Denaby Curate relieves Distress
Practical sympathy is being shown to the families who were evicted, but although this is the case, there is still much need of assistance, the Rev, T.J. Leslie having been supplied with funds with which to provide them with the necessities, has doled out large quantities of bread, meat and cheese.
Some of the miners who applied for relief stated that they had not tasted a morsel of food since the previous day, and the avidity with which they seized upon the rations supplied to them showed only too palpably the correctness of their statements.
On Monday the Rev. T. Horsfall, curate in charge of Denaby Main, received a letter from Mr. C.E. Stanley, of Sandygate House, Wath, in which, while impressing upon Mr. Horsfall the necessity for the men resuming work at once, he expressed the determination that they and their families should not starve.
He gave Mr. Horsfall carte blanche to order as much bread as he thought was sufficient for the needs of the families, stating that he would be responsible for the amount expended upon it. He also promised to send immediately two tons of potatoes, adding that if Mr. Horsfall required any more he would send them to him. In the meantime Mr. Horsfall had been the means of relieving much of the prevalent distress. The local tradesmen of the town have also showed their generosity in helping the evicted. Among the butchers of Mexborough, Mr. Scorah, Mr. Raynor, and Mr. Rhodes to supply quantities of meat to the people. Supplies of food and money in aid of the distressed families at Denaby Main and Mexborough came in on Saturday.
Early in the morning the Rev. T. Horsfall was busy making arrangements for the distribution of two tons of potatoes, and in the afternoon a large quantity of bread was distributed by the Rev. T.J. Leslie. Many of the applicants were obviously in great poverty, some of them who attended the Rev. T.J. Leslie´s residence averring that they had not tasted bread for eight or nine hours. On Saturday Mr. J.W. Wilson of Sheffield contributed £5 towards the relief of the sufferers, and Mr. Wrigley, of Aston-under-Lyne forwarded five guineas. On Sunday, when 200 loaves of bread were distributed by the Rev. T. Horsfall his premises were besieged by an eager crowd. Little children, scarcely able to walk, who would not have otherwise have a chance of getting the prized loaf, were held up by the miners at the rear of the crowd. Many of the women made statements which tended to prove that distress is keener and more prevalent than many suppose.
The conduct of the Denaby Main men towards Mr. Chappell, the secretary of the association, is, it is thought, to be accounted for on several grounds. On Monday, during the procession around the streets of Mexborough, en route for the place of meeting, a statement said to have been made an official of the Barnsley Association was freely discussed. The statement was to the effect that the Yorkshire Miners´ Association was prepared to take over the Denaby Main men, fight their case through, and pay the men strike money.
Another statement was current to the effect that unless the Denaby Main men `sacked´ Mr. Chappell they would not get support. Under the influence of the first statement Mr. Pickard was communicated with. The Manvers Main men are now out of employment, and Mexborough´s streets were thronged with men on Saturday, who were eagerly discussing and criticising the action of the Denaby Main men. The action of the latter in sending for Mr. Pickard was loudly condemned, and the Manvers Main men, who belong to the South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire Association, having contributed no less than £550 to the maintenance of the Denaby Main men during the struggle.
Mr. Chappell´s reply to the report of Friday´s proceedings has changed the aspect of affairs. Mr. Hall, treasurer of the Rotherham Association, was despatched with money for the relief of the men, and a message was received at the police station to the effect that five warehouses had been secured in Conisbrough and Piccadilly Swinton, for those who might require them.
It was stated by some of the men on Saturday that, under Mr. Chappell´s suggestion, the men would have an advantage of 5s. 3d. for each 100 tons of coal at the 60% of round and 40% of small rates. The extreme section of the men, although they state they have `done´ with Mr. Chappell, have no intention of joining the Barnsley Association. One miner said it would scarcely be fair, after drawing nearly £2,000 from the funds of the South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire Association to throw it over for the Barnsley organisation. The tradesmen of Mexborough are looking anxiously for the result of Monday´s meeting, it is extremely probable that if the men decide to join the Barnsley Association no more support will be offered them.
The South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire Association has been pledged to repay the tradesmen the worth of the goods which have been supplied by means of tickets after it´s funds were exhausted, and some £80 or £90 worth of groceries etc. have been supplied to the men on that understanding.