The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-11-11 00:00:00

CONFERENCE OF MINERS.

On Monday morning a National Conference of Repre-
sentatives from the Mining Districts of the Kingdom
was opened in the Mechanics' Institute, David street,
Manchester. Mr. Alexander D. M•Donald, president
of the Aline' s' Parliamentary Deputation, was chosen
chairman. A large number of delegates from all the
wining districts were present. Letters of apology for
absence were read from the Hon. Arthur Kinnairil and
Mr. Charles Neate, late member for Oxford. The
latter gentleman said he did not think miners had ally
cause of regret at the failure of the Government to pass
their very imperfect Bill.
The Chairman, in his opening remarks, said the
educational provisions of the Government 11111 were
Illusive, and could not be carried out. Ile combatted
the statement f Mr. Bence at Merthyr, that the
miners wished to shift the resimnsibilities of the menders
to the Government The inspection was carried out
directly under the control of the Secretary of State,
and the (lot-eminent alone was to blame ftlr any defects
in ths carrying out of the Acts. Mr. Bruce said he
had a great many other things to attend to; but
if he was too overburdened to attend to the in-
terests of the miners, the remedy lay in the ap-
pointment of a Minister of Mines, who should be
responsible to the country. Some of the present
inspectors admitted before the Select Committee
that they had not been down all the mines in
their districts, and one of them confessed that he
sometimes wrote to the owners to tell them of his in-
tended visits. Such things ought not to be. One
question that would engage the attention of the Con-
ference was the Truck Act. Baggily, the Govern-
ment acceded to a request made some tune ago for an
inquiry, and a report had been published that he be.
lieved would have the effect of inducing Government
to bring in a bill that would "scotch" that practice,
if not kill it altogether. He was glad to say that
few respectable employers now practised the trink
rystem. It was only those who hal no regard what-
ever for the welfar, if their workmen that wiadil
have Gnything t.. 6. with it. Ile believed that the
true saint, of the 'lilts-any lay in weekly pay-
ments. A good deal •.f hiter,t exisal :it present re.
grading the law of coml.vll.4'6m. Ile held that the
law should extend to this : that whoever performs, by
word or deed, that which the elm iloyer should
perform in virtue .if his relation to the work-new.
that man was the representative of the employer, and
the employer should be responsible for his acts. It
was said that Comn 1111 l bin was spreading. He held
that the t onnothistie idea was proceeding more from
Os- riliployers' interest than from the working men.
They carries' on their works for their own interest
alone, and as individuals. But if in carrying on their
operations they through neglect destroyed 100 lives,
leaving children fatherless, and AO WhIOWS, they
lost their individuality. They became Communists
from that mement, and handed is or the wretched
and the suffering for the public to maintain. They
must strike at the riot of this, and the only 114e3118
Was having a law that WI ill make ployses re•
stermeihle. .wlea of a direct representation 4,1
labour was to the Conference an important and soleten
question. Two hundred working men might be in the
House of Commons if the working men themAelves
really and truly desired it. If working men were re-
turned there need no longer be complaints about class
interests, and then when questions affecting them
came up, the expressions of their direct representatives
would have inure weight than 40 inspectors. He hoped
that by the lot of January, 1872, the miners of the
kingdom woield be working only eight hours a day. If
the boon of short hours was needed fir other working
men, surely it was much more needed for the working
miner far down in the deep unhealthy mine.
A vote of thanks WM given to Mr. APDonald for his
address, and the Conference then adjourned.