Mexborough & Swinton Times – Saturday 13 April 1912
Return to Work at Denaby & Cadeby
When it was decided by the Federation to take a ballot of the miners, however. opposition gradually melted away, and although the ballot at Denaby and Cadeby went as solidly against a return to work as any other district, no significance attached to it. on account of the fact that these pits are to all intents and purposes non-union pits, and that there were some thousands of men who, with their families, were without means of subsistence and who were eagerly awaiting the first chance of a return to work.
On Wednesday. Thursday, Good Friday and Saturday, the men signed on at both collieries in considerable numbers, and on Saturday as many as 750 names were entered. so thet the management were able to open on Easter Monday—in itself a unique circumstance – with over two thousand man. When the final decision of the Federation became known practically all the men presented themselves for work.
There was coal raised at Denaby Main on Saturday, but not in any considerable quantity. Some 250 men were engaged at each pit, but owing to the bad condition of the Cadeby mine, call will not be drawn there for at least another week, so that the miners are realising the shortsightedness of their policy in declining to allow repairing to be carried on to the required extent.
The other pits in the district have been perfectly quiet and inactive, and the respective managements have been content to await developments.
At most of the South Yorkshiro collieries, ponies, sleek and fat after many weeks of grass, are being lowered today, and some the pits are already drawing coals.
No time is being lost in setting the machinery at the now Act into operation, and the first meeting of the Joint Boards obtained for Northumberland was held in Newcastle this afternoon.
Household coal prices have down with a run, but it is not probable that they will descend, for some considerable time, below the prices paid before the strike.