Sheffield Daily Telegraph — Thursday 28 May 1903
Mexborough Trades Council.
The Denaby Unemployed.
Mr. A. Gardner presided over a meeting of this Council last night at Mexborough. Mr. Nolan (treasurer) made an appeal for the members to pay up their subscriptions, which are now due. It was necessary to augment their balance in hand in order to give assistance where needed. A special appeal was read in connection with the Penrhyn dispute, and it was resolved that the matter be left over till the next meeting, in order that the delegates should seek financial assistance from their branches.
The question of the Denaby unemployed then came under consideration, and Mr. Nolan said an impression had got abroad that now the strike was settled all difficulties were at an end. Such was not the case, for there were some 700 or 800 men who had not yet started work. In consequence of their inability to get work they were in a fearful state, and it seemed as if those with the largest families were still out of work.
Their financial help had sunk down so low as 2s. per man per week, and they could not get work at either Denaby or Cadeby, or at other collieries, the fact that they had come from Denaby proving a barrier to their gaining employment elsewhere. The subscriptions to aid these men had sunk very low, especially seeing that there were so many men in Yorkshire out on strike.
The unemployed of Denaby and Cadeby were not allowed pay by the union since the injunction, and could not receive any until the appeal in the House of Lords had been heard. Everything seemed to be against them, and he asked all the branches of that Council to give the unemployed of Denaby and Cadeby as much assistance as they possibly could.
It was, indeed, a sad sight to see the ragged and shoeless children, and he hoped the delegates would do their very best to help under the exceptional circumstances. He hoped and trusted that the men would soon be able to get back to work, either at Denaby or somewhere else.
Other speakers followed, referring to the existing poverty and distress of the ex-strikers who were now unable to get work, and the delegates promised to bring the matter before their lodges.
Mr. Hurst, in the course of his remarks, said there were over 600 men still out of work, and instead of the colliery company treating the beaten side like the English had treated the Boers, they had not taken the men back, and had told them to get employment elsewhere, which they could not do on account of coming from Denaby. These men were in more need of assistance than ever.