1900
Death of Mr Forman—Election of Mr Galbraith—Agreements made during the Year
On the 2nd of September death made another inroad upon the original leaders of the organisation by carrying off the president, Mr J. Forman. For over twenty-seven years he had been in that position, and from first to last he carried out the obligations of the office in a manner equalled by few and excelled by none. He was fitted at all points for being president of an organisation of workers such as the Durham miners. The best estimate of his character will be found in quotations from the Monthly Circular and the Executive Committee's Minute.
DEATH OF OUR RESPECTED PRESIDENT
I am sorry to say Death has made one of its most serious inroads into our ranks, and taken from us one of the most prominent figures in our Association. Our much respected and gentlemanly President is no more, and his services, over more than the average length of a generation, are ended. We long for the sound of a voice that is for ever still, and the touch of a hand that had a friendly grasp. For nearly thirty years the name of Forman has been a household word amongst the miners of Durham. He was not ambitious of "spreading a sounding name abroad," but he had a deep desire to do his duty to his own people. His was a quiet nature; but among men, as in nature, the quiet forces are the most productive of good. In the movements that make for progress in men, as in our physical surroundings, the clamour of violent action and noise are not the most useful. In the history of our Association, from its very commencement, our departed friend has been one of the binding and consolidating influences. Wise in counsel, when a spirit of rashness and impatience seized some of us, he has many a time helped to steady the mind and temper, and tone the action. Prolific in suggestion he has oft pointed a way out of difficulty in the time of stress and strain; in fact, he was well and amply equipped and qualified for the important position he filled amongst us. He took upon himself the office when times were vastly different from what they are now; when capital and labour were in this county like two opposing forces, separated by a spirit of doubt and animosity; and he has done much to establish a better feeling between employers and employed. He knew by experience the position of inferiority and harsh conditions in which our lot was cast before the foundations of the Society were laid. He has assisted and rejoiced over every step towards equality and relationship, and he was very anxious lest anything should be done to mar our usefulness.
Mr Forman was more than an agent, he was a friend and an example. A man may be appointed to a position and do his work in a mechanical and perfunctory manner, like a hireling waiting for the shadow of the day, but that is not sufficient, and it did not satisfy him whose loss we mourn. He was an example in conduct and in mental cultivation worthy of imitation by all our young men. He looked upon the workmen as something more than machines, and he was desirous that they should pay more attention to the improvement of their minds, and the formation of thrifty and studious habits. In that he was no theorist, for he was a man of very extensive reading, especially upon scientific subjects, and, as a consequence, he was able to approach and deal with our questions in a most intelligent manner.
He has gone, but his work is with us. It is our heritage, not merely for enjoyment, but for employment. We can best show our respect for his memory by our acceptance and proper use of that legacy. These men whose lives like his stretch back into the dark days are decreasing in number year by year. Let us do nothing to damage the Institution they helped to establish and consolidate, and let our effort be to strive for the goal they sought to attain.
DEATH OF MR JOHN FORMAN
(Executive Committee's Notice)
September, 1900.
Our regrets on this occasion are not those of formality, but are prompted by a recognition of his worth as an official of our organisation and his character as a fellow-worker and a man. Never yet had any organisation a more earnest officer, any body of men a more willing colleague, nor any community a more upright, honest, and straightforward man than our friend who has been taken from us. He was privileged to live to the ripe old age of 77 years, and for more than a quarter of a century has devoted the whole of his time and the best of his energies to the upbuilding and consolidation of our Society, and the betterment of the working classes generally. We shall miss his genial presence and guiding counsel from all our business meetings. He was on all occasions a reliable guide and counsellor in our deliberations on complicated questions, and in the general matters pertaining to the work of the Association in the midst of dark times and difficult circumstances. We feel that by his death we have not only lost an able and efficient President and colleague, but the workers in and about the mines in Durham have been deprived of a friend whose lifelong services have been devoted to the bettering of their conditions as wage earners.
And further, we would tender to the family our sympathy in the great bereavement which has fallen upon them, and the hope that they may be strengthened by the assurance that, although dead, he still lives in the grateful remembrance of the people amongst whom he lived, and for whom he laboured.
The vacancy caused by his death was filled by Mr House being transferred from the Joint Committee agency to the presidency, and the election of Mr S. Galbraith as his successor in the Joint Committee. In the election the county chose a well-tried and very trustworthy man. He had been checkweighman at the Browney Colliery for twenty-one and a half years. Those workmen placed absolute reliance in him, and without reserve allowed him to manage the affairs of the lodge. The condition of the colliery, the peace and harmony which obtained, and the fact that only one deputation visited them to make inquiry into a grievance during the whole time he was there, are clear proof that he had great care for the interests of the men, and that they were well repaid for their confidence in him. His tactful management of the local business specially fitted him for the wider sphere of labour. The members reasoned safely when they concluded that he who had been faithful in the local would be faithful in the general. Those who knew Mr Galbraith were in perfect agreement as to the opinion formed by the men who had been in such long and profitable business contact with him.
AGREEMENTS
Screenmen—Labourers—Datal Wage—Hewers' Datal—Houses and House Rent—Boys' Advance
The first of these was the raising of the basis wage of the screenmen and labourers. That wage was fixed by an arbitration at 2s. 7½d., but was never quite accepted by the county. Negotiations had been proceeding, and on 31st March 1900 it was agreed "that the basis wage of bona fide screenmen and labourers on and about the pit-heap and on the colliery branches should be 2s. 10d. per day." This was a clear advance of 2½d. per day, and meant nearly a day's wage increase in the fortnight.
The second was in reference to the hewers' datal wage. There was no settled or uniform principle of payment for the back-bye work. On August 16th it was arranged that:
"When coal hewers are taken from hewing to do other work for a shift or shifts (or portions of a shift), during which they would otherwise have been employed at coal hewing, they shall, for not exceeding three consecutive shifts employed at such other work, be paid the hewers' county average wage."
The third settlement was the "Houses and House Rent." This had been on hand for six or seven years. It was placed on the agenda of the Conciliation Board in 1895. After that Board terminated the question lapsed, but was brought forward by the owners at the Board meeting on May 1st, 1900. It was at first part of a general application, but shortly before the meeting the mechanics introduced a house question, and therefore the request of the owners was made to apply solely to miners. The subject was adjourned to give the employers a chance to rearrange their claim.
Before the meeting held on August 3rd the Owners' and Miners' Committee held two meetings, and an agreement had been come to, subject to the approval of the miners' lodges. The Conciliation Board was informed of this; further, that a return was being taken, and that the agreement was being strongly recommended. It was adjourned on the understanding that the owners could put it on the next agenda, if not settled in the meantime, and could then ask the Board or umpire to decide. The request of the owners was as follows:—
That the general question of the supply of houses and coals be considered by the Board of Conciliation with a view to the points of difference between the Owners' and Miners' Associations being decided by the Board.
The return mentioned above resulted in a refusal of the agreement, although large material changes had been made in it to the advantage of the workmen. The return was most unsatisfactory, as fifty-two collieries, representing 112 votes, did not vote. The Executive Committee decided to call a special Council, and informed their members of the position. The subject was sure to be settled at the next Conciliation Board meeting.
"We have pointed out to you on one or two occasions that if it is not settled by us it will come before the next Conciliation Board, who will be asked by the owners to deal with it or refer it to the umpire."
The special Council was held, and a discussion took place on the agreement, but no vote was taken. In due course the subject came before the Board. It was felt that the refusal was caused by the exclusion of the shifters and wastemen. The owners were willing to include these, and the Board agreed to the list of classes and conditions contained in the agreement of November 1900.
The agreement settled a long-standing dispute, and established for twelve classes the right to a free house, or rent if houses were not found. In respect to the other classes not specifically named in the list, their right would rest on the custom of the colliery obtaining on the 1st of June 1900. Under the circumstances the agreement was the best that could be got, and was a very long way ahead of the uncertain condition of things which existed prior to its signing. There was this to be considered: if the Board had not settled it then the umpire would have been called in, and there was no assurance that he would have gone so far. With respect to the rent, which was dependent upon the custom of the colliery, the right of the classes named to a rent (if not the amount) was guaranteed. Before the arrangement was made, if there were not sufficient houses, the men belonging to the colliery had to prove, at Joint Committee, it was the custom to pay rent at that colliery. If they failed to establish the custom, then they were non-suited, and without rent. That which was indefinite and uncertain was lifted out of the region of contention once and for all, and that in itself was no small advantage. In judging of the merits of the "Houses and House Rent Agreement" it must be remembered that the Executive Committee and Federation Board had to contend against time and precedent. These were no mean forces. Practices which in some cases had existed for thirty years were difficult to alter by the party seeking the alteration. If the effort had been made twenty-five years before it would have been comparatively easy: "Customs would have admitted of easy proof, and the data would have been new and readily substantiated." Keeping those things in remembrance, the conclusion will be that the agreement was a good one.
On the 29th of December other two small agreements were signed. One of them had reference to boys whose wages were below 1s. and those having a basis wage of 1s. and 5d. or less. The former were raised to 1s., and the latter had to have 1d. increase. The other change was in relation to smart money for beat hands. It was agreed that, as the Compensation Act did not cover that injury, the smart money should be continued where it had been the custom to pay it before the Act was passed.
1901
The Coal Tax—The Death of Bishop Westcott—The Appointment of an Accountant
Our regrets on this occasion are not those of formality, but are prompted by a recognition of his worth as an official of our organisation and his character as a fellow-worker and a man. Never yet had any organisation a more earnest officer, any body of men a more willing colleague, nor any community a more upright, honest, and straightforward man than our friend who has been taken from us. He was privileged to live to the ripe old age of 77 years, and for more than a quarter of a century has devoted the whole of his time and the best of his energies to the upbuilding and consolidation of our Society, and the betterment of the working classes generally. We shall miss his genial presence and guiding counsel from all our business meetings. He was on all occasions a reliable guide and counsellor in our deliberations on complicated questions, and in the general matters pertaining to the work of the Association in the midst of dark times and difficult circumstances. We feel that by his death we have not only lost an able and efficient President and colleague, but the workers in and about the mines in Durham have been deprived of a friend whose lifelong services have been devoted to the bettering of their conditions as wage earners.
And further, we would tender to the family our sympathy in the great bereavement which has fallen upon them, and the hope that they may be strengthened by the assurance that, although dead, he still lives in the grateful remembrance of the people amongst whom he lived, and for whom he laboured.
"When coal hewers are taken from hewing to do other work for a shift or shifts (or portions of a shift), during which they would otherwise have been employed at coal hewing, they shall, for not exceeding three consecutive shifts employed at such other work, be paid the hewers' county average wage."
That the general question of the supply of houses and coals be considered by the Board of Conciliation with a view to the points of difference between the Owners' and Miners' Associations being decided by the Board.
"We have pointed out to you on one or two occasions that if it is not settled by us it will come before the next Conciliation Board, who will be asked by the owners to deal with it or refer it to the umpire."
In the spring of the year the whole of the mining industry was startled by a proposal made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to place an export duty of 1s. per ton upon all exported coal. It was done to enable him to meet the heavy expenditure which had been thrown upon the nation by the Boer War. The entire cost was over £250,000,000. The year or two previous the coal trade had been prosperous. The profits of the employers and the wages of the miners loomed up very large, and he being in a desperate position (having a deficit of £50,000,000 to meet) thought it safe to make an attack on the trade. His proposition was a very disastrous one. The arguments advanced in support were uneconomic and fallacious, but were forced upon the House of Commons by the sheer weight and force of a great and obedient majority—a majority whose party loyalty covered a large number of political sins.
His main arguments (upon which the changes were rung) were as follows:—Coals were a great national asset, and the exportation should be checked, and even if exported under the 1s. tax the foreigners would pay it. To say the least, the former of these arguments was too narrow to be considered at all seriously, because if the necessities of the nation demanded a preservation of our coal supply, then it could only be done by a total prohibition of the export. Further, it lost sight of the large mining population, the amount of capital sunk in the mines, the ships and sailors employed in the carrying of coal, and the interchange of trade, which would be interfered with if the policy were effected. The argument as to the foreigners paying the 1s. was fallacious and selfish; fallacious because it assumed the foreign consumer would not seek the cheapest market, which would be opened out to him by the development of the Continental coal fields; and selfish because, if correct, it was an endeavour to throw upon him a part of the cost of a mad and wasteful war, when he took no part in the initiation of it.
His proposal was met by fierce opposition in all the mining districts, both exporting and non-exporting, but in none more than in Durham. Employer and employed united in opposing it. To such an extent was this joint action carried that the pits were all laid idle for the purpose of affording the workmen an opportunity to hold mass meetings. In a circular issued on April 22nd the Executive Committee informed the lodges that they intended to hold seven simultaneous meetings, and to join the Northumberland miners on the Town Moor, Newcastle. In the circular they said:
The occasion is important. Time is short. The question is urgent. A more injurious tax was never proposed. If carried, it will cripple our trade, but more especially that of Northumberland and South Wales. Our export trade is not so large as theirs, but we are so closely bound together that we are sure to suffer with them. Let our protest be as large and emphatic as the tax will be injurious, and then the pressure of public opinion will compel a withdrawal of the Chancellor's proposal.
In connection with the national protest large conferences were held. The first of these took place on April 25th and 26th, at which a deputation was appointed to meet the Chancellor on the 29th; but he held out no hope. The conference was resumed on the 30th, and on May 1st. There was a very strong feeling in favour of stopping all the mines in the country, and a resolution in that direction was adopted. The main obstacle to an immediate stoppage was the fact that certain districts had not considered it, and the conference was adjourned for a week to give them time to call Council meetings and consult their members. The adjourned meeting took place on May 7th, but it was found that there was a more peaceful spirit abroad. Durham was in favour of the stoppage, and the delegates, acting on instruction from the Council, voted for that course of action. The conference was against it. An arrangement was come to in view of any district being asked to submit to a reduction in consequence of the coal tax. If that occurred, then "another conference should be called to consider and determine whether the whole of the mines of the country should be laid idle until such intimated reduction is withdrawn."
So far as any stoppage of work was concerned, the agitation was at an end, but the protest did not cease with it, for year after year it was brought forward, and at all the galas it was made part of the resolutions. Deputations met the Chancellor, and in Parliament the spokesmen of the miners brought forward the question on every opportunity. At the very outset they compelled him to exempt all coals sold for 6s. per ton and under. And (to anticipate a little) one of the first effects of the return of the Liberal party in 1906 was the removal of the tax, to take effect on the 1st of November that year.
THE DEATH OF THE BISHOP OF DURHAM
The history would be incomplete if we did not make a reference to the death of Bishop Westcott. He was known amongst us as "The Pitmen's Bishop," and well he deserved the designation, for from the time of his coming to the county he sought on all occasions to make himself acquainted with our conditions, and was ever ready to assist in the work of amelioration. In every effort in that direction he was ready to counsel. He was one of England's greatest scholars, but his learning did not blunt his sympathies nor check his desires to help the people in their struggles. He was highly religious, but it was not the religion of the visionary. It found expression in actions. He proved his faith by his works, and demonstrated it by that higher and truer exponent of a man's creed, his active participation in every movement which tended to purify the conditions of our working and home life.
His death was a unique circumstance. At the gala held on July 20th he delivered a masterly address in the cathedral. His closing words were prophetic. He informed the large gathering, mainly miners, that it would be the last time he would address them. Whether this was the presentiment of the coming of the last messenger or not we cannot tell, but it is certain that the kindly heart and eloquent tongue were both stilled by death, and the miners were in sorrow longing for the sound of a voice that was gone, within a short week after he had thrilled the hearts of his hearers, and a great sorrow fell upon the county without regard to class, creed, or social status.
The following resolution passed by the Executive Committee will show the appreciation of his worth expressed by them in the name of the miners:—
That we, the Executive Committee of the Durham Miners' Association, in the name of our members, express our universal sorrow at the death of our respected Bishop and friend, the late Bishop Westcott. We recognise that we have lost a sympathiser, counsellor, and helper in all our efforts for better conditions both in our home surroundings and our working life. From the first day of his residence amongst us we felt that it was his desire to be the Bishop of the diocese in the truest and best sense of the term; and as the years have passed that feeling has been strengthened by the words of kindly counsel he has given us and by his generous and helpful actions. While, therefore, we share in the loss that has fallen upon the whole community we join in the expression of regret and sorrow which will be felt in every portion of the sphere in which he moved, and we tender our sympathy to the relations of the truly great and kindly Christian, who has been taken from a life in which he lived usefully and well to a reward which awaits all who try to correct the wrongs and brighten the darkness of this life.
APPOINTMENT OF THE ACCOUNTANT
Under the sliding scale there were joint ascertainments of prices by each side having a firm of accountants, who agreed to the average realised selling price of coals. When the scales terminated the services of the accountants on the miners' side were dispensed with, and the selling price was gathered by the Federation Board visiting various depôts, the ports whence coal was exported, and the coal exchange in London. Now it was obvious that such a system was at its best very uncertain, and while the data gathered might be asserted it never could be put forward as accurate. Without the accountants, the mode adopted was necessary, but it was difficult, expensive, and unreliable. The Federation Board, upon whom the burden of seeking the prices fell, was never satisfied, and in the end the members came round to that way of thinking. On the Miners' Council programme for September 28th the following resolution appeared:—
Accountant be engaged for the purpose of ascertaining the price of coal, the mode of procedure to be arranged by the Executive Committee.
The resolution was carried, and was sent to the Federation, and by them placed before the other sections, and finally adopted. At the Board meeting held on November 28th it was decided "that Mr E. Sparks be appointed as the accountant for the Board in the ascertainment of coal prices on the terms which obtained under the sliding scale, and that he be asked to meet the Board at the next meeting."
Between the loose system which obtained prior to his appointment and that which resulted from it there was a very great contrast. Without the definite figures he was able to supply the workmen were always in an atmosphere of uncertainty on two points—first, the time when to apply for an advance; and second, as to the amount to ask for. Further, whatever demand the owners might make it was a matter of guesswork as to the accuracy of the change in the markets. With the quarterly ascertainment the state of the trade was given to the very smallest decimal, it gave reliability as to data, and guaranteed the stability of trade and the regularity of work, which is a great consideration to the workmen.