Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 03 April 1903
Mass Meeting Of Men Still Unemployed
A mass meeting of the men still unemployed was held in the field near the Denaby colliery last Friday morning, about a thousand of the men being present. Despite the fact that a miserable drizzle of rain fell throughout the morning.
Mr F Croft presided, and he was supported by the various members of the committee. It is addressed the chairman said a large number of them and no doubt been uneasy of late because they had held no meeting, but considering their position he thought it was no use holding meetings. They (the men) were under the impression that the were not going to be signed on a more, but so far as they could gather, the pits were not yet quite ready for them. As previously stated, their support and decrease, and although they did not expect a great deal the amount of money that week was larger than he thought it would have been. Most of them did not expect seeing him amongst them that day, after what has recently transpired, and his presence amongst them that day was undoubtedly due to a clever council. (A voice, “We’re glad thar back owd un’)
When the men did manage to get back to working out they will behave as well to the Yorkshire miners as they had behaved to them at Denaby and Cadeby. He knew of some collieries in the Rotherham district, but only work two days during the previous week, but nevertheless they had paid their shilling like true men. Referring to the chance of resuming work, Mr Crofts said if “he” (the manager) rackets did not come to they would have to put themselves in order and obtain as much support as possible for the men. It was almost amusing, continue the speaker, to note the efforts of some men to go back to work. He had heard of two or three persons going several times one night, and whining “Can’t I go to work, Mr Soar?” (Laughter)
Mr H. Humphries in his brief address, referred to their unfortunate position, and said at one period of the dispute he did not think they would have been in the position they were in that day, as he thought the manager would never be able to get such a large number of what were termed “black legs.” This is no doubt cost the company a lot of money, but where had they got the money from? In his opinion they had got it out of the bones and sinew of you men and I.” (Hear, hear.)
He always thought that when two men and a fight, when one man had any note the other would accept the title victory, and not continue to pummel and kick his beaten foe. That was ranked cowardice. But in the face of all that new men continue to come to the pit and take their (the men’s) places, although they themselves were willing to do the work, as they knew they had been beaten, and had surrendered in asked the magnetic Council meeting at Barnsley to keep up their support as they had done in the past, as there were hundreds of men would never work at Denaby and Cadeby any more, and their promise to go back to their respective branches and do their best in that direction. (Hear, hear.)
In conclusion he asked the men to keep up their spirits and hope for the best.
Mr G.H.’s Hirst caused a slight good-humoured titter by commencing with the words: “We have been used to telling one tale for nine months, but now we have to speak in a different direction,” and went on to refer to their position. He said, as the public at sometimes judge them (the local leaders) to be the cause of the strike, he thought that if the men were to surrender it should be from a recommendation from them, and not from the recommendation of strangers stop there had been on strike for nine months, and had now passed a resolution to return to work, but at the same time there had not been beaten altogether by the Colliery Company, and they were even now prepared to fight them (the company) on the same lines as when they came out. (Hear, hear.) But they found out that it was their own men and other “institutions” that had beaten them. (Hear, hear.)
Since the decision to surrender, numbers of men and applied at the pits for work. In one case they were taken into the office in a group and examined. The colliery officials then presumably examined the so-called “black list,” and, told the men they were not wanted. At the same time a number of strange hands were taken to the offices, and the old ones were told to stand on one side by the Metropolitan police who escorted them, and to make room for these strangers to be immediately “signed on.” That was coercion as bad as ever existed in Ireland. (hear, hear.)
They found out it Cadeby then appointed check weighmen. His colleague (Mr Dickenson) went so far as to visit the colliery premises, with a view to claiming its position as check weighman, that he was met by Mr Chambers, and informed that inasmuch as he had interfered with the working of the mine he would not be allowed to do so. (A laugh.)
Following the resolution on the previous Sunday to surrender, continue Mr Hirst, a letter had been sent to Mr Chambers is a copy of the resolution, so that he will not be able to turn round and say he knew nothing about the resolution. The committee had discussed the question as to what should be done providing the men were refused work in making their application. The committee advised the men to apply for work, and in the event of been refused, they wished to know whether that meeting deemed it advisable to send in an application for lockout pay to Barnsley.
A resolution to make application for work on Monday it was here unanimously agreed to, and in the event of the men been refused work, it was resolved to make application for lockout pay.
Mr J Nolan in the course of the lengthy address, said the lady who is not agreeable to any unconditional surrender he was bound to admit it was the only alternative they could come to after their long stoppage, especially as the men were breaking away to get back to work stop he expressed satisfaction with the splendid work that the Central Committee had done during a dispute, and he hoped that when they did get back to work every man would pay his levy when required, and not go sneaking across the colliery yard without paying. There were some such men in that meeting, only recognise, and yet they were ready to run back to work.
Referring to their position, Mr Nolan said they could not talk about the bag dirt that morning, the market system, in which some men had gone to the pit six days for one day’s work; whilst he could distinctly remember where, owing to stoppages, one man went home with 8d to his wife and family. The committee and thought it wise to circularise the district, asking for a continuation of the support, seeing that there were considerably over a thousand men still unemployed, and it was left to the men to say whether or not that should be done.
The matter was put to the meeting, and the men unanimously decided to fall in with the suggestion and circularise the district.
Previous to the men dispersing, Mr Cross said the men were working and applied to Barnsley for an Association branch of their own, but he thought he could prognosticate the answer they would receive. (Laughter.)
The meeting then closed, with an urgent request from the chairman to the men not to interfere in any way with anyone.