Mexborough and Swinton Times, December 12, 1902
A Day in Destitute Denaby.
What The Strike Means.
An Army of Beggars.
The Stopping of Union Pay.
Families Pinched By Poverty.
A Sheffield contemporary report on Saturday contained the following:
How long are women and children to be kept on the verge of starvation through the acts of agitators? How long will the Yorkshire Miners Association endure the dictation of a few blatant miner officials who are creating a breach in which is being buried all sympathy for suffering miners and their families? How long will working men be influenced by the frothy utterances of self-assertive individuals, and allow their wives to become beggars?
These questions arise after inspecting the sad state of affairs at Denaby. Pluck and self-sacrifice are qualities to be admired in upholding a just cause. But all who are cognisant with the facts associated with the Denaby and Cadeby Main strike are aware that it was started by the men improperly; that their act was so recognised by the leaders of the Miners Association, and, if they had availed themselves of the best judgement of the Union, the wheels of Denaby And Cadeby Collieries would now be running, and miners and their wives would not be scattered begging for bread, and children kept from school because their boots are in pawn. Hundreds of tenants would not be threatened with eviction on the frost-bound streets; families would not have their houses stripped of furniture, because they could not continue the instalments; and hundreds of dwellings would not be bordered up, giving a once prosperous miner’s village the appearance of a place of melancholy. Is it not time that the more respectable miners of Denaby – and there are some whose savings are invested in their own houses – saw that they are being led astray by their more loquacious leaders? “You have proved that you are men.” Such an expression as this, which was made recently with reference to the colliers, after a twenty-three weeks’ struggle which ought never to have commenced, is very fine clap-trap on the part of those who are helping to continue the strike, but It is poor compensation to the women whose husband returns from the Union lodge-room with two shillings to maintain a family of eight persons for a week.
In a temperature below freezing-point, the country coated with snow, threatened by ejectment with a worldly possession of a florin! This was the state of affairs in many a home in Denaby yesterday. Brave men, forsooth! What about the women, who have been tramping the country for miles begging, and who, yesterday, in Denaby, were praying that the interview which was taking place in Sheffield would put an end to their sufferings?
The secret that any attempt was being made to obtain an injunction to prevent the men receiving strike pay was well kept by the officials. But the truth had to be told at last, and it was not until yesterday that the severity of the situation was made apparent. For months past the wolf has been effectively kept from the door by the nine shillings per week from the union funds, and an extra allowance for the children. To this sum has been added what is known among the miners as “nipsy money.” This is the amount received outside the union fund, and includes contributions from other trade unionists, and sums given by tradespeople in the district. With the distribution of union pay, and what has been obtained from other sources, it is freely asserted in Denaby that some of the men on strike, who had no desire to work full time when “the wheels were running,” have been better off financially than they were before the dispute began. These, of course, are a minority. Minorities have a telling effect in strikes, and there is little doubt that if a ballot were taken, independent of the officials of the Miners Association, that the majority of the colliers who are out would vote to return to work to-morrow. Quiet conversation with some of the sober minded of the miners reveals this fact. They say, “we made a mistake in coming out.” They recognise that there was no general grievance, and they are heartily sick of the whole business. But the term “Blackleg” is irritating to the true Trades Unionist. So he remains on strike as a loyalist to Trade Union principles for the benefit of the few. Such loyalty, which is reducing Denaby to the verge of starvation, is worthy of a better cause.
What does it mean? Four thousand men and boys have been thrown out of employment. Walk along the streets of Denaby, and in thoroughfares where a short time ago a house could not be obtained for money, dwelling after dwelling is vacant. Nailed on the door of one I observed the legal ejectment order. But in this case the document was unnecessary, the tenant had gone, like many others, elsewhere in search of work. But hundreds of families, who are now occupying the company’s houses and paying no rent, are fearful of the execution of ejectment orders which will probably take place after Christmas if this strike continues.
There was a dispute in 1885, and there were evictions. People then encamped in fields, but that was not in mid-winter. While snow was falling yesterday one observed the furniture remover at work. There has been such a seizure of furniture lately by those who lend it on the hire-purchase system that the furniture van has become common in the village. But this was a free removal, “Master has got another place: but we shall come back when the pits open again,” was the reply a busy housewife made to a query with reference to the disturbance of her household. There has been adverse criticism passed on the man who furnishes a house on the “hire-purchase system. This is not the place to discuss the advisability or otherwise of this phase of domestic economy.”
But some of the furnishers have been alluded to as Shylocks. Even Shylock has sometimes been painted blacker than Shakespeare intended, and the house furnisher on the hire system at Denaby is not so bad as some would make him.
In addition to visiting the denuded houses of colliers, I visited pawnbrokers in the district. In one place I saw pile after pile of household furniture stored away. All these articles had been taken from the houses of miners on strike, and each pile bore a ticket containing the name of the person from whose dwelling it had been removed. I was given to understand that according to agreement if the instalments towards the payment of the furniture were in arrear one week, the owner had power to seize the lot. Furniture has been taken as a precautionary measure. When the occupiers of the company’s cottages paid no rent, and evictions were threatened, there seemed a probability that the hired furniture might be placed in the street. Therefore, in order to save the goods, the owners seized them. When the dispute is settled they will probably be replaced.
But the absence of food in a home, with little fire and scarcely any furniture contributed to a depressing picture. At the first house which I visited, the woman was in a weak condition. The home had been stripped of its furniture, but an old couch, a couple of old chairs and a small table had been borrowed. The owner of the furniture had not taken the bedding, and this had been placed on the floor upstairs. The husband in this case was a Union man, and he had brought home two shillings for himself, his wife, and two children. “What can I do with two shillings?” she exclaimed. Who could give a satisfying answer? The next case was worse. The bread-winner is not a Union man, and, therefore, he has not received strike pay. The family must have starved if friends had not intervened. Here again there was very little furniture. A girl of about twelve was in charge of the house. The mother and father had “gone an errand.” One could easily guess the errand. On the table was all the house contained in the way of food – a three-penny loaf. I had not moved 50 yards from this house before I met a miner’s wife holding in the palm of her hand a florin. “No strike pay to-day,” she exclaimed. “Two shillings for eight of us.” “Well, what are you going to do?” I inquired. “Beg,” she said. “Do you know what we have tramped miles and miles begging for money?” Later in the day I met the same woman at Mexboro’ Station. “You see, I am off,” she said. “Where?” “To Parkgate or Sheffield. There are two of us. We hope to get something from the men as they leave work. Nearly all my things are gone: my boots are “fast,” so you see I have to wear these old shoes.” The word “fast” reminded me of a note that a schoolmaster in the village had shown me. It ran something like this: “Dear Sir – please excuse – from school. I have had to ‘fasten’ her boots for food.” In another house I saw a married couple with four young bairns. Lack of furniture rendered it necessary for the man to sit on a barrel. He was confident of the righteousness of the men’s cause. The woman did not care to argue the point. It was evident that her care at the moment was for the children who were grouped in front of the small fire. “I hope it will soon be over,” she remarked, “only two shillings to-day.”
Passing through the Market Hall, I ventured a question to a butcher who stood in front of his door waiting for customers. “Not much demand for meat to day?” I remarked. “Not much,” was the short reply in a tone which was expressive as to the slackness of trade. About forty yards away was a man making an entry in a book. “Who is he?” I remarked to a friend. “A bookmaker,” was the response. “But trade is bad with him also.”
The ministers of religion in the parish, when a case of extreme poverty has been brought to their notice, have afforded relief, and the Vicar (the Rev. J. Brookes) and Father Kavanagh have done their best in this direction. In the Board school at Conisboro’ the children of the men who have not been receiving strike pay have had dinners provided for them at the school, consisting of bread and jam.
For weeks past both men and women have been augmenting the money received from the Union funds by tramping abroad and begging; but on Friday, when the strike pay was stopped, and only the sum collected under the auspices of the Union, amounting to 2s. for each member of the Association was distributed, there was a depression, the like of which has not, it is stated, prevailed since the dispute commenced. Later in the evening the news that strike pay would be allowed for next week was received with great joy. Greater would have been the happiness if it could have been announced that the conference in Sheffield had resulted in an agreement for the men to return to work. With the prospect of severe weather, the outlook is terrible, and it is impossible to go through the melancholy village and witness the prevailing distress without feeling that those responsible for the impulsive strike have caused much suffering and misery.