Chapter M: Thompson (4)

"At best, the lookout is but a gloomy one, and we must try to bridge
over the difficulty as best we can, and if possible, without the pits
being stopped. We have no wish to descant on the generally depressed
condition of trade, or the evil effects producible by a large surplus
number of men. At the present time, both these things are operating
amongst us, and the owners know this, and seem determined to use them
in this crisis. Looking at the general condition of things, we would
very strongly advise you to adopt one of the suggestions contained in
this circular. They are the best we can get at the present time, and
a refusal of one of the methods suggested cannot result in better
terms for the great body of our members. You must remember that these
are times when prudent men do the best, and get the most they can
without running all the risks which always attend a stoppage of the
pits when trade is paralysed and men both suffering and
disorganised."

Immediately these offers were made known there arose a fierce agitation in the county, and on every hand mass meetings were held protesting against the terms. As is the case in matters of this kind, orators vehement if not polished sprang up from every quarter, whose stock-in-trade consisted of foul epithets which they hurled at the Committee and Federation Board. So desperate was the situation that certain of the Committee were in fear, and came into public view as little as possible. A personal incident may be excused here. A mass meeting was held on the sands in Durham. The writer, as chairman of the Wheatley Hill Lodge, marched to it. The first words heard were: "There's one of the----; let us put him in the river." The crowd surged and rocked. What the consequence might have been it is hard to tell, but just when the feeling ran highest and he was most in danger a man was knocked back over on to a drum which stood end up, and it went off with a loud report, and the cry was: "They are firing guns." In a moment a panic seized the people, and, as is recorded of the battle of Stanhope over the moor hen, "those who ran fastest got soonest out of town." There was a low wall (low on one side, high on the other) over which hundreds fell head foremost, and a good, kind lady who had come from Wheatley Hill to take care of her husband (the man whose presence was the cause of all the hubbub) was carried away by the crowd, and was so rushed along by the panic-stricken stream of humanity that she was with twenty others landed in a stable, the door of which stood invitingly open like a city of refuge. And so the result was the meeting was disturbed, and the culprit, one of the malodorous Committee, was left unhurt, Providence in the shape of a drum being the means of saving him.

Apart from the ludicrous incident of the bursting drum the feeling manifested towards the Committee there was only on a par with that found everywhere throughout the county. If one of those at the head of affairs appeared in the street and passed a group of men insult was rampant--slander, being cowardly, feels safe in a crowd. Still the Committee were not to be driven from their task. They regretted the action of the employers in refusing open arbitration, and who, knowing the condition of the Union, were determined to force their full demand; and they were sorry for the opposition of their members, but they knew they were moved by sheer desperation, and played upon by designing men who cared more for popularity, even if it were fleeting, than the welfare of the Union, and who would not hesitate to bring ruin if perchance small gain would come to them from it.

The Committee prepared for the struggle which they saw was inevitable if the employers did not move from the position they had taken up. Knowing this they set themselves to ascertain the true state of affairs in the county. They took the actual average of the hewers and reductions which at each colliery had been suffered at Joint Committee, or had been forced upon them since March 1877, with the hewing prices. It was found that while there was a nominal minimum wage of 4s. 8½d. where the drawing hours were ten, 4s. 10½d. where the hours were ten and a half, and 5s. 0½d. where the eleven hours prevailed, the actual average of the hewers throughout the entire county was only 4s. 6¾d. It was therefore about 5d. per day or seven per cent. below the theoretical minimum. This is worth considering when we are desirous of establishing it again. It may work in the summer of trade, but not in the winter of depression.

This state of things was brought about as the result of local reductions. There were well-known instances where whole collieries of men petitioned the Executive Committee to be allowed to work at twenty per cent. below the minimum wage. In the final arbitration of 1879, before Lord Derby, the employers admitted the actual average was only 4s. 6¾d. This they had taken just prior to the strike. They likewise stated in their case that many and considerable reductions were privately agreed to, and particularly where the owners possessed little capital or worked inferior or costly seams. The average taken by the Committee harmonised with the 4s. 6¾d.

_Quotation from Owners' Case_

34. At 43 separate pits arrangements for abatements of wages were
made in the working of 65 different seams, varying from 2½ per
cent. to 20 per cent. and upwards, and this state of things continued
up to the close of the period to which the sliding scale applied,
when negotiations for a general reduction of wages were entered into
by the two Associations which eventually ended in the strike.

35. These local arrangements, as we have stated, were private, and
between the individual worker owner and his workmen, and without the
official knowledge of the Owners' Association.

It is believed that, if not in every case, certainly very many of the
private agreements had the approval of the Miners' Executive, for
some of these negotiations were conducted personally by their staff,
who had the strong motive in thus keeping their constituents
employed at the best wages they could obtain for them, of saving the
Union funds from supporting every man, who, under the rules of the
Association, was entitled to support when thrown out of employment.

The Committee in their reply before Lord Derby acknowledged that these reductions took place, but to strengthen their case they charged the whole blame on the employers. They said:

Sometimes this was done by threatening to stop the pits and sometimes
by the more reprehensible practice of dismissing portions of men, in
proof of which we can testify that men were personally canvassed, and
if not found pliable were threatened and coerced. That reductions
took place, and, as the owners state, in some cases they amounted to
20 per cent., is correct, thus making the wages of numerous bodies of
hewers (in place of reaching the owners asserted 4s. 8d. or 5s. per
day) fall far below even 4s. per day and proving what we have all
along stated, that the average wages of the best paid class of men in
the county, viz.--the hewers, are at least 10 per cent. and even more
below the rate named by the owners. This proves the inability of our
men to suffer any further reduction.

In their rejoinder the employers returned to the subject. They asserted that for two years the great bulk of the owners had kept faith with the workmen, at a loss to themselves when the selling price fell below the scale. In the cases where arrangements had been made they had been assisted and concurred in by the Miners' Executive. "We assert and challenge contradiction that the Executive were parties, if not to every abatement of wage in 1878-79, most certainly they were parties to many, and hence the folly of accusing the owners of conniving at the reductions when the Executive were straining every nerve to assist them, with the object, as we again assert, of saving their Union funds."

In addition to the general poverty of the workmen through low wages and slack work the Committee had to face a serious disorganisation. At some very large collieries the numbers had decreased very much. This fact was as well known to the owners as the Committee, for it was brought out very prominently at the meeting with the employers, when the Committee made the offer of ten and seven and a half per cent. as a full settlement. One of the employers, urging the acceptance of their claim, said: "There are a large number of men outside the Union, and these are not with you. The logic of events will decide the issue." The reply of one of the Executive was: "You mean the logic of circumstances, the logic of the cupboard. You have a good ally in our poverty."

Then there was a sadly depleted fund, which in itself was sufficient to fill them with pessimism, for every man deserving of being at the head of Trade Unions is bound to feel when faced by these circumstances--not in a cowardly manner, but a feeling evolved out of the dark background of poverty and hunger, not of men, but of the children. There was only £22,688 in property and bank. From this was to be deducted £4861 as money invested in the Industrial Bank and Houghton and Shotton Workmen's Hall, which was not available for strike purposes; therefore the war chest was very small, especially to enter upon a struggle such as lay before them.

In the face of these adverse circumstances--owners persistent in their demands, wages very low, partial disorganisation, small resources, and an angry people--the Committee stood firm. Their attitude was unflinching, and their advice fearless and clear, as witness the following quotation from a circular:--

The time has now come when there must be unmistakably plain speaking.
It is now clear, beyond a doubt, that if you persist in your
adherence to open arbitration alone, the owners will allow the
sliding scale to run out without further interference or negotiation
and at the end of that time they will take all that they can get,
either along the whole line or piecemeal, whichever course may best
suit their purpose, by enabling them to punish you by lowering wages
and reintroducing pernicious practices. To attempt to fight at the
present time without offering the terms which we shall further on
advise you to offer, would be suicidal. Look around you, and what do
you find? On every hand you can count idle men by hundreds and
thousands. Many of these men have been idle for weeks and months. All
their means have long since been spent, and they are waiting for
work, begging for work, and cannot find it. We have spent in two
years over strikes amongst our own members, at large and small
collieries, nearly one hundred thousand pounds and there is not a
single strike, either of large or small dimensions, where we have not
signally failed.

The offer mentioned in the above was a ten per cent. off underground men and seven and a half per cent. off surface men as a final settlement, or seven and a half per cent. off underground wages and six per cent. off surface wages, and any further claim referred to open arbitration. The circular was submitted to a Council, and refused, but Mr Crawford was instructed to offer open arbitration on the whole question. This was done by telegram:

To T. W. Bunning, Coal Trade Hall, Newcastle.

Open arbitration having for many years been resorted to by your
Association and ours in the settlement of wages questions, our
members again wish to have recourse to it in the settlement of your
present demand for a further reduction of wages.

On the same day a reply was received:

W. Crawford, 16 North Road, Durham.

The following resolution was passed by a full meeting of the
Employers' Association before the receipt of your telegram and has
since been unanimously confirmed--At a meeting of this body held
to-day arrangements were made for giving notice to expire on April
5th to all men whose wages have been hitherto regulated by the Durham
Miners' sliding scale, that from that date underground wages will be
reduced fifteen and surface wages ten per cent.

It will be seen the offer of the owners confines it to the miners, as they alone were in the scale. This modification of demand and threat of notice was sent out in a circular on the 17th of March. They reviewed the whole situation both at home and in other counties. At home, within the previous six days, four collieries had received notice for depression of trade. In South Wales heavy reductions had taken place. In Scotland nearly the whole of the notices had been served for further reductions, while wages were as low as 2s. 6d. per day. In other parts of the country a similar state of things existed. In stating these matters there was no attempt to terrify. It was a simple statement of facts. It would require the pen of a master to place before them a true picture of "all the comparative and positive destitution to be found in the houses of thousands of men at the present time. With this dreadfully adverse condition of things is it possible to go into a struggle with a body of men, strong in their own cause, determined to fight, and who have every possible advantage on their side? To do so can only end in results the most damaging to our organisation and ruinous to ourselves and families. True valour is not shown in reckless and heedless action, but by waiting until a foe can be met on at least equal terms." It was no use offering arbitration, for the owners had persistently refused that. They urged the whole matter should be left in the hands of somebody chosen by themselves to make the best settlement they could. The voting at the Council was taken on the two questions: the Committee's suggestion or arbitration. The result was 118 for the former and 155 for the latter--being a majority of 37 for open arbitration on the whole question.

It will be obvious that the tendency of the owners' offer only being made to the miners would be to disintegrate. It would not be right to say such was the intention, yet that was assuredly the bias. The justification lies in this, the miners were the only parties to the scale at its formation. None of the other sections were parties to it, and therefore the negotiations only applied to them. The terms of the requests were very embracive: they are "underground wages" and "surface wages." This is certain, that no division took place. The action, right or wrong, was as solid as could be expected.

The voting on the questions, Committee suggestion or arbitration, did not give a satisfactory decision, and a second ballot was taken on the questions: "Strike" or "Owners' terms," with a result that the workmen refused the terms. The strike was entered upon, the notices terminating on 5th April. Some of the managers threatened to withhold the wages until the houses were vacant, and it was feared that this might provoke disturbance. Notice was sent out by the Committee, in which the action of such managers was condemned as "not only an illegal, but also an inhuman act." "But whatever course they may adopt, either in this or any other matter, be very careful not to be guilty of any breach of the law. Let nothing induce you to pursue a course which at all times is to be deplored, but which just now would be aggravated into the most heinous of crimes." As a result the conduct during the strike was most commendable, the only persons suffering being the Committee and Federation Board.

There were certain collieries to whom notice was not given, and the Committee felt it necessary to ask whether these should continue working or give in their notices. The returns of the voting were 224 for stopping the whole of the collieries and only 7 for working on. They were, therefore, ordered to give in their notices, and instructions were sent out as to the mode of procedure. That vote was taken on April 22nd, but on the 30th at a special Council meeting it was qualified by the following resolution:--

"This meeting deems it highly necessary that all those firms ought to
be allowed to work their pits who will agree to arbitration as a
settlement of their difficulties, or who will agree to a continuation
of present prices without being affected by any county change."

An offer was made to the enginemen, which their representative brought before the Federation Board. At the meeting on April 21st they were advised "to only take such a reduction as the sliding scale would have warranted them in asking, had it been operative downwards as well as upwards. Should this be refused by the owners, this board would further recommend the enginemen, mechanics and cokemen who are yet employed to give in their notices and thus legally terminate their agreement."

The Board met again on the 28th of April, when the enginemen reported a change in their position, and the following resolution was passed:--

This meeting has heard with satisfaction that the owners on Saturday
last offered the enginemen open arbitration in the settlement of
their present wages difficulty. But it cannot but express its
surprise at the conduct of the owners in so determinedly refusing to
adopt the same principle in the settlement of the wages difficulty
now existing between the miners and them. If the adoption of
arbitration in the enginemen's case would have been a right and
equitable way of settling, it surely must be right also in the case
of the miners.

So the strike proceeded. The Committee were formed into a Strike Committee, with full power to manage it. They were called upon to defend themselves in the press. Every effort was made to get help from other districts. On the 4th of May a communication was received from the owners.

COPY OF A RESOLUTION UNANIMOUSLY PASSED AT A MEETING OF THE DURHAM
COAL OWNERS' ASSOCIATION, May 3rd, 1879

The Durham Coal Owners' Association recognising

(1) That the public, as well as private interests, so seriously
prejudiced by the strike, render it a duty to adopt a course most
likely to bring about a settlement;

(2) That the proposition for each side appointing a Committee with
the full powers seems to have met with general approval;

(3) That such Committee would undoubtedly provide the means by which
difficult negotiations can be most successfully conducted;

Resolves:

That a Committee of 14 members of this Association be and are hereby
appointed to meet a similar Committee, if such should be appointed by
the Miners' Association, with full power to settle the matter at
issue.

That the foregoing Resolution be communicated to the Miners'
Association, and they be invited to adopt a similar course.

The Committee in response to that Resolution met the Owners' Committee on Saturday, the 10th of May, but failed to come to any agreement, and the meeting was adjourned until the 14th. The county was informed of the failure, and told to remain as they were until they heard from the Committee again. Mr Forman and Mr Crawford met Mr L. Wood and Mr D. Dale on the 14th. No settlement was come to as to amount of reduction, but it was arranged there should be a _pro tem_. arbitration, with Mr Bradshaw, County Court Judge, as umpire. The arrangement was that there should be an arbitration to say how the collieries should commence, and a second case after work was resumed to decide what further reduction should be granted. The preliminary case was heard on May 15th, and Judge Bradshaw, after passing in review the various stages of the dispute, decided "that there should be an absolute reduction in wages of 8¾ per cent. on underground and of 6¾ per cent. on surface labour, to take effect from that date, and the question whether any further reduction should be made be left to a future arbitration."

AWARD

In the matter of disputes relating to wages between the coal owners,
members of the Durham Coal Owners' Association, and their workmen,
members of the Durham Miners' Association:

Whereas the owners claimed a considerable reduction of wages, to take
effect from the fifth day of April last, and the miners refusing to
accept such reductions the collieries in the county of Durham have
for some time been, and still are idle.

And whereas, with a view of settling the matter in difference
between them, the Owners' Association appointed a Committee of 14
persons, and the Miners' Committee appointed a Committee of like
number, with full power to determine the question at issue.

And whereas, after long negotiations, the Owners' Committee deputed
to Messrs Lindsay Wood and David Dale, and the Miners' Committee
deputed to Messrs William Crawford and John Forman, their respective
powers.

And whereas, the said Lindsay Wood, David Dale, William Crawford, and
John Forman having applied to me, the undersigned, for my advice and
decision in the premises, and have laid before me the following
statements, which are admitted by the parties on both sides,
namely:--

1. That on February 20th last, the owners offered to accept an
absolute reduction in wages of 10 per cent. on underground, and 7½
per cent. on surface labour, and to leave to arbitration the question
whether any, and what further reduction should be made.

2. That on April 2nd last, the Miners' Association offered to concede
an absolute reduction in wages of 7½ per cent. on underground, and
6 per cent. on surface labour, and to leave to arbitration the
question, whether any, and what further reduction should be made.

3. That on the 10th inst., the Owners' Committee offered to accept an
absolute reduction in wages of 8¾ per cent. on underground and
6¾ per cent. on surface labour, and to leave to arbitration the
question, whether any, and what further reduction should be made.

4. That on the 10th inst., the Miners' Committee offered to concede an
absolute reduction in wages of 6¼ per cent. on underground, and 5
per cent. on surface labour, and to leave to arbitration whether
any, and what further reduction should be made.

Now, I, the undersigned, having duly weighed and considered the
foregoing statement, and what has been alleged before me by the
respective parties, _Do Decide and Award_, that there be an absolute
reduction in wages of 8¾ per cent. on underground, and of 6¾
per cent. on surface labour, to take effect from the date of these
presents; and the question, whether any, and what further reduction
should be made, be left to future arbitration.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, in duplicate, this
fifteenth day of May, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine.

THOS. BRADSHAW.

Then there arose a dispute as to whether it were competent for the men to show cause before the future arbitrator why there should be a rebatement of the eight and three quarters and six and three quarters per cent. It was again referred to the umpire. He decided that the contention of the workmen's representatives could not be sustained. The employers accepted his decision as an instalment of their claim, and to get the pits to work, but they in no way waived or relinquished their right to refer to arbitration, whether or not they were entitled to any, and if any, what further reduction over and above the absolute reduction by his award.

That definition the Committee accepted. Immediately the spirit of revolt ran through the county, and for a few days some lodges objected to resume work. Whenever the Executive appeared they were greeted with cries of "Judge Bradshaw" and "Eight and three quarters." Gradually the resumption of work became universal, and on the 22nd of July the arbitration was opened, with Lord Derby as umpire, in 12 Great George Street, London. Mr W. Armstrong and Mr D. Dale were arbitrators for the employers, with Mr L. Jones and Mr W. Crawford for the workmen. Advocates for the owners were H. T. Morton, L. Wood, and W. T. Bunning; for the employees J. Forman, N. Wilkinson, and W. H. Patterson. The names of the Executive Committee were:

W. Johnson.
G. Newton.
J. Scott.
J. Bell.
W. R. Fairley.
W. Robinson.
W. Longstaff.
G. Parker.
W. Gordon.
J. Wilson.

There were two days' sittings, and on the 28th of July Lord Derby gave his award. He said it was agreed that the award should apply to all underground and surface men, except enginemen, firemen, joiners, smiths, masons, labourers, and cokemen. He awarded a reduction of one and a quarter per cent. in the present rate of wages paid to underground and surface men affected by his award.

Thus ended a stoppage of work--it is a misnomer to call it a strike--which should never have taken place. The men from the first were ready to appeal to reason, and the final decision proved the Executive Committee right in their offer. There is a closer spirit abroad now. The county has been in an atmosphere of amicability. May that better state take full possession and the day of strikes be gone for ever.

The strike ended, the Committee set themselves to work to repair the broken places and put the Association on to a solid foundation again. They found themselves financially insolvent and shattered numerically. They were unable to meet the benefits provided by rule, and there was a great cry of distress from those who were out of work owing to depression of trade. A return was taken as to a levy to meet the latter class, but it was very unsatisfactory, not one half of the votes being cast, and the suggestions included levies varying from 2d. up to 1s. They therefore decided to call a special Council, warning the members that these people could not be paid from the General Fund. They had been compelled to pay those who were on the funds short allowance. The position was so desperate that "either the contributions must be increased or the benefits reduced," and at the Council the two questions were--first, the general question of contributions and outlay; second, the men idle from depression: how to raise money for their support and how much should they be paid? The Council acting on the advice of the Committee decided that the benefits for strike, lockout, and breakage should be 6s. and 3s. per week for members and half members respectively, and that these payments should only be paid for six months, when they should cease without appeal, the sacrificed allowance being reduced to 10s. per week without a reduction in time.

Their next difficulty was the unconstitutional district meetings which were held. At these the wildest statements were made, and as a consequence the minds of the members (as will always be the case when these meetings are in vogue) became unsettled, and disunion followed. Amid the natural difficulties of the situation the Committee were called upon to defend themselves. A circular was sent out which, after renewing the argument of the promoters of the meetings, said:

"If you determine to let those men go on, doing their endeavours to
undermine your Association, then be prepared to accept with that
choice all the evil consequences which must arise therefrom. These
are the men who would "_rather rule in_ hell than serve in heaven!"
They have yet to learn the most important of all attainments--viz.
how to rule themselves, before presuming to guide the thousands of
people in this county. If complaints are to be made, let them be made
regularly and right. If reformations are needed, let them be sought
in keeping with the constitution."

History is apt to repeat itself in this mode of procedure as in others. Nothing but evil can result. We are not in Russia; we are a democracy, and have a free tribunal.

There were other four questions calling for arrangement: the fixing of the county average; the arranging for official recognition and the operation of the Federation Board; the rearrangement of the sliding scale; and the resumption of the Joint Committee. A dispute as to the average for hewers arose in reference to the figures from which the eight and three quarters per cent. and one and a quarter per cent. should be taken. The employers contended they should be deducted from the actual wage of the county for the three pays prior to the strike, which was found to be 4s. 6¾d. The Committee contended they should be deducted from the nominal minimum wage of 5s. 0½d. for the eleven-hour pits and 4s. 8½d. for the ten-hour pits. These were the wages from which the reductions were sought. If they were averaged as per the number of pits at each it worked out at 4s. 11d. It was therefore obvious that there would be a great difference in the result. If the two reductions were taken from the 4s. 11d. the average would be 4s. 5.16d.; if from the 4s. 6¾d. it would be 4s. 1.33d., or 3.83d. of a difference. It was finally agreed that the average for hewers should be 4s. 5d. for the eleven and 4s. 2d. for the ten hour pits.

The official recognition of the Federation Board was at first objected to by the employers. At a meeting of the Board held on the 23rd of September the details of the sliding scale were discussed. They were in doubt as to whether the owners would discuss it with them, or the miners alone. Eventually a joint meeting was held, and the second sliding scale was arranged on October 11th. The date of its commencement was fixed for December.

SLIDING SCALE, 1879

There shall be made the
following percentage additions
When the Net to, or deductions
Average Selling from, the now prevailing
Price of Coal tonnage rates and wages

Reaches But does not reach Additions Deductions
s. d. s. d.
4 2 4 6 None None
4 6 4 10 2½ per cent. "
4 10 5 2 5 " "
5 2 5 6 7½ " "
5 6 5 10 10 " "
5 10 6 2 15 " "
6 2 6 6 17½ " "
6 6 6 10 20 " "

And so on upwards, 2½ per cent. for each 4d.; the 5 per cent. variation for the 4d. range in price between 5s. 10d. and 6s. 2d. being limited to that special range.

s. d. s. d. Deductions.
3 10 4 2 2½ per cent.
3 6 3 10 "

And so on downwards.

* * * * *

The difference between this and the previous one consists in the lessened grades. The 8d. grade was reduced to 4d. for two and a half per cent. change in underground wages and two per cent. in surface wages. Another variation was the giving up of the minimum wage. All parties were agreed on this point, as all had felt the evil arising from the operation of it during the two years of its existence. Long may it be before such another condition arises here, for the days were dark indeed; as witness the first ascertainment, which showed the average selling price of coal to be 4s. 3.3d. per ton. The accountants were, as now (1906), E. Spark, and Monkhouse, Goddard & Co.

The Joint Committee was suspended at the commencement of the strike on April 5th, and did not resume its sittings until December 12th. During the time intervening the rules were revised. A special Committee (which might be called an interregnum Committee) met, and transacted business of the same nature as that within the purview of the Joint Committee.

Before leaving the strike and the consequences it may be of interest to quote from Mr Crawford's first monthly circular his estimate of it.

The strike which took place in the months of April and May last will
ever remain an epoch in the history of the Association. A more
complete success never took place. At its beginning, strong doubts
were expressed and great fears entertained as to what would be the
ultimate consequences of such a step.

I was amongst those who doubted, but did not despair, and the end
more than justified the expectations of the most sanguine. If we take
the entire history of trade disputes, it will be found that not one
ever commanded so much public sympathy. We had justice and right on
our sides, and we took the only wise course--viz. to let the public
know it. We deplore strikes as much as anyone can do, but there are
times when they become necessary and such a climax had we arrived at
in April 1879. Numbers of men who were outside our Association then
came forward and joined with us and fought the battle side by side.
There never was a more complete stoppage of work or one which to the
workmen, at least, ended more satisfactorily.

We may fittingly close the year by a reference to the strong tide of emigration that was running. A miners' conference to consider a scheme to assist prospective emigrants and draw up a code of rules was called in Manchester in November. Such a scheme was formulated and the rules suggested, but nothing ever came of it. In connection with this large volume of emigration from the mining districts Mr Crawford took a trip to America in one of the Inman liners, and wrote an account of it in a pamphlet entitled "In the Steerage." A report was circulated in the press describing what purported to be the foul condition of the accommodation provided for the third-class passengers. With a desire to ascertain the truth or otherwise of these statements Mr Crawford went to New York in one of the Inman boats, and completely exposed the untruthfulness of it, and did a great deal towards easing the minds of many of the miners who were preparing for leaving the country.

1880

Violations of Scale--Restriction of Labour--Working Hours
Arbitration--Deputies' Wage Arbitration--Employers' Liability

By the end of 1879 the consequence of the strike, as seen in disarranged collective machinery, had been reconstructed. One beneficial effect of the stoppage was the great number of men who joined the Union. When the notices terminated there were collieries where the numbers were few; but these men, as if moved by the instinct of self-preservation, ceased work, and to a very large extent became members, remaining until this day. It was the greatest piece of missionary effort ever seen. Instead of disunion and isolated action there were manifest loyal adhesion and solidity.

There were sure to be exceptions to this as to all rules, and early in the year the Federation Board was called upon to meet a class of trouble which was entirely illegal, and which arises occasionally now. Without specifying places (but dealing generally) it will suffice to say that in a few instances notices were given for advances beyond what the sliding scale gave. The employers requested the Board to meet them. This they did, and two resolutions, one dealing with the cokemen and the other with the miners at one colliery, were unanimously carried. The workmen were told that they had violated the rules of the Federation Board and sliding scale agreement. They were told (by a circular sent out by the Federation Board) that they were parties to the arrangement, and yet had given in their notices for an advance in direct contravention of its provisions. Having been parties to the scale they ought not to violate it with impunity. If this individual or lodge action were allowed it would end in disruption, and therefore it must be checked. The wisdom of that advice is obvious, and not only in that day, but for the present time. If agreements are made for men they should be adhered to. To violate them is lawlessness, which in the end is hurtful beyond the immediate act. If conditions are forced upon people it is right to repudiate, but for the last thirty-four years in this county there has been freedom and equality.

RESTRICTION OF LABOUR

At the Council meeting held on January 17th it was decided that there should be a restriction, and that no coal hewer should make more than 4s. 5d. or 4s. 2d. per shift, but this was never carried out in any general manner. On March 13th the Council again dealt with it, and declared all lodges unfinancial where it was not put in force. In furtherance of that resolution the Seaham Lodge put a notice on the pit heap to inform the members "that the restriction had commenced, and that a list be drawn up stating the number of tubs each man had to fill in his respective district or flat, no man to make more than the county average in any one day." To that notice the Owners' Association took objection. A letter was sent to Mr Crawford asking him whether the workmen had determined to enforce restriction, and if so, were they then acting on it. These questions Mr Crawford did not answer, but brought them before the Committee. As a result a circular was issued reviewing the whole case. They pointed out that when the Council carried it very few of the lodges put it in force, and the few who did soon left off, and that at the Council to enforce it the voting was 145 for, 126 against. They reminded the majority that "surely a minority so strong ought to have led to a reconsideration of a matter not only so vitally important, but which has at all times been found so very difficult to carry out in practice." Lodges were sending in resolutions refusing to carry out the Council resolution. That resolution said those lodges should be expelled. The position would be that whole collieries of men would be cut off from the Association because they were determined to abide by the scale agreement. In view of these facts, they resolved to call a special Council. They pointed out that one or two lodges had sent in motions of censure because advice had been given, and they met the censures by saying:

One or two lodges have sent motions seeking to pass a vote of censure
on us for issuing the last circular. It would seem that these lodges
would like to see us sit and do nothing, even though we were certain
that an impending evil was threatening our very existence. We cannot
regard this as our province. What we did was for the preservation of
the Association. The moment we see that our efforts have not ended
more satisfactorily we have called a special Council meeting to
further consider the matter. Take our advice, and inasmuch as we have
only done our duty, spare your censures. We have quite enough to do
at present without wasting our energies in useless and pernicious
quarrelling amongst ourselves.

The result of the special meeting proved the Committee right. A tabulated vote was taken--the voting being against restriction 130, for 117; majority against, 13. Thus ended the only county attempt to carry out a uniformity in piecework. It ended as all such will end. Human nature is too strong for such arrangements.

WORKING HOURS ARBITRATION

This case arose out of the hewers' hours at some of the collieries. Amongst them were Gurney Pit, Leasingthorne, Letch, and Wingate. These were eleven-hour pits, but during the depression of 1877-79 the hewers had been induced or coerced to go in at three A.M. instead of four A.M. The Executive Committee in their negotiations contended that this was a violation of Mr Meynell's award, and therefore ought not to exist. On the employers' side it was held that the award named only dealt with the coal drawing. After attempts to settle it was finally agreed to refer it to arbitration, with Lord Rowton as umpire. The arbitrators on the owners' side were Mr R. F. Mathews and Mr W. T. Hall, and for the workmen Mr L. Jones and Mr W. Crawford. There were two days' sitting in the Westminster Palace Hotel, London. On the 20th of August the umpire decided that the hours complained of should remain as they were.

THE DEPUTIES' ARBITRATION

This question of the deputies being paid a higher wage if they were not in the Miners' Association came up in a renewed application for uniformity of wage. This was sent to the owners amongst a number of other requests. The reply was that they were strongly of the opinion that the deputies should not be members of the Miners' Association. The Executive could not accept that reply. They had never asked about the Associations, but a just wage, and they considered the reply was an insult. They recommended to their members that it should be sent to the Federation Board. This was done, and on the 19th of March the Board offered to submit the matter to arbitration. The offer was refused by the following resolution:--

MINERS' REQUEST AND REPLY FORWARDED TO MR CRAWFORD

_June 17th, 1880._

_Deputies._--That deputies who are not members of the Deputies'
Association be paid the same wages as those who are.

Considering the position in which the deputies stand to the hewers
and other workmen, any change in the present arrangement is
undesirable.

On the receipt of this the Board notified the county, and resolved to call a joint meeting of the four Associations. Their advice was that the whole of the notices be given in, and work to cease until the claim was conceded or arbitration granted. The meeting was held on August 26th. Negotiations proceeded, and in November the employers agreed to accept arbitration. The case was not heard until February 1881. The umpire on that occasion was Mr I. Hinde Palmer, M.P.; the advocates were Mr L. Wood, Mr W. Armstrong, Mr L. Jones, and Mr W. Crawford. The hearing lasted two days, and was held in the Westminster Hotel, London. The umpire decided upon two points:

(1) That it is competent under the sliding scale agreement of October
1879 for the deputies who are members of the Miners' Association to
require that their wages be advanced.

(2) That the advance shall be such a sum as will make the amount of
their wages respectively the same as the wages paid to those deputies
who are not members of the Miners' Association.

THE EMPLOYERS' LIABILITY ACT

It is not intended to review the introduction and passing of Acts of Parliament, but mention may be made of the Employers' Liability of 1880, not with a view to explain its provisions, but to indicate steps which were taken towards contraction out of it. In Lancashire contracting out was made one of the conditions of hiring, and a strike took place in an attempt to resist it. With us in the north (for the two counties worked together) the same end was sought, but by different means. The aim of the employers here was to avoid litigation if possible, and, with that end in view, would have increased their contributions to the Permanent Relief Fund. The officials of that fund were desirous of bringing an arrangement about, believing it would strengthen their position. There were a few men outside the ranks of those officials who advised the miners to enter into a contract. At a meeting of the Permanent Fund Committee it was just on the point of being carried when a suggestion was made to the effect "that it was not a matter pertaining to the fund, but belonged to the Workmen's Associations, and that a joint meeting should be held." Such did take place, with the result that the proposal was defeated. The leaders of the Associations were very strong against it. Among the strongest was Mr Crawford, whose monthly circular for December contained some very clear and explicit reasons in opposition to the idea. There were threats from some employers as to smart money and subscriptions to the Permanent Relief Fund, but still the workmen refused to give way.

1881-82

Deputies' Wage again--Third Sliding Scale--Death of Mr
Macdonald--Change in the Treasurership

In February this question was again in evidence. By reference to the award as given above it will be seen that the umpire decided clearly in the workmen's favour, but there arose a complication in the mode of application adopted by the owners. The mode of calculation was skilful and peculiar. The dispute arose in 1876 when, as an inducement for the deputies to form an organisation of their own, they were to be exempt from the six per cent. reduction; therefore, said the employers, we will give those deputies who are in the Miners' Union the six per cent. given in 1876, and then deduct all the reductions since, by this process bringing them to 4s. 1½d. per day. They seemed to forget that the deputies' arbitration was for the difference between the actual wages at that time--the difference being 6d. or 8d. per day. The anomaly was that two men might be doing the same work with equal responsibilities (in some cases the lower paid the best workman) and yet one have a much higher wage than the other.

Mr Bunning (on behalf of the owners) sent a copy of the instructions to the managers to Mr Crawford, asking him if they met with his approval. The answer was sharp. Instead of agreeing with them he considered them a clear violation of Mr Palmer's award. It was not based upon Shaw Lefevre's award, but upon the existing difference in the wages. And he informed the owners, that they would demand the higher wages. The negotiations continued until May, when the umpire by joint letter was asked to meet Mr L. Wood and Mr Crawford. He informed them he would write each of them an explanation, and save the journey. This he did, and said the award was clear and intelligible, and that he meant those who were in the Miners' Association to be paid the highest wages. On the strength of that interpretation the owners paid the wage, with everything kept off since the award.

THIRD SLIDING SCALE

As the two years for which the sliding scale was definitely fixed drew near completion it was obvious that there was a strong feeling against it. The circumstances were against it. Introduced at the conclusion of a very disastrous strike the whole of its operation was in the worst times--trade bad, wages low. There was no wonder that the men had little love for it. Recognising the opposition the Committee placed a motion on the Council programme suggesting that notice be given to terminate it at the end of the two years. This was adopted, and notice given at the proper time. In the meantime the miners generally were turning their attention to the question. A sliding scale conference was held on April 20th, 1881, in the Midland Hotel, Birmingham. The conference affirmed "that the principle of sliding scales is an equitable mode of settling wages questions, if rightly worked out in detail: That the best mode of taking out the selling price will generally be to take the price of coal sold, but that no coals should be taken which were sold on contract; only those sold at the current market price." In the matter of leaving firms out each district was left to its own option. It was considered desirous that the accountants should have more freedom in regard to the matters they were permitted to divulge. A second conference on the same question was called for October 19th in Birmingham, with a programme on very similar lines.

A Council meeting was held, and two delegates selected to represent Durham. Certain instructions were given them: sliding scales were the best arrangements for regulating wages; the open markets were preferable to the existing mode of ascertainment, with others of a kindred nature. On January 18th the Federation Board had under discussion a proposal from the employers. It was not accepted, but they were told the Board was ready to meet them at any time. At a special Council held on 25th February 1882 the situation was complicated by the miners deciding to ask for an advance of twenty per cent. if the owners refused the sliding scale drawn up by the Federation Board, and that body was instructed to meet the employers. The meeting took place on March 13th on the two questions, when the owners gave the Board the following:--

OWNERS' OFFER

_March 13th, 1882._

The Durham Coal Owners' Association is unable to accept either of the
propositions suggested in the Federation Board Minutes of February
25th, that is to say,--

1. The Association cannot regard "the sliding scale drawn up by the
Federation Board as just and equitable," and consequently cannot
adopt it.

2. The Association cannot grant "an immediate advance of 20 per cent.
in the wages of all men and boys," nor admit "that trade warrants
such an application," or any advance at all.

Having regard to the difference of view between the Owners'
Association and the Federation Board, the Association can only
suggest that the question whether wages shall be varied, and if so,
to what extent, and in what direction, shall be left to open
arbitration.

The Miners' Council then decided to take a ballot on the twenty per cent. If the question were not carried by a two-thirds majority, to arbitrate on the advance. When this was sent to the owners they replied that the advance could not be granted, but they were quite ready to leave it to open arbitration. The Federation Board as a whole considered itself in an anomalous position if any section were allowed to act as the miners were doing. If this were allowed to proceed, then on wage questions there was an end to all usefulness. Either the power must be taken away altogether, or they must unreservedly trust them. As the position was, they were in a crippled condition. "This renders our work on general questions nil, and the Federation instead of being a tower of strength is a source of weakness, inasmuch as it exposes to the owners our want of agreement and diversity of thought and action." They had, therefore, come to the conclusion to take a vote, with the view to have the matter settled. The response of the county was in favour of the Board by a large majority. Immediately they decided to ask for a scale with a minimum wage, and that the variations should be two and one and a half per cent.

A meeting between the Board and the owners was held on April 17th, when the workmen asked for an advance of seven and a half per cent. To this the employers objected, but said they would pay a wage as if the coals had reached 4s. 8d., which was equal to an advance of three and three quarters per cent., and would be an advantage of two and a half per cent., during the continuance of the scale. The Board strongly urged the acceptance of the offer, which in their opinion was preferable to arbitration. The workmen accepted their advice, and the following scale was signed on April 29th:--

THIRD SLIDING SCALE

There shall be made the
following percentage of
additions to, or deductions
from, the standard tonnage
When the Net rates and datal wages,
Average Selling being those prevailing at
Price of Coal November 1879

Reaches But does not reach Additions Deductions
s. d. s. d.
3 10 4 0 None None
4 0 4 2 1¼ "
4 2 4 4 2½ "
4 4 4 6 3¾ "
4 6 4 8 5 "
4 8 4 10 6¼ "
4 10 5 0 7½ "
5 0 5 2 8¾ "
5 2 5 4 10 "
5 4 5 6 11¼ "
5 6 5 8 12½ "
5 8 5 10 13¾ "
5 10 6 0 16¼ "
6 0 6 2 18¾ "
6 2 6 4 20 "
6 4 6 6 21¼ "
6 6 6 8 22½ "

And so on upwards, 1¼ per cent. for each 2d., the 2½ per cent. variations for the two ranges of 2d. each in price between 5s. 10d. and 6s. 2d. being limited to those special ranges.

3 8 3 10 -- 1¼
3 6 3 8 -- 2½

And so on downwards.

It had to continue in force until 30th June 1883, to be terminated by six months' notice given any time after that date.

It will be of interest if we insert the scales proposed by the owners and Board before the agreement.

OWNERS' SCALE

There shall be made
the following percentage
of additions to, or
deductions from, the standard
When the Net tonnage rates and datal
average Selling wages, being those prevailing
Price of Coal at November 1879