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The incteaai'ng tendency of humanity to adjust
its differences and disputes by methods of
mediation by conventions, conferences, arbitra
tion, substituting agreement for coercion, is
very barked. Nowadays nations, .departments
and individuals, if they disagree, settle tbe
points at issue by conferring together with or
without reference to an umpire. And the
practice of holding conferences between repre
sentatives of tho different colonies in order to
6ettle departmental questions has now become
bo general and as thoroughly recognised that
they do not even excite comment.- It is recog
nised that conferences of this nature partake of
the spirit of that federation, which, thongh long
delayed, is sure to come. The recent postal
conference, which has been holding its sittings'
at Launceston, is an instance of this. . In a few.
bonrs the representatives discussed and settled:
across the mahogany questions that would have;
taken reams of correspondence. Among other
things, they have decided upou allowing " ur
gency " to intercolonial telegrams on extra pay
ment. Some difference of opinion was expressed;
on this point, and in our: own view it is en-i
tirely a mistake. Nobody, who sends a tele
gram desires that it Shall travel by a slow train,'
and every telegram should be despatched as soon
as it is received. The granting of precedence,
on payment of double rates is, we. think, an:
error. There were, however, two suggestions
made by the beads of the Postal Depart.:
ments in the various colonies which we'
"think might have been entertained by
the . conference. :The first was adopted— the
second and most important disagreed with.
They were as follow :— " That each newspaper
be charged Id for every 4oz, or fraction thereof."
"We are of opinion that a system of postage
stamps common to all the Australian colonies
would be a step in the direction of federation,
and would bo a great public convenience-
Should this system be adopted,- we would,
however, strongly advise -that stich' stamps
should be available only for postage, and not for
duty or any other , purposes. The revenue
derivable from these - stamps should lie appor
tioned ; arhongst thb colonies on a basis of
population." It may be assumed that the
objectionable features which led' to (the latter
suggestion being disagreed with were the adjust
ment on a population basis;' and the distinction
of the stamps, differentiating those used for
postage and those for duty purposes. Wo have
always strongly advocated the principle that al'
stamps should be interchangeable and might be
.used according, to their fafce value for the pay-
: meat of fees as well as postage, and. that, there
: yras iio real necessity, for distiDguishihg . the
; precise proportion of revenue that had.to .be
; allowed to the Law or Postal Departments for
;sale of. stamps. ; But, while we have always
contended for this as a . public convenience. We
; wotild be- content -to forego it. if thereby we
; could attain to the far greater advantage' of ai
federal postage stamp available alike in all the
colonies which would be the precursor of.' the
: wide-wo'rld-rouiid stamp 1 tbe Postal Union will
yet some day succeed in bringing into Use.. We
i greatly .regret for this ifeMbn that .the recom
mendation of the heada of the departments in
jthis respect was djsagreed wjth; An all-rouud
. j postage stamp would have ;heen a permanent:
. advertisement ol federation, and, - besides, have
proved an enormous public convenience.: But
< ;the conference has concluded ite labours now.
:So the next ohe,: which meets' in Queensland,
jrbust be left the' duty' of remedying its omis
sions, though for what it has accomplished otir
thanks are diio to it. ,
Every miner is familiar with the fact that when
certain conditions exist' 'at- the surface of the
'earth the air in uridetgrdund' workings grows
foul or ".sick.". , Various theories have been ptt
forward to account for this, and many enquiries
havfe bedh iriade without Schievitig ffiufeh result,
aS.tO.ivhy.the air below usaliy fotils when S hot
Iwind is blowing on the surface. It has been
suggested that this Is due to tKbcdridjtioh that
jthb h'ot wihd. is uaiially accdmpahied by an era
of low barbmetrio pressure; but this Explanation
Scarcely -seems' sufflcient ;t6' account for ail the
Fhenwe&(;pnli:,'.;it'' is,' ! therefore, grati-
jfying to knowiitHat 1 at. the! direction of 'the
MifiiSt'ef df'Mifies; Profeosdr ica'Sinithji'pf Ihe
School of Minesi: Ballarat;:has made ari inVcst7
gition into the causes of the bccurreuce of foul
jair in undergrohnd' korkifigs,'' knd ' his report
,, jjtibt setit'in 'is hn'"ipstbudtivb cantHbutidnTd'fhe
'literature qf.' the', aubjdbt.r,,'He 'to
noxious principle of the gaseB— he is speaking in
his roport of the deep alluvial mines at Allen
dale — is carbonio' acid," probably ' of 'vegetable
brigin, the -resultant of ; ' decomposition, but
whether the procdssbf creating' it. is still going
on; or .whether, the foul air is, as: aome think;
the relic of an anoient. world atmosphere, .it is
hot eBsy to' determine. ' After a careful examina
tion he ascertained that the foiil air appeared to
pome for the most part out df -the porous ground
bf the gutter workings, ..not from tho working
- faces, only,., but from allsideaof, wash drives and
blocifB. ' Thdre existed c also great reservoirs of
gas in the porous ground, .and therefore' occki'
I' ionally .-in,, the ; yaeaiit Bpaces - of; -abandoned
rorkihgs;d>',The occurrence of v|oui air wis-
alwaya acoowpanisi q f$l) ip-'flje batometer,
The diininhtibn of attdbspheric prfeiurb whicb
Hie fillihg baromeler recorded exbehded ib thfi
workings below, and allowed the gases impri
soned within the porous strata or abandoned
workings to escape, it was found that wherever
the brdihbtbr' fell, no fnatief in khat; directidn
the wind was bloWing, a mine responded, and
in outflow of gas resulted; the amount depend
ing on the extent of the falL In this respect
the mine might be regarded as a huge and most
sedsitive barometer. When the baroindter rose
again the air in thb open mine was pressed back
into thb porous ground and good air followed up"
and entered after it Until equilibrium was re
stored; A large quantity of the foul air may
thUs flow forth and back wiihohb ever leaving
the mine, although it is probable that much of
it never returns to tbe strata, but remains to
mix gradually with the air in the mine. The
fool air was not, as many supposbd; a metely
occasional occurrence, but was a never-ending
movethbut to and fro, varying in intensity with
the barometric change. Mr Smith submits a
number of remedies calculated to improve, ven
tilation and prevent tbe travelling through the
mine of infected air, bub it is questionable if
these are likely to be adopted. The great point
is the determination of how the entry of the gas
into the mine comes about, and that it only
bears a distant affinity to the- choke-damp of the
coal pit. Doubtless, in tbe future, when electric
processes have been mote generally applied to.
mining, means will be found for lighting and
ventilating mines of a superior description. The1
electric lighting of ' underground workings in
itself makes a considerable difference, because it
saves that exhaustion of tbe air consumed by
t,he miner's candle or lamp. In Nevada experi
ments have been made in injecting into the-
mines at intervals supplies of qualified oxygen;
with a view of restoring vigor to the atmosphere,:
and we may confidently expect that our experi-:
enced miners and scientists will not be back
ward in discovering some way to mitigate the'
foul air nuisance now that the nature of its-
course has been made more clear. . !
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