November 29, 1918.	THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.	1145

MEAN MAGNETIC DECLINATION at Kew Observatory; Richmond, in Degrees and Minutes, for each Two-hour Interval
in the Week November 17 to 23, 1918.

Intervals—Hours

G.M.T.

	£ c3  &J0 cs ce	0h.-2h. 14° +	2h.-4h.  14° +	4h.-6h.  14° +	6h.-8h.  14° +	i 8h.-10h.  14° +	10h.-12h.  14° +	I2h.-14h.  14° +	14h.-16h. 14° +	1 16h.-18h.  14° +	18h.-20h.  14° +  i	20h.-22h.  14° +	2211.-24h.  11 +	Mean for day. 14° +
		Min.	Min.	Min.	Min. (	Min.	Min.	Min.	Min.	Min.	Min.	Min.	Min.	Min.
Sun., Nov. 17	1	47’0	47’0	46’5	|	46’5	!	!	46’5	49’5	50’0	49’5	47’5	45’0	45’5	45’0	47’0
Mon., „	18	0	45’5	46’5	46’0	!	46’5	;	47’5	50’0	51’5	50’5	48’5	45’5	44’5	45’5	47’5
Tues., ,,	19	1	46’5	47’0	46’0	45’0	45’5	49’0	51’5	51’0	490	43’5	41’0	43’5	46’5
Wed., ,,	20	0	47’0	47’5	46’5	41’5	44’5	48’5	51’0	51’0	49’0	47’0	;	45'5	!	45’0	47’0
Thurs., ,,	21	0	47’0	47’5	47’5	45 ’ 0	45’5 i	49’5	52’0	50’5	47’5	;	'	45’5	1	44’5 i	45’0	47’0
Friday, „	22	1	46’0	47’5	47’0	46’0	45’5 j	48’0	50’5	49’0	48’0	;	46'5	!	43’5 i	39’5	46’5
Sat.,	„	23	1	40’5	40’0  1	43’5	46’0	49’5	53’0	55 ’ 5	54’0 I	53’0 i	46’5	43’5 i	44’5	47’5

																										Mean value for
Diurnal ine-		Ih.	2h.	3h.	4h.	5h.	6h.	7h.	8h.	9h.	lOh.	Uh.	12h.	13h.	Uh.	15h,	16h.	17h.	18h.	19h.	20b.	21h.	22h.	23h.	24h.	month.
quality (i.e.,	Nov.1917	-0’9	—1’0	-0’6	-0’3	-0’7	-1’2	-1’9	-2’8	-2’9	-1’5	+ 1’4	+ 3’1	+ 3’3	+ 3’2	+ 2’8	+ 2’0	+ 0’8	+ 0’3	0’0	-0’1	-0’7	-0’9	-0’8	-0’9	14° 56'’6 Nov.’17
departure from	Oct. 19 P	-1’4	-1’5	-1’3	-0’9	-0’7	-1’1	-2’1	-3’1	-3’2	-1’3	+ 2’0	+ 5’0	+ 6’0	+ 5’8	+ 4’6	+ 2’6	+ri	+ 0’4	-0’6	-1’6	-2’3	-2’3	-2’4	—1'9	14° 47'*7 Oct.’18
mean value for	Oct. 1917	-1’5	-1'4	-1’1	-0’8	-0’8	-1’8	-3’5	-5’1	-4’7	—2’2	+ 1’5	+ 4’4 :	+ 5’5	1-5’5	+ 4’5	+ 2’9	+ 2’1	+ 1’3	+ 0’5	-0’1	-0’7		1'2	-1’5	-1’8	14° 57'’5 Oct.’17
day)																										

The day is counted from Oh. (midnight) to 2lh. (mi inight) G.M.T. Character “ 0” 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 <e 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 i( 1” the departure from the norma! 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 “ smoothing ” the curves.	Meteorological Office, Yor ember 27.

grant a permit to sell or buy, that was an end of the
proposed transaction so far as the colliery company was
concerned.

Presiding over the annual meeting of shareholders in the
Horden Collieries Limited, held at Darlington last week,
Sir Hugh Bell referred to the great destruction of wealth
during the war. He estimated that we had destroyed
something like 8,000 millions sterling, and said the only
way to recuperate was for all classes of the community
to save. The company had now in its employ 4,376 men.
From the Horden Collieries 2,640 went to the war. Of
these, 500 had returned to work and 73 had gone to other
employment. He was sorry to say that 282 would never
return, and that 20 had come back permanently disabled.
£5,000 had been set aside to provide houses for aged
and infirm workmen. Of the £1,300,000 invested in the
company, they had been called upon to spend £500,000
in providing houses for their workmen. They were open-
ing out Castle Eden Colliery, which would be a profitable
undertaking. More houses w’ere required at Horden and
Blackhall, and they would require probably about 600 at
Castle Eden.

Stating that he had received a letter to the effect that
the returns had now been received by the Coal Controller,
and asking for a nominal penalty only, the Middlesbrough
Stipendiary fined the Harperley Collieries Company
Limited Is. and costs for having failed to send in certain
particulars under the Controller’s Order.

Mr. Henry Peile, of the Priestman Collieries Limited, has
been elected chairman of the New Industries Committee of
the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce.

When Richard Cole, 51, and other miners were sent to
work in the Sixth East District of the Bensham Seam at
G Pit, Wallsend, water had been standing at different
parts on the engine plane for about a fortnight, and as
the men refused to walk through, the backoverman took
them in tubs, instructing the engine lad to stop at a certain
point to let them off, and not to move until he telephoned
him and then rapped the set away. On reaching the place
indicated, the set stopped for about two seconds and
then moved off. It went about 4 ft. and then stopped,
when it was found that Cole had been caught between
the tub and the roof and badly injured. He died about
a fortnight later. At the inquest it appeared that the
rolleywayman had rapped the set away in error, believing
that the tubs merely contained some picks that were
expected. The man, Chas. Parker, admitted to the mines
inspector that it was his duty, when tubs were stopped,
to telephone and ascertain what was the matter. He did
not do this. Had he done so, the accident would not have
happened. The engine lad informed the coroner that he
moved the tubs on after receiving the signal, in order to
get height for the men to get out. A verdict of “ Acci-
dental death ” was returned.

At Blyth, on Tuesday, the Cramlington Coal Company
Limited was fined £15 for having, on November 7, on its
registered premises at Hartford Colliery 660 lb. of gun-
powder, 460 lb. in excess of the quantity allowed under
the Explosives Act. Thos. Jobson, the powder man, was
fined £2 for having failed to take due precautions to pre-
vent unauthorised persons having access to the gunpowder
on the same date. A police inspector had found the powder
store door open and no one about. For the company it
was stated that Jobson was a discharged army sergeant
who had been wounded and gassed. Desirous of helping
him, the company had placed him in charge of the powder
store, and had instructed him not to have more than 200 lb.
in the store at one time. Jobson, however, had got a
cart man to deliver the powder at the distributing store
instead of at the main store, to save himself trouble in
carrying it from one store to the other.

Newcastle magistrates on Tuesday fined Jas. Devlin,
deputy at Benwell Colliery, £2 on each of three charges,
namely, that in the Five-quarter seam he fired in coal a
shot, the coal not having been holed to a depth greater
than the depth of the shot hole; that when a certain hole
had been charged he removed the stemming from the hole;
and that when the shot missed fire he placed a second
charge in the same hole. It was explained that, as the
result of an explosion, a man was injured about the head
and shoulders.

Seven of the nine local authorities who are electricity
undertakers on the north-east coast have forwarded to
the President of the Board of Trade and the Minister of
Reconstruction a statement of their views on the recom-
mendations made by the Coal Conservation Sub-Committee
and the Electric Power Supply Committee regarding the
standardisation and unification of electric power supply
in industrial areas. The statement admits the desirability
of unification, provided that the best use is made of the
existing systems of generation and distribution, that the
generation and. distribution are under local public control,
and that the interests of existing undertakers and con-
sumers are safeguarded, particularly the interests of those
municipal undertakings which can be economically worked
without interfering with any general scheme. The state-
ment goes on to criticise in detail many of the finding
and recommendations of the Coal Conservation Sub-
Committee.

Notts, and Derbyshire.

At Mansfield, on Wednesday, at a special sitting of
the County Bench, charges of contravention of the general
regulations of the Coal Mines Act, 1911, were preferred
against Charles Henry Heathcote, manager of the Sher-
wood Colliery, Mansfield Woodhouse, and James C.
Thompson, electrician at the colliery. The prosecution was
at the instance of the Home Office. The charge was that
on September 6 the defendants did contravene No. 129 of
the General Regulations made under the Mines Act, 1911,
in that the insulating material at each cable end in a
certain motor house at the colliery was not efficiently
sealed so as to prevent the diminution of its insulating
properties. For the defence, Mr. Heathcote, in evidence,
contended that the sealing of the cable was efficient, and
expert evidence in support was given. The magistrates
considered a small fine would meet the case, and imposed
one of two guineas. A second charge against the defend-
ants was that certain electrical apparatus in the switch-
house at the shaft bottom was not installed so that the
cable was mechanically protected by securely attaching the
metallic covering to the switch gear. A fine of a guinea
was imposed. A third charge was dismissed, but the elec-
trician, J. C. Thompson, was ordered to pay the costs.

Kent.

The following reference to the Kent coal industry was
made in the report of the Dover Chamber of Commerce
at their annual meeting this week: “This industry, so
full of promise for the prosperity of our town and district,
is referred to in our reports each year, and never with
a more hopeful prospect than the present. In spite of the
shortness of labour, the output from the two collieries
already working has been maintained, much to the ad-
vantage of the neighbourhood, in view of the difficulties
of obtaining coal from the long-distance collieries. We
understand that sinking is about to recommence at Guil-
ford Colliery, and the Stonehall Colliery will doubtless
receive attention as soon as the management is free from
the responsibilities of the war. Apart from the coal, the
ore deposits, fireclay and residuals are a valuable asset,
and in the capable hands of those interested will, it is
hoped, be developed as soon as circumstances permit.”

Meetings of the Kent Coal Concessions and allied com-
panies are to be held in London on December 19, when
the balance sheets will be presented. It is anticipated
that some important information as to prospective de-
velopments of the coal field will be put before the share-
holders. Various enquiries concerning areas in the coal
field have been received recently, and negotiations of a
promising character are taking place with regard to the
acquisition of colliery sites.

Scotland.

In connection with a law case in the Sheriff Court,
Glasgow, in which the North Ayrshire Coal and Oil Com-
pany Limited sued Messrs. Alexander Russell and Com-
pany, coal masters, the coal, it is stated, was supplied
to the Kilmarnock Gas Corporation. The Corporation
took exception to the price on the ground that the District
Coal and Coke Supplies Committee for Scotland had fixed
the price at 18s. per ton, but it appeared that the Board
of Trade in London, setting aside the local committee,
fixed the price at 20s.

The coal shipments from Methil for the past week aggre-
gated 10,985 tons, against 7,786 tons the previous week.
The shipment from Burntisland last week was 8,350 tons,
a decrease of 1,220 tons on the same week last year.
These were taken out by 14 steamers, and the whole went
coastwise.

The Court of Session disposed of an appeal in a claim
for compensation ^by Alex Wilson, coal picker, Ayr,
against W. Baird and Company Limited, coal masters,
Annbank. The pursuer, who was 14 years of age, entered
defendants’ employment on September 28, 1917, and three
days later, while on one of the moving slatted picking
tables, his right foot was caught and he was carried
round to the chute. His leg had to be amputated. Sheriff-
Substitute Brown found no compensation due, on the
ground that, while the accident arose in the course of
the boy’s employment, it did not arise out of his employ-
ment. The pursuer said he was crossing the table to do
his work; but the Sheriff drew the inference from the
other evidence that pursuer mounted the table not for the
purpose of crossing, but for the purpose of dancing on it.
The Court held that the Sheriff had reached a right con-
clusion, and they answered the question accordingly.

The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines,
U.S.A., has issued a large chart of the properties of mine
gas. A great deal of useful information is plainly printed,
and prominence is given to a method for reviving a man
overcome by gas.

Messrs. Rownson, Drew and Clydesdale Limited
announce amalgamation of their New York house (Rown-
son, Drew and Clydesdale Inc.) with the W. J. Crouch
Company Incorporated (makers of “ Crouch steel ”). All
trading and manufacturing operations will be conducted
under the name of Rownson, Drew and Clydesdale, Inc.,
with general offices at 68, William-street, New York.

MINERS’ FEDERATION CONFERENCE.

A special conference of the Miners’ Federation of
Great Britain was commenced at Southport on Tues-
day. Mr. R. Smillie presided, and 135 delegates were
present.

Mr. Herbert Smith (Yorkshire), on behalf of the
executive, reported an interview with the Coal Con-
troller and representatives of the Mining Association
of Great Britain on surface workers’ hours. The coal
owners were prepared to agree to the principle of an
arrangement for the working hours of surface workers
to be 49 per week, exclusive of meal times, an arrange-
ment for the revision of the hours for each day, and
the details regarding the commencement and termina-
tion of the various shifts to be determined by the
representatives of the owners and workmen in the
various districts, the change to take effect as from the
first making-up day in January 1919, and the arrange-
ment not to affect the hours of any man at present
working less than these hours.

After a long discussion it was agreed to adjourn
the matter until the following day.

On Wednesday the following resolution of the execu-
tive was presented: “ That this conference agrees to
the principle of an arrangement for the hours of sur-
face workers to be 49 hours per week, exclusive of
meal times, the arrangements for the division of the
hours each day, and details regarding the commence-
ment and termination of the various shifts, to be
determined by representatives of owners and work-
men in the various districts. The change is to take
effect from the first making-up day in January next.
This is not to affect the hours of any man at the
present working less than these hours.”

The Chairman said it must be understood that the
49 hours referred to applied to a six days week, and
a week of a different number of days would be in
proportion.

The resolution was agreed to.

The Chairman said the committee had not yet
secured all the facts and figures which they consider
necessary on which to base a claim for a further
advance in w’ages. He suggested that the question
.should be postponed in order to allow time to get
those facts, after which another conference would be
held at an early date to decide on a line of action.

This was agreed to.

It was decided, in face of the General Election, to
ask the Government to suspend those parts of the
Defence of the Realm Act which prevents free speech
and freedom of the Press, and also to urge the Labour
Party to convene an international conference as early
as possible to deal with the question of peace. The
Miners’ Federation demand that at the peace con-
ference delegates elected by Labour shall attend.

The executive of the Federation has issued a mani-
festo to the miners in support of the Labour candi-
dates for mining constituencies. The manifesto refers
to provision for the dependants of miners disabled in
. the war, amendment of the Coal Mines Act in the
interests of safety of life and limb, the minimum
wage, income tax, nationalisation of land and
minerals, old age pensions, and education.

OBITUARY.

Mr. T. H. Duxbury, who for about 18 years had been
manager and engineer of the South Shields Gas Company,
died at South Shields at the age of about 45 years. He
was a son of Mr. Thos. Duxbury, head of the gas engi-
neering firm of Messrs. T. Duxbury and Company, Man-
chester, and was a member of the Gas Engineers’ Asso-
ciation, on the executive of the National Gas Council, a
member of the general committee of the British Commer-
cial Gas Association, a past-president of the North of
England Gas Managers’ Association, and had been vice-
chairman of the Special Purposes Section of that asso-
ciation.

Mr. Joseph Burgess, the coal manager of the London
Wholesale Co-operative Society, died recently. He was
well known and greatly respected on the London Coal
Exchange.

Bunker Prices at Colon.—Private advices state that the
price of bunker coal at Colon, Panama, has been increased
to 13 dols. per ton, and at Balboa 14^ dols. per ton, in-
cluding normal trimming. Any special trimming 60 cents
per ton extra.