August 30, 191g. THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN 453 MEAN MAGNETIC DECLINATION at Kew Observatory, Richmond, in Degrees and Minutes, for each Two-hour Interval in the Week August 18 to 24, 1918. Magnetic character. Intervals—Hours G.M.T. 0h.-2h. 14° + 2h.-4h. 14° + 4h.-6h. 14° + 6h.-8h. 14° + ■ ! 8h.-10h. 14c + 10h.-12h. 14° + 12h.-14h. 14° + 14h.-16h. 14° + ‘ i 16h.-18h. 14°+ i 18h.-20h. 14° + 20h.-22h. 14° + 22h.-24h. 14° + Mean for day. 14° + Min. Min. Min. Min. Min. Min. Min. Min. Min. Min. Min. 1 Min. Min. Sun., Aug. 18 0 48’0 49'5 46'5 44'5 ! 45'5 50'0 52 ’ 5 52'5 49'5 48'0 48'5 48'5 48'5 Mon., „ 19 0 48’0 47'5 45'0 44'0 1 46'0 53'0 56'5 53'0 49'0 48'5 48'5 48'5 49'0 Tues., ,, 20 0 48’5 48'0 45'5 43'5 { i 46'0 53'5 57'5 53'5 48'5 46'0 : 48'5 52'0 49'5 Wed., „ 21 0 53’0 50'5 46'0 43'0 | 45'0 53'0 57'0 54'0 48'5 47'5 : 49'0 50'0 50'0 Thurs., „ 22 0 48'5 47'0 45'5 ; 46'0 ■ 47'5 ‘ 55'5 59'0 56'0 50’5 47'5 ! 48'0 48'5 50'0 Friday, „ 23 0 49'5 48'5 45'0 43'0 44'5 | 53'0 57'0 55'0 49'5 1 49'0 49'5 49'0 49'5 Sat., „ 24 2 49'0 48'5 45'0 45'0 48'0 54'5 59'0 56'5 52'0 ! i 47'0 47'0 45'0* , 50'5 Mean value for Diurnal i n e- Ih. 2h. 3h. 4h. 5h. 6h. 7h. 8h. 9h. lOh. Uh. 12h. 13h. I4h. 15h. 16h. 17h. 18h. 19h. 20h. 21h. 22h. 23h. 24h. month. quality (i.e., Aug.1917 -1'5 -1'8 -1'7 -2'2 -3'6 -4'8 -5'4 -5'3 -3'6 -1'0 + 3'0 +6'5 + 8'5 +8'1 + 6'0 +3'4 + 0'8 -0'5 -0'7 -0’7 -0'8 -1'0 -1'0 -0'8 14° 58''3 Aug.’17 departure from July 1918 -1'1 -1'3 -2'0 -2'7 -3'9 -5'2 -5'2 -4'7 -3'4 -1'1 + 2'1 +4’9 + 6'3 +6'5 + 5'6 +4'2 + 2'5 +1'2 + 0'1 -0'4 -0'3 -0'5 -0'7 -0'9 14° 50" 4 July’18 mean value for July 1917 -0'2 -0'4 -0'3 -1'2 —3’3 -5'2 —6'5 —6’7 -5'6 -3'0 + 0'8 +4'6 + 7'1 +7'9 + 6'2 +3'9 + 1'7 t'0 -0'4 -0'1 + 0 2 +0'4 + 0'3 -0'1 14° 59'1 July’17 day) The day is counted from Oh. (midnight) to 21h. (midnight) G.M.T. Character “ 0” means a day wholly free from any but small disturbances. Character (t 133 means a day part or all of which is moderately or considerably disturbed. Character “2” means a day pirt or all of which is highly disturbed. The nor/nai 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 r<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 i( 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 were obtained from measurements made after “ smoothing33 the curves. * Large disturbances during this interval. Meteorological Office, August 28. LABOUR AND WAGES. South Wales and Monmouthshire. The Joint Disputes Committee for South Wales met at Cardiff on Friday, Mr. Evan Thomas in the chair. A demand had been made by the workmen at Graig Fawr Red Ash Colliery for extra allowance above the cutting prices; and a representative from each side was appointed to consult with the local management and the miners’ agent in order to arrive at a settlement. It was reported that settlements had been reached in regard to four or five disputes which were current; and in regard to new questions that had arisen the Committee referred each to two representatives for investigation empowering them to settle. The cases were:—Maesymarchog Colliery, failure to agree upon a price list; Cambrian Collieries, claim by the night and afternoon workmen for the proportionate part of the bonus turn for weeks ending June 15 and June 29, also Monday, July 1; Llanhilleth Colliery, refusal of the management to agree to a scale of payment for clod in the coal in the Black Vein seam; Hill’s Plymouth Company Graig Pit, refusal to pay the minimum wage to two coal- cutter men; Hill’s Plymouth Company Boat Level, refusal to compensate the colliers for loss of coal due to altered screening arrangements; the general claim by night workmen that they should be paid five war wage amounts for four nights work during the holiday week to secure agreement. The secretary of the South Wales Coalowners’ Associa- tion (Mr. Gibson) has issued a circular to the colliery owners of the district stating that the Controller has informed him of sanction to the granting of aggregate war bonuses to members of colliery clerical staffs. 'The grant will include those already given, and it is limited to those who receive .£500 per annum or less in salary. The aggregate war bonus to male clerks of 21 years of age and upwards will be 29s per week; for those between 18 and 21 it will be 22s. 6d.; between 16 and 18 years of age 12s. per week. For female clerks 18 years and over, the aggregate bonuses are to amount to 18s. per week and those between 16 and 18 years 9s. per week. These figures are to be calculated upon the pre-war payment of the persons concerned, and are to be exclusive of the advances given for individual merit or as service incre- ments They are t) be regarded as war bonus, due to and dependent upon the present high cost of living, and are chargeable to the Board of Trade as war wage. Any war bonus to clerks under 16 years of age is left to the discretion of the employers. With regard to the offer which has been made to colliery examiners, criticism has been current from the men’s side, the argument being that the increase should be a percentage on the wage rate, and not a bonus. What the men asked for was 3 guineas plus 55’83 per cent., which is the current Conciliation Board percentage. What the employers are offering, it is said, is only <£3 plus £1 10s. war bonus and extra payment for Sunday work; and it is contended on behalf of the men that there is a difference here of 8s. 2d. per week against the examiners. Another ground for objection is that an attempt is being made at differentiation in wage rate to prevent the examiners being on a par with the Federationists and associating themselves with them in regard to percentage changes. A resolution was passed at the Monmouthshire Western Valleys Council of Miners on Monday urging the Federa- tion executive to press forward the matter of surfacemen’s hours, the resolution adding that there was danger of a sectional strike arising out of inequality in the conditions and that the district council was very anxious to avert the stoppage in view of the shortage of coal.—The meeting also resolved to call for a South Wales conference which would deal with the question of setting up’ joint committees at the different pits in order to deal with absenteeism and to maintain output. About 1,500 men were idle at Nine Mile Point Colliery, near Risca, on Saturday; and approach has been made to the Controller in order that a grievance of which they complain may be remedied. A question having arisen as to payment of the minimum wage at Ebbw Vale, the referees from the Conciliation Board, Messrs. Rutherford and Winstone, met representa- tives of the two sides in Newport on Saturday, and after full discussion an agreement was arrived at. A report was submitted to the Rhondda miners’ district meeting as to the increase of output and ths formation of control committees, and it was decided that this matter should be left in abeyance until conclusion of negotiations between the Federation executive and the employers.—The district executive was instructed to take necessary steps for bringing about a ballot upon the proposal of appointing permanent workmen’s inspectors. The East Glamorgan miners’ district meeting was held at Caerphilly on Monday. It was reported that the dispute at Llanbradach relating to payment of the minimum rate to young men employed as labourers had not yet been settled, although settlement was anticipated. The meeting discussed the establishment of coal output committees, and it was stated that managers were refusing to co-operate with the workmen in setting up committees because instructions from the coal owners were awaited. Llanhilleth Colliery employees were idle on Saturday and Monday because of an alleged accumulation of gas in the mine ; and on Monday a meeting of the men considered the report of a deputation which had met the Government inspector of mines. A resolution was passed not to resume work until certain officials had been suspended pending an enquiry: The Western district of miners met on Saturday in Swansea; and, upon the reading of a circular from the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain which referred to absenteeism in the mines and the proposal to form local output committees, objection was raised to those com- mittees. Some of the speakers contended that employers were chiefly responsible for declining output, and that the avoidable absenteeism was of negligible quantity. A reso- lution was passed refusing to agree to joint committees until a full conference of the Federation had discussed the advisability of their being established.—Another matter dealt with at the meeting was that of demobilisation; and it was decided to take preliminary steps for properly discussing the matter and arranging how the problems should be met. 'The difficulty of the Tirydail Colliery on account of the underground hauliers’ wages question, which brought about sympathetic strikes at the neighbouring pits, so that a total of 2,000 men were idle, has provoked much adverse criticism, seeing that when coal is so urgently required the strikes occasion the loss of anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 tons of output every day. The matter has been before the joint board which deals with disputes, referees have been appointed to make an effort for arranging settlement; but the men would not, as desired, return to work. Mean- while Mr. Wynne, president of the Swansea Chamber of Commerce, commenting upon the action of those who had struck in sympathy, characterised it as “stupid”—all the more so, because it had a tendency to undo what had recently been attempted in Swansea, in order to induce the authorities to persuade oversea customers to use more anthracite coal. The miners of the Ton Philip Lodge in the Garw district, discussing the request for additional energy to increase their output, have passed a series of resolutions as follows :—(1) That all recruiting should immediately stop, all calling-up papers to be cancelled ; (2) That facilities be given for the conveyance of workmen to and from the mines; (3) That facilities be provided for the conveyance of workmen’s house coal; (4) That more food and better quality be provided (many workmen have had to work here with nothing in their boxes but dry war-bread, bacon which is green and diseased, and cheese which is extra strong and mouldy and unfit for consumption); (5) That all tools be found by the company ; (6) That all necessary materials be provided as soon as possible, such as rails, sleepers, nails, etc., shortage of which is acute and seriously hampers pro- duction ; (7) That when a man “sleeps late” he should be allowed to go to his working place instead of being sent back home; (8) That some arrangement be made to allow workmen to finish in time to attend funerals, instead of having to lose a whole shift as at present; (9) That the proposed Output Committees are useless unless the Workmen’s Committee have the power to enter into the questions of management, as to where fault lies, as well as the question of absenteeism, etc. The Avon Valley District of miners have passed a resolution calling the attention of the Food Controller to “ the inadequate supply of food rationed in mining areas.” One delegate stated that several of the workmen in his colliery had been unable to secure butter or cheese, and as the result the men had had to work with bread alone. North of England. Writing in his latest circular to the members of Durham Miners’ Association, Mr. T. H Cann, general secretary, remarks that it is a singular and painful fact that, with each advance to the mining community, the positions of some checkweighmen, the direct employees of the workmen, become more precarious. He realises, he says, that, with the large number of voluntary enlistments at each colliery, together with the further depletion of numbers as a result of the recent comb-out, with the absolutely necessary increase in wages to meet the enhanced cost of living, the obligation to retain checkweighmen in pre-war numbers has meant an advance in the local levy for that purpose, but, surely, great principles are not valued at a copper or two extra per fortnight. In the same circular, Mr. Cann criticises the present method of appointing mine inspectors as being anything but satisfactory. He says : “ It invariably happens that the men selected are chosen from a class who, with the most favourable predilection in the world to a sense of fairness, must inevitably, in all probability unknowingly, be biassed in the direction of the class from which they are brought.” Mr. Cann goes on to commend the plan, already resorted to at certain places, of a number of collieries combining together to employ a man to devote his whole time and services to examining the collieries from time to time, the workmen to be directly responsible for paying him. Mr. Cann adds that such a scheme is in operation at Burnopfield and Spennymoor. The members of the Newcastle 4th Branch of the Amal- gamated Society of Engineers have passed a resolution expressing surprise that the local miners will not allow female labour at the mines, whilst being prepared to permit their daughters and other female relations to flood, the many engineering factories in the district. Last week end, Cleveland miners received the extra war allowance recently granted by the Ministry of Munitions, and benefited, the arrears being paid up, by from £8,000 to £10,000. During the quarter ended June 30, their associa- tion has spent nearly £270 in enabling members, wives and children to undergo treatment at hospitals, infirmaries, convalescent homes, etc., in cases of sickness and accident, 'lhe membership of the association is now 9,011, including 818 half-members. Of this total, 679 are serving with the Colours. Federated Area. At a largely attended meeting of the executive council of the Lancashire and Cheshire Miners’ Federation last Satur- day, at Bolton, Mr. T. Greenall, who presided, said it was reported that amongst the men being sent back to the mines, there were a large number of crippled and weakly miners who had been on active service. It was decided to instruct the general secretary of the federation to write to the Coal Controller and the War Office, asking that men who were able to do work in and about the mines should be released, in order to increase the output of coal. A loss of output of roughly 2,000 tons was caused by stoppages at two pits belonging to the Babbington Coal Company last week. At the Cinder Hill Pit the men struck on Friday against workmen making overtime but resumed on Saturday morning. Boys caused the stoppage of a day andwa half at the Broxtowe pit. T&e Notts Miners’ Association at its meeting on Monday authorised the secretary, Mr. C. Bunfield, to approach the Coal Controller in regard to the wages of clerks. Scotland. The Banknock district miners’ union passed a resolution strongly protesting against the inadequate supply of food in the district, and declaring that if a sufficient supply of food is not forthcoming, they will be unable to carry out the wishes of the Coal Controller regarding increased output of coal. In the district of Bellshill some dissatisfaction prevailed because a lack of discrimination had, it was alleged, been shown in combing-oub miners to make up the second quota. Idle time was threatened, but happily, as a result of negotiations, it has been avoided. At Carriden Colliery, West Lothian, which has been recently set going, the men have been working six days each week. They have now decided to fall into line with the national policy of 11 days per fortnight. In Mid and East Lothian the agents of the union are distributing at the collieries the necessary forms for the release of miners from the Army of a lower category than Bl. It is officially stated in the Lothians that, as far as possible, the men so released will be restored to the collieries where they were previously employed before joining the Colours.’ In Stirlingshire both the employers and the miners’ officials report that the men are working very steadily. There is only a small proportion of absenteeism. At a meeting of the executive of the Stirlingshire miners’ union, a report was submitted with regard to the bonus question at Meadowbank Colliery. It appears that the miners were unable to start work after the holidays, owing to a breakdown, and they lodged a claim for bonus for two idle days. In justification of their demands, the men speci- fically point to the terms of the circular issued by the Controller of Coal Mines. Iron, Steel and Engineering Trades. Blastfurnacemen and cokemen employed at blastfurnaces and ore miners connected with the blastfurnaces sent a deputation to the Ministry of Munitions on Wednesday asking for Is. 6d. extra for the day shift and double pay for week-end overtime for men working 12 hours, and time and a-half or pay and a-half for those working eight hours overtime during the week-end. Over 30,000 men are affected by the negotiations in all parts of Great Britain. Cast Iron Scrap Order.—The Order, as officially pub- lished contained an error. Under Maximum Prices for Second-hand Rails, the second paragraph should read: “ Relayable and other second-hand rails, 30 lb. per yard and over, but under 50 lb. per yard, £12.”