Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Tuesday 23 October 1928

Coal Trade’s Future.
Denaby Manager’s Hopeful Prediction In High Court.
Ten Years Hence.

The gloomy prophecies that the coal industry will not “weather the present storm’’ are not shared Mr. H. C. Harrison, general manager of the Denaby and Cadeby Colliery Company.

Giving evidence yesterday before the Railway and Canal he said his company—one of the biggest in South Yorkshire—hoped to sell more coal, and he mentioned ten years as the probable period that would elapse before the coal industry would overcome its difficulties.

The company seeks to obtain the right to work coal in the Park gate seam in an area of 1,497 acres belonging to Lord Cromwell tenant for life, and it also isusks to relieved of certain covenants in lease granted by Lord Cromwell in 1925. Lord Cromwell is opposing the application.

Mr. Harold Charles Harrison, general manager the colliery company, who gave evidence on Friday, was yesterday cross-examined by Mr. David Bowen for Lord Cromwell.

Mr. Harrison agreed that the average annual output of the colliery for the past 35 years was 591,500 tons. Production had been increased latterly, be said, and at the present time it was at the rate of 1,100,000 tons a year.

The present capacity of the screening, tipping, and conveying plant on the surface was about 1,250,0C0 tons a year. If both shafts of the colliery were kept working at full capacity, the total annual output would be about 1,700,000 ton.

Answering Mr. Justice Salter, Mr. Harrison said that he assumed that in 13 years’ time the company would be able to dispose more coal than it was now selling.

Not Afraid of Competition.

Asked 1 Mr. Bowen what justification he had for taking such an optimistic view of the future, Mr. Harrison said that it was admitted that his company’s collieries were among the most up-to-date collieries the country, and they would therefore able to “weather the storm” better than others which were not up to date. When “the storm” was over, they would hope to be able to sell more coal. He agreed that there were several other collieries in the district equally well equipped and working the same coal.

Mr. Bowen; Are you taking into account the developments in these collieries, as well your own? Mr. Harrison: Yes.

“I hope.” added Mr. Harrison, “that in ten years’ time the mining industry will have got over its troubles, and in more prosperous condition than it is to-day.”

Mr. Harrison said that the Denaby and Main Collieries, Ltd., were the only feasible tenants of Lord Cromwell for the whole of the Cadeby coalfield.

Sir Lewis Coward, K.C. (a member the Commission) : I think you are. You conceive of anybody else if you look at the plan.

Mr. Bowen; In that case it useless considering any other hypothetical tenant.

Mr. Harrison; I never did consider one.

The Point at Issue.

Witness said he agreed that Lord Cromwell should paid something for shaft rent. What he and Lord Cromwell’s agent could not agree upon was the amount.

Mr. Bowen asked it was likely that there would be sufficient coal left in the Barnsley and Parkgate seams, when the company s lease expired in 1948, to make it worthwhile for Cromwell to sink new shafts.

Mr. Harrison; I do not think there will .The quality and quantity of the coal would not warrant it. , The hearing was adjourned