A Business “Coming-of-Age” at Denaby

Honouring Mr. W. H. Chambers

Presentations from the Workmen

On Saturday evening Mr. W. H. Chambers, the manager to the Denaby and Cadeby Main Colliery Company, was made the recipient of a series of presentations by the workmen and officials of the collieries, on his completion of a 21 years’ connection with the undertaking. Mrs. Chambers was also associated in the honours.

The proceedings were held in the Rossington Street Hall, Denaby, the Rev. J. Brookes, Vicar of Denaby, presiding over a gathering which numbered about 1,000.

Mr. Chambers took over the management of the Denaby Pit in 1882. The output at Denaby in that year was about 7,000 tons per week, whilst now it averages about double, and, in addition, the output for Cadeby alone is close on 15,000 tons per week.

When Mr. Chambers first came to Denaby work was only carried out on one side of the pit, the other side being closed in consequence of a fire breaking out. Under Mr. Chambers’ direction a road was cut right through the flames. It was a tremendous task, and after the road was cut it took about ten years to completely extinguish the fire.

The first drastic steps taken by Mr. Chambers was to restaff the Denaby pit both top and bottom. The miners, who up to then had only been earning 5s. 10d. a day, owing to Mr. Chambers’ improved system of working were receiving 9s. 3d. a day by the end of 1884.

Mr. Chambers is recognised as a mining expert, and his inventions and designs form no inconsiderable part of the splendid appliances in vogue at Denaby and Cadeby. Outside mining work, he has taken an active and beneficial interest in the welfare of the district.

The articles for the presentation consisted, from the “top” men and officials, of a beautiful inlaid rosewood mantel clock to Mr. Chambers, and a solid silver photo frame to Mrs. Chambers; from the underground employees, of a handsome solid silver epergne to Mr. Chambers, and of a gold bracelet set with diamonds and opals to Mrs. Chambers, all the gifts being appropriately inscribed.

The Denaby Brass Band, under Mr. Tom Haigh, and a capable string orchestra, under Mr. Moses Soar, together with several local vocalists, contributed enjoyable instrumental and vocal selections at intervals.

The Chairman said that from the point of view of citizenship they were all very much indebted to Mr. and Mrs. Chambers. During the 21 years Mr. Chambers had lived and laboured in their midst he had left his mark not only on the pits, but on the village and community.

Mr. R. Williams, chief engineer, on behalf of the topmen and officials of both pits, made the presentation of the hall clock, and recalled the fact that when Mr. Chambers first came there the district was under a heavy cloud, but within the 21 years which had elapsed Denaby and Cadeby had become one of the most renowned colliery undertakings in the world.

The improvement and development were due to Mr. Chambers’ ability as a mining engineer and to his strenuous efforts and force of character.

Mr. David Mitchell, a surfaceman, then handed Mrs. Chambers a silver photo frame contributed by his fellow workmen. On behalf of the underground officials and workmen of the company, Mr. A. Brookes, under-manager, Cadeby pit, presented Mrs. Chambers with a gold, diamond, and opal bracelet.

Mr. Jno. Soar, under-manager of the Denaby pit, made the presentation of the epergne.

Eulogistic addresses were also delivered by a number of the workmen and officials.

Mr. W. H. Chambers said he thanked them for the beautiful presents to himself and wife, but more especially did he feel the motive which had animated the giving of them.

He did not, he proceeded, believe in absentee landlords and employers, who ran their works just for what they could get out of them, but considered that it was their duty to interest themselves in helping forward movements calculated to improve the social life and benefit those connected with them in business life.

The workman who left the bright sunshine to go down into the dusty mine and risk the dangers there deserved every penny he was paid, and it was only natural that some should say, “We don’t get enough.”

If every one was satisfied there would be no incentive to try and get more, but they must all take the bad times with the good, for they knew that excessive expenditure in wages, with keen competition in trade as well, was a sure way of smashing any concern in time.

People who invested their money in undertakings expected a profit on their outlay, and they must remember when dissatisfied the effect of trade depression on wages.

The late dispute had caused the abandonment for the time being of a scheme for the provision of swimming and slipper baths, which Mr. Buckingham Pope had generously promised to furnish, providing the men took sufficient interest to pay a moderate percentage of the company’s money.

As a proof he wished the men to subscribe £100 in separate contributions of £1. They all knew that baths were not luxuries but necessities, but still it had been the intention to erect a building of this kind at a cost of from £2,000 to £3,000, and he had already had plans for such an institution passed by the Doncaster Rural District Council.

The loss to the company by reason of the late dispute had been very heavy, but no doubt as soon as the exchequer was in a better state they would see the scheme an accomplished fact.

Votes of thanks concluded the proceedings.