Unemployment in Denaby

The “nipsey” money distributed last Friday to the local unemployed amounted to 3s. 6d. per man and 1s. per boy, this being the highest possible grant, notwithstanding the financial aid that had resulted from the special appeal to Derbyshire miners.

The happy day that will see a solution to the difficulties of the 500 odd men still out of work seems to be hid far away in the hazy future, and it has long since been apparent that the big majority will have to seek fresh pastures of labour, to earn their daily bread.

The Denaby and Cadeby collieries are practically full up, and those men, who still linger in the neighbourhood, with hopes of getting back to their old field of toil, are more likely to meet with disappointment than the realisation of their wishes, and the present state of affairs looks like continuing for a lengthy period.

The question has often been asked, “Why don’t these men get work elsewhere?” and the answer is, that the fact they have been associated with the Denaby strike acts as an insurmountable barrier to their success in getting signed on at some other pit.

Hundreds of the present unemployed have tried to secure work at several of the Yorkshire, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire collieries, but the management will have none of them directly it becomes known they have come from Denaby.

Undoubtedly, the present position of the unemployed is a living monument to the dead strike, and we can only hope the hiring of time will soon discover a way whereby every single member of the little army of unemployed can be found employment, with its accompanying contentment and happiness again.

The Rev. Jesse Wilson, of the Manse, Mexboro’, who played such a prominent part in relieving distress during the late strike, has still more reason than ever to carry out his good work, and as the means at his disposal are nothing like adequate to meet the many appeals for assistance, he would be glad of contributions in money or kind, to enable him to pursue a beneficent and urgently-needed mission.

His efforts throughout the late strike were made for the hungry, and “feed the hungry” he means to continue as far as the money placed at his disposal will allow him.