1106 THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN. May 31, 1918. MEAN MAGNETIC DECLINATION at Kew Observatory, Richmond, in Degrees and Minutes, for each Two-hour Interval in the Week May 19 to 25, 1918. o £ Intervals— -Hours G.M.T. ® o £ ce Oh.- -2h. 2h. -4h. 4h. -6h. 6h. -8h. 8h.- lOh. ' 10h.- -12h. 12h.- -14h. 14h.- -16h. 16h.- -18h. 18h.-20h. 20h.- -22h. 22h.- -24h. Mean for day. S-g 14° + 14 1 ° + 14° + 14° + 14 °4- 14° + 14° + 14° + 14 D + 14 °4- 14‘ ’4- 14° 4- 14° + 1 1 Min. 1 Min. Min. Min. Min. Mjn. Min. Min. 1 Min. Min. i Min. i Min. Min. Sun., May 19 1 53’0 52*0 49*5 48*0 i 50*0 53*5 56*0 55’0 53*0 ; 51*5 | 51 *5 1 53*5 52*0 Mon., 20 1 52*0 50*0 50*0 47*5 48*0 52*5 57*5 56*0 53 •o 50*0 50*0 ■ 50*5 51*5 Tues., „ 21 1 50’5 49*5 49*5 47*5 48*0 51*5 55 *5 54*5 52*5 I 51 *0 • 51 •o 49*5 51*0 Wed., „ 22 0 49*0 48*5 48*0 47*0 48*5 53*5 56*5 55*5 53*0 ; 52*0 52*0 51 *0 51*0 Thurs., 23 0 51 *5 51 *5 49*0 46*5 48*5 ! 55*0 58*0 55*5 52*5 1 52*5 : 52*0 i 52*0 52*0 Friday, „ 24 0 51*5 ! 50*0 48*5 47*0 48*5 i 54*0 55*5 54*5 53*5 ’ 52*5 51*5 52*0 ; 51*5 Sat., „ 25 0 51*5 1 50*5 48*0 47*0 1 51 •° 57*5 57*5 55*0 1 51 *5 50*5 51 *5 51 •5 i 1 52*0 Mean value for Diurnal in e- Ih. 2h. 3h. 4h. 5h. 6h. 7h. 8h. 9h. lOh. Uh. 12h. 13h. 14h. 15h. 16h. 17h. 18h. 19h. 20h. 21h. 22h. 23h. 24h. month. quality (i.e., May 1917 -0*4 -0*2 -0*6 -1*3 -2*9 -4*5 -5*0 -4*9 -3*3 -1*0 + 2*6 + 5*0 + 6*4 + 5*8 4-4*0 + 2*5 + 1*2 + <■*1 -0*1 -0*4 -0*9 -0*9 -0*6 -0*8 15° O' *6 May ’17 departure from Apl. 1918 -1*1 -1*3 -1’4 -2*0 -2*1 -2*7 -4*2 -5*4 -4*8 -2*0 + 1*6 + 5*1 + 7*3 + 7*1 4-5*4 4-3*5 + 1*9 4-0*5 -0*1 -0*4 -0*8 -1*4 -1*5 -1*3 14° 52'*0 Apl.’18 mean value for day) Apl. 1917 -0*3 -0*5 -0*7 -1*0 -1*7 -2*9 -4*3 -5*9 -5*7 -3*4 + 0*3 + 3*7 + 6*0 4-6*1 + 4*5 4-2*6 4-1*3 4-0*4 + 0*3 4-0*5 4-0 4 + 0*1 + 0*2 -0*1 15° l'*3 Apl.’17 The day is counted from Oh. (midnight) to 21 h. (mi inight) G-.M.T. Character “O’3 means a day wholly free from any but small disturbances. Character “1” means a day part or all of which is moderately or considerably disturbed. Character “2” means a day part or all of which is highly disturbed. » The normal value for an hour is the mean declination for that hour in the month, derived from quiet days only, or from all days excluding those of character “2” On a day of character “ 0” declination at any hour will usually be within about 3' of the normal. On a day of character “ 133 the departure from the normal will usually not exceed 5', but it may occasionally be as much as 10', or even more. On a day of character “ 2” the departure from the normal will seldom exceed 20', but departures of 30' or even on extreme occasions of 1° or more may occur. The above values are obtained from measurements made after “ smoothing33 the curve. Meteorological Office, May 29. With regard to the Tredegar men, the same principle, it was arranged, should apply, provided the men returned to work. It was reported to the Bedwellty Board of Guardians that applications had been received for relief as a result of the Tredegar strike, and that the relief officer was in a difficult position because he could not relieve able- bodied persons unless he set them to work. The chairman of the board remarked that the children should be relieved. After discussion, in which some members favoured the giving of relief, it was decided not to open labour yards, but to offer such work as the guardians could provide, and to pay trade union rate. The extensions which are contemplated by Messrs. Baldwins Limited, who announced in their report of the shareholders that their expenditure would total consider- ably over three millions sterling, include colliery sinkings at Margam (which is close by the steel works), also at Bryn, Aberbaiden and elsewhere. At Port Talbot they are setting up new coke ovens and blast furnaces with by- product plant, and will utilise the waste gases in generating electrical power. The property is in a most fortunate site on the dock side at Port Talbot, resting on the coalfield, with limestone quarries adjacent, and the steel works at present give employment to not far short of 2,000 men. There is an annual output of nearly a quarter of a million in steel ingots, and the whole under- taking is being laid out and combined in such a manner as to ensure the most economical working by the utilisation of every possible labour-saving appliance. The firm have other works elsewhere in the district. The outstanding event of the past few days—one reaching, indeed, to national importance—has been the strike at Tredegar, which widened out until a number of other collieries were involved and at least 30,000 men were idle, and this at a time when, contrary to recent experience, there were plenty of steamers in dock and an urgent demand for coal existed. Indeed, Admiralty requirements were very heavy, and there was practically no coal available on private account. Nevertheless, steamers had to leave the docks in ballast because they could not get cargoes. The original difficulty at Tredegar was that 20 men who left the pit on the occasion of a fatal accident were stopped a “quarter” and the war wage. Subsequently a concession was made on this ; but the men desired that a combine committee, representa- tive of all the collieries in which the Tredegar Company are concerned, should be received by the management in order to discuss the question which had arisen. This desire was not met, although the management were willing to meet men from the particular pit concerned who would accompany the miners’ agent. Acting upon a clause in the agreement of March 26, whereby there should be speedy settlement of disputes, the men insisted that they had a right to be represented by their agent and “ any persons whom they may deem necessary.” But it is held that this latest agreement must be read in conjunction with the original Conciliation Board agreement whereby representatives are limited to workmen of the particular firm concerned. The Tredegar men struck work because their combine committee was not received. The Joint Disputes Committee met on Friday and arranged that if the men returned to work the colliery company would meet the miners’ agent with other men at the collieries in the same ownership. The Tredegar Company have a controlling interest in the Markham Colliery, where the original accident occurred; and the men desire that their combine committee (which includes Markham and Oakdale, as well as Tredegar) should act for them. The position of the men is indefensible. Even if it be conceded that there was any grievance in the refusal of the management to meet the combine com- mittee, there is no justification for stopping work, seeing that the agreement made so recently as March 26 arranged that no stoppage shall take place till after the new Disputes Committee has dealt with it. This committee meets once every week in order to deal promptly with and dispose of any difficulty that arises at the collieries; and shorthand writers are employed and every provision made to ensure expedition. Not until this committee has dealt with the matter in dispute and has reported its failure to the Con- ciliation Board is either party at liberty to tender notices. During Sunday several of the principal leaders of the men, including Mr. Winstone (president), Mr. Hartshorn, Mr. Hodges, and others, attended at Tredegar and advised the men to return to work, and it was in direct contradiction to their advice that a resolution to continue stoppage was passed. On Tuesday the miners’ executive met in Cardiff, and whilst they were sitting a telegram came expressing the Coal Controller’s regret that the Tredegar miners dedined to accept its advice and offering to assist in any way possible. It was decided to call a coalfield conference for Thursday, and a resolution was passed urging all work- men to return immediately to work, and that others should refrain from stopping seeing that the council believed a satisfactory settlement could be arrived at. About 5,000 men were idle on Monday at Ebbw Vale. In addition to stoppage of collieries in sympathy with the Tredegar men there occurred a local dispute at Ebbw Vale, which brought out the iron and steel workers. This related originally to no more than the dismissal of one engine-driver. North’s Navigation Company, by permission of the Coal Controller, are unwatering the old Park Slip Colliery, and are erecting coke ovens and by-product plant. The seams yield good gas coal, and there is special requirement of this particular quality just now. It was at Park Slip, where close on 500 men were employed, that an explosion occurred in 1892, killing 116 of the workmen. With regard to the Hills Plymouth Colliery men and their notices, they have interviewed the Coal Controller, and returned home with the belief that the difficulty would be satisfactorily disposed of. Out of 356 notices which were served only 27 were coal-cutters, the remainder being day-wage men. There was a conference on Monday between men’s representatives and the management with a view to arrange matters, but no agreement was then reached. Meanwhile, however, the notices were tem- porarily suspended. No fewer than 82 miners were summoned at Newport on Saturday for breach of contract through absenting themselves from work, the United National Collieries Company, Risca, claiming amounts varying from <£3 and under from the different defendants. In view of the circumstances the Bench decided to adjourn the case for a fortnight, and expressed the hope that the matter would in the meantime be settled. The Ebbw Vale Council has had under discussion the very unsatisfactory housing conditions of their district— it being reported that some of the owners took advantage of war conditions and allowed their property to become insanitary. One speaker said that the condition of things at Beaufort was appalling, and that the health of the people was seriously injured. The medical officer of health described the seriously insanitary state of the property in Beaufort disclosed during a visit of a Local Government Board inspector with himself to certain houses. The owners did not care if the property was condemned, as the people could not be turned out because of the scarcity of houses. Northumberland and Durham. Second-Lieut. Donald Hindson, R.E., who has been awarded the Military Cross, is the son of Mr. T. Hindson, agent of the Framwellgate Coal and Coke Company Limited. Second-Lieut. Robt. H. King, Durham L.I., who has been similarly honoured, was a working miner at Houghton Colliery prior to enlistment. Shipowners, coal exporters and colliery owners were especially appealed to by the speakers at a meeting held in Newcastle Commercial Exchange, on Thursday of last week, in support of the scheme for establishing a local orthopaedic centre. The defeat of Mr. Eb. Edwards, Labour candidate for the Wansbeck Division, will impress strangers to the division not by the fact that it happened but that it so nearly did not happen. Mr. Edwards was a strong and fearless advocate of “ Peace by negotiation,” a doctrine which has not yet gained acceptance at the hands of the Northumberland miners ; yet he polled over 5,200 votes out of 11,000. Mr. C. A. Cochrane, M.P. for South Shields, has for- warded to Mr. John Adair, secretary of the Durham Aged Mineworkers’ Homes Association, a cheque for <£1,000 as a donation on behalf of his family to the association’s funds, the amount to be credited to the New Brancepeth district. This is but one of many benefactions bestowed on the association by the Cochrane family. Yorkshire. Not only are the Yorks miners complaining of a dearth of houses, but, likewise, of a dearth of doctors. At last week’s meeting of the Thorne Rural District Council a letter was read from the manager of the Hatfield Colliery, from which it appeared that the miners have now no resident medical man in their midst, and that six villages in *the area around the colliery are without the services of a resident medical man. The situation is due to the demands made upon the doctors by the Army, and to the difficulties which the few medical men left at home have in coping with the work. The position was felt to be very unsatisfactory, and it was resolved to apply to the authorities for the return of a doctor to the Hatfield Colliery district. The miners of Bentley Colliery, Doncaster, who ceased work on the 12th inst. as a protest against the non- combing out of men who had gone to the pit since the outbreak of war, resumed work on May 21, terms having been arranged. The management, it was reported, had agreed that all employees up to 42^ years of age who had entered the mines since August 4, 1914, should be given fourteen days’ notice to leave, with the exception of discharged soldiers, men above that age up to 51 to be medically examined, and if found fit also required to leave the pit. These terms are practically what the Colliery Company offered the men before they came out, but the miners insisted that old soldiers as well as others who had been engaged since war broke out should leave the pit. The company declined to agree to this as far as ex-soldiers were concerned, and the men ultimately gave way. Notts, and Derbyshire. Presentations of especial interest to Nottinghamshire colliery workers were made at the Exchange Hall, Notting- ham, on Monday, when the Mayor (Mr. J. G. Small) decorated Sergt. T. E. Riddle, R.G.A., of Mansfield, with the Distinguished Conduct Medal and the Belgian Croix de Guerre, awarded for gallantry in a recent action. Until his enlistment Sergt. Riddle was employed at Bentinck Colliery, and presentations were made on behalf of the proprietors and workmen. It was reported at a meeting of the Midland Counties Institution of Engineers held at Nottingham on Satur- day that Mr. H. E. Mitton, manager of the Butterley Colliery Company, had been invited by the Council to undertake the presidency during the ensuing year. Mr. J. Bingley brought under notice of the meeting a device which is in use at Bolsover Collieries. It consists of a steel socket of considerable strength, into which the tapered ends of broken props may be fitted. Kent. The result of the poll has confirmed the result of the recent meeting of second debenture holders in the East Kent Colliery Company Limited to grant two months’ option to Messrs. Schneider and Company, of the Creusot Armament Works, France, to take up the unissued <£75,000 of second debentures at <£105 per <£100. The votes in favour of granting the option totalled 1,404 (each vote representing <£20 of stock) against 1,207 votes ; majority in favour, 197. The output at Tilmanstone Colliery last week was 1,671 tons, this drop of about 1,000 tons as compared with the previous week being due to the holidays. The Snowdown Colliery output continues much on the same lines as Tilmanstone. Scotland. The attention of the Scottish Coal Conciliation Board has been drawn to the fact that the military authorities are combing out men from the mining rescue stations, and also miners from a number of the Scottish collieries who have been specially trained in rescue work. The general feeling of the Board was that men employed in such capacities ought not to be drafted into the Army, as, in the event of a disaster, their presence would be most necessary for the protection of life. The Whitley Report has been discussed by the Scottish Coal Trade Conciliation Board. A point has arisen as to whether the existing machinery under the Conciliation Board can be adapted to the provisions and recommenda- tions in the Report. A new scheme has been drawn up by the Ayrshire Miners’ Union in co-operation with the Ayrshire Coal- owners’ Committee, which will be operated upon in select- ing the miners for the Army. Under the scheme the •first instruction is that families who have not yet given a son must now do so. Second on the list are the un- married men between 18 years and 8 months and 32 years of age. Finally, there follow the men who have been married since November 2, 1915. At the monthly conference of the Lanarkshire Miners’ Union held in Hamilton on Saturday, Mr. R. Smillie reported that at a recent meeting between the representa- tives of the union and the Lanarkshire coalmasters the working conditions of colliery firemen had been discussed and a claim for an extra shilling per day had been put forward. A discussion took place on the question of shorter hours for colliery tradesmen, and it was decided to have this matter brought before the coalowners. The coal shipments from Methil for the week totalled 29,072 tons, as against 27,886 tons in the previous week. At Burntisland 9,500 tons were sent out. Dr. W. Patey has been appointed certifying surgeon under the Factory and Workshop Acts for Newton Abbot (Devon). Vacancies at Galgate (Lancs), Bishop’s Waltham, and Canterbury are announced. Coal Production in Austria.—The production of coal in Austria has fallen during the first quarter of 1918, and amounted to 38,100,000 metric cwt., which is 4,800,000 cwt. less than in the corresponding period of 1917. The pro- duction of coke has also fallen, from 6,640,000 to 5,750,000 cwd. The production of briquettes amounted to only 281,456 cwt., as against 366,516 cwt. The pro- duction of lignite has fallen slightly, to 52,310,000 cwt., as against 52,970,000. The output of the North-West Bohemian lignite mines has fallen considerably, especially in March, despite efforts to increase it. The total Austrian production in March was as follows (in cwt.): Coal 13,924.000 (against 15,300.000 in March 1917), coke 2.157,000 (against 2,232,000), lignite 17,861,000 (against 18,800,000).