Miners Mass Meeting Silverdale 1875
Never was there a larger gathering of miners in Silverdale than the one that was seen on the Crown Bank on Thursday evening May 1st 1875 when about 3.000 crowded every available foot of ground, forming one of the most imposing sites we have ever seen in the village. For nearly two hours the great mass listened in the most attentive manner to the able addresses delivered upon the most important question of the proposed reduction of wages. Mr. Benjamin Cook was voted to the chair and opened the meeting in a few brief remarks. He said another crisis in their history as miners had arrived, inasmuch as they had received notice for a 10% reduction in their wages and they knew the state of trade in some measure, and also their own position as miners at the present time. As there were several speakers he would not make a speech himself, but would only ask them to listen attentively to what was about to be said.
Mr. Elsby, the President of the north Staffordshire District of the National Association, then addressed the meeting. He remarked that an employer in the district, so it was stated, had said that in North Stafford that there was going to be one of the fiercest struggles that the district had ever seen. If that was so, surely the best plan was for them to make every preparation for it. That they were doing. Mr. Brown and himself had only that day returned from London, where they had been to see Mr. Macdonald, M.P. the President of the National Association and had thus been obtaining all the sound advice and judgement that they could, and they were thus preparing themselves for all the circumstances of the case. They knew well the severe struggle there was in South Wales. It had been reported very lately in the papers that that struggle was ended, and that it had ended to the advantage of the masters and to the disadvantage of the men. Such statements however, were a great untruth. It was not yet ended and when it would end he did not know. A number of the men had gone in, but they were not men, who were in the Association, and they were refused parish pay and other assistance, they in a great measure had no alternative.
He did not think that there was much advantage to the masters, as they were gone in almost the same conditions as they as they came out. The masters had certainly suffered great loss as well as the men. It was an advantage to the Association, as inasmuch as it would be lighter for them to support a part of the men than the whole and some of the men were in the Association. It was also said that the funds were running low, but that was also untrue, for they were as well supported now as ever they were. The same cloud seemed to hang over this district and it behove them not to rush upon it, but, if possible to try to avert it; but if it did come, to be prepared for the worst.
As he had been coming along he had been thinking of the laws of nature and some of those laws, any rate never seem to alter. The stars shone the same now as they did at the beginning; and the sun and the moon gave there light the same now as ever. Those things never altered and he had been thing that it would be a good thing if they could get a system with reference to wages which would endure masters and men never take advantage one over the other. Something like the sliding scale prepared by Sir Robert Peel for the Corn Laws. He thought something might be done in that direction. Let the prices go up with the material, and when the prices came down, so would the wages in a proper ratio. If they could draw up a proper scale after that fashion he thought it would be a very good thing.
He did not think that there was anything to be gained by the calling of hard names, but it was nevertheless their duty to be firm, and maintain their own position. Their object that night was to discuss the question of wages and ask the question were the masters justified in putting out a notice for a 10% reduction of wages. Was it necessary? As men, they did not think it was, although they were not furnished with all the information with reference to the price of coal and iron. They new what the price of some kinds of coal and iron were, but they did not know them all. Some might be more and some less and thus they were at a disadvantage. If they had known these facts before, then they would know what to do, and that information was what they had been trying to gain, whilst they had been away.
He knew well that some masters, while doing pretty well, would try to make it appear that they were doing pretty badly, but what they wanted at this time was the real facts of the case. They might certainly have been in a somewhat better position with reference to resisting anything of the kind if they had each been a little more dutiful. The mariner prepared for the storm, and when it came he had everything in readiness, and, like the mariner, they should always make preparation for storms. That lesson they had preached to them over and over again.
At their district Meeting it was resolved to call another meeting together with reference to a decision upon the matter. One thing they learned at that meeting and that was that 23 firms in the district had not given their men notice, and that was a very considerable point and would be of great importance to them. If there were wishful to gain their points, those at work would have to make up their minds to assist those who were standing out, and help would be obtained from other sources. The National Association was very strong and their funds in a very prosperous position, in addition to which they would have to go about and obtain every additional subscription they could from every part of the district, and he had no doubt but that they would be able to maintain their position for a very long period. The question would, however, have to be looked at fairly and calmly, and if it could be possibly compromised in some way a great amount of suffering and loss would doubtless be avoided. Such must necessarily be the case, especially where men had large families, so that it would be wise to see what could be done first.
Mr Edwards, of Longton, next addressed the meeting in his usual spirited and intelligent style and his remarks were listened to with great attention.
Mr Brown, who was well received, delivered a speech of nearly an hour long,every word of which was eagerly drank in by the vast congregation that covered the bank and lined the upper windows of New-street, as though it was the last speech they were about to hear. He said if ever there was a time in the history of mining in North Staffordshire that their best judgement, their calmest deliberation, and they had need of the least passion, it certainly was the present crisis. He could endorse every word that had fallen from the lips of Mr. Edwards. Every man with a family knew that 30s a week and dear fuel, and provisions not cheap, was a small amount to go into his home. He had not to alter his opinion with reference to that matter this evening, for 5s a day for a collier never meat 30s a week on the average and 5s a day for the miner would never be 30s a week all the year round, inasmuch as he could not work his six days a week throughout the year. When he made that statement, he made it to miners generally.
There was not strength enough or physical stamina sufficient in the miners of the country to work 6 days a week in the mines regularly, and to do the amount of laborious work they had to do each day. The man who had to hole a hard stint every day and use a pike, box, and rake and fill a large number of tubs each day could not endure the six days a week for 12 months in succession.
A dark cloud seemed to be hanging over the district at the present time, and at that moment many families were in deep distress for some of those men that listened to his voice a few days ago were now in eternity. It was only a fortnight since he addressed a large meeting at Butt Lane and some of the very men that were snatched away by the recent explosion at Bunker’s Hill were present at that meeting. He was glad to see so large a company of them present that night, so peaceable, so attentive, and so respectable in appearance. It was no small matter when 43 of their fellow men were hurried away in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, without the least time for preparation. He said it behove them and everyone to be ready at all times, and to so live as to be ready to die.
He had addressed a large meeting at Aberdare on the previous Friday night and they were speaking about fair remuneration for the colliers’ labour. They had been told that when a company their £15.000£20.000 or £100.000 in mining operations it was a great out-lay. He, (Mr. Brown) knew that it was a lot of money, but he would say that 500 human beings was a large number of men and they represented in the aggregate perhaps not less than a thousand with women and children included, and if 500 men’s lives and limbs, with their family dependent upon them were worth anything, he they were worth £100.000. They might take it for granted that the capitalists and the colliers were equal in the risk. Though really not equal they would for the sake of argument acknowledge them to be so. But was there a man there that night willing to lose his life for £10.000? Would anyone of them loose an eye or a limb for that sum? Money was valuable, but their lives, limbs and health were more valuable than money.
The capitalist was useful in his way, but the collier and his work were very useful. They were told by some of the great thinkers that the danger attending an occupation should not be taken into account, or into consideration at all, but He (Mr. Brown) contended that it was right to take it into account. The average life of a miner was not more than 27 yearsand all miners that lived from the age of 20 to the age of 60 were taking the average sick 67% more that other operatives. These things being fully considered, the wages of the miners were, at the present time, low enough and if it could be prevented they should never be allowed to go lower. Reason however must guide them; for evil passion could not guide anything, but it was on the other hand, a great destroyer. Some would perhaps, ready to find fault that he, along with his friend Mr. Elsby, had been to London to see Mr. Macdonald, M.P. during the last few days; but he would remind them that the expense of two men going to London upon business like that was no more than a drop in the bucket compared to the loss entailed by even an hours strike.
He was, as they knew, opposed to strikes and lock-outs. One had been going on ever since the commencement of the present year in South Wales and Monmouthshire, and he had no hesitation what so ever in saying that thousands could be found who had nothing in their mouths that day but a piece of bread and a drink of cold water; and if it had not been for such gentlemen as the Rector of Merthyr, Connon Jenkings of Aberdare, and other useful ministers of religion, it is hard to see where they would have been that day. But, thanks be to god life has been sustained and as yet they had not been able to find one that was pined to death. He hoped that if a conflict like that could be prevented in this district, that it would be prevented.
The masters wanted another 10% reduction. Thousands of men said they would not stand any reduction at all. Some said they would not have conciliationand would reject to arbitration; but they must bear in mind that the thousands of men in Waleswere not standing out so much against the 10% or 15% reduction, as against the refusal of employers to meet them, and to show by figures and facts their position and calculations and that the trade could not afford them any more wages than those offered. Such was the reason why the strike continued.
Mr. Macdonald’s advice was for the men of North Staffordshire to have a meeting with their employers; but at the same time he did not believe that the present reduction was fair, or that the mining population ought to go down to that low platform they were upon in 1870 and for many years previous. He would again tell them that a strike would not prove whether the masters were right or whether the men were right. His advice then was that they met the masters at the Conciliation Board, and their friends at Silverdale must be kind enough, manly enough and considerate enough, to send not less than two men to such Board when appointed. Men that they had confidence in, men of experience, men of integrity and sound judgement and men of good reasoning powers, so that they should be able to hold their own when they came be fore the employers at that important tribunal.
They were not there that night to declare war against employers but they were there to say that they were human beings and not mere machines and to say that they detested the language that said that the labourer was an article of supply and demand, pigs of iron, hay, corn, butter, eggs, bacon and such like things were articles of supply, but when they trampled upon colliers, they were trampling upon human beings and he wanted to have them to understand that great and strong must be their combination if oppression must cease.
Some of them read the papers and must know that a very important meeting, recently held at Westminster Palace, the representative of one of the richest lords in the land said: “Gentlemen we must protest against these independent workmen. We must not allow the unions to crush independence.” What was meant was that the masters must protect the non-union men for they were the independent workmen.
The men that were willing to go down at 5 o’ clock in the morning, and stop in the pits until 7 o’ clock in the evening if asked for the noble sum of 3s 6p or 2s 6p a day, were the kind of men that the representative of the millionaire called independent workmen, while the oppressed and tyrannised workmen were those that thought eight hours a day was sufficient for a day’s work for 6s pay. The tyrannised were those that believed in good cupboards, good cloths and good books; but those that believed in greasy flannels to wear on Sunday, and a miserable pittance, were called the independent workmen.
He would just say a word to the young men that were not a shilling better off than now than they were the first meeting that he addressed at Silverdale. Those that had taken their 10s or 15s on a pay night to Newcastle or Silverdale, and had returned with not a penny in their pockets, where would they be now if there was a strike? Where were their bank books now that they had laid such things as levies and contributions on one side? Where now was their ammunition to fight? Some men, no doubt, there were that could stand a six month’s strike, but by far the greater number of men and boys out of the union, he was sorry to say would find their shops closed against them. A dark look would be put on, and it would be useless trying to get anything there. The great question was,not what they would like to have or try to have, but it was what had they the power to retain or enforce? He was sorry that while thousands were prepared for six month’s fight, there was a very large number that could not fight a single day at their own expense.
There were, thank God, some good employers in the district. One had said to his men only a few days ago; “men the time is coming when the whether is hot and the coal trade will not be very brisk, and the profits of myself and partner will be rather low, but nevertheless we will not reduce your wages, but will stand our share of the hard times and when the good times come again we must pull together. Twenty three firms in the district had given no notice of a reduction, but the Chatterley Company had given notice, and Robert Heath Esq., M.P., for Stoke-on-Trent had given notice. Those were the great and wealthy men of the district. He (the speaker) had been told that the Chatterley Company had several partners who could lay their hands upon a million of money any day! Where did such vast amounts come from he wanted to know? Mr. Gladstone had said to a Liverpool audience that there had been more wealth made since the commencement of the present century in this country than in all 18 centuries of the Christian era preceding it.