Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 19 September 1902
Denaby and Cadeby Strike
12th Week of The Stoppage
Communication with Mr W.H. Chambers
Discouraging Response
Mass Meeting of The Men
The Question of Increase Contributions
There is a present no prospect of an immediate settlement of the strike at the Denaby and Cadeby collieries, despite the persistent rumour that the men were going to commence work yesterday (Thursday.)
On Wednesday morning at a mass meeting, they showed by a unanimous vote that they were quite as determined now as they were on Sunday, 30 June, when they decided to set down the pits.
The new price list is now in the hands of the Barnsley officials of the Yorkshire Miners Association, but is not known definitely whether or not this had been submitted to the management of the collieries. A week ago on Tuesday Mr E Cowey, the President of the Association, was empowered to hold negotiations with Mr W.H. Chambers, the managing director, with a view to a settlement. Mr Cowey has written to Mr Chambers asking him to meet a deputation, and the reply has been received, which, to say the least of it, is far from encouraging.
The colliery company seem quite as determined as the men at their view of the dispute shall be upheld.
A mass meeting on Wednesday was held in a field off Doncaster Road. The morning was beautifully fine, and there was a very large attendance, probably the largest attendance at any one meeting since the commencement of the dispute the menu that negotiations begun, and they were naturally curious to learn what was the result. The attitude of expectancy will maintain, until it was seen from the tone of the speak that the policy to be adopted would still be to “play on.”
Mr F Croft, the chairman of the Denaby branch of the Association, who now seems to have recovered from the effects of a serious illness, beside it, and the other officials on the platform were:
Mr Phil Humphries (the chairman of the Cadeby branch), Mr J Nolan (Denaby delegate), Mr Henry Humphries (Cadeby delegate), Mr G.H.Hirst (Cadeby secretary), and Mr G Smith (Denaby secretary).
Mr F Croft said he was pleased to find the men at stuck to their word when they said they would fight the matter out. Rumours have been going about the past few days that there had been a settlement arrived at. If that were so, and the right basis, the committee and the men themselves would be only too pleased; but the men now said, after fighting 12 weeks, “Never let us go back anymore until we go on the right basis.” (Hear, hear.)
There were rumours in 1885, the strike pay was finished at the end of 12 weeks, but today they had a better prospect before them than they had in 1885 stop they had more than their strike pay to look forward to. In consequence of there being so many pits out of work owing to the disputes with the lads, they had been in an awkward position to get something in addition to union pay. If all collieries were like the men at Manvers Main, in his opinion, the Denaby and Cadeby men would never go in any more until they got a good price list. In the Western portion of the county the men had been worse off than they were, but they were now beginning to do a little better, and they were trying to get on the same footing as the southern portions.
Why should not the Denaby and Cadeby men have as reasonable a price list as the men at Manvers Main? The question of packing a have been a subject of bitter contention. Miner should have nothing to do with ribbing and packing; their work should be to get coal. At other collieries men were paid so much a yard for that kind of work; why should they at Denaby and Cadeby be paid different to anyone else. It was not for themselves alone they were fighting, but for their children, and those who came afterwards.
When the collieries on the Doncaster side came to be opened out and work, the Denaby and Cadeby list would be the guide, and he asked them not to give their children cause to say that their fathers had left them a rotten price list and they had before the stoppage. They could not find another colliery in Yorkshire – even might almost challenge the whole of England – where they had as low a price list as at Denaby and Cadeby. Some said they had the bitter cold winter coming on. They had the winter to deal with in 1885 and very little pay. He could remember our one week they would have nothing, and then the next week they will perhaps have sixpence. It was better to suffer a little now than when they got back to work to suffer the way they did before they came out.
The new price list was taking its proper course; it had been before the Council of the Association; it was not in their hands alone, but in the hands of the grand old man Mr Cowey. They had had a telegram from Mr Cowey, in which Mr Norman will read. Mr Carrie was anxious to have a fair settlement, something upon which they could work. He might say that when there was an interview with Mr Cowey and those who would go with him, under manager, so far as he was concerned, there would be no settlement that would not first be approved by the whole body of the men. (Hear, hear.)
Mr Cowey wrote to Mr Chambers last Thursday, asking him if he was prepared to meet a deputation on the price list. The management had not had the good grace to acknowledge the letter until that (Wednesday) morning, and now they had done so there was nothing definite about the reply.
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