Mexborough & Swinton Times, January 9 th
The Denaby and Cadeby Strike.
Mass Meetings of the Men.
Progress of the Struggle.
Eviction Week – Distressing Scenes.
Following upon the notices by the Colliery Company last week, giving the miners a “last chance” to sign-on to return to work, a miner’s mass meeting was held in a field near the great colliery at Denaby, on Friday morning.
Mr F. Croft (chairman of the Strike Committee) presided, and by side were Messrs H.Hirst, J.Nolan, H and P Humphries, G.Smith and other members of the committee.
The chairman opened by heartily greeting the men, saying how pleased he was to see them on that, the second day of the New Year, when although the circumstances at Denaby and Cadeby were a little bit dark, he was certain they were determined to fight on today as they were on the first day of the struggle. (Hear, hear).
He believed that while the committee lived every man was willing to stand or fall, sink or swim, do or die to the bitter end. (Applause.) He believed that the opposite party were playing their last trump card, and that they had no other want to play. They played cards which no other colliery company would play and he cried shame on them. (Applause.)
He was glad under the circumstances that the news they had to tell them that morning was not bad, but good, for the working men of Yorkshire were determined to do all that lay in their power if the worst came to the worst; and when the scheme had been put into operation for providing for the women, children and men, when the Colliery Company act carried out what he knew they intended to do.
Everybody would be prepared the following Monday, and although they (the men) had been out for 28 weeks he was sure none of them looked the worst that morning. (Applause.) He hoped that they all had a Merry Christmas and he believes they all had, and if only they maintain their stand for another six weeks, then the sun would be shining, and they would be glad they had not to go down in the pit. (Laughter and applause.)
There had never been such a miner´s struggle in Great Britain as that now in progress at Denaby and Cadeby, between the Colliers and the Company and their fellow workers of Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottingham, all of whom were expressing their sympathy in tangible form, were aware of it, and the Derbyshire as well as the Yorkshire men, were willing to levy themselves as far as their means would allow. (Applause.)
In Derbyshire they were doing remarkably well, and efforts for their relief were being opened out in Nottingham. (Hear, hear) The neighbouring collieries were also doing their best for them, and these signs told them they had the miners of the country behind them in their great fight. (Applause.)
And now the, Company Company had played what he believed was their last trump card, and papers had been left at the miners houses, stating that if they did not sign on again they will be turned out of their houses; but, despite of this threat he had no fear of them giving way (voices: no, no, we will not give in.) Although it certainly looks hard for them to be turned out of their homes, he was glad to say that their wives and children would not be turned out in the streets without means of shelter, for places have been found for their furniture to be stored and arrangements were being made for the people to be housed. (Applause.)
He trusted that whatever happened the following week the men would not give in and start work the same as they had done at Featherstone some years ago. (Hear, hear). It would probably be a trying time, but they had before experienced it in 1885 and they stood the evictions then without rioting, which he hoped would be the case this time. If the Colliery Company carried out their intention there was certainly more of them now, but they would get over it, and the public of Mexborough, had promised to assist them by offering men and drays for the removal of their furniture and to try and find homes for some of the women and children. (Applause.)
Those men who could not at first get homes would have to make the best of it for a day or two. In 1885. Some of them had walked the streets and never gone to bed for nights, and they were ready to do so again. If they were beaten on this occasion, it would be ruination to them. (Hear, hear).
They had stood out 28 weeks and if the struggle lasted another two years he hoped they would stand like braves to the foe. They had shown to the world what they meant to do. They intended to fight on. If they could not have reasonable terms, such as the men had at the collieries, they would not go down the shaft again. (Applause.) They had put up with things thousands would not have stood, and with the example of the Taff Vale and other similar cases, it was time the men of this country arose, and said what should be done.
If such a step was not taken the condition of things would become worse and worse, for the men with the money made the weak suffer. (Hear, hear). Let them not heed what was coming the next week, but put it on one side and only think of it as best they could. They had held several meetings during the past week, including a conference at Doncaster the previous day, and everything that had transpired was in the men’s favour. The conference had passed several resolutions regarding different grievances, and more for Denaby and Cadeby than for any of the pit, in Yorkshire. They had the sympathy of the Western men, who had promised that if the worst came to the worst at Denaby, they would assist them to the upmost to fight it out to the bitter end. (Applause.)
He hoped every man would leave that meeting as fully determined as on that Sunday morning 28 weeks before. He did not think a single man of them would shift an inch, and until Mr Chambers gave them as good a pricelist as they had at other and neighbouring collieries they would never go back to work. (Applause.)
He urged them to stand side-by-side, and even if the worst came to the worst to say they would never give in until Mr Chambers reasoned with them. Concluding, he said the committee would be glad if the men who did not live in the company’s houses would take in as many evicted families as they possibly could. (Applause.)
Mr H Humphries said he was pleased to see as many present and looking so well. They were now coming to what had been experienced in 1885, and the Colliery Company had sent round that morning circulars, intimating their intention of turning the men out of their houses unless they signed on to return to work on the old terms. The evictions might take place on Monday or Tuesday, but they did not know exactly just then. That was the last card the Colliery Company had to play. They (the men) have been playing for 28 weeks, and when they started it was with the determination to fight to the end, although they all had an idea, it would come to that, and the Company would try to beat them in this way. (Applause.)
If the men did not stand firm now, it would have been better never to have started the struggle, for it was no use starting unless they meant fighting to a finish. (Applause.) The latest development served to sure what colliery company’s would do for men who had worked for them 20 years or more. Since 1885, their colliery company had saved 1 million of money, over and above ordinary profits, and it was with this money, earned by the men, that the company were now evicting them.
In his opinion the time come for the people of the Yorkshire mining districts to rise to the occasion, and try and get some of this money, instead of the capitalist getting the lot. (Applause.) It had been said if it were not for capital they would not be work, but he thought if it were not for the workmen. there would be no capital (hear, hear) he hoped they would stick together, sure a bold front, so that the manager would not say they were frightened, and show to the country at large that they were of the same opinion as when they came out. (Applause.)
Mr Phil Humphries said he was not a speaker, but a fighter, and intended standing his ground and being evicted. He would not shift a thing, but let the police do it for him, and then he would well be. I’m with his wife and children. (Laughter and applause.) He had been around Conisbrough, to find places for the erection of tents, and they had got the promise of a field, houses and rooms, and they had even gone as far as to find a site for a temporary hospital, in case any of the women falling ill. (Applause.)
Mr G H Hurst then spoke and after this the meeting broke up and the men dispursed, happy and cheerful