Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 29 December 1933
The Denaby Scheme
£30,000 in Eight Years
Pensioners’ Christmas Tea
Nearly 300 members of the Denaby and Cadeby Main Collieries Mutual Help Fund, and their wives, attended the annual treat in the Denaby Miners’ Welfare Institute last night. The arrangements had been efficiently carried out by Mr. George Worthington, secretary of the Fund, and following a tea the pensioners enjoyed a concert programme, the artists being Madam Flitcroft and Messrs. Eric Hammond and Gilbert Ayres. Vouchers, and gifts of tea, tobacco and pipes were distributed among the members of the Fund, and the committee were again indebted to Mr. T. Clavenson, of Mexboro’, who provided the pipes free of charge. Mr. George Smith was M.C., and Messrs. E. Squires, of Mexboro’, were the caterers.
Work of the Fund
Mr. Basil Pickering, chairman of the Fund and agent to the Denaby and Cadeby Collieries, who presided, said the Fund was inaugurated in 1925, and since then the workmen had subscribed approximately £18,400 and the Colliery Company £13,900. They had at present 201 members on the fund, 31 having joined during 1933, and the present weekly disbursement in pensions was £92 11s. 3d., while the weekly contributions were 4d. per man, 2d. per boy, and 2d. per head by the Colliery Company. During the year £4,850 had been paid out in pensions, and since the inception of the Fund £29,350 had been paid out. The number of loads of home coal granted during the year was 760, and since the inauguration of the Fund 4,860 had been granted.
Their thanks were due to the Coal Carting Committee and the Colliery Company for grants towards the expenses of the treat, to the Welfare Trustees for the free use of the room, half the cost of the refreshments, and the entertainment.
Wedding Wishes
In conclusion, Mr. Pickering said he thought they would like to extend to Mr. Harold Peake, their managing director, who was with them that night, congratulations on his recent marriage and wish him and Mrs. Peake every happiness.
“I wish you all a prosperous New Year, and may you have good health for many years to come.”
Mr. Harold Peake thanked the chairman for his remarks concerning his recent marriage and hoped he would live to look as happy at their age as many of the married people present that night. It was very kind of them to extend their good wishes.
This was the fourth of these functions he had attended, and it seemed to him the best of all. He thanked the committee for what they had done, remarking that the organisation of a fund of this sort entailed a great deal of hard work. He wished them all the best of luck in 1934, and hoped to be able to meet them all at next year’s gathering.
A Difficult Year
Capt. L. C. Hodges, general manager of the collieries, said they ought to thank the workmen for the way they had continued to contribute to the Fund through a difficult year. Trade had been very bad, but there had been no suggestion that the contributions should be cut down, and he hoped this state of affairs would continue on both sides, so that those who were at present contributing would have the benefit of a pension when their time came.
Many a Mickle
Mr. G. E. Duddington, District Secretary of the Transport and General Workers’ Union, said it was interesting to note the colossal sum of money which had been realised by the “weekly coppers” since the Fund was established eight years ago. There was promise of an improvement in trade, but there was no getting away from the fact that the retiring age would have to become 60 instead of 65. He described the Fund as a great work of co-operation.
Proposing a vote of thanks to the visitors, Mr. Ben Roberts, President of the Cadeby branch of the Y.M.A. and chairman of the Conisbrough Urban Council, said that in view of the bad times they ought to be thankful to the Colliery Company for their share in the Fund. They hoped that all who contributed to the Fund would continue to be liberal, so that the pensioners might live happily.
Mr. W. H. Johnson, secretary of the Denaby branch of the Y.M.A., seconded.
Mr. Charles Bashforth, one of the pensioners, paid tribute to the work of both the Company’s and the men’s officials on the Mutual Help Fund Committee. The Fund was one of the finest things that had come into Conisbrough and Denaby, and they all realised that it was not just for this treat that they were indebted to the Fund but for help throughout the year.
“Only Aged”
Mr. W. Shacklock, seconding, said they did not consider themselves old men, only aged—(laughter)—but if they had to turn out at six o’clock in the morning to work they might not look so well as they did. The committee could not be over-praised for the work they did.
Mr. R. B. Gethen, vice-chairman of the Fund, responding, said the Fund had been a blessing in disguise to all who benefited by it. Some of them would remember the time when Denaby was considered the “worst place on earth,” but the people who said that did not know the place from the inside. He hoped the time would come when pension schemes of this type would be a national concern, but in the meanwhile he thought no one grumbled about the stoppage at the colliery for their fund.