The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-10-09 00:00:00

TfiE STOURBJRIDGE OBSEBVEE.

communicated with his fellow workmen, and the
shop secretary called all the weavers employed by
the firm together. The result was that they all
agreed upon a strike upon this point of the clean-
ing of the looms, and we understand that a gene-
ral meeti:ag of the Weavers' Association the same
evening it was resolved to support the stand taken
by Messrs. Humphries' men. Only one of the
weavers has remained at work at their shed, but
some clerks and foremen have in the emergency
been operating at some of the looms. If the strike
continues, in addition to the 120 weavers who have
thrown themselves out, a large numL,z of Linds,
whose work is dependent on that of the we avers,
will have to be discharged. As Messrs. Humph-
ries are members of the Manufacturers' Associa-
tion, there will no doubt be joint action on the
part of the manufecturers in regard to the ques-
tion.

Another meeting of weavers was held on Tues-
day night, and it is said to have been of a tumul-
tuous character. Reporters were not admitted
The following resolution, prc,sed by the Manufac—
turers' Association a few hours previously, was
read to the meeting. "That in the event of
Messrs. Humphries and Sons' men not returning
to their work by the next day (Wednesday), at
nine o'clock a.m., and when working without a
creel-boy, and receiving 8d per day (under Mr.
Hughes's award), refusing to do the creel-boy's
work, including cleaning under the looms, the
manufacturers in the association will stop their
looms on the completion of the pieces." This, of
course, meant a lock-out all over the town, and
Messrs. Humphries's weavers seemed to have been
left to fight out their own battle,the meeting being
very dividedlin opinion. They complain of being
deserted by their fellow-workmen after the latter
had promised them support; but the result was
that the strike came to an end on Wednesday
morning. Soon after Messrs. Humphries's works
were opened the men communicated with the
manager, and offered to resume work, and to allow
2d to be deducted from their extra for cleaning
the looms. Tney were told that they must agree
to clean their looms themselves if they went in.
After a conference among themselves they agreed
to go in upon those terms, and the strike there-
fore came to an end.

SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE AND EAST
WORCESTERSHIRE INSTITUTE OF MINING
ENGINEERS.

On Monday night last a general monthly meet-
ing of the members of the above Institute was
held in the Geological Museum, Dudley, Mr. John
Hughes (the president) in the chair. There were
also present among others Messrs. H. Johnson, T.
Parton, F.G.S., W. Spruce; W. Davies, J. M. Fel-
lows, J. Cole, J. Newey, I. Vernon, Ritson, Rogers,
Add enbrooke, and Alexander Smith, seretary.
In opening the proceedings, the President feel-
ingly alluded to the recent death of Mr. Edwin
Yardley, who had a long career of usefulness be-
fore him, and whose father was the first president
of the Institute. It was unanimously agreed that
the secretary should write a letter of condolence
to Mrs. Yaidley.
_

In the readin-g of the minutes of the previous
council meeting, the Secretary called special at-
tention to the fact that the president of the South
Midland Institute and a deputation had waited
upon the council seeking amalgamation.
Mr. B. P. Walker (the president) said he and
those with him believed it to be impolitic that two
Institutes having the same objects and interests
should be working in the same district. Certain
difficulties in the way of previous amalgamation
had now disappeared, and as they believed amal-
gamation would not be rejected, they had deter-
mined,' to seek the stronger Institute and tender
themselves as members. They numbered 79, six
of whom were already members of the larger In-
stitute. Some members would not join, and some
were not eligible. Altogether about forty would,
be the addition.

Mr, Johnson and Mr. Peacock having spoken in
favour of the amalgamation
The President moved that the next general
meeting of the Institute be made special to receive
the proposed members, who should have been ap-
proved of byithe council, without entrance fee,
but with-the subscription coming due on the Ist
January next, and that all property, papers, and
transactions of the incoming members be handed
over to the Institute.

This was seconded and carried unanimously.
Mr. Alexander Smith said the Institute might
consider at the special meeting that the rule as to
members was too strict and not strict enough.
Gentlemen who made geology and kindred scien-
ces a study were not on their books, and tele-
graphic engineers often read most valuable papers.
The rule might be enlarged, and the Institute yet
kept to its original intentions by adding after the
list of persons eligible the words "and any person
interested in mining, &e., as approved by the
council."

The Becretary also presented the Institute with
a piece of bituminous shale, obtained by the Earl
of Caithness from his flagstones, and used by his
lordship with the household coal.

The -present was received.
Mr. Thomas Parton then read the concluding
portion of his paper on "The Duties and Itespon-
sibilites of Minagers under the Mines Inspection
Act." He reviewed the contents of his first paper
(recently published) by saying that he had endea-
voured to show that the spirit of the present law
is !commendable, but that the letter of it was
faulty. Complaint was mainly directed to the
unequal and unjust distribution of the duties and
responsibilities of the manager, who bore too
many liabilities. To show this they ought to look
at the ordinary conduct of a colliery in this dis-
trict. They could dismiss at first the general
manager, for he had no bearing on the paper. On
the other hand the certificated manager was to
understand the geography, the geology of the
mine mechanics, with the best way of working
mineral seams, the cost of work in all depart-
ments, to manage men, to hold himself responsible
to the law for every offence, and to be responsible
for the economical and successful carrying on of
the colliery. The underviewer, or sub-manager,
did not appear in every colliery. When he did it
was his duty to see the manager's orders carried
out as promptly as possible; to have a practical
acquaintance with mining; and to be responsible
to the manager. As the law at present stood the
manager was the only person required to be quali-
fied by examination. All the others, including
even the charter-master who worked the pit, were
not required to be qualified, nor were they directly
responsible for dereliction df duty, as was the
manager. He (Mr. Parton) suggested that there
should be three classes of certificates the
manager, B, the sub-manager or under-viewer. ;
C, the engineer. The manager ought still to pass
his .examination; he should be.he/d accountable
for the general construction of colliery works, the
proper position and quality of plants; he should
be responsible for the general arrangement of the
opening of the mines, so that they might be
worked safely and economically. The sub-man-
ager should pass a s( cond grade examination, and
Mr. Dickenson and the inspectors agreed upon that
point. There was a class of men capable of man-
aging by themselves a moderately-sized colliery
where no extraordinary difficulties occur, or work
a large colliery under a manager. This class
should be selected for their practical rather than
their theoretical knowledge, and they should be
well examined upon that point to show that for
want of technical knowledge the applicant had by
close and intelligent application at his own work
become practically fitted to hold a higher post.
When selected he should be made responsible for
the carrying out of the manager's order and inten-
tion, and he should be the person to report all de-
relictions of duty. In dealing with the contrac-
tor, their deputies and workmen, the sub-manager
should be invested with the power to enforce the
law, whether coming under the head of general or
special rules, having, of course, reported to the
manager.
The discussion on the papers was adjourned
until both were printed and circulated among the
members.

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packets have given general satisfaction, being exceeding),
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street; Hewit. Market Place; Morris, 136, High-street
Brierley Hill—Rawlings chemist ; Kidderminster, Bul
Ring; Halesowen, Adam, chemist; Lye, Jones, chemist
Wordsley, Turner, chemist; Kingswinford, Pearson
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