Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 12 January 1924
Denaby and Cadeby Collieries
Directors and Staff
Bright Auguries for the New Regime
A Merry Evening at Dinner
Frank Overtures for Fellowship
It was in this spirit that a happy and festive company of the officials and staff of the Denaby and Cadeby Collieries met at a banquet in the new offices on Saturday evening. There have been functions of a similar kind before, but none perhaps so representative and comprehensive.
There were over 300 guests, and these included the senior men of the engineering, technical, maintenance, and administrative staffs, including representatives of the London and Hull offices, and twelve representatives of the workmen at each colliery.
The Gist Of The Evening
The new managing director, Major J. Leslie, presided, and received a very cordial welcome on his first public appearance in that capacity. During the evening some of the oldest of the Company’s workmen, several of whom had spent over forty years at the Denaby Colliery, were introduced to Major Leslie, who chatted very pleasantly with them.
On Major Leslie’s right were the two oldest officials of the Company, Mr. W. H. Chambers, for 45 years manager, general manager, and finally managing director of the old Company, and Mr. George Wilkie, for 47 years secretary of the Company. They are both now retired, but they will always be foremost in mind and kindly allusions were made to them during the evening.
Apparently by common consent, the guest of the evening was Mr. W. H. Chambers, who had a wonderful reception when he made his appearance in the dining room, and he was later singled out for musical honours. To the left of Major Leslie were the two leading officials of the new regime, Mr. H. C. Harrison, the general manager, who, as agent, had heavy and onerous responsibilities under the old Company, and the secretary, Mr. A. J. Noble, of London, whose appointment dates from the new control.
Two directors who were unable to be present, Sir George Higgins and Mr. Dawson, wired regrets and greetings.
A Humorous Menu
The dinner was prepared and served in the best traditions of the Danum, and was thoroughly enjoyed. Messrs. Sid Wagg, Mr. Harry Halsey, Mr. W. Still, and Mr. E. T. Farley had collaborated in a menu card from which “refreshments” seemed extracted.
The courses were certainly written in a language “understanded of the people” who attended this particular menu. The company appeared to enjoy its joke none the less, but rather the more, because it was announced as “thick slurry” and “clear borehole,” and even when they had worked steadily through “Bags mixed,” “Barnsley Hards,” “Deep Softs,” “Washed Doubles,” “Gas Coke,” and many other strange and curious dishes, they seemed harassed for the cheese and celery “à la Brattice and Pitprop,” and passed off “talking shops” they ate it, and with relish.
Happy Relations
After dinner the toast of the evening fell to Mr. Arthur Roberts, secretary of the Denaby Main branch of the Yorkshire Miners’ Association, who proposed “The Denaby and Cadeby Main Collieries, Limited.”
Mr. Roberts said he was glad and proud to think that on this occasion they were socially met without class distinctions. He was very pleased also that he had with them that evening Mr. Chambers and Mr. Wilkie, two men whose services to the great undertaking had been of very great value. He said good reason to believe that the vast interests which those gentlemen had been so prominent in had been conducted in a manner that for so many years had passed into good and safe hands.
It was perhaps the lack of such a system as that which had brought them together that evening which had fostered the spirit of jealousy and suspicion, and the idea that there was no identity of interest between the management and the workmen. Such a gathering as he knew would serve him an assurance well for the future.
If one of the extreme men, Mr. Roberts, could believe that there is identity of interest between capital and labour in industry, of course, preferably speaking, and I think I may claim that Denaby and Cadeby is an exception we have discovered that there is a healthy discontent which inspires men to pull down those who are up, but to lift up those who are down.
Mr. Roberts went on to express the hope that the relations recently existing between employers and employed at Denaby and Cadeby would continue without disturbance under the new management. He had every confidence that this would be so.
The Aim Of The New Directors
Major Leslie, who was heartily cheered on rising to respond, said “I should like to say, as representing the new owners of the Denaby and Cadeby Collieries, that of the extremely pleasant to find such extraordinarily good relations existing between the management and the men.”
Mr. Roberts had satisfied him this very handsomely, and generously, and for my part I want to say that we shall not desire any innovations or alterations which are likely to shake the traditions or the excellent spirit now existing. We simply desire to carry on in the happy tradition which seems to have been established here.
He went on to say that Mr. Chambers and Mr. Wilkie have expressed their readiness to assist the new management in any possible way, and he would heartily hope that they are glad to feel that their skill and experience are available.
He continued that one of the most pleasing features of the evening was the recognition that the men in the pits and elsewhere are entitled to their fair share of this world’s goods, and that he is glad to know that they are now receiving a better share than they have been receiving.
Denaby A Worthier Place
Councillor Hill said it gave him great pleasure to acknowledge the many kind things Major Leslie had said regarding the workmen. He hoped that the men who work in the pits and the management would always meet in a friendly spirit.
He went on to say that Denaby was well in advance of many districts of a similar nature. It was pleasing to say that they were providing under the Miners’ Welfare Scheme an institute which would be an asset and an ornament to the district, and also an instrument of valuable social work.
At Work And Play
Mr. H. Harrison proposed the toast of the visitors. He said it was rather difficult to distinguish between the visitors and their own people, for almost everybody present was closely associated with them and with their work.
He was glad to meet the predecessor of Mr. H. M. Marshall, the Clerk to the Conisborough Urban Council, and Mr. Thirlwall, the Surveyor to that Council. They were also glad to have representatives of Messrs. France, Fenwick and Co., who were very closely associated with the collieries.
He added that they were very pleased to see their visitors and their representatives.
Other Toasts
Mr. George Wilkie, the late secretary of the Company, said he thought he could claim to be one of the oldest officials of the former Company, for he had been there 47 years.
Nothing had given him greater pleasure than to listen to the sentiments expressed by Mr. Roberts and Mr. Hill. It was only by co-operation, good feeling, and the desire to do what was right and best that all-round success and prosperity could be achieved in industry.
He had been associated with the coal trade for nearly half a century, and could recall the times when they had many and severe difficulties, but they were all surmounted by the operation of friendliness and reason.
The Old Chief
In response to an insistent call for a speech, Mr. W. H. Chambers rose and said he had not expected to be called upon and was not quite sure why he was there at all, because he was neither fish, flesh, fowl nor good red herring. He was not now taking active part in the management of the collieries, and yet he was not entirely dissociated from them, and was pleased and proud to retain the privilege of going to see them now and then, to note the progress being made.
He was hoping to live long enough to see the completion of the new developments which had been undertaken, and was now in hand. He was confident that these developments would make for the increased prosperity of the undertaking and of those engaged in it. It was forty-two years since he first went to Denaby, and those who remembered what Denaby was like in 1882, he noticed a few there who did, would know that very great alterations had taken place.
During the whole of the time he had been associated with the collieries he had tried to work amicably, and to the advantage and best interests of both masters and men. The first deputation that went to see him told him, as the first item of their business, that they were the bosses there.
“I said,” continued Mr. Chambers, “that that was interesting, because I had been told that I had come to be boss. And I added that I thought I should be as long as I stayed, in fact that I should not stay if I could not be. I also told them that if everybody was going to be boss there would be chaos, and nobody would be boss. Then I bade them ‘Good-afternoon’ and asked them to consider that point of view.”
“I would weary you with the history of Denaby from the times when it was said that nobody could go through the place without getting half a brick hurled at him. But Denaby has long since lived down that reputation, and the process of improvement is still going on. I have every confidence that the amicable relations that existed for so many years between the company and the workmen will continue under the new management.”
“The old order had changed,” the speaker went on. “Some of the older officials had retired—that happened in the course of nature. Neither Mr. Wilkie nor himself were chickens and they could not go on indefinitely. He himself had felt for some time that he could no longer be responsible for such a large undertaking, and he had made way for a younger man.”
“But I love the place and I want to come to it to see how it gets on so long as I can toddle so far. It isn’t the colliery so much that I care about—I have told you that before. If it had not been for the affection I have felt for the people who have grown up round me at these collieries I should have been off years ago. I have had many tempting offers to go elsewhere, but I have stayed at Denaby and Cadeby because I loved the people who have lived and worked with me there.”
“It nearly broke my heart when I lost so many of my splendid lads in the Cadeby disaster. I got over that in time, but it was a very severe blow, and I struggled on for the sake of those who remained. I have done my best for you and you have done your best for me, and I thank you for it.”
“I hope when my bones are laid to rest that they will rest in Denaby Main.”
f Unity
Mr. H. M. Marshall, who spoke for the visitors, thanked the directors for giving him the opportunity of being present at so memorable and so significant a gathering.
It was highly gratifying to see representatives of the owners of that great undertaking happily breaking bread with the workmen employed in it, and it was a very encouraging sign of the times.
During the evening songs were kindly contributed by Mr. Tom Allen and Mr. A. Pratt, with Mr. E. Wigley as accompanist.