Denaby Main Miners and the Compensation Act.

April 1898

Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Friday 15 April 1898

Denaby Main Miners and the Compensation Act.

Last night a well-attended meeting of the Denaby Main miners was held in the lodge-room of the Masons’ Arms Inn. Mexborough. Mr. Fred Croft presided

The Secretary asked, did they know that the colliery owners of the district would adopt scheme proposed by the Board of Management of the Permanent Relief Society – ‘ Did the colliery owners favour it at all? (A Voice: “No.”)

Then, why should they want to thrust something down their throats that would not be accepted if approved by the men”:

Mr. S. Astbury said the scheme was only a myth.  The Workmen’s Compensation Act was supposed to be the best Act ever passed for the working classes. If they contracted out, they would do the worst thing they ever did in their lives. If the supporters of the Permanent Relief Society’s scheme would only read and study the Act, he was sure they would soon drop their ideas.

Mr. John Nolan moved —”That we re-affirm all our previous resolutions on this question, that we adopt the Act its entirety, that we do not contract out and that are prepared to give the Act a fair trial.’

The resolution was carried unanimously.

Last night a well-attended meeting of the Denaby Main miners was held in the lodge-room of the Masons’ Arms Inn. Mexborough. Mr. Fred Croft presided

The Secretary asked, did they know that the colliery owners of the district would adopt scheme proposed by the Board of Management of the Permanent Relief Society – ‘ Did the colliery owners favour it at all? (A Voice: “No.”)

Then, why should they want to thrust something down their throats that would not be accepted if approved by the men”:

Mr. S. Astbury said the scheme was only a myth.  The Workmen’s Compensation Act was supposed to be the best Act ever passed for the working classes. If they contracted out, they would do the worst thing they ever did in their lives. If the supporters of the Permanent Relief Society’s scheme would only read and study the Act, he was sure they would soon drop their ideas.

Mr. John Nolan moved —”That we re-affirm all our previous resolutions on this question, that we adopt the Act its entirety, that we do not contract out and that are prepared to give the Act a fair trial.’

The resolution was carried unanimously.

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