Part 10

The Executive Committee met the owners on Thursday, February 22nd, when they were informed that the depressed trade and lower prices demanded a reduction of ten per cent. from underground and six per cent. from the bank workmen, "coupled with an increase in the working hours which would, in a great measure, compensate the men for the reduction in their wages." The Committee could neither see the necessity for a reduction nor could they see the compensation in the lengthening of hours. They, however, arranged another meeting for Friday, 9th March, when they would further discuss the sliding scale, and, failing that, the reduction. In the statement explaining these proceedings the Committee placed before the members two scales--one proposed by them and the other by the owners. It will be interesting and instructive to give these scales.

_December 22nd, 1876._

SLIDING SCALE PROPOSED BY THE DURHAM COAL OWNERS

Price Wage s. d. Per cent. s. d. 5 2 0 4 8.0 5 10 5 4 10.8 6 6 10 5 1.6 7 2 15 5 4.4 7 10 20 5 7.2 8 6 25 5 10.0 9 2 30 6 0.8 9 10 35 6 3.6 10 6 40 6 6.4 11 2 45 6 9.2 11 10 50 7 0.0 12 6 55 7 2.8 13 2 60 7 5.6

_January 2nd, 1877._

SLIDING SCALE AS PROPOSED BY THE DURHAM MINERS' ASSOCIATION

Price Wage s. d. Per cent. s. d. 5 6 0 5 0 6 2 5 5 3 6 10 10 5 6 7 6 15 5 9 8 2 20 6 0 8 10 25 6 3 9 6 30 6 6 10 2 35 6 9 10 10 40 7 0 11 6 45 7 3 12 2 50 7 6 12 10 55 7 9 13 6 60 8 0

In the explanation sent out it was shown that each scale would carry a minimum wage. Theirs would be five shillings, while the employers' would be 4s. 8d. The wages in the scale were for coal hewers only. The reduction the employers were asking for would bring the wages down twopence per man below the lowest wages offered in the owners' scale. They asked the members to leave the question entirely in their hands, as in their opinion a better settlement would be got than by any other way. A special Council was called for the 8th of March, and two subjects were sent out for discussion--(1) Should a sliding scale be adopted; if so, under what condition? (2) Should the owners be offered arbitration? The result was that the arranging of the scale was placed in the hands of the Committee, and on 14th March the first sliding scale was signed for two years.

THE FIRST SCALE

The following scale shall regulate the wages of hewers and labour below ground:--

SCALE

Price at and above but below Wage 5 4 7½ per cent. reduction 5 4 5 8 5 " " 5 8 6 4 Present Rate 6 4 7 0 5 per cent. advance 7 0 7 8 10 " " 7 8 8 4 15 " " 8 4 9 0 20 " " 9 0 9 8 25 " " 9 8 10 4 30 " " 10 4 11 0 35 " " 11 0 11 8 40 " " 11 8 12 4 45 " " 12 4 13 0 50 " " 13 0 13 8 55 " " 13 8 60 " " And so on.

It will be observed that the grades were eightpence, and for that amount the change in wages was four per cent. Next, there was to be a minimum wage of 4s. 8½d. per day. This is worthy of special notice in the light of subsequent events, especially during the time the minimum existed, which was until 1879, and especially in view of the desire of many people to have a minimum established again. Another point was the amount of reduction, which would depend upon an ascertainment by accountants. Messrs Monkhouse, Goddard & Miller acted for the owners, and Messrs Benson, Eland & Co. for the workmen. The ascertainment was made known on the 31st of March, the average net price realised being certified at 5s. 3.97d. The Committee accompanied the ascertainment with a short circular, and informed the members "that a reduction of 7½ per cent. on underground men and boys and 'banksmen' wages and 6 per cent. on 'bankmen's' wages will take place on the pays commencing April 2nd and April 9th."

THE FIRST RELIEF FUND

As a consequence of the depressed state of trade very large numbers of men were thrown out of work, and the rules of the Association made no provision for them. Opinion had been ripening for some months, and the Committee realising that the time was opportune, and acting on a Council resolution, suggested the formation of a Relief Fund. In furtherance of the object they sent out the following:--

SUGGESTIONS FOR RELIEF FUND

Fellow Workmen,--At last Council meeting, you put into the hands of the Committee, the work of suggesting some plan to relieve the numbers of men now idle at various collieries in the county. After mature consideration, they suggest the following as a means of forming a Relief Fund:--

1. To take from the General Fund the sum of five thousand pounds to form the nucleus of such Relief Fund.

2. That this Fund be afterwards kept up by the payment of a levy, or extra contribution, of 2d. per member per fortnight.

These two are the basis of their suggestions, details can be discussed and arranged afterwards. But to make these suggestions--and especially the second one--a success, the Committee believe that the county will require to have brought before them our exact position. The best, if not the only, means of doing this is to hold a series of public meetings at the various lodges and districts in the county, grouping lodges together where such can be done. What they now ask is, can they have your consent to assist the agents in attending such a series of public meetings? It is the only means of rendering successful the getting of necessary means and would not cost more than an ordinary Council meeting.

In support of their proposals they adopted two modes of advocacy--first, to issue a circular, and second, to hold a series of meetings at all the lodges. This latter step they considered most essential, as they would thus be enabled to state the matter more clearly by speech and answer to the members. This view they placed before the lodges, and received sanction with very little objection; and, acting upon it, they arranged themselves into deputations of two each, and for about three weeks either addressed lodge meetings or groups of collieries where convenient, and as a consequence the Relief Fund was formed on the lines suggested. While it existed it proved itself a very useful institution for that period, which was the darkest through which the Association had to pass.

The amount paid, although small, was useful to the public as well as the members--to the latter by easing off the pinch of poverty, and to the former by the help to the rates, which would assuredly have been much more heavily weighted if the fund had not existed. It only existed a year, however, for the Committee placed a statement before the county on November 2nd which showed that, while there had only been £4144 contributed to the Relief Fund, the expenditure had been £9695, and that, adding the £5000 grant from the General Fund, the expenditure had exceeded by £551 the whole amount paid into it.

EMIGRATION AGENCY

During 1876 and up to July 1877 the agents had acted as emigration agents, and had been very useful in their advice to people who were inclined to emigrate by giving them advice upon points and matters of importance to them. All they did was done free of charge, and only with the view to help those who were members of the Association; but as in every movement there are men of the "viler sort," whose envy prompts them to attribute ill motives to those they envy, so in this case there were some who, instead of giving the agents credit for good motives, were not slow to charge them with selfishness and exploiting the volume of emigration for their own benefit. The agents bore this until the Council meeting held on July 21st, when Mr Crawford and his colleagues resolved to give it up. In doing so they gave their reasons in the following circular:--

EMIGRATION AGENCY

_To the Members._

Gentlemen,--As announced at Council Meeting on Saturday last, we intend to give up the agency. It was taken with two objects--(1) To have ourselves well posted up in emigration news, so that we might be able to give the best advice possible; (2) to aid our members by allowing them the commission money, which is a very important item indeed. It was not taken with the view of making one penny of profit, but solely to assist our members by advice and also an abatement of their fares. But as some poltroon fellows, who are directly interested in getting emigrants in order that they may get the commission money, are causing some stir, and as, further, some of our lodges are listening to their statements, we think it necessary to give it up. You will be the only losers by it, but remember that it is amongst our own members that the real grumblers are found.

1878

The Hours Arbitration--Position of the Association--Federation Board

The first item of interest in 1878 was initiated on 15th March by a letter received from the employers _re_ the lengthening of the coal-drawing hours. It was addressed to Mr Crawford as follows:--

Dear Sir,--I am desired to inform you that the present state of the coal trade in Durham seems to render it imperative to extend the hours of work and increase the facilities for drawing coal. And that the members of this Association would be glad to discuss the matter with you and your Committee with a view to arriving at some decision on the subject.

Could you fix Thursday next, the 21st, at two o'clock to meet our Committee here? An answer at your earliest convenience will oblige.

The Executive met the employers as requested, and found that the change was to increase from ten hours to eleven all the collieries working ten hours, that drawing time being the outcome of an arrangement. The owners were reminded that it was inconsistent with the sliding scale, and the demand should be withdrawn. They replied by quoting a portion of the scale: "Both parties shall remain at liberty to raise any question not inconsistent with the maintenance of the sliding scale." "Should any dispute arise as to the carrying out of these arrangements the question in dispute shall be submitted to the chairman of the Joint Committee, who, if he cannot act, shall appoint some other umpire to act in his place. The award in either case to be final." These were discussed at great length; finally three proposals suggested by the Executive Committee, subject to the approval of their members, were agreed to:

1st. Is it consistent with the sliding scale to even discuss a lengthening of the hours?

2nd. If it is consistent with the sliding scale to discuss the matter, is it necessary to lengthen such hours?

3rd. If the hours are lengthened, should there follow any increase in wages, and if so, how much?

The Committee were not sure whether the full body of owners would agree to them, as those present at the meeting objected to No. 2 being a question of reference. They informed the lodges that Mr Meynell had fixed 9th April for the hearing of the case. They were convinced that the employers could make the demand under the arrangements, and therefore all that was necessary was to say how many persons should attend and who they should be. The question was eventually placed in the hands of the members of Joint Committee to make the best settlement they could. On 15th April Mr Meynell gave the following award:--

COAL DRAWING

(_Award_)

Whereas the Durham Coal Owners' Association, being of opinion, that it is absolutely necessary that the working hours of all men and boys above 16 years of age should be increased, if they thought fit to place it before me, and to leave me to decide the question. And whereas it was also agreed that the following questions should be left to me for my decision:--

1st. Is it consistent with the sliding scale to discuss a lengthening of the hours?

2nd. If it is consistent with the sliding scale to discuss the matter, is it necessary to lengthen such hours?

3rd. If the hours are lengthened, should there follow any increase in wages, and, if so, how much?

Now, having heard and carefully considered the arguments on each side, I award, decide, and determine that it is not inconsistent with the sliding scale to discuss the question of lengthening the working hours; 2nd. that it is necessary to lengthen such hours; 3rd. that there should be an increase in the wages where the hours are lengthened.

I award and decide that the working hours of all men and boys above 16 years of age shall, or may be increased in accordance with my award, that the minimum wage to be paid to the hewers shall be, when the pit works 10½ hours, 4s. 10½d.; and when the pit works 11 hours, 5s. 0½d.; and that the wages of the datal men shall be increased in strict arithmetical proportion to the wages they are earning at the time of such increase in the hours. I determine that the increased hours shall or may commence on and after the first pays after the date of this my award.

As witness my hand, this 15th day of April 1878.

E. J. MEYNELL.

There immediately arose some dispute as to the application of the award, and he was called upon to define it, which he did in a decision given at Joint Committee on May 10th.

_May 10th, 1878._

"I further award and decide that where the working hours shall be increased in accordance with my award, that the minimum wages to be paid to the miners shall be where the pit works 10 hours and a half, 4s. 10½d. and where the pit works 11 hours, 5s. 0½d. is intended to mean--that where the hewers are increased one quarter hour per shift, the county average wage shall, in that case, be considered as 4s. 10½d. instead of 4s. 8½d. as hithertofore; and where their hours are increased half-an-hour per shift, the county average wage shall be 5s. 0½d. instead of the present average of 4s. 8½d.

It is also intended that the working hours of any or all classes of workmen may be increased on the payment to them of proportionate increased rates as set out in the award; and that the maximum working hours for drawing coals be 11 hours per day in day-shift pits, and double shifts proportionately."

The employers then asked that there should be an allowance for the time taken by boys under age descending and ascending. With the ten hours the boys under sixteen came out after coal drawing was done, but under the eleven hours some were taken in at six A.M. and "rode" at four P.M. Some were taken at seven A.M. and came out at five P.M., when the coal drawing finished. There was, therefore, a loss of time at either seven or at four, and this should be allowed for. The matter was arranged on the following principle:--Whatever time was taken either at seven to send the under-age boys down, or at four to bring them up, should be added to the eleven hours. If it took ten minutes, then the coal drawing would be from six A.M. to five-ten P.M., but in no case was the time allowed to be more than a quarter of an hour.

POSITION OF THE ASSOCIATION

As the year progressed the trade became more depressed. Pits were being laid in or batches of men were being discharged. The price of coals was rushing down; the ascertainment for the four months ending November showed the average was 4s. 7.65d. per ton, a reduction of 8.32d. per ton since the scale was established without any reduction in wages. The evil of this was seen in the numbers of men being discharged and in the sad falling away in the membership. The extent of this may be gathered by a reference to the Executive Committee Minutes for May 13th. Without mentioning names here, suffice it to say that at one large colliery a deputation was sent from the Executive with power to "appoint someone to act as checkweighman and secretary and to guarantee his wages for six months," and that if the men at that colliery wished "the President attend as either steward or treasurer." The state of the county was growing so desperate that the Committee issued two circulars, the object being to place it clearly before the members. In the first they dealt with the Relief Fund. They commenced by saying:

"We are passing through a crisis in the coal trade, and during its continuance every step we take requires careful watching. We may even find it necessary to retrace our steps, by undoing what we have hithertofore done. We are well aware, that to many men this kind of conduct seems to portray a want of stability and necessary perseverance. Perseverance in a good and successful cause is highly commendable, but to persevere in a course of conduct, where perseverance means ultimate ruin is neither wise nor commendable. A renowned writer has said that "while fools persevere in their ways, wise men change their opinions and course of conduct." A body of men who either cannot or will not adapt themselves to existing exigencies must not expect success to attend their efforts."

Passing from these calm, wise words of warning they bring before the members the position of the Relief Fund. A year prior they (the Committee) had asked them to subscribe to assist those thrown out of employment by the bad condition of trade. To this there had been a response of twopence per fortnight. That had not been adequate to meet the demand, and the twopence had been increased to fivepence. Still the income did not keep pace with the outlay. For the six weeks previous there had been a loss of £2145. There was not only this monetary loss, but there was the more serious one, its effect on the membership.

Thousands of members are refusing to pay the fivepence per fortnight, and great numbers of men have left the Association, so that we are not only losing the fivepence but their ordinary labour contributions. This being our position, we would strongly advise you to at once abolish the payment of the Relief Fund levy.

While this was their opinion they would continue the benefits for three months. At the Council held on 15th June it was decided "that the benefits of the Relief Fund be continued for 12 weeks longer, but the contributions cease forthwith and the money required to meet the demands thereof be taken from the General Fund." This was done in order that the men in receipt of relief should not suddenly have their small resources cut off, but should have a little time to look round.

The second circular dealt with the General Fund in its relation to the demands upon it. As a preface to their suggested alteration they said:

The history of Trades Unions during the last 30 years would form a very curious chapter in the annals of our country. The vicissitudes which have happened to organised bodies of workmen have been manifold, and varied; but the disastrous consequences which have so often overtaken them have generally been the result of a want of policy, prudence, and forethought, on the part of those who have composed such Associations. It is just as much the study of those who have the more direct management of Associations like ours to look facts fully in the face before it is too late, as it is that of the head of a household to weigh his position and measure his stores both present and prospective, before he rushes into irretrievable ruin. Believing this to be our duty we now place before you our position both present and prospective.

They then point out that the expenditure was just double the income. During the previous nine months there had been £20,000 drawn from the deposit account. In the face of these facts there needed to be retrenchment. They then show that in 1869 the contribution was fixed at 6d. per fortnight, while the strike and breakage allowance was 10s. per week (and a colliery must be off two weeks before receiving anything), and the sacrificed allowance was 13s. per week, with 1s. per week for each child. These benefits continued until 1872, when work was plentiful and wages good. Then the strike and breakage allowance was raised to 15s. (and only to be off a week before being entitled), and the sacrificed allowance was made 20s., with 2s. 6d. for each child, per week. They therefore suggested a reversion to the original payment (except in the case of the week) and the reduction of the death legacy for children from £3 to £2, and they wound up by saying:

"It is not now a matter of choice, but one of positive compulsion. An Association wanting money is like a ship wanting a rudder in a boisterous sea. We would soon find ourselves driven on to the rocks of discontent, disaffection, and disunion, and in all probability shattered to pieces in the struggle. To pursue longer the course we are now pursuing must shortly leave us in that pitiable and helpless condition."

A special Council meeting was held on 11th October which gave sanction to the whole of the Committee's recommendation.

FORMATION OF THE FEDERATION BOARD

As soon as the other sections of labour had formed themselves into separate organisations in 1873-4, there sprang up a desire for a federation of forces, and from time to time there appeared resolutions on the Council programme all aiming at that end. In this year it took a more definite shape. On the Committee Minutes for January 28th there is a resolution as follows:--

That a deputation of three agents attend a meeting of cokemen, mechanics and enginemen as to the amalgamation of all those Associations.

In October a meeting was held at which a set of rules was drawn up and sent out to the county with an explanation. The members were informed that the suggestions were not unalterable, but in their crude form were submitted subject to their approval or amendment. And they were informed that:

"The Federation was formed to protect their joint interests. There might have been divisions but these must be forgotten. The workmen were unconnected, whilst acting against a thoroughly organised body of owners. There had been no cohesion, nor the remotest understanding, while at the same time they were dealing with the same combined body of capitalists. It must be clear to everyone that while in our present divided condition and negotiating with owners who act as one body we must be placed at a very serious disadvantage."