March 15, 1918.

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

547

_______________________

Notes from the Coal Fields.

[Local Correspondence.]

South Wales and Monmouthshire.

The Comb Cut—Allocation of Coal Orders—Parliamentary
Candidates—Referee Supports Employers — Question of
Double Shift — D. Davis and Sons —Miners and Shipyards.

The Ebbw Vale district of miners held their monthly
meeting on Saturday, and Mr. Evan Davies (agent)
addressed them upon the subject of the “ comb out/" He
pointed out that this was essentially requisite in order to
win the war. The meeting discussed the question fully,
but did not reach a decision, and it was resolved to adjourn
until after the meeting of the executive.

The scheme for allocation of coal orders among the mines
of South Wales and Monmouthshire, in order to minimise
the short-time trouble, was issued on Saturday by Mr.
F. A. Gibson, secretary of the local Coal and Coke Supplies
Committee, by whom it will be operated. A special staff
will be brought together to carry out the work, which
involves much detail and investigation. The scheme does
not apply to collieries which supply 80 or more per cent, of
their output to the Admiralty and/or for home consump-
tion, and it applies only to exports. There is an important
alteration from the draft scheme, which originally read :
“No allocations are to be made to collieries now
supplying a quantity equivalent to 80 per cent, or
more of their standard output in the standard
period for home consumption and/or for the Admiralty.”
This clause has been altered so that it now reads :
“No allocations are to be made to collieries supply-
ing a quantity equivalent to 80 per cent, or more of their
output for home consumption and/or for the Admiralty.”

This alteration substitutes present output for the stan-
dard output previously suggested, namely—the gross output
for three months ended March 31, 1917. There will in
future be a weekly return of output, and returns are
required from each colliery as follows :—(a) The gross
output for the three months ending March 31, 1917 (the
standard period), and the actual number of morning shifts
worked; (b) the quantity supplied for home consumption
during the standard period ; (c) the quantity shipped for
the Admiralty; (d) the quantity shipped to France; (e) the
quantity shipped to other foreign destinations, British Pos-
sessions, and coaling stations; (/) the quantity shipped as
bunkers. No colliery company shall, without authority
from the committee, exceed the quantity allocated in any
month by more than 2^ per cent., and then only in cases
of emergency, evidence of such emergency to be produced,
if necessary.

The new scheme comes into operation on April 1, and
it may be taken, roughly, as applicable to about half the
district output.

The Western Miners’ Association, at a meeting in
Swansea on Saturday, received nomination of candidates
for the Parliamentary Division of Gower; and Mr. John
Williams, M.P., the sitting member, had the majority of
votes in his favour. It is intended to submit Mr. Williams*
name to a conference of all trade unions, so that the nomi-
nation of the miners’ meeting may be endorsed.

The award by the referee in the case of the Llandebie
difficulty is in favour of the employers. At this pit 300
men went on strike for six weeks, they having complaints
against the company’s weigher, and demanding his removal.
The arbitration proceedings lasted for six days, when full
evidence was taken by Mr. Vaughan Edwards (chairman of
the Board of Referees). His award has now been issued,’
and he finds that the company’s weigher was “ not guilty
, of any of the accusations preferred against him, and that
he has not been guilty of conduct which would justify his
dismissal by the employers,” also that the employers “ acted
reasonably and properly in not dismissing the weigher when
requested by the workmen to do so.” Mr. Edwards, how-
ever, adds a suggestion to his award, he holding that it
is highly desirable, and particularly so in the present crisis,
to have unimpaired harmony at the weigh-house, and that
all parties at the collieries should have absolute confidence
in the weighers, in order to ensure the best relationship
between employers and workmen in the national interest.
He therefore respectfully recommends that, notwithstand-
ing his award, with a view to re-establish the best relation-
ship, the employers should utilise the man’s services in some
suitable occupation other than the weigh-house, and with
no monetary loss to him.—The matter came up at the meet-
ing of the Anthracite Miners’ Association in Swansea on
Saturday. It was stated that the award was favourably
received, and the belief exists that amicable relations will
in future exist at the colliery. Mr. J. D. Morgan (the
agent) anticipates that the arrangement made by the Coal
Controller and his Department, both in regard to alloca-
tion of orders and transport facilities, will result in
increased employment in the anthracite collieries.

In a case at the Glamorgan Assizes, the issue was whether
the colliery company could compel men working double
shift in the same heading or stall to pool their earnings
without the men’s consent. The plaintiffs were two colliers,
who sought a declaration and a mandatory order directing
the Markham Colliery to make out and furnish to each of
the plaintiffs a pay ticket for the week ending March 31,
1917, showing upon its face the amount earned by each of
them. It was stated that the employers’ contention was
that in the circumstances in which these men were working,
if any man earned less than the minimum wage, while
another earned more than the minimum, the deficit should
be made up by his partners in the working place; but the
plaintiffs contended that the deficit should be made good
by the colliery company. The case had been before the
county court judge, who suggested that the proper proce-
dure would be to test the principle at issue by an action
in the High Court. Markham Colliery, it was stated, was
a new undertaking, and in order to develop it quickly, it
had been worked at the double shift, and in such cases the
men sometimes agreed to pool their earnings; but this,
counsel submitted, could only be adopted where the men
were willing, and the men did not adopt the practice unless
they had had some voice as to who the second couple of
workmen should be. The men claimed the right to say
whom they should work with, and who should be their
partners. . In giving his decision, Mr. Justice Shearman
said the issues were confused. For four years the work-
men had acquiesced in the form of pay-ticket, and the claim
for a different ticket was quite illusory, and he should dis-
miss the action so far as regarded that claim. With regard
to the other point, however, it surprised him that the com-
pany should ask one workman to obtain a portion of his
earnings from another workman. On that point the work-
men were entitled to their declaration—to the effect that,
where a double shift was required, under clause 17 of the
Conciliation Board agreement of 1915, the employers were
not 'titled to call upon the men to pool their earnings

for the purpose of ascertaining the minimum wage of any
one of them. The action in respect of any change in the
pay-ticket was therefore dismissed, and defendants were
directed to pay plaintiffs one-half of the taxed costs of the
whole action.

The shipments of coal at Swansea showed a decided
improvement during the month of February, as compared
with the corresponding month of last year, coal and coke
registering 67,000 tons increase. Patent fuel was also up.
For the two months of the current year the total in coal is
65,000 tons higher, but that for patent fuel is 10,000 tons
lower.

Two conciliators for the South Wales district have been
appointed to act in relation to disputes which the Concilia-
tion Board fail to settle—Mr. D. Hannah (formerly manager
at Ferndale) being one, and Mr. W. L. Cooke (of Blaen-
avon), a member of the Federation executive, being another.

During the meeting of shareholders in D. Davis and Sons,
the chairman (Mr. P. H. Thomas) stated that principally
through lack of tonnage they had had to bank large quan-
tities of small coal, and that after stocking to the utmost of
their capacity (50,000 tons), the Admiralty had been com-
pelled to find an outlet for the small, in order to ensure the
necessary supplies of large. Another point that the chair-
man mentioned was that there had been better work on the
part of the men. Absenteeism fell from 13 per cent, in
1916 to 10 per cent., and even to 8 per cent. The company
had paid during the year to dependants of employees
serving with the Colours the sum of over £6,000. Although
tlie Government had allowed 2s. 6d. increase in price to
meet the cost of war wages to the men, that sum was
insufficient, for the cost at their collieries was 2s. 8d., and
he was informed that in other concerns it was considerably
more.

Several executive members of the South Wales Federa-
tion consulted on Friday of last week with Sir Richard
Redmayne on the subject of transferring colliers to ship-
yards and to timber felling. The men will volunteer for
this work; and the meeting with Sir Richard Redmayne
was as to terms and conditions of their employment, such
questions also as the grant of railway warrants, subsistence
allowance, etc., being brought up. Further discussion will
take place with other departments subsequently, and reply
be sent to the Federation executive. Mr. J. Winstone
(acting-president of the South Wales Federation), with
Messrs. Hartshorn, Barker, J. D. Morgan (anthracite men’s
agent), and W. Jenkins took part in the discussion.

Thei*e being a fear on the part of the men that the Blaen-
avon Company would cease working the Milfraen Colliery,
where about 700 are employed, the men appointed a depu-
tation to wait upon the management and urge continuance.
It was pointed out at their mass meeting that, although 700
were employed, the average output was only about 500 tons
per day, so that it was obvious the colliery was not paying.
The members of the deputation, however, had an idea that
they could put certain suggestions before the directors,
which, if carried out, would enable the colliery to be worked
at a profit. Since then, the directors have assured the
members of the deputation that they would not put any
obstacle in their way of making representations to the Coal
Controller; and this course is being adopted.

An accident occurred at the Tydraw Colliery, Treherbert,
on Sunday morning. While the two cages were working in
the shaft, they came in contact with each other in the
middle, and the two men, one in each cage were thrown
out, and fell to the bottom of the shaft. Death was
instantaneous.

At a meeting of the Federation executive in Cardiff on
Tuesday, it was resolved to take a ballot on Thursday,
Friday, and Saturday this week on the question of the
“ comb out,” a communication having been received from
the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain that the matter
was urgent.

The level at Abertillery known as Rhiw Colborn Colliery,
or “ Salt’s Level,” is reported to have been disposed of by
Mr. Salt to Messrs. Badman Brothers, of Tredegar and
Blaenavon. It is stated that Mr. G. P. Williams is asso-
ciated with them, he having left Llanhilleth, where he was
engaged under Partridge, Jones and Company.

The Coal Owners’ Association held its annual meeting on
Tuesday, Mr. B. Nicholas in the chair. The new chairman
is Mr. Howell R Jones (Guest-Keen), and Mr. A. S. Tallis
(Tredegar Co.) is vice-chairman A cordial vote of thanks
was passed to Mr. Nicholas for his work during a very
trying year of office. The new district board elections are
as follow-.—Cardiff: Mr. D. R. Llewellyn, chairman; Mr.
Percy Ward, vice-chairman. Newport: Mr. F. A. Smith,
chairman; Mr. J. W. Beynon, vice-chairman. Swansea:
Mr. John Waddell, chairman; Mr. W. N. Jones, vice-
chairman. Mr. F. A. Gibson (secretary) presented a report
showing the output during 1917 from undertakings of
members of the association and the quantities proposed to
be assured for the ensuing year. The figures were :—

Tons output. Tons assured.

Cardiff ............ 29,045,472 ... 30,183,501
Newport ..........	8,894,532	... 9,159,779

Swansea ..........	3,684,795	... 4,130,465

41,624,799 ... 43,473,745

It was stated that the output of members of the Cardiff
board showed for 1917 a decrease of 458,729 tons compared
with 1916, this being 1’5 per cent; Newport, a decrease of
1,072,303 tons, or 10’7 per cent.; Swansea, a decrease of
764,057 tons, or 16’4 per cent. The serious contrast between
the steam coal and the anthracite areas is clearly manifest
in these figures. •

At the meeting of North’s Colliery shareholders on Wed-
nesday Mr. A. Mitchelson (chairman) referred to the
frequent stoppages due to irregularity of ship arrivals, and
said that a stoppage for want of wagons for one day
or two separate half days in a week would raise the
wages cost to the extent of Is. 6d. to 2s. per ton of coal
raised. He said that during the year the company had
acquired leases of additional mineral areas in the neigh-
bourhood of Tondu, adjacent to Park Slip Colliery, approxi-
mating 3,000 acres. This made their total takings to be
about 10,000 acres, of which over 700 are freehold. They
intended to sink three pits on the new taking and to re-open
Park Slip Colliery, where it appears that at least six work-
able seams have been proved to be of good thickness and
excellent quality, both bituminous and steam. In addition
to the 3,000 acres, a considerable large area was available
which would afford scope for further expansion. Contracts
have been made for erection of large by-product plant with
coke ovens, and to the development of this work the
directors attach the utmost importance. The 700 acres of
freehold surface consist of a portion of the town of Maesteg,
with a large area of undeveloped land, and the directors
have decided to release the major part of th;s freehold
surface, thus adding substantially to their cash resources,
which already are strong enough to carry out the plans of
developments without adding to the capital.

_____________________

”	Northumberland^and’'Durham.

Labour Candidate — Miners and Man Power—Profits on
Electricity—Mr. W. Straker on Combing Out.

Mr. John Lawson, of Alma pit, has, after all, had a walk-
over in his selection as Labour candidate for the newly-
constituted Seaham and Easington Parliamentary Division,
the three other nominees—Messrs. James Robson, Robert
Richardson, and John Herriotts—having withdrawn.

The members of the Dunston lodge of the Durham
Miners’ Association have passed a resolution condemning
the action of the Miners’ Federation in forcing a ballot on
the Man-Power Act, “ seeing that the country, especially
the rank and file, are almost unanimously in favour of it,”
thus causing a lot of unnecessary expense and a waste of
funds, of which the miners stand in sore need at this time.

We can imagine some wry faces amongst the Northum-
berland miners when they read the following extract from
a German- democratic newspaper : “ The voice of the
Northumberland miners is the only sensible voice in Eng-
land to-day. Their level-headed leaders should forthwith
demand that they, at least, should have some voice in their
National Government, especially the Foreign Office. They
realise that German culture is unassailable, and we would
welcome any means, however drastic, whereby we could
unshackle the chain that has tied British labour.” This
was quoted by a member who had been a prisoner in Ger-
many to a meeting of the miners at the Ashington group of
collieries on Sunday last, when the question of supporting
the Man-Power Act was under discussion. The meeting,
despite the contrary advocacy of Messrs. Geo. Warne, Eb.
Edwards, and Harrison, carried, with few dissentients, a
resolution in favour of supporting the operation of the Act.

Whilst, at the time of writing, it is not possible to give
the exact vote recorded for each of the 32 nominees for two
candidates to contest Parliamentary seats in Northumber-
land under the auspices of the Northumberland Miners’
Association at the next election, the count has proceeded
sufficiently far to enable it to be stated that the four who
top the poll are Messrs. William Weir (president of the
Association), Eb. Edwards (Ashington), William Hogg
(treasurer of the association), and John Chapman (Benwell).
As a result of the vote, it is assumed that Mr. Chapman
will contest the North Division of Newcastle. Mr. Wm.
Straker has already been selected for the Wansbeck Divi-
sion, and Mr. John Cairns for the Morpeth Borough.
Messrs. Weir and Edwards will be available as candidates
for two other divisions of the county, with Mr. Hogg as
“ spare man.”

The Newcastle Electric Supply Company’s report for
1917 shows a profit of £309,778, as compared with £224,265
for 1916, and £204,419 for 1915, and recommends a total
ordinary dividend of 8 per cent., as against 7 and 6 per
cent, respectively, after setting aside £120,000 to various
reserves. Under the circumstances, the company has
hardly selected the most appropriate or convincing time in
which to acquaint its customers that “ owing to the
increasing costs of labour and material, it will be neces-
sary to increase the charges for electrical energy supplied
for lighting purposes by 20 per cent., and for heating pur-
poses by 15 per cent., as from the expiration of the current
March quarter.”

In his March circular to the members of the Northum-
berland Miners’ Association, Mr. Wm. Straker, corre-
sponding secretary, reports on the conference of the
Miners’ Federation with reference to the “ comb out ” of
50,000 miners for military service, and deals with the deci-
sion to take a ballot of the federated associations. He says :
“ The injustice in connection with all the voting for mili-
tary conscription and the ‘ combing out ’ of men is that
the people have been divided into two parts—those who
had to go and those who had not—and those who had not
were always in the majority. It does seem wrong that one
man should have the power to vote on the question of
whether or not another has to lay down his life, while he
himself is safe behind either a birth or an exemption certi-
ficate. How those most closely affected would vote, if they
alone voted, I am not going to express an opinion, but we
would be saved from the sorry spectacle of seeing the old
forcing the young to lay down their lives for them.”

Yorkshire.

A sub-committee of the coal merchants’ section of the
Bradford Chamber of Trade reported that the Control
Committee has passed, by the casting vote of the chair-
man, the prices put forward by their Socialistic sub-com-
mittee. These prices allowed the merchants 7s. per ton
over pre-war depot rates, as compared with 8s. 9d. allowed
in Leeds; and carting allowance of 2s. 9d. per ton for the
first mile, as compared with 3s. 9d. agreed in Leeds, and
4s. charged by the Bradford Corporation itself in leading
coke. The figures proposed were also subject to a discount
of 6d. per ton if paid within 14 days, whereas in Leeds Is.
per ton may be added to the 8s. 9d., provided that the
account be not paid within 30 days. A letter has been
sent to the Coal Controller stating that these terms are
impossible.

Lancashire and Cheshire.

The Industries Committee of the Wigan Corporation
have made arrangements with the British Thermit Com-
pany Limited, whereby a new industry will be established
locally. This will be known as the Wigan Electro-Metal-
lurgical Company.

The Midlands.

A new seam of coal has been discovered at the Grace
Mary Colliery, Dudley. The seam is fully 5 ft. thick. It is
above water, and is estimated to last 25 years. It is also
confidently expected that before long the output will be
quite 2,000 tons a week. The seam is part of a maiden
estate, and the colliery is owned by Messrs. Blewitt and
Mitchell.

Kent.

Nearly 6,000 tons of coal were raised at the Tilmanstone
and Snowdown collieries last week.

A number of farms, market gardens, etc., in East Kent,
which were acquired several years ago by Kent Coal Con-
cessions and allied companies for the mineral rights under-
laying them, have been disposed of at very satisfactory
prices, the mineral rights being still retained by the com-
panies. The sale realised £13,580.

At public meetings held at the collieries in East Kent,
900 miners expressed themselves favourable to the Govern-
ment Man-Power Act. A small minority of about two
dozen dissented. The National Service representative is
arranging that the call on the Tilmanstone and Snowdown
collieries will be about 90 men for the Army.

Scotland.

A largely attended meeting of the Scottish Mine
Managers’ Association was held on Saturday in the
Christian Institute, Glasgow, Mr. Wm. Stevenson, Cleland
(president), in the chair. It was reported that several of
the owners in Scotland were not implementing the agree-
ment for a war bonus at the rate of £75 per annum to