Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 10 April 1931
The Denaby Coal Famine
More ” Quota ” Trouble.
For having stolen coal worth from a truck on the L.N.E. Railway, John Thomas Elks, miner, Loversall Street, Denahy, was fined 40s. at Doncaster on Wednesday.
P.e. Rose said the railway company had complained that in two nights three tons of coal were taken from trucks in their sidings at Conisboro.
On April 4th he saw two men, including Elks, carrying bulky sacks near the yard. He gave chase and caught Elks, but the other man managed to escape.
Elks admitted taking coal from a waggon near Conisboro’ tunnel, and said he had done so because he had no coal and could not get his allowance from the pit because of the quota system.
In addition to the 40s, Elks was fined a further 1s. for having stolen a sack from Timothy Peters, greengrocer, Denaby.