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THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

April 19, 1918.

and Coke Supplies Committee to the different colliery
managers stating that the provisions of the scheme are
to be rigidly adhered to. On the Exchange, however,
some doubt was expressed as to whether there would be
actual restriction of output, the quantities allocated
ranging from 70 to 80 per cent, of what had been the
output in the first quarter in-1917. There happens to be
this week—a remarkable change from recent experience—
an ample -supply of tonnage, and, coincidently, a full
demand for coal, so that all that may be produced can
be disposed of, and there has been shipping available to
carry it away.

The Coalowners’ Association, at a special meeting on
Tuesday, approved of the resolution passed on Saturday
by the District Coal and Coke Supplies Committee. This
was to the effect that the Controller’s scheme allocating
output be put into operation as from 15th inst., and
that “ the colliery owners be urged to give their loyal
co-operation and assistance to the committee in giving
effect to the scheme, which has been introducted as an
alternative to the workmen’s proposal of a five-day work-
ing week.” The association will give all support to the
scheme.

Swansea shipments last week were specially noteworthy
for the heavy export of patent fuel, which exceeded 30,000
tons—a record for the port. Coal and patent fuel together
totalled 63,539 tons.

Capt. H. F. Thomas (partner in the firm of J. E.
Thomas Limited, colliery agents and coal exporters of
Cardiff) will be the shipping adviser to the principal naval
transport officer for South Wales.

With regard to the Swansea Technical College, of which
the leading features will be mining and metallurgy, the
Corporation committee discussed on Tuesday a recom-
mendation of the Royal Commission on University
Education in Wales. This provides that the college shall
be recognised for the granting of science degrees. The
only matter as to which the local authorities have to
satisfy the Government is in regard to endowments. Out
of £150,000, about £65,000 is already promised. The
estimated cost of new buildings is £40,000.

Northumberland and Durham.

Decisions of Miners' Association—Appeal for Motor
Ambulances—Tyne Shipments—Water Scarcity —
Blastfurnacemen's and Cokemen's Association.

Minutes of recent meetings of the executive committee
of the Northumberland Miners’ Association embody the
following decisions : That the Bly th district branches be
informed that Messrs. A. Walton, New Delaval, and J.
Seddon, Cowpen, haye been appointed by the Ministry of
Labour as members of the Labour Bureau for that district.
That the suggestion of the Wallsend branch that a ballot
vote should be taken on the question of the application of
colliery doctors for an increase of fees cannot be accepted,
and that all branches which have written on this matter
be informed that it is a question on which the executive
committee cannot take any further action ; the local Colliery
Workers’ Federation has already pointed out that the final
decision on this matter must be left to each colliery con-
cerned. That the association should become affiliated to
the Research Department of the Fabian Society “ in order
to secure the valuable information on trade unionism and
industry generally ” collected by it. That, before deciding
for which Parliamentary seats miners’ nominees should be
proposed enquiries should be made respecting prospects of
success, etc., at Newcastle, Morpeth, Wansbeck, Wallsend.
and Hexham. That Messrs. Edwards, Reavley, Dunn, and
Browell should be appointed to draft a scheme of adult
education for the members, to be operated under the
auspices of the association, such scheme to be submitted
to the annual council meeting in May for approval or
otherwise. That these same members should also draft a
proposed arrangement for a series of meetings throughout
the county on the housing question, the scheme to be sub-
mitted to the next meeting of the executive committee.
To refer Dudley branch to the northern branch of the
Medical Association, which had promised to deal with all
complaints as to bad piedical attendance at any colliery.
To inform Algernon branch that, under the present under-
standing with the Deputies’ Association, the executive
committee could not agree to the deputies at that pit
transferring their membership to the Miners’ Association,
but that, in case the branch desired to do so, it could send
a proposal to alter that arrangement to the agenda of the
annual council meeting.

Whilst the North of England coalowners are making
another “ whip round ” in response to the appeal for funds
for the maintenance of the motor ambulances subscribed
for by the coal trade some time ago—an appeal powerfully
clinched by Mr. C. C. Leach’s statement that Sir Fredk.
Treves had said that every pound Captain Dennis Bayley
had collected had saved at least one life—Mr. Straker, of
the Northumberland Miners’ Association, has circularised
the lodges commending the effort. He states that a number
of the branches contributed very liberally to the cost of
these motors. The wear-and-tear suffered by the vehicles
is heavy, and further money to maintain them in working
order is needed.

During the quarter ended March 31 there were shipped
from the Tyne 2,083,446 tons of coal as cargo, 198,610 tons
of coal as bunkers, and 134,144 tons of coke. These figures
show decreases of 393,779 tons, 108,555 tons, and 45,001
tons respectively, when compared with the totals for the
corresponding quarter of last year. As compared with the
totals for the first quarter of 1913 (the last full pre-war
year), the figures show a decrease of 2,097,915 tons of coal
as cargo and 313,260 tons of coal as bunkers, but an increase
of 65,562 tons of coke. It is cheering to note that the
number of vessels loaded and despatched in the river last
month was 136, an increase of 37 when compared with the
total for March 1917, and that the tonnage was 133,597,
an increase of 34,246.

On September 14 last, Robt. Thompson, whilst working
in the Adventure Pit, Leamside, holed into some old
workings, the existence of which was unknown to anyone
connected with the colliery. A quantity of firedamp was
given off, and took fire from Thompson’s candle. Thompson
was badly burnt about the head and face, and his clothing
took fire, causing injuries which incapacitated him from
work for four weeks. George Richardson, who was work-
ing near, went to his aid, dragged him out of immediate
danger, and assisted in erecting some brattice and smother-
ing the flames. For this Richardson has received the
Carnegie Hero Fund certificate and an award of £10 from
the Fund, together with a gold watch and chain from the
officials and workmen of the colliery.

Mr. Austin Kirkup, agent of the Lambton and Hetton
Collieries Limited, having made representations to the
Chester-le-Street Rural District Council as to the serious
interference with the working of several of the company’s
collieries in consequence of the scarcity of water, that
authority has decided to communicate with the Ministry

of Munitions asking that a deputation should be received
to press the advisability of the laying of a larger water
main from Gateshead to Birtley.

Mr. T. McKenna, general secretary of the Cleveland and
Durham Blastfurnacemen’s and Cokemen’s Association,
informed the quarterly council meeting of that body that
the income for the quarter had been £2,600, an increase
of £60 on three months, and that the membership was
9,142, an improvement of 344 members. The non-unionist
had gone completely out of existence. The association’s
assets, independent of its interests in the National Federa-
tion, now amounted to over £27,000. On the proposition
of the Newport Lodge, it was agreed to recommend that
the weekly contributions should be increased from 6d. to
9d. and that the executive committee should prepare a
scheme of revised benefits.

Calling the attention of the lodges of the Northumber-
land Miners’ Association to the lecture, to be delivered to-
morrow (Saturday) afternoon at the Burt Hall by Mr.
G. H. D. Cole, secretary of the Research Department of
the Fabian Society, on “ The Future Ownership and Control
of Industry, with Special Reference to Coal Mining,” Mr.
Wm. Straker states that, in the scheme of reconstruction
after the war, there is no industry that offers such unique
conditions for a complete change in ownership and control
as the coal industry. The proposal to nationalise the coal
mines, he adds, has received the support of the Miners’
Federation for many years past.

Presiding over the annual meeting in connection with
the Durham County Aged Mineworkers’ Homes Associa-
tion, held last Saturday, Mr. J. W. Taylor, M.P., stated
that the beneficent work had made wonderful progress
during the year. The overdraft had been wiped off, and
the balance-sheet was by far the most satisfactory the
association had known. The liquid assets at the bank
amounted to £5,398 13s. 2d., having been materially
increased by a legacy of £1,000 from the estate of the
late Sir Chas. Milburn and £1,000 resultant from the
Flower Day. In four years the Flower Day had raised
nearly £3,000, an amount it was hoped to increase to £5,000
by this year’s “Day.” Workmen of all sections had con-
tributed £6,774 15s. 4d., which was a wonderful testi-
mony to the determination of Durham mineworkers that
the aged industrial veterans should not suffer in these
anxious and trying times. He paid tribute also to the
splendid efforts of colliery owners, co-operative societies,
workmen’s clubs, etc., on behalf of the association. Mr.
J. J. Prest, agent of the Horden Collieries Limited, who
fills the position of hon. treasurer, stated that not only
had they repaid the bank loan of £10,000, but they had
about £1,500 cash in,hand. They were £3,652 better off
than a year ago. The election of officers resulted as
follows : President, Mr. J. W. Taylor, M.P. ; vice-presi-
dent, Mr. R. Barren, Framwellgate Moor; hon. treasurer,
Mr. Prest; secretary, Mr. J. Adair, Durham; auditors,
Messrs. Humble and Glenton, Newcastle ; and committee,
the Rev. J. R. Croft (Workington), Aiderman S. Galbraith,
M.P., Aiderman Richardson (Ryhope), and Mr. Jos. Batey,
miners’ agent (Durham).

It was stated at a meeting of Spennymoor Urban District
Council that one of the members, Mr. T. Ward, had written
to the Food Production Board alleging that so many
members of the authority were under the influence of Mr.
Forster, who is the agent of a well-known company,
that applications for the use of one of the company’s fields
for allotments purposes had been refused. The chairman
(Mr. R. Cram) described the letter as an insult to the
members. Other members egreed, and it was stated that
Mr. Forster had done a great deal of good for the district,
had helped the allotment holders to obtain land, and had
not hindered them as alleged. It was agreed that the
clerk should write to the Food Controller Board contra-
dicting the statements made by Mr. Ward.

Cleveland.

The ballot vote of the members of the Cleveland Miners’
and Quarry men’s Association on the question, “ In the
event of Mr. Harry Dack being returned to Parliament
at the next general election as member for Cleveland, are
you in favour of him retaining his official connection with
the Cleveland Miners’ and Quarrymen’s Association? ” has
resulted in a majority in the affirmative.

The Eston Urban. District Council, having been asked
by the Coal Controller whether there is any gentleman of
leisure in the district who can undertake the work of
controlling distribution on a voluntary basis, has decided
to reply in the negative, and to suggest that authority
should be given to employ some person.

Yorkshire.

A meeting of the Coal Merchants’ Section of the Brad-
ford Chamber of Trade was held last week at the Chamber’s
headquarters, under the chairmanship of Mr. Joshua Smith.
For the second time recently a proposed new member was
pot accepted, being considered, though a hawker of coal,
to be not a bona fide coal merchant. The meeting heard
with great interest the reading of a letter from the Coal
Mines Department to the Yorkshire Federation of Coal
Merchants’ Associations, intimating that the Controller
recognised that the increases of carters’ and loaders’ wages
arising out of Sir George Askwith’s award of January 3
would have resulted in many cases in increased working
expenses justifying some increase in retail coal prices, and
the matter was one which local authorities might reason-
ably be asked to take into consideration where application
was made for a revision of prices. In regard to investiga-
tions being made by the Coal Mines Department into the
dispute between the Bradford merchants and the local
Control Committee as to prices, it was stated that com-
parisons had been made in practically every case between
1913-14 and 1917. This was held to be an unfortunate com-
parison. It was decided to leave the matter in the hands
of the Board of Trade.

Lancashire and Cheshire.

Captain Stephen R. Ellis, of the Manchester Regiment, a
member of the firm of Messrs. Kellett, Ellis, Walker and
Ellis, mining engineers, of Wigan, and nephew of Sir
Thomas R, Ratcliffe-Ellis, secretary of the Mining Asso-
ciation of Great Britain, is a prisoner of war in the hands
of the Germans, and a telegram received by his relatives
states that he is in good health.

Notts, and Derbyshire.

A cordial send-off was given by the citizens of Notting-
ham last week to 150 miners who had enlisted from the
Notts, coalfield. The Duke of Portland paid a tribute to
the patriotism of the men, and Mr. J. G. Hancock, M.P.
(Notts, miners’ agent), remarked, “ Tell the men on the
Western Front we shall send as many more men as are
necessary, even if it comes to the last man. We have got
to win and shall win.”

The Midlands.

Coal has been reached to the second shaft of the New
Colliery at Keresley, which will be the largest coal pit
in Warwickshire, capable of yielding 1,000,000 tons
annually. It is anticipated the collieries will find employ-
ment for 4,000 workmen, and that the area of coal to be
worked contains 80,000,000 tons of minerals.

Kent.

The amount of coal raised at the Tilmanstone colliery
last week reached 2,593 tons, compared with 1,555 tons for
the previous week. The Snowdown Colliery output last
week also reached nearly 3,000 tons.

The East Kent Colliery Company has decided to erect a
number of houses at Tilmanstone for occupation for the
miners employed at the colliery there. This scheme is in
addition to that of the Tilmanstone Colliery Miners’ Dwell-
ings Syndicate, established by two directors of the colliery
some time ago. As housing of the miners has been a great
difficulty for the miners in the district, there should be
plenty of scope for both.

The Betteshanger Boring Syndicate, which proved some
good coal seams in the neighbourhood of Deal, ha% con-
cluded an agreement for the sale of a considerable portion
of their area to an important firm of iron and coal masters.
The area is to be developed immediately after the termina-
tion of the war, and very satisfactory terms are stated
to have been secured by the syndicate.

Whitstable and Canterbury Coalfields Limited held its
fourth annual meeting this week, but owing to the pre-
vailing conditions the business was only of a formal
character. The accounts to the end of September last
were submitted, and the directors’ report stated that, owiim
to the war, matters are at a standstill with the company. •

Scotland.

Burntisland coal shipments last week aggregated 9,370
tons, compared with 7,290 tons in the same week a year ago.

The coal shipment during the past week from the Clyde
totalled 109,373 tons, compared with 112,383 tons during
the previous week, and 89,083 tons for the corresponding
period last year. From the Forth the shipments were
17,388 tons, against 16,462 tons for the previous week, and
18,026 tons 12 months ago. From Fife the figures are
56,110 tons, against 23,164 tons for the previous week and
17,652 tons a year ago.

COAL CONSERVATION AND ELECTRICAL
DEVELOPMENT.

Addressing the members of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne
section of the Institution of Electrical Engineers on
“The Control of Large Amounts of Power,” last
week, Mr. E. B. Wei more stated that the increasing
use of electrical energy and its economical production
required the use of larger generating stations and the
linking together of existing plants. These extensions
involved something more than the use of larger units
and the adding of unit to unit. New conditions were
reached. Factors which were negligible in smaller aggre-
gations of plant became serious and limiting features.
Stations and networks spread over a large area might
be coupled together without necessarily seriously
modifying the forces to be dealt with at any point, but
a striking characteristic of developments now in prospect
in the principal industrial areas was the increased con-
centration of large amounts of power in small areas.
This inevitably followed the extended use of electricity
for domestic purposes as well as for power production,
and introduced new conditions not yet fully recognised.
Engineers had long anticipated the possibilities of big
developments in the use of electric power and in its
more economical production and distribution. The use
of electricity in metallurgical and chemical processes
was opening up a new field, but, apart from new outlets,
there was scope all over the country for manifold exten-
sions in the use of electricity for domestic and general
industrial purposes. The whole subject had been
brought into public notice through the forcible repre-
sentations of the Coal Conservation Sub-Committee of
the Reconstruction Committee. In that report, the
design and use of aIternating-cui rent generators up to
50,000 h.p. and over had been discussed. In this
country, machines were already building up to 40,000
k.v.a. and larger sizes were building in the
United States. Stations had been laid down for an
ultimate output exceeding 200,000 k.v.a. and that
figure had been approached in installations already
in operation. It was thought that, in this
country, for some years to come, the requirements
would be met with stations not greatly exceeding
100,000 k.v.a. and, mostly, with generating units not
exceeding 20,000 to 30,000 k.v.a. maximum rating. It
was not only the difficulties of water supply that fended
to limit the size of stations, but in areas within which
200,000 k.wa. could be utilised, there would generally be
economy in distribution by the employment of two
100,000 k.v.a. stations, it being under suitable conditions
more economical to transport coal and water than to
transmit electricity. In neighbourhoods requiring
several large inter-connected stations, units above
30,000 k.v.a. could be employed economically. In some
districts there might be several such stations widely
separated but inter-connected, whilst in others, wheie
the demand was less or the facilities for cheap power
production were concentrated in small areas, one or
more large stations situated near together might supply
a wide area of high-voltage conditions. Waste-heat
plants and other local economical sources of power
veould be utilised by connect ng these to the distribu-
tion system.

Iron Pit Props.—Iron pit props are finding their way in
increased numbers from the Staffordshire iron works to
the South Wales collieries. These props take the form of
puddled iron billets, which are a slightly more finished
manufacture than puddled bars. Never before have billets
been used for such a purpose. Staffordshire iron masters,
it is said, could sell these billets nearer home on much
more tempting terms, but as iron props are a necessity
for the full productivity of the Welsh coal field, the solici-
tations of the Government to supply the Welsh mines are
being complied with. The price is understood to be
£13 10s. per ton delivered in South Wales. Puddled iron
bars at the works in Staffordshire are selling at £12 10s.
per ton, and are in very short supply.