The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

le SSUNINNINUIUNUUUULAALUUULU UU il IFFICULTIES in the way of D obtaining bunker coal in the United Kingdom continue acute and to some extent at any rate the difficulties are attributable to too strict an application of what is known as the zone system. This rule provides that the ports of Liverpool, London and Southampton and other south coast of England ports shall be sup- plied solely from South Wales, the output of the. Lancashire and Yorkshire coalfields being allocated mainly to meet the de- mands of the _ industrial area in the Midlands. The only bunkering center which is supplied from Yorkshire seems to be the Humber ports on the east coast of England, and these ports are so supplied be- cause there appears to be no other source available. This policy has resulted in some curious experiences. Recently a steamer required bunkers in Glasgow for a round voyage. It was stat- ed that ample coal was available in the harbor at the time and that the col- liers at Glasgow were ac- tually working short time. Yet, even with the condi- tions of supply apparently favorable, this steamer was refused bunkers, because she was proceeding to Liv- erpool to load cargo, where according to the zone sys- tem she should bunker with Wales coal. A _ modifica- tion of the regulations was finally secured and supplies VERTICAL, I. H.P., BUILT BY J. SAMUEL WHITE & CO., LTD., FOR THE S. §. ARGONNE were obtained at Glasgow. Cases of this kind are constantly occurring but the regulations are seldom an- nulled. Another instance is that of a British liner in the river Tyne which could not secure bunkers in that area, even at the price then ruling, 120 shillings, or $23 a ton. The manager of this ship learned that coal was available at Grangemouth at 70 shillings or $13.50 a ton and arranged to dispatch the vessel to that port. But the com- SO NVUUIULULLUUUNANLAUALUUAU uA ~ What the British Are Doing Short Surveys of Important Activities in Maritime Centers of Island Empire aA mittee in the Firth of Forth ruled that the steamer could not be allotted coal at Grangemouth as she was al- ready in a bunkering port in another district. No regard seemed to be taken of the fact that coal was avail- able in one district and not in another, and the vessel was delayed 14 days while waiting for bunkers. This sit- uation is of general importance be- INVERTED, cause it affects American and other foreign ships bunkering in British ports at the present time. ok Ok LTHOUGH Great Britain is to- day far from being ruled by the proletariat, labor, relatively scarce and, therefore, having the whip hand as elsewhere throughout the world, is finding its opportunity and taking full advantage of the situation through its well organized labor unions. In Ire- land, while the political general strike 400 TRIPLE EXPANSION CONDENSING ENGINES, liz JOUOONONIOUCLECEO OOOO ll = ie in April and May did not affect the shipbuilding industry in Belfast, in Dublin the reverse was the case and both yards in that city were closed down. At Londonderry on the second day of the strike one section of the men downed tools but the yard carried on. Several vessels being discharged at Belfast by members of the Irish Transport union were held up but the majority of the dock- ers belong to the National Union of Dockers which ignored..the .strike; The Provisional National Coun- cil of Port Labor employ- ers and the National Trans- port Workers' Federation of Great Britain have fin- ally) come to. an agree- ment, with a view to im- proving the status of the dock laborers, securing mutual co-operation in im- provement of output and timekeeping and the avoid- ance of strikes. It has been agreed that the minimum daily wage on the half-daily basis for the greater ports shall be 16 shillings ($3.10) per day.and for the small- er ports 15 shillings ($2.90) for laborers, whether casu- ally or regularly engaged, whose duties comprise the actual handling of cargo in or on ship, quay, ware- house or craft. This agree ment came into force on May 10. The federation and its affiliated unions on their part have undertaken that the employers shall have the benefit of eight hours full work per day. It is understood that all differential 1200 rates, such as extra payment for the discharge of timber and for the work- ing of exceptionally dirty cargo, will be retained. x xe HIPBUILDERS in Great are once more finding themselves thwarted by the attitude of labor m their efforts to introduce mechanical appliances in their yards. Mersey branch No. 50 of the National Amal- gamated Union of Labor has passed Britain