704

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN

April 5, 1918.

recently, the profit to the exporter ranged at about 8d. to
9d. per ton, and now they were called upon to hand over
their brokerage to the coal owners, who did nothing what-
ever to earn it. No one was more surprised by the Order of
the Controller than the coalowners themselves. Strong
protest against the Order had arisen in all parts of the
country, and Swansea absolutely refused to pay over the
one-third as required.—A resolution of protest against the
Order was passed.

At the same meeting the question was raised as to the
representation of Newport on the Coal Licensing Committee
and there was criticism of the recent action of Cardiff
Chamber of Commerce, to whom the Order had been sent
and by whom a large committee had been appointed. It
was stated that Monmouthshire was well represented on
that Committee, so far as coalowners were concerned, but
that the exporters and shipowners were not, and it was
the opinion of the Newport Chamber that they should have
been consulted in the selection of the Committee. Mr.
T. H. Mordey moved that a letter be sent to the Cardiff
Chamber regretting that Newport was not consulted,
and desiring that the Newport Chamber should
appoint its representatives. Other speakers suggested that
direct approach be made to the Coal Controller. Ultimately
the resolution was carried, and it was decided to com-
municate also with the Coal Controller, there being a fear
that unfair allocation might be made unless Newport has
direct representation.

Sir Thomas Watson, at the Cardiff Chamber of Com-
merce, in his speech as retiring president, referred to the
great amount of work which is entailed upon those in the
coal trade by the various Orders issued by the different
Controllers now under Government. These Orders, he said,
number about 120, and every shipowner and coal exporter
was expected to know their nature and to carry out their
provisions. They were issued at the sweet will of Civil
Service officials who knew little or nothing of business,
and if some of those young men in the Civil Service came
down to Cardiff and spent six months on the Exchange
they would be very much better qualified to give Orders.
Referring to the high rates of freight which prevail, Sir
Thomas said that these were not putting money into the
shipowners’ pockets. They were due to the policy of the
Government, which gave the owner 6s. 6d. per ton dead-
weight for a voyage, and charged the consignee <£6 or <£7
for the same voyage. There ought to be a very large sum
of money going into the pockets of the Government.

Definite arrangements have been made by the South
Wales Coal and Coke Supplies Committees, which met
last week to allocate orders both for home supply and
export among the different collieries of the locality, the
arrangements to come into operation on April 8. This
has been done in accordance with instructions from the Coal
Controller, the object in view being to ensure greater
regularity of work.

The new president of the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce,
Mr. T. J. Callaghan, is one of the leading men in the
South Wales coal trade, and is also a director of the Barry
Railway and other important undertakings. He is chair-
man and managing director of L. Gueret, coal exporters,
owners of colliery and patent fuel works, and pitwood
merchants; also chairman of the Anglo-Argentine Coal
Company, of the Naval Colliery Company, and several
other concerns.

Northumberland and Durham.

Miners’ Theatre—Lesser Waste Heat—Miners and the
Tank—A Detonator Case—Colliery Enginemen.

The fate of the Miners’ Theatre at Ashington, which
was built by the local miners with assistance from the
funds of the Northumberland Miners’ Association a good
many years ago, is hanging in the balance at present. The
miners have found the building a bit of a “ white elephant ”
latterly, and it is proposed that the Ashington U.D. Council
should purchase it. It seems extraordinary that, in a
populous place like Ashington, the centre of the largest
number of mineworkers in the county, it should be deemed
necessary to get rid of the Theatre. Ashington is a place
at which the name of the “ social clubs ”—several of which
are not of particularly good repute—is legion. Indeed, a
census taken some time ago revealed the fact that the
membership of these clubs was actually in excess of the
total number of adult males eligible for membership—a
paradox accounted for by the fact that many men are
members of more than one club. In addition to these,
the little town boasts of some of the largest licensed pre-
mises in the county. There seems to be an opening for
the conversion of the Miners’ Theatre into a social meeting-
place for miners, which meeting-place should be of a
somewhat higher order than those others which have been
referred to and at which provision would be made for a
much wider range of physical and mental refreshment than
is the case at the “clubs” and “pubs.”

Mr. Nelson, under-manager at Shildon Lodge Colliery,
has left to become manager at Westerton Colliery, also
owned by Messrs. Bolckow, Vaughan and Company
Limited.

High costs of labour and material, the decline, by
1,603,634 units, of the amount of waste heat available,
and the lateness of installation of a new turbo-generator
were reasons given by Mr. J. H. Armstrong, presiding, to
the shareholders at the annual meeting of Cleveland and
Durham Electric Power Limited, for inability to pay an
ordinary dividend. Mr. Armstrong explained that the
shortage of waste heat necessitated the greater employ-
ment of the coal-fired stations, in connection with which
coal had cost <£8,000 more, wages <£8,110 more, and repairs
and maintenance <£5,307 more.

In connection with the Tank visit to Bishop Auckland
on April llth-13th, Mr. M. H. Kellett, agent of the Auck-
land collieries of Messrs. Pease and Partners Limited, has
announced that that firm is prepared to advance to the
miners at these collieries any sums of money for invest-
ment in the Tank, free of interest and repayable within
a year. He has offered to give <£50 in war bonds, provided
that nine others will make a similar gift, towards a prize
scheme in connection with the visit. The challenge has
been promptly accepted and covered.

Charged that they, not being persons authorised in
writing to do so by the manager, used detonators in the
Ann Pit, Cramlington, on February 22nd, and, further,
that they unlawfully carried detonators into the pit on the
same date, John Douglas was fined <£5 by the Northumber-
land magistrates at Newcastle on Wednesday for having
taken gelignite into the pit, and Gavin Carr was similarly
penalised for having fired a shot by its use. The charges
against Jas. Douglas and Jas. Wrightson were dismissed
for want of sufficient evidence. For the prosecutors (the
Cramlington Coal Company Limited), it was stated that
four detonators were found in the defendants’ working-
place and four sticks of gelignite were found in the posses-
sion of John Douglas. Defendants declared that they
had never used detonators. They used black powder,

which was permissible. About two quarters ago, the
company had sold sticks of gelignite to the men, hence
the possession by one of them of four sticks, but none of
them had been fired.

At the March delegate meeting of the Durham County
Colliery Enginemen’s, Boilerminders’ and Firemen’s Asso-
ciation, the society’s assets were stated to have increased
in value by <£2,038 on the year. Mr. W. B. Charlton, agent,
devoted much of his report to a description of a visit to
the Western Front, and mentioned, incidentally, that he
had passed through the coal-mining area there, where, last
year, the miners decided to work an additional hour per
day to meet military necessities. There were two types of
heroes—those who won the Vimy Ridge and those who
worked beneath the Ridge, he said.

Cleveland.

The Tees shipments of pig iron and manufactured iron
and steel during March totalled 35,574 tons, the smallest
quantity recorded for any one month since war commenced,
beating the “record” for smallness, set up in December
last, by 1,376 tons. The shipments were 1,944 tons less
than those of February and 16,144 tons less than those of
January. Pig iron shipped amounted to 25,950 tons, a
decrease of 541 tons on the February total, and manufac-
tured iron and steel to 9,624 tons, as against 11,027 tons
in February.

The aggregate shipments of iron and steel from the
port of Middlesbrough for the month of March were the
smallest total recorded since the commencement of the war,
the official returns comprising 35,574 tons. Compared with
February, this shows a drop of 1,944 tons, and in com-
parison with January a fall of 16,144 tons. Pig iron
dispatched last month amounted to 25,950 tons, of which
22,200 tons went abroad and 3,750 tons coastwise. This
compares with 22,993 tons sent abroad and 3,498 tons coast-
wise in February, the total decrease being 541 tons. Of
manufactured iron and steel 8,579 tons were cleared for
foreign ports, as against 10,427 tons in February ; whilst
the coastwise shipments last month were 1,045 tons, as
against 600 tons in February. Thus March shipments of
manufactured iron and steel totalled 9,624 tons, as against
11,027 tons for the previous month.

Yorkshire.

At the annual meeting of the West Riding Miners’
Permanent Relief Society at Barnsley, the chairman (Mr.
T. Phipps) referred to the efforts which had been made
to establish agencies at collieries in the Doncaster area,
and they hoped this would result in a substantial increase
in the membership. The capital had been increased by
<£306*during the year, though the benefit had increased by
<£404. Appealing for a larger membership, the chairman
pointed out the benefits from the society were really more
lasting than those derived from compensation. They had
to regret that only one of every 75 fatal cases in the pit
were covered by the society, and that such a large number
of men neglected to make proper provision for their wives
and children. The society still suffered from the fact that
many coal owners declined to stop the contributions of
members in the colliery offices. The coal owners were
standing in their own interest by refusing to assist men
to become members of the society. They had no sympathy
with the malingerer, but had every desire to assist the
injured man to recover as quickly as possible so that he
could go back to his work. Mr. Phipps was re-elected
president, Messrs. E. Hough and S. Harris vice-presidents,
Mr. S. Roebuck, hon. member of the board of manage-
ment ; Messrs. F. Ledger, S. Harris, G. Freeman, C. Bird,
and S. Sanderson, members of the board of management.
A resolution was adopted urging the board of manage-
ment to take up propaganda work more actively.

When distributing the prizes to the Woodlands mining
students, Mr. J. T. Greensmith, agent of the Brodsworth
Colliery Company, spoke of the lack of sympathy shown
by the West Riding Education Committee towards the
difficulty of meeting the convenience of students who,
owing to their shift work, were unable to attend the evening
classes regularly. A morning class had, he said, been
arranged for such students, but this was disbanded by the
action of the West Riding officials. The mining classes
would be held independently of the committee, and both
teacher and students were given every encouragement to
carry on their good work. This announcement has given
much satisfaction.

Notts, and Derbyshire.

Recognition of the value of the lengthy service of Mr.
S. W. Rowarth, the general secretary of the Derbyshire,
Nottinghamshire, and Midland Counties Colliery Engine-
men’s and Firemen’s Union, was forthcoming at the annual
conference of the organisation, which was held at Mans-
field on Saturday, when he was presented with an
illuminated address, a large framed photograph of himself
and a purse of gold, in commemoration of his 26 years’
tenure of office. In the course of the proceedings Mr.
Rowarth stated that the union comprised 81 branches,
with 2,395 financial members, and their funds were in a
healthy condition. Moreover, their relations in regard
to the coal owners were such that he hoped for greater
uniformity in the rate of wage and conditions of work.

The Midlands.

The prospective reduction of the coal output through
recruiting of miners is seriously regarded in the Midlands.
If the new Government scheme materialises, about 1,200
men will be withdrawn from the Warwickshire mines.

A meeting of the South Staffordshire and East Worces-
tershire Colliery Under-managers’ Association was held
at Dudley on Saturday. It was reported that there were
now very few under-managers in the district outside the
association. With regard to the wages question and the
recent deputation to the Coal Masters’ Association, it was
stated that very little progress had been made since the
last meeting. It was considered that the question had
now reached a critical stage, and that failing a satisfactory
agreement at an early date, the Coal Controller should be
consulted. A letter from the Cannock Chase district
stated that an association of under-managers had been
started there, and that information as to the manner in
which the South Staffordshire Association was conducted
would be welcomed. It was suggested that the two associa-
tions should unite. Arrangements for a meeting of the
two branches were left in the hands of the secretary.

Scotland.

Labour Candidate for West Fife—Great Demand for Fife
Coal — Burntisland Shipments — Sheriff’s Decision
Regarding Colliery Workings—Meeting of Mining
Electrical Engineers.

Mr. Wm. Adamson, M.P., secretary of the Fife Miners’
Association, has been unanimously adopted Labour candi-
date for West Fife at the next election.

Mr. Jas. Scott, manager, Northrigg Collieries, Armadale
(United Collieries Company Limited) is leaving that district
to take up a similar position with the Shotts Coal and Iron
Company at Carslake.

Mr. Donald Boyd, formerly an oversman at Preston-
grange Colliery, has been appointed manager.

Both in the export and in the home trade the demand
for coal at the Fife collieries is greater than the supply.
Good working time is maintained at the collieries, and only
in a few cases does the wagon difficulty present itself. A
larger amount of mineral traffic is being carried out on
Sundays.

The shipment of coal from Burntisland last week was
large amount of mineral traffic is being carried out on
9,780 tons, and from Methil 15,710 tons.

Sheriff Lee has decided an action for interdict and
damages by Messrs. Barr and Higgins against the owner
of Lauchope Colliery, Chapelhall. The pursuers’ colliery
adjoins that of defenders’. A portion of their coal could
not be profitably worked, and they proposed to lease it
to defenders. The agreement was not completed, but
notwithstanding defenders worked coal to the extent of
about 6,500 tons, and offered a tender to pursuers. That
was refused. His lordship finds that the amount of coal
taken by defenders does not exceed 6,503 tons, that
defenders tendered to pursuers the sum of <£424, with
expenses to date, and he assesses the damages at that
amount, reserving to pursuers all claims as to surface or
other damage.

At the monthly meeting of the East of Scotland branch
of the Association of Mining Electrical Engineers held
in Denbeath School, Buckhaven, Mr. Moses Dempster,
Leven, read a paper on “ Notes on Operating Mining
Machines.” The discussion was taken part in by the
branch president, Mr. Charles A. Carlow, Mr. R. W.
Peters, Lochgelly, and Mr. Wm. Webster, Lochgelly.

The coal shipments from the Clyde during the past week
totalled 128,136 tons, as compared with 126,104 tons
during the previous week; and 92,377 tons for the
corresponding period last year. From the Forth, shipments
were 19,238 tons, against 17,252 tons for the previous week,
and 21,501 tons twelve months ago; and from Fife 25,833
tons, against 36,170 tons for the previous week, and 23,469
tons a year ago.

The miners connected with Messrs. William Baird and
Company’s Bedlay Collieries, Scotland, who have been on
strike for fully 20 weeks, have resumed work. A Com-
mission is still sitting to deal with some of the points in
dispute. One section will not be restarted until the
Commission comes to a decision.

OBITUARY.

Mr. Edward Theodore Ingham, of Blake Hall, Mirfield,
whose death has occurred through pneumonia, was one of
the largest colliery owners in Yorkshire.

The death is announced, at the age of 79 years, of
Mr. John Dickinson, of Greenbank, Ulverston, a former
secretary and general manager of the North Lonsdale
Iron and Steel Company Limited.

Capt. Henry Hargreave Simpkin, Yorkshire Regt., the
second son of Mr. J. W. Simpkin, of Heckmondwike,
late instructor in geology, mining, and surveying to the
Somerset County Council, is reported to have been killed
in action.

Lieut.-Col. Bernard H. Charlton, of Guisborough,
who has' been killed in action, was manager of the Hedley
Hope Colliery of Sir B. Samuelson and Company Limited,
when, at the outbreak of war, he was called up with
the Yorkshire Territorials. He early earned the Military
Cross, and his promotion was rapid.

The death is announced, at his residence at Gosforth,
Newcastle, of Mr. William Armstrong, senior partner of
the firm of William Armstrong and Sons, mining engineers,
Newcastle, in his 71st year. Mr. Armstrong, who was
for many years agent of the Wingate Coal Company
Limited, was president of the North of England Institute
of Mining and Mechanical Engineers for the period 1898-
1900.

The death has occurred at his residence, Normanton
avenue, Prince’s Park, Liverpool, of Mr. Thomas Taylor,
who had been prominently associated with the coal trade.
The deceased gentleman was the son of the late Mr.
John Taylor, of Strickland House, Standish, Wigan,
whose collieries in the Wigan coalfield, with others, were
taken over by the Wigan Coal and Iron Company
Limited, on its formation. Mr. Taylor, who was 76 years
of age, was one of the founders of the Bickerstaffe Colliery
Company, Lancashire, of which he had been chairman
of directors since 1902.

Milling Industry and Military Service.—Major Grubb,
National Service representative, had very little success
when appealing to the Sedgefield Tribunal for the cancel-
lation of exemption of a number of mine-workers. He
stated that the National Service Ministry wished to pre-
vent unrest amongst the miners. In the event of a comb-
out, it was only natural that men taken should object
to others remaining who had been exempted on condition
that they commenced work in the mines. In the case
of a Grade 3 man, formerly a fruiterer, now employed
at the Dean and Chapter Colliery, the colliery manager
asked where the man could be doing better service. If
the men who had been sent from the tribunal to work
at the collieries were taken away, he could not tell what
would happen. The man in question was working at the
coal washers. The coal went to make coke, and they
also made benzol, which went to France. He had 327
tubs standing waiting to be mended, and how to get the
work done he did not know. Conditional exemption was
confirmed. A similar decision was arrived at in the case
of a Grade 3 tobacconist and hairdresser now working at
the Dean and Chapter Colliery; a tub-mender at the same
pit; a hairdresser now employed at shift work in Deaf
Hill Colliery; and an insurance agent at Old Trimdon, now
engaged at stonework in Trimdon Colliery. In the case
of an insurance agent, now employed at Mainsforth
Colliery, it was stated that the mines inspector had
granted him a certificate, and the appeal was adjourned
for the production of that document. As to another
insurance agent, employed on stonework at Chilton
Colliery, it was stated that he had not lost a single day’s
work since sent into the mines in August 1916. As he
was a Grade 1 man, however, his exemption was with-
drawn, as from May 6. An ex-postman at Trimdon
Grange, sent into the mines in August 1916, stated that
he worked in the mines all his life until October 1914,
when he became a postman. The appeal was adjourned.