South Yorkshire Times and Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 06 February 1903

To Aid the Strikers

Meeting in Sheffield

On Sunday, with a view to enlisting further support for the men out on strike, a deputation of the men visited Sheffield, at the invitation of the men’s committee at the Nunnery, Tinsley Park and Waverley collieries, and address meetings in the morning and evening at the Attercliffe Vesta Hall.

There was a good attendance in the morning, and in the evening the all was crowded to the utmost capacity, and many were unable to gain admission.

Councillor John Davidson presided, and supported by Councillor Whiteley, Mr F Croft (chairman of the Denaby and Cadeby Strike Committee), John Nolan, James Walsh etc.

The chairman alluded to the recent legal discussions, which deeply affected the position of the trade unions of the country. In 1896 it was decided that it was unlawful to peacefully Pickett, although it had been lawful for 20 years, and in June 1900, it was declared lawful to make union funds attachable, although it had been unlawful for 30 years. In May 1902 Parliament had declined to give consideration to the position in which the trade unions were placed by these judgements? He said “No,” and they might depend upon it that the time will come when the oppression by which now existing will be done away with. (Applause.)

He had yet to learn that they were made to serve, and not to have the making and the ruing of the country. (Applause.)

We hope that the time was not far distant when there will be another general election. (Applause.) The time come when, instead of the lawyers of the country taking £20,000 in the lawsuit, the men of the trade unions will say, “We will pay men of our own class to represent us in the British House of Common.” (Loud applause.) When that was done, when they had in the House of Commons men of their own class with a voice in the making of the laws, such things would not be allowed to happen. (Hear, hear.)

Mr Shepard moved a resolution as follows:

“In the opinion of this meeting the time had come the suffering of the poor evicted wives and families of the Denaby and Cadeby Collieries call for public support, and we working men of this meeting represented all trades of the Central Committee do hereby pledge ourselves to give them our speedy and hearty support..

Mr John second, and said that what was needed was a strong Independent Labour party in the House of Commons. (Applause.)

Mr John Baker (Swinton), in supported the resolution, said that he had seen nearly all the evictions at Denaby, and the men, despite their sufferings, despite been turned out of house and home, and behave like honest, true, British workmen and firmly believe in the justice of their case today as they did on the day when the dispute started.

Mr John Nolan, one of the delegates from the Denaby district to the Yorkshire Miners Association, address the meeting, and at the outset he mentioned that he had worked at the Denaby pit over 20 years. There had been a growing grievance for the last eight or nine years, he said, in regard to bag dirt. At one time that bag dirt had been only 6 to 10 inches thick; since then it had brought to between 2 feet and 3 feet. They, as workers, would recognise what that meant. The men had tried for some six or seven years to come to know make amicable understanding with the Masters, but the management would not come to such an arrangement. The management that sent contractors into the mine and pay them whatever price they thought fit, and then deducted the cost from the men’s wages. Some of the men who had about three days work in the Coronation week, instead of taking home 18 shillings, went home with only a few coppers. They had stood deductions until they could stand them no longer. The Judge at the County Court decided that it was time they should have new price is fixed for that work. But the management would not come to an understanding. The statement had been made by Mr Chambers at the Denaby and Cadeby averaged 9s 2d per shift. The average wages of the men were taken from time to time, as in all other branches in connection with the association. The last time the average was taken was about four months ago. For the first week the average was 7s `11s, and for the following week 8s 1d. Mr Chambers, the manager, said that it was 9s 2d, but he was there to give that statement a total contradiction. (Applause.)

Mr J Walsh briefly details the issue of the dispute, and declared that the men and made every endeavour to come to an amicable understanding. He appealed to the working classes storm they are to give their generous and hearty support to enable the men to fight to the bitter end. (Applause.)

The resolution was carried, and a collection was taken for the benefit of the miners.

A concert in support of the Denaby and Cadeby miners held in the Catcliffe Board School on Friday evening week realised £10.