Miners as Transport Owners.
Page 41
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TT is generally known that the miner allowed, according to local conditions, (Ate ton of coal per month, and the delivery of this allowance—or "home coals," as it is termed—has been the means for creating a haulage business at many of the South Yorkshire pits. An example of the success of these schemes is given by the details of the Silverwood and Roundwood homecoal delivery service.
Three years ago the miners of Silverwood became dissatisfied with the haulage rates for home .coals, and decided to devise a scheme of their own and to control the business themselves. A committee was formed and the servicea and advice of Mr. Frank H. Dutson, of Frank H. Dutson (Leeds), Lid., commercial motor engineers and agents, were sought, After careful consideration Mr. Dutson supplied three vehicles of special design, and the scheme of de liveries was .put into operation. Asthe outcome of its succebs, six lorries were purchased in the first two years. The profits during that period were as follow :—May 12th to December 31st, 1924, £669 9s. I id. ; January 1st to June 30th, 1925, £552 7s. 6d,; July 1st to December 31st, 1925, £1,004 18s. 6(1. January 1st to June 30th, 1926, £376. making a total since the commencement of £2,602 -Os. 1:201. This was after 25 per cent. depreciation on lorries and 33?r per cent, on other stock had been deducted. The last two months of this
period covered the mining dispute, duringwhich the vehicles were not working.
The six mouths which followed were during the dispute, in which period the scheme showed a. loss of £318 4s. ; yet for the year's working a profit of £57 16s. 6d. was shown.
To obtain some idea of the extent (A this excellent organization, one has to realize that since the commencement seven motor vehicles have been purchased at a cost of £4,140. Loads of coalto the number of 72,919 havo been delivered for a turnover of £13,1,11 14s. 90. 'A substantial re
serve fund is now set aside for any emergency. In addition, the members received benefits in reduction in the haulage rates. Three months after the scheme commenced a 6d. reduction was made, and in July this year reductions were made of from Od. to is. 9d. per ton. The committ& are also carefully considering the advisabilityof hauling the coals for sick and compensation members fret?, and it is hoped that thig benefit will be in operation in the near future.
A new committee,is elected annually, and, although new members were elected at the last election, the confidence in Mr. Prank H. Dutson remains and the appreciation shown at a recent meeting was quite noteworthy.
Mr. E. Nelling, who was first secretary and manager of the Silverwood scheme, is now the manager of the DonCaster branch of Frank H. Matson (Leeds), Ltd., and is available for any advice on similar schemes. The present secretary is Mr. W. E. Could.
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