Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 13 October 1893

The Coal War

Developments of the Dispute—The Mayors, Masters, and Men—Breach of Faith at Wath—An Engineman’s Courage—Condition of the District—The Prospects of Resumption of Work—Increased Distress and Renewed Exertions for Relief.

A week has brought many changes in the coal war, and the opposing sides now view each other with an altered front.

On the part of the miners there is a willingness to return to work at the old rate, and on the part of the masters an abandonment of the demand for twenty-five per cent., and a substitution of a demand for fifteen per cent.

Notwithstanding this change of affairs, there is yet no prospect of settlement. The mediation of the Mayors has been abortive, and the refusal to agree to the terms suggested by them has come from the owners, in the first instance.

Had the miners agreed to the terms proposed by the Mayoral conference, they would tacitly have acknowledged their defeat; to agree to the terms which the owners have offered in lieu of the Mayoral suggestions would be to take a very bad beating indeed.

This is hardly the present disposition of the miners, who are still strongly opposed to reduction, who dislike it even in the wrapping of the Mayoral suggestions, and will have none of it whatever in the undisguised form of the master’s ultimatum.

But the shifting of the owners’ ground will do the miners good service. A week ago it was alleged that the twenty-five per cent. was absolutely necessary. To-day the discovery is made that fifteen per cent. will do, or that anything else will suffice which is a bit above the proposals of the voluntary mediators, and is likely to prove a bitter pill for the men to swallow.

At least the public will see, from the attitude of the owners, that they are doing their best to prolong the struggle, and that no conciliations would be acceptable to them as the starvation and complete surrender of the men.

At the present moment there are three platforms in the dispute, the Mayors with a proposal that the men shall return to work at the old rate and submit to a ten per cent. reduction in six weeks, the masters with a proposal that the men shall return to work at fifteen per cent. reduction, and the men that they shall resume work at the old rate of wages, and leave reduction out of the question.

The fact that the masters’ proposal is subsequent to that of the Mayors’ makes it look greedy, and the fact that the men are willing to return to work at the old rate should let the public know who to blame for the dispute.

The public does not always sympathise with men who are striking for an advance of wages, but it is never opposed to them when they resist a reduction, especially when, as in this case, there are evidences that the demand is made with perfect indifference to whether the men grant it or refuse.

But, rightly or wrongly, justly or unjustly, the present position in the coal war is that of a three-cornered puzzle, of which, unfortunately, no one can see the solution.

So far as our immediate neighbourhood is concerned, the monotony of the struggle has, to a certain extent, been relieved by the incidents at Wath, which is already spoken of as the Wath breach of faith.

It appears that subsequent to the Wath Main riots a number of men, with the permission of the local lodge, have been engaged in getting the pit in order, but it would also appear that, in direct violation of the pledge given to the men, something like sixty tons of coal has been got at the colliery during the past week.

This continued until the engine men refused to draw any more, and upon the news reaching the ears of the men they held a meeting on Friday, at which they strongly condemned the breach of faith, and resolved to withdraw all members of the Association from the pit, and requested all non-members to come out, upon pain of boycott in the future.

The meeting was a quiet one and very determined.

The statement of a Sheffield contemporary, to the effect that the firemen stationed at the Wath Town Hall were sent down to the meeting is not true. The soldiers never left their quarters, and the natural indignation, astonishment, and annoyance of the miners at being compelled to hold their meeting under military surveillance, to which our contemporary refers, exists only in that fertile imagination which is peculiar to Sheffield papers.

The conduct of the engineman, who risked numerous pains and penalties by his loyalty to the men’s interests, is very favourably regarded by the miners, who are loud in his praise.

They aver that, should he have to suffer for his refusal to draw coal—knowing it to be a violation of a promise given to the men—they will stand by him, and will not work themselves until he has been righted.

The action of the lodge in withdrawing its members has, of course, had the desired effect, while its notification to the blacksmiths and other non-members has resulted in several of them leaving their work.

Whether this is wise, having regard to the probable injury of an unattended pit, and the likelihood of it prolonging the stoppage, is a debatable question, and one that can be better answered when the settlement of the dispute is nearer at hand.

The district is quiet and peaceful, and the retention of soldiers, who are being maintained at the country’s cost, is a needless and unjustifiable proceeding.

At Wath there are close upon fifty men, who, it is stated, are catered for by the landlord of the Star Inn for fourteen shillings a week per man, exclusive of lodging, which is provided at the Town Hall.

In view of the fact that what damage it is possible to do at Wath Main has already been done, and that among the miners of this district, at any rate, there is not the slightest disposition of lawlessness, it may well be asked whether the policy of maintaining an armed garrison there, with its attendant cost, is a wise or even reasonable proceeding.

What is true of Wath is equally true of Wombwell and other districts where soldiers are still retained, as, for instance, at Aldwarke Park, where a troop of cavalry are still quartered, the men killing time anyhow and the horses eating their heads off.

The losses of the district derive some pleasure from the presence of the soldiers at Wath on Feast Monday, if the popularity of the red-coated warriors at Wath on Feast Monday is any indication, but the country rate ought hardly to be taxed to the tune of fourteen shillings a week in order to provide a servant girl with a soldier sweetheart.

There is but little likelihood of work being resumed at any of the pits near Mexborough, Wath, Kilnhurst, or Wombwell, at least for the present.

Since the disturbances five weeks ago, Denaby Main has been the subject of constant rumour, and particularly has it been so in connection with the rumour of resumption at the old rate of wages.

That the rumour was seriously regarded is evidenced by the fact that at Sheffield, in the newspaper offices, it was thought sufficiently important for inquiry, and that several times yesterday they used our telephone for this purpose.

Rumours happily yield very often concerning Denaby Main during the present crisis, but unhappily it is lying yet.

Monday’s papers contained a most hopeful statement with regard to Hoyland Silkstone.

There was a circumstantial story of an auctioneer, a colliery manager, and a miners’ meeting, the drift of all which was that the Silkstone Colliery appeared likely to be reopened in a matter of a few minutes.

Days have passed since then, and there does not appear any likelihood of the promise being fulfilled.

In fact, so far as South Yorkshire is concerned, there is very little disposition to offer work at the old rate, the resumptions that have occurred being generally confined to small collieries on the northern verge of the Barnsley coalfield.

In Derbyshire, however, the outlook is very encouraging, seven large colliery owners, employing an aggregate of 11,400 men, having surrendered.

Among these is Col. Seely, M.P., at whose collieries 3,000 men are employed. Col. Seely, it should be remembered, is the Member for West Nottingham, and his influence on the side of resumption should count for something.

The distress in the district has largely increased as the remnants of the small savings of the miners, carefully husbanded during the period of strike pay, have been expended, and the Relief Committees have had their hands full.

The Mexborough Committee, which has received £20 from the editor of The Sun and £10 from the Leeds Mercury, has, in addition, collected close upon £25 a week from the people of Mexborough.

This has been wisely expended among the tradesmen of the town, who have in return honoured the relief tickets distributed by the committee.

The number now being looked after by the committee is 5,000, and naturally, with so small a weekly sum at their command, the committee have the greatest difficulty in supplying all the hungry mouths that have to be fed.

Something, of course, is being done privately, and very material aid indeed is given by this means, but it cannot be denied that the majority of needy ones look to the Relief Committee, and there is reason in their appeal for funds to help them to meet the tremendous demands made upon them.

Five thousand mouths take some feeding, but a trifling sum of money will account for one or two of the number.

Works have been closed in Mexborough on account of the scarcity of coal, and this has occasioned considerable distress outside the mining industry.

It is estimated that the stoppage of the glass works and other places employing labour has thrown quite five hundred men and boys out of employment, and these will be certain, before long, to come on the hands of the Relief Committee for assistance.

The committee during last week gave quantities of flour and bread to 950 families, which included something like 5,000 people, and 4,500 children were fed with soup.

The Mexborough Co-operative Society continues to bear a noble share of the work of relief in this district, many hundreds of families receiving gifts of flour and bread at their hands, while it is intended to continue these distributions as long as the dispute lasts.

Messrs. Stead and Simpson have given 500 loaves of bread away, and the Gordall Drug Company have distributed 250 bottles of medicine likely to be appreciated.

Many other instances of private benevolence have occurred, and which it would be almost impossible to enumerate.

On Tuesday at Denaby the Relief Committee distributed about 1,300 loaves, which were given away with the 1s. per member sent by the Executive of the Miners’ Association.

The Swinton Relief Committee, like its neighbours, has its hands full.

Since September 17th, when it was formed, they have collected and expended about £120, which has been chiefly disposed of in providing soup for over 1,600 children twice a week.

They have received several handsome donations, and have to thank the local tradesmen, the butchers particularly, for the assistance they have rendered by supplying the needful materials for the brewing of soup; but, like “Oliver Twist,” and every other Relief Committee at the present moment, they are asking for more.

The Co-operative Society is distributing about £15 worth of groceries every week, this being the fourth week of the distribution.

The Kilnhurst Relief Committee are distributing about 250 gallons of soup weekly, together with 1,000 loaves, and these are supplemented by the distribution of over 1,200 loaves a week from the Kilnhurst Co-operative Society, who have also given half a stone of flour to every householder out of employment and to their own members outside the village.

Messrs. J. and J. Charlesworth have contributed £5 per week for the provision of a free breakfast for children, the first of which was given on Wednesday at the National and Board Schools.

Several additional subscriptions have been received, and the committee will be thankful for any aid rendered to them.

At Wath, where the Vicar and the leading residents show much practical interest in the charitable work, Mr. Mappin has sent £10, and the Co-operative Society have handed over £8 10s. to the funds for relief.

It would seem that the Manvers Main miners will materially lessen the prevailing poverty amongst the families by the intended borrowing of substantial sums of money which they will re-pay, at so much per week, when back at work.

On Monday, at Winterwell, 800 children were served with soup at the Primitive Chapel, where 140 gallons of soup were made.

Thirty-four stone of bread was cut up and served with it.

In addition to this the management have the gift of £9 8s., given by the Barnsley British Co-operative Stores at West Melton, the value being given in bread.

At Concrete the children are also supplied with soup from the Wath and Brampton fund, the meal being prepared by Mr. Sykes, of Concrete Cottage.

The children attending the Wesleyan Chapel at this place have a loaf of bread given to them once a week, and about 200 of them have tea served to them.

In the Wombwell district the amount of distress, which prevails in consequence of the strike, very materially increases, the Relief Committees being unable to cope with the distress in the outer districts.

Soup, bread, and free breakfasts to school children are being given, while the Central Committee of tradesmen, with representatives from each of the neighbouring collieries, under the presidency of Mr. Geo. Hill, and Mr. T. Thornby as secretary, are actively engaged in the relief of the most necessitous cases.

At their meeting on Tuesday 651 cases were relieved, with amounts varying from 1s., according to family, for provisions, in addition to which they also distributed about 300 loaves of bread, besides a quantity of flour, tea, &c., and this was augmented by about 14 bags of potatoes.

On Wednesday the Barnsley Brewery Company (through Mr. E. Bellewell, of the Ship Inn), gave away on Tuesday 100 extra large buns and a large quantity of tea, and this, it is expected, is to be repeated.

At the Jump Board School Mr. Allott is supplying between 70 and 80 children each morning in turn with free breakfasts, and at the other schools enquiries are made, and those who come to school without breakfast, as far as possible, are supplied.

The Co-operative Committee are also very actively engaged in the administration of relief.

During the past two weeks 684 cases have been relieved, and this week again they have over £216 at their disposal, which is given out by a large committee worked in 12 districts.