of a
mighty Empire. How is it possible to foresee the
immediate future of the once powerful Russian
nation, in which a large part of the Baltic trade will
be involved? To take a concrete example—the
export coal trade—it is impossible to predict what
course this will take when the present enforced
restrictions are removed. Everything will depend
upon political factors which cannot yet be deter-
mined. But, although there must be much uncer-
tainty in this respect, the economic position is
capable of more accurate diagnosis. It is certain that
there will be a tremendous scramble amongst both
the belligerent and neutral countries for raw materials
of every kind, and in this respect the British Empire
and our Allies will possess the overwhelming
advantage of being practically masters of the situa-
tion. How to use this advantage wisely and well
is one of the most important problems that will have
to be faced. It will concern every industry; and,
seeing that coal is a vital necessity of each, being an
essential raw material for practically every manu-
facturing process, the coal mining industry cannot
fail to occupy a prominent place in every scheme of
reconstruction.

The position will be enormously difficult, and can
only be satisfactorily met by the closest co-operation
of every element concerned. For with our great
advantage in raw materials, our manufacturing
concerns ought to be in a position to resume their
ordinary operations as soon as they are released from
their present position as controlled establishments.
There will be an enormous demand, and the best of
the business will be secured by those who are able
to deal promptly with it.

Our enemies are well aware of the disadvantages
under which they will find themselves when the war
is over, and they are already betraying anxiety about
the possibilities of an economic boycott. Security
from this will undoubtedly be one of the main con-
ditions that they will endeavour to obtain. They
also count upon the disturbance of industrial con-
ditions in Great Britain by labour troubles, which
their agents are losing no opportunity of encouraging
by all kinds of underground influences. They are
counting upon the internal situation created by
disputes between Labour and Capital, which will be