Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 20 December 1924
Denaby and Cadeby Collieries
Co-operation the Key to Success
“Yorkshire for Yorkshire” Suggested as Slogan
Annual Staff Dinner
That co-operation between employees and employers was the only method of restoring the fortunes of the mining industry was the point emphasised by almost all the speakers at the second annual staff dinner of the Denaby and Cadeby Collieries, held at the Dunscroft Hotel, Doncaster, on Saturday. The gathering was inaugurated last year, and proved such a success that it was decided to repeat it. There were upwards of 200 guests, and the proceedings passed off very happily.
Major J. H. Leslie, managing director, presided, supported by Mr. W. H. Chambers-Hall (managing director), Mr. H. C. Harris (general manager), Mr. H. Holley (manager, Cadeby), Mr. W. Still (manager, Denaby), Mr. E. E. T. Hardy (chief engineer), Mr. J. H. Dunk (secretary), Mr. J. Warde (surveyor), of Messrs. William France Fenwick and Co., Mr. C. P. Chambers (assistant secretary), Mr. C. E. Wale (commercial manager), Mr. Fitzgerald (London sales manager), Mr. J. Watkins (cashier), Mr. W. Williams and Mr. D. Lees (undermanagers, Cadeby), Mr. G. H. Milnes and Mr. N. E. Spurr (undermanagers, Denaby), Mr. H. Catterall (chief surveyor), Mr. J. Collins (assistant engineer), Mr. T. Allen (assistant under-manager), Mr. C. Glebe, Mr. J. Sheffield and Mr. J. W. Cooke (assistant under-managers, Denaby), Mr. B. Higgins, Mr. C. Rose and Mr. T. A. Lamb (representing Denaby and Cadeby), with many others, including the Hull representatives of the firm. Letters of apology for unavoidable absence were received from Sir George Huggins and Col. Stobart. Musical and other entertainments were ably carried out by Mr. W. Asbury.
Mr. Tom Hill, President of the Cadeby branch of the Y.M.A., submitted the toast of the evening, “Success to the Denaby and Cadeby Colliery Co.” He did not merely, he said, express it by making stepping stones of distress and misery; he meant that they might work in the future as they had since they came into office, in the spirit of mutual comradeship, in a spirit not of defiance, but of defence. They had always tried their utmost, as had the representatives of the men, to secure an improvement of both the employers and the company.
Co-operation
Mr. Hill passed on to comment pleasantly on the preparations of the annual excursion, which had been done despite the depression in trade, and proceedings, said they confidently that they ought to show any benefit of any success that came to the industry. The spirit of co-operation would brighten the dark clouds hanging over the mining industry at the present time. He hoped that before long they would come to a better understanding nationally. It ought not to be left to a few to put the mining industry where it was before the war, second to none. Nothing could master the mind of man, nothing could defeat the desires of man. If they set out in that spirit they would win. If they carried on success would crown their efforts. (Applause.)
Mr. B. Gethen, who supported, remarked that he was one of the oldest representatives living at the works. Great changes had taken place during the last twenty years in the relationship between the colliery company and the workmen at those collieries. There was a section of the community who contended that representatives of workmen ought not to associate themselves with gatherings of this description with representatives of the colliery company. He, on the other hand, contended that it was by coming into contact with each other more and more at such functions that they got to know one another, learned to understand one another. It by such gatherings both sides could be made to realise their responsibilities and towards the other, they were not in arms. They, as representatives of the workers, were out to create one great commonwealth, and such gatherings would assist them to attain that object.
The Business Instinct
Major Leslie, who responded, endorsed the remarks of Mr. Hill and Mr. Gethen that an evening such as this did all that was possible to remove the feelings and the associations that they required and aimed at between the management and the men. The dinner last year, he thought, engendered a feeling of comradeship which he would be very loathe to see dispersed. He would like to see them drawn closer and closer together. A Yorkshireman himself, Major Leslie said that when he took over the management of the company he realised that he had to look after Yorkshiremen, and if he could not get on with them it would be his fault, not theirs. Yorkshiremen had the business instinct engrained in them very strongly. Some people in the south might say they wanted something for nothing. (Laughter.) That was what they were all striving for; if they could find the right thing could get it from. (Renewed laughter.)
Since they met there last, Major Leslie went on, the coal trade had gone through many vicissitudes, and he was afraid it had almost all been one way. The outlook was not nearly so good as it was twelve months ago. The meetings they had had helped them to understand one another, and what they were aiming at when faced with really difficult times and a difficult position.
Touching on the question of pooling the proceeds for the various districts, Major Leslie said that the Eastern Federation Area, of which South Yorkshire was the largest part, was the only district where wages were above the minimum. They had sympathy for everybody else, but they ought seriously to think whether their slogan should not be “Yorkshire for Yorkshire.” At least it would not do them any harm.
Company’s Responsibility
They had between eighteen and twenty thousand people at Denaby, most of them living on the colliery property, and most of them dependent on the collieries. That put a very great responsibility on the management, a responsibility of which they were acutely conscious. They had to exercise judgment and foresight. Denaby was run, judging by the birthrate, a very fertile place. (Laughter.) They were doing their best to cope with the position by the new housing scheme.
The Chairman went on to say that he had been asked during the election, in the streets at Denaby, why he was not in favour of lending money to Russia. People assumed he was a Conservative, and therefore opposed to it. Russia used to be a large buyer of Yorkshire hard coal, and they would very much like them to buy again. But before they could sell coal, Russia must be in a position to pay for it. He hoped that the position would alter within a year or two so that they might again be able to sell Russia their hard coal. Illustrating his point, Major Leslie said that most of them were racegoers, and most of them backed horses now and again. They did not mind losing occasionally, but they liked to back a starter. (Laughter.)
Council Complimented
Conisbrough Urban District Council was what was known as a Labour Council. They would imagine people walking about with red flags and large lumps of “Denaby hard” ready to throw at the management. (Laughter.) But the Council consisted of men who thoroughly understood their job and who had the interests of the place at heart. They had done their best and had done well.
In conclusion, the Chairman paid a tribute to the hard work put in by the clerical staff of the collieries during the last twelve months. He admired the spirit which existed between them and the management. He asked them to drink with him “Yorkshire for Yorkshire,” coupling with it Denaby and Cadeby.
In a speech sparkling with wit and humour, Mr. H. C. Harrison gave “The officials and workmen of the Denaby and Cadeby Main Collieries.” “I claim to be an official myself, and I thought that I had worked,” he said. “Apparently, therefore, I am beginning my own health. I don’t know anyone more interested in my own health than myself, but as I drew up the toast list, it is not quite so remarkable as it appears,” he went on amid considerable laughter.
Records Created and Broken
He congratulated the workmen of Denaby and Cadeby on their performances during the last week or two. They had really done very well. (Applause.) It showed what they could do, and it also paid a very high compliment to the officials, who had got everything ready for them. During last week they had created and “bust” several records, and during the current week they had looked like doing even better. During the weeks ending December 9th and December 16th, however, the workmen lost themselves £250 in wages by not attending. That showed that it rested very largely with the men themselves how much they earned. However good the company and the officials were they could not make a success of things unless the workmen pulled their weight.
“There is not anybody anywhere who is prouder of the workmen than I,” Mr. Harrison continued. “I have every reason to be proud of them. They are a good lot of fellows, a good old Yorkshire, and that means as any in the British Isles.” (Applause.) Yorkshire for Yorkshire was quite all right, and Denaby for Denaby. Alluding to the notorious Yorkshire saying, Mr. Harrison said that if anyone wanted something for nothing, it was no use his coming to Denaby. He had never yet, however, met any of their workmen who were not prepared to give a quid pro quo, and they had never approached him with any reasonable demand which he had not met if it was at all possible. He hoped that would continue. Nobody could have a better set of officials than there were at Denaby and Cadeby.
He was glad to hear it said that the last year was satisfactory. They had gone through a pretty bad time. The only people who had lost sleep were the people who had lost the coal. “Getting coal was, of course, easy.” (Laughter.) In conclusion, Mr. Harrison referred to “bull” week, and suggested, if at all possible, that if a man had, say, five children, he should have a bull week for each of them, one for the missus, and one for himself, and then begin again.
Mr. Holley and Mr. Still responded on behalf of the officials.
The speeches were interspersed with a programme of songs and other items, by Messrs. T. Allen, Senr. P. Murgatroyd, and others.