Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 29 September 1893

The Coal War.

Ballotting on the Proposed Partial Resumption of Work.

Everything Quiet, Soldiers and Police Leaving the District.

Still Dead Against Reduction.

No More Accumulated Stocks.

The Distress and Relief.

The chief interest in the progress of the coal war during the week has been centred in the question of a partial resumption of work, and the ballot which has been taken to decide the matter upon. The point is not one upon which the miners of the district have proved unanimous, although there is evidently a great preponderance of feeling in favour of resuming work at the old rate of wages where possible. The Denaby Main men have gone almost solid for a resumption on the old conditions, and that the officials of this large old colliery expect a renewal of work at no very distant date is evident from the fact that the blacksmiths and other artificers have been working full time lately.

At Thrybergh Hall Colliery by a majority of 640 to 40, and at Wombwell Main, the men have declared for resumption, and indeed the only opposition we have seen to the proposal comes from the men of Manvers Main, who have absolutely refused to consider the question of partial resumption at all, even refusing to so much as take a ballot on the question. At Manvers Main there is a very strong feeling that if some of the men go back to work, every ton of coal which they get will help the employers to defeat those who have not resumed work. This probability we called attention to in a leading article last week, and the Manvers men appear to have seriously regarded the situation in that light. Whether they are right or not of course remains to be seen, but it is hardly wise for either the miners or the Press to run contrary to the advice of the miners’ leaders when once they have expressed themselves clearly and distinctly, and there can be no doubt now that Messrs. Pickard and Cowey are in favour of a resumption. We do not anticipate anything but a large majority in the district in favour of a resumption, and we are quite prepared to conclude that the men ought to know what is best for themselves, and it is perhaps wisdom on their part to follow their leaders loyally, even though their leaders may change their minds as they have done, within a week or so, on this question.

A very cheering and encouraging sign is conveyed by the withdrawal, to a large extent, of the military and extra police from the districts visited and threatened by disorder. The troop of Dragoons, who were stationed at Aldwarke, are reduced to a mere cavalry guard of half-a-dozen, the remainder having been withdrawn. The rifles at Wombwell have been re-called, and the hearts of the servant girls in Wath are no longer gladdened by the attentions of her Majesty’s humble, but red-coated, servants. In fact, the “widow’s uniform” is becoming almost as rare a sight in the neighbourhood as it was formerly. A very large number of the extra police have also taken their departure to their own districts. In one or two cases their places have been filled by drafts from the Metropolitan Police, great sturdy fellows, who look on curiously at miners’ meetings and wonder what it all means, and who have varied the monotony of patrolling colliery sidings by occasional visits of inspection to the pit bottoms, visits that many of them are likely to remember as the most wonderful experience of their lives, and of which many of them cherish a memento in the shape of a piece of coal chipped from the coal face by their own hands or boot heels.

If there is very little difference of opinion as to the advisability of a partial resumption, there does not appear to be any whatever on the subject of reduction. It is not a vain assertion by any means that about the last thing the men will do is to accept any reduction of wages. The leaders are as unanimous and firm as the men, and the men are as unanimous and as firm as the leaders. It is a thing which they have ceased to talk about, as idle and absurd, and which they refuse to waste time in discussing. It is about the most unlikely thing in the world that any reduction, much less 25 per cent., will be conceded by the men, unless they are actually starved into submission, which is also quite unlikely.

There are very few miners now who do not thoroughly understand the reason for the lock-out, and it is more than certain that the last has been seen of the accumulated stocks on the pit banks, which, for the sake perhaps of working full time in the past, the men have themselves placed there to act as a stand-by for their employers whenever it has suited them to dispute with their men.

At Hoyland, Mr. Parrott spoke very strongly on the subject, and the opinion is general that the miners, when they get back to work, will never again assist in the practice of accumulating stocks. This question—as between employers and employed—is one that will have to be settled in the future, and most of the men now locked out anticipate that before they have long returned to work they will have to fight the question of restricting the output. The opinion is held in many quarters that the local lodges should be allowed to empower men to hand in their notices when Colliery Companies are making stocks, without the lengthy formality of referring the matter to the Federation Executive, but whether this course is agreed upon or not we believe that the experience of the present lock-out has been fruitful in teaching the men the danger of working beyond the consumption requirements.

The satisfactory quietude among the miners has enabled further attention to be paid to the work of relieving cases of distress. In Mexborough, which is a very large district, the Relief Committee find they can by no means cope with all the cases that are brought to their notice. The response to their appeal for funds has been generous, but not sufficient to enable anything like a sufficient amount of relief for the requirements. The assistance given to the persons in distress has taken the form of what is known as a “few shop things,” a term which implies bread, flour, tea, potatoes, and other articles of an edible character. It is intended to open a soup kitchen very shortly, the belief being that a good deal of relief can be administered by this means at an economical outlay.

At present the Relief Committee is interested in a sum of £50, the surplus of the subscriptions for the relief of the distress in the winter of 1890-91. This amount was subscribed by Mr. Montagu, and his consent is necessary to enable it to be released from the bank and applied to present needs. Mr. White, we believe, has written to Mr. Montagu for this purpose, and the release and application of the money is expected, is only a matter of a few days.

The Relief Committee have issued a balance sheet, from which it appears that, for the week ending Sept. 23rd, they collected £45 15s. 9d., and expended £43 5s. 9d. of this sum. In addition, a good deal of assistance in kind has been rendered to the Committee.

During last week the following gifts were given: Mr. Jno. Clayton, 10 stones of flour; Mr. J. A. Mawson, 20 loaves weekly; Goodall’s Drug Stores, 270 loaves; Mr. John Bullock, 10 stones of flour; Mr. John Minskip, 1 bag of potatoes; a friend, through Mr. John Clayton, 20 stones of flour; Mr. Scarborough, Doncaster, 5 sacks of potatoes; Mr. Geo Crossland, 5 stones of bread weekly; Mr. E. Stead, 1 sack of potatoes. This week Goodall’s Drug Stores have given 200 loaves of bread, and at Denaby Main on Tuesday Mr. Slater, innkeeper, gave away 300 loaves of bread and Mr. Hawking 200 loads of potatoes.

Mr. Weston, of the Bull’s Head Inn, Mexborough, gave 100 stones of flour on Tuesday to 400 needy cases, in quarter stone bags, and this gentleman during the last three weeks has distributed soup to about 80 persons each day. Towards the expense which he has incurred Mr. Smith, of the Indicator Brewery, gave £2 2s., but the remainder has been borne by Mr. Weston himself. On Tuesday the Relief Committee gave a tea to 200 children, and on Wednesday a like number were fed in a similar manner. A number of men are employed by the Mexborough School Board in improving the playground near the Garden Street school, and the other day we saw some of these men at work to the accompaniment of the cheers of the infants who surrounded them.

The Co-operative Society at Denaby has also been to the front in relief work, all their members affected by the lock-out receiving a stone of flour during the week, which it is proposed to continue until a settlement takes place.

The Swinton Relief Committee are working energetically to cope with the distress. On Tuesday about 200 gallons of excellent soup and 800 loaves of bread were distributed on Tuesday, and on Saturday they intend to repeat the dose. Mrs. J. Pepper, Gate Inn, has made and given away about 100 gallons of soup.

The Co-operative Society at Kilnhurst during the last four weeks have distributed 4,300 twopenny loaves and 400 gallons of soup. In the same period the Relief Committee have distributed 416 gallons of soup, and it is intended to give the school children free breakfasts. They have about £14 in hand. A concert in aid of the fund was held last night. Mr. Rycroft, manager of the Lundhill Collieries, has allowed the men and women to collect coal from the rubbish heaps, and upwards of 200 tons of coal has been procured in this manner.

Mr. Allott, the schoolmaster, has given a free breakfast to about 80 children each morning, and a free tea to 600 children was given on Wednesday. On Wednesday the relief committee at Wombwell distributed tickets for provisions to 340 families as well as 162 loaves. Mr. Rycroft sent for distribution four loads of potatoes and four loads of turnips; Mr. Robinson, Mr. Myers, and Mr. Swift have also rendered assistance.

The Bolton-on-Dearne relief committee have prospects of being able to cope with the distress in their districts. The appeal for funds has been generously responded to. Mr. J. Mitchell, of Bolton Hall, has promised £1 a week during the period of distress, and Lady Halifax £2 2s., Leeds and Wakefield Brewery Company £1 1s., and the Rev. J. Cordeaux 10s., have also subscribed. The trustees of the Wentworth Charities on Monday gave a free dinner at the Rockingham Arms to the miners’ children.

At Rawmarsh and Parkgate the children are receiving breakfast and soup dinners. The military tournament realised £70. The Co-operative Society has distributed 400 loaves per week, and Mr. C. Dennis, of the George Inn, has distributed quantities of soup, while Mr. P. Lee, of the Crown Inn, has given soup to 300 children. About 1,000 children in Rawmarsh have received free breakfasts. Lady Ross Mahon, of Rose Hill, Rawmarsh, has contributed £2 5s. to the fund.