448 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. March 1, 1918. committee should exercise reasonable discretion. As to whether a man who was not an habitual absentee should be summoned before the local committee for losing one shift, where no excuse was given, it was decided that this, also, should be left to the discretion of t^e local committee. It was stated that it was not intended that regular workers should necessarily be fined for one lost shift. On the point whether “ sleeping-in” was a reasonable excuse for absence from work, it was agreed that, generally speaking, it was not, but if it occurred only infrequently, the workman would be safeguarded under the decision on the previous point. It was also decided that the local committees should be supplied from time to time with particulars of the fort- nightly average percentage of attendances lost by workmen and that these particulars should be forwarded to the general secretaries of the owners* and men’s associations. Sir Wm. N. Atkinson, who sat as neutral chairman of the Cumberland Coal Trade Conciliation Board, at Workington, to adjudicate on the workmen’s claim for an increased allowance for hewers working in abnormal places, has issued the following award : - “ That standard rates of wages of hewers working in abnormal places shall be 6s. 4|d. per shift, plus current percentages.’* The 6s. 4|d. is practically the same which the owners have been paying for work in these conditions. An award has been received from Sir Wm. Job Collins, M.P., independent chairman of the Cumberland Joint Dis- trict Minimum Wage Board, with reference to the difference at Buckhill Colliery, Great Broughton, respecting “ the right of the employers to estimate the value of the work done on any one day on which the minimum wage is claimed, as it is alleged that the workmen hewed coal which could not be sent out on that day, but which was sent out on a subsequent date.” He decided that where a workman, having complied with the rules in other respects, has been unable on a particular day, owing to causes over which he has no control, to earn an amount equal to the minimum wage rate, he is entitled to have his wage made up to the minimum wage rate for that day. Scotland. The Committee on Production made the following increases to men employed at the harbours of Ardrossan, Ayr, Irvine and Troon:—To men 18 years and over, (1) Ores and limestone, |d. per ton, except to persons working with grabs ; (2) coal trimmers, |d. per ton. The following overtime payments are also conceded .-—Tonnage men, ordinary week-day, |d. per ton, and for week-end work, Id. per ton. The arbiter has awarded the Raasay surface workers an advance of Is. per day. The dispute at Burnbank Mine, Glenbuck, Ayrshire, has been settled. The old conditions in regard to rates are to be maintained for the present. Complaint is being made in regard to the high prices charged for house coal and explosives in the Auchinleck, Lugar and Cumnock districts of Ayrshire. The agents have been instructed to make strong representations to the coal owners on the subject. At Grasshill Pit, Ayrshire, trouble has arisen between the management and the drawers. Negotiations, which it is hoped will lead to an amicable arrangement, are proceeding. CONTRACTS OPEN FOR COAL AND COKE. For Contracts Advertised in this issue received too late tor inclusion in this column, see Leader and Last White pages. Abstracts of Contracts Open. Bournemouth, March 20.—Coke (six months) for the Council Finance Committee. Forms from the town clerk. Clitheroe, March 6.—Coal for the Guardians. Forms from the clerk, Union Offices, Clitheroe. Cork, March 6.—Coal and coke. Forms from the city engineer, City Hall. Falmouth, March 13.—Coal for the Guardians. Forms from the clerk, Union Offices. Fareham, March 24.—Coal for the Guardians. Forms from the Offices, 97, West-street, Fareham. Gravesend, March 13.—Coal for the Guardians. Forms from the clerk, 13, Victoria-place, Gravesend. Great Ouseburn, March 13.—Coal for the Guardians. Forms from the clerk, Boroughbridge. Ipswich, March 7.—Coal, coke, and washed coke breeze (three months) for Brigade. Forms from the Officer Com- manding, 546 Company, A.S.C., 10, Willoughby-road, Ipswich. Keighley, March 8.—Coal for the Guardians. Forms from the Union Offices, Keighley. London, N.W., March 5.—Coal dust and ganister (6 or 12 months) for the Great Central Railway Company. Forms from the stores superintendent, Great Central Rail- way, Gorton, Manchester. Macclesfield, March 18.—Coal for the County Asylum, Parkside, Macclesfield. Forms from the clerk. Staines, March 14.—Coal and coke for the Guardians. Forms from F. Hutchinson, clerk, Ashford, Middlesex. Twickenham, March 8.—Coal and coke (12 months) for the Urban District Council. Forms from the surveyor, Town Hall, Twickenham. Woolwich, March 7. — Coal and coke for the Guar- dians. Forms from the clerk, Workhouse, Plumstead. The date given is the latest upon which tenders can be received. CONTRACTS OPEN FOR ENGINEERING, IRON AND STEEL WORK, Ac. Bacup, March 14.—Various.—Pitch, creosote oil, iron castings, etc. (12 months), for the Corporation. Forms from the borough surveyor, Municipal Offices. Bed was (Mon.), March 7.—Colliery Stores.—Iron and steel castings, bolts, nuts, colliers’ tools, pitch pines, wire ropes, steel rails, etc. (6 months), for the Bedwas Colliery Navigation Company Limited. Forms from the secretary, Bedwas. Belfast, March 13.—Various.—Lubricating oils, fire- bricks, tubing, galvanised wires, cables, wire, etc., for the Tramways and Electricity Committee. Forms (10s. each section) from the city electrical engineer, East Bridge- street, Belfast. Caister, March 7.—Tar.—16,500 gals, of tar for the Rural District Council. Forms from the Council Offices. Derby, March 11. — Various.—Pitch, tar, etc. (12 months) for the Corporation. Forms from the borough surveyor. Durham, March 9. — Materials. — Tar, etc., for the County Council. Forms from the county surveyor, Shire Hall, Durham. London, N.W., March 5.—Stores.—Firebricks, fireclay, tubing, iron bars, galvanised sheets, nails, oil, tar, rivets, steel billets, steel wire ropes (6 or 12 months), for the Great Central Railway Company. Forms from the stores superintendent, Great Central Railway, Gorton Man- chester. Madrid, March 22.—Railway.—Secondary railway from Villaodrid to Villafranca del Bierzo. Estimated cost, 51,165,079 pesetas. Tenders to Direccion-General de Obras Publicas, Ministerio de Fomento, Madrid. Middleton, March 11.—Various.—Iron castings, pitch, creosote oil, etc. (12 months) for the Corporation. Forms from the borough surveyor, Town Hall, Middleton. Newcastle, March 13.—Materials.—Pitch, tar, and creosote oil for the Town Improvement Committee. Forms from the city engineer, Town Hall. Southall (Middlesex), March 11.—Materials. — Coal tar, oil tar (12 months) for the Urban District Council. Forms from the engineer, Town Hall, Southall. COASTWISE SHIPMENTS IN JANUARY. According to the returns issued by the Commissioners of H.M. Customs and Excise the following quantities of coal were shipped from the United Kingdom during January:— From Total cargo. Total bunker. 1917. 1918. 1917. 1918. Bristol Channel ports North-western ports North-eastern ports Humber ports Other ports on east coast Other English ports Tons. 118,865 207,446 392,567 53,556 1,130 2,914 Tons. 84,471 147,070 314,461 29,365 12,058 8,254 Tons. 10,109 44,021 18,928 7,162 10,495 2,503 Tons. 8,094 35,539 13,485 3,292 2,509 1,817 Total from England and Wales 776,478 595,679 93,218 64,736 Ports on east coast of Scotland Ports on west coast of Scotland 36,478 115,934 25,597 173,407 9,218 24,858 4,594 16,466 Total from Scotland 152,412 199,004 34,076 21,060 Irish ports — — 5,201 1,740 Total from United Kingdom 928,890 794,683 132,495 87,536 The destination of cargo shipments was as follows :— To ports in England and Wales Scotland.......... Ireland ........... Jan. 1917. Jan. 1918. Tons. Tons. 541,998 ... 427,839 36,484 ... 13,302 350,408 ... 353,542 THE AMERICAN COAL TRADE. Lack of improvement in the coal position is attri- buted by the Coal Age (February 2) to bad weather, which strengthened the demand, while lessening pro- duction and transport. State fuel administrators are warning all manufacturers, whether working 100 per cent, on Government orders or not, unless specially exempt by order from Washington, that emergency coal cannot be supplied except to the “ current neces- sary requirements ” of consumers on the preferred list, beginning with railroads and domestic consumers. The rule is most drastic, but in no other way can the utterly inadequate supplies now coming forward reach the really vital needs At some of the mines the freezing of the ordinary water supply added to the difficulties, and in order to keep the sidings clear about some of the mines the mine workers are called upon sometimes for the greater part of the week to shovel snow. Rail shipments are slow- ing up, partly because of congestion at the transfer points, but chiefly through interruptions in mining. The retail prices of anthracite appear to have an upward trend, while the quality certainly does not improve. In West Philadelphia especially the average price for stove and nut is close to 10 dols. In the steam trade all grades continue to be sold up, and some of the larger shippers are getting behind on their barley orders. The reports from Philadelphia state that the prices per gross ton f.o.b. cars at mines for line shipment are as follows:—Broken, 5-90 dols. ; egg, 4-80 dols. ; stove, 5-05 dols.; nut, 5-15 dols.; pea, 3-75 dols.; buck, 3-15 dols.; rice, 2*65 dols. ; boiler, 2-45 dols. ; barley, 2-15 dols. The plant closing order has not directly affected blast furnace operations, as the blast furnaces are exempted on the ground of their representing seven- day work. Blast furnace activity in the Central West is now averaging between 60 and 70 per cent, of capa- city. There is no open market for coke, as the limited shipments are all taken up by contract requirements. The market is nominally quotable at the set prices: Furnace coke, 6 dols. ; 72-hour selected foundry, 7 dols. ; crushed, over 1 in., 7-30 dols. per net ton at ovens. Wages in the Engineering Trade.—The Committee on Production sat at the Central Hall, Westminster, under the chairmanship of Sir George Gibb, to review the wages in the trades affected by the agreement between the Engineering and Shipbuilding Employers’ Federation and the unions concerned. Recently a 5s. advance was given, in addition to the 12^ per cent, increase granted by the Ministry of Munitions. The present application was for an increase of 100 per cent, on pre-war rates. THE FREIGHT MARKET. There is the usual small volume of outward chartering to record this week. At the north-east coast, the few fixtures reported for Tyne loading are rather interesting. Three of them are for Swedish destinations, one for Gibraltar, and one for Barcelona. The former record the engagement of vessels for Gothenburg at from 155 kr. to 162^ kr., as com- pared with 160 kr. paid last week, and of a steamer for Stockholm at 170 kr., as against 175 kr. earlier. The Gibraltar business has been done at the steady rate of 100s. The Barcelona fixture is at the record figure of 440s., as compared with 415s. paid last week. Coasting business has been nil during the week. The Spanish Atlantic and Portuguese ports also have been wholly neglected, albeit there is no ease in the high quotations which ruled recently. Port Said is neglected at 200s. At the Tyne, a fixture has been made for Hull loading to Malaga at the sensa- tional figure of 440s., a price which, in view of the shorter distance to run, completely casts the latest Barcelona rate into the shade. At South Wales, nearly all the business done has been for French Atlantic ports at scheduled figures. Swansea to a small Scandinavian port, Hoyanger, is mentioned at 155 kr., fixed abroad. Gibraltar has been done, for Cardiff loading, at 100s. Otherwise, French ports monopolise the tonnage. Numerous orders are in circulation for neutral directions, and rates are firmly maintained, especially for Spain, but very little neutral tonnage is on offer in satisfaction of these demands. Homewards, the River Plate is rather more lively, at 200s. to the United Kingdom. At the United States, coal freights from Virginia to the Plate are unaltered, at 1^5s. On net form basis, Northern Range to France is quoted at 260s., with 330s. for the French Mediterranean, and 360s. to West Italy. All Far Eastern rates are unchanged. Mediterranean ore ports are enquiring actively for tonnage for the United Kingdom and Allied ports, and full recent rates are on offer. Tyne to Barcelona, 4,000, 440s., neutral; Gothenburg, 1,450, 1624 kr.; 2,500, 155 kr.; Gibraltar, 2,500, 100s.; and Stockholm, 1,800, 170 kr. Cardiff to Bordeaux, 2,300, 69s., neutral; Brest, 1,830, 45s., neutral; Caen, 900, 48s., neutral; Gibraltar, 4,500, 100s.; and Rouen, 1,400, 1,500, and 1,600, 48s. 9d., neutral. Swansea to Hoyanger, 2,000, 155 kr., neutral, fixed abroad; Caen, 1,100 and 1,400, 46s. 6d., neutral; Rouen, 1,000, 1,300, and 1,600, 48s. 9d., neutral; Guernsey, 350, 28s., plus 10 per cent. Hull to St. Valery-sum-Somme, 100, fixed rate; and Malaga, 2,700, 440s. Later.—The following additional fixtures have been arranged :— Tyne to Stockholm, 2,200, 1624 kr.; Treport, 200, 46s., coke; and Trondhjem, 1,600, 140 kr. Cardiff to Buenos Ayres, 5,500, 150s.; and Nantes, 1,500, 29s., Allied. Swansea to Honfleur, 750, 48s., neutral; Trouville, 750 and 900, 48s., neutral; and Rouen, 1,500 and 1,570, 48s. 9d., neutral. It will be noted that the Tyne-Stockholm rate has fallen considerably. Industrial Research.—In a lecture at the Royal Insti- tution, Sir R. T. Glazebrook gave some particulars con- cerning the future of the National Physical Laboratory. The ultimate control of the laboratory, he explained, has hitherto rested, in all particulars, with the Royal Society, who have been responsible for its finances. Really, indeed, it has been a private concern of the Royal Society, supported by six of the leading technical societies, and dependent for part of its income on a grant in aid from the Treasury, but in the main on receipts from fees. From April 1, however, its property, now vested in the Royal Society, will be vested in the Imperial Trust for the Encouragement of Scientific and Industrial Research, and its income, including receipts from fees, will be vested in, and under the control of, the Committee of the Privy Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. The scien- tific control of the laboratory will continue to be exercised by the Royal Society. Australia’s Brown Coal. — The Advisory Committee which was appointed last year to make investigations in regard to the commercial utilisation of the brown coal deposits of Victoria, particularly for the purpose of generating electrical energy, have issued a report upon the subject (says the Board of Trade Journal). Geological survey has estimated that probably at least 800 square miles in the coal-bearing areas of the Latrobe Valley and the Hedley district contain more or less continuous beds, and have averaged the thickness throughout at 50 ft., equal to about 40 million tons per square mile, or about 30,000 million tons in all. In the Morwell-Traralgon area alone it appears that the quantity of *brown coal available amounts to 20,000 million tons. In their report, the com- mittee remark that it is essential for the industrial development of the State that an ample supply of electrical energy at the lowest possible cost should be made avail- able at the earliest practicable date.