The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-05-09 00:00:00

THE MISERS STRIKE.

CONFERENCE BETWEEN MASTERS

AND MEN

WAVERELtmIq" WEDNISDAY.
Pending the result of the Conciliation
Board, to-morrow, in BirmMgham, business
in the iron trade continues in a state of
auspenac. Various opinions were expressed
on 'Change as to the probable issue of the
meeting, but the feeling seemed to be pretty
general that there could be no modification
of the reduction in wages now proposed.
Many, indeed, are of opinion that wages
must be brought down toa much lower level
than has been yet suggested before any real On Monday, the 13th of April, Mr. Thomas
revival of the trade of the district can take Hstton, of Hay Green, on returning from Hales-
stated that there is a slow but owen, was attacked near the Hayes, by two men,
no, in the number of miners in and murderously beaten and maltreated wbh
rho have consented to go in at sticks and other weapons. A reward was offered
ttc of wage. If our information p
aft tre"rnn'enoni°43eoort etbrieriareawhaautetirB' d Cll eorn rerloo of Earl Dudley's miners m
CradleyY, and Isaac Bloomer, chgaintaakerP Crad-
"at the drop." At the pits ley Heath, were charged b-fsre Mr. j. C. A.
elnced rate of wages is accepted, scot., with the assault. 'Mr. Addison appeared
selling at les. fid. for seconds, for the prisoners, and'stated that he should apply
imps, and 7s. for engine slack, for an adjournment, in consequence of not has. difficulty in obtaining adequote ing hem able to secure the whole of his wit
nel to meet the current require- Dent°.
r,lev,
=men r
, a fact which forcibly
...",),ma „
Thomas B!-- ' crsdh, tb
1,
depressed condif on f „. T
•;
idnatry in the di.i. t It , A , .
hot thc t' C. •L \ ~is he sod snow,
been blown ont during the last it Waxer " knookeu a mar !- -n it
reduced the consumption briskkiln aud left him 110111•10L11, and than rau

place. It is
steady increase
the district
the reduced r
is correct, ,

are working
where the

;educed

thick coal is i
14a. 6. for lu
There is :no
supplies of ft

..
meats af
iudicates

Lett
com rnted

which have
nix months

In accordance with a resolution passed at
a meeting of the masters on Monday last, at
the Dudley Hotel, Dudley, a committe of
coalmasters conferred on Thursday with a
number of the miru•rs' rep7esoatal es. at the
Council Chamber of the Birmingham Ex-
...image. Mr. E. Fisher Smith presided, and
the other masters present were—front
Dudley: Messrs. J. B. Cochrane, J. P. Hunt.
W. Hassan°, and E. J. Collis. Wolver-
hampton: Messrs. N. Neal Solly, Daniel
Grouentt, and Thomas Barker. Cannock :
Aessrs. J. N. Brown and E. Peake. Tipton:
Messrs. John Aston and E. T. Wright.
The representatives from the miners on
strike were—Messrs. Elijah Haden, Josepti
Mee, James Watts, Levi Brittain, Henry
Southall, Thomas Amos, John Madeley,
Thomas Griffiths, Joseph Southall, George.
Pickard, George Carter, and Charles
Get hing.

The proceedings were conducted in pr:vate
and lasted nearly three hours. We under-
stand that Mr. Fisher Smith ltd off on be-
half of the masters, and that the discussion
was warmly taken up by others, who en-
deavoured to impress upon the men the de-
sirabilitv of making the reduction of Is. per
day in thick coal colliers' wages, and a re-
duction of 9d. in the wages of thin coal
colliers, owing chiefly to the circumstances
that prices had greatly advanced for every
article used in connection with a coalpit,
and that the colliery proprietors' outlay had
been greatly increased, while they were re-
ceiving in most instances, if not in all, a less
price for the coal produced.

Mr. Gething was the first to reply to the
arguments of the masters in favour of the
reduction, and Mr .Pickard. Mr. Griffiths,
and others of the representatives of the men
also entered into the discussion, and strongly
maintained the justice of the men's claim to
the old scale of wages. They pointed out
that if the masters' expenses had increased
so also bad those of the men, and drew at-
tention to the very great advance that had
taken place in provisions and every house-
hold neeeessary. It was also put forth that
if the masters were to reduce the miners.
wages Is. for every fall of 3s. per ton in coal,
they might go on doing so until the the met:
would not have sufficient wages to live upon
Out t e masters present did not appear to
think that such a procedure on the part of
the employers was possible. From
the opening of the proceedings it was appar-
ent that the meeting would not end satisfa-2-
torily, as both sides had met with a clear de-
termination not to make any concession. On
both sides, however, an anxious desire was
expressed that the strike should soon come
, to an end, and, although no decision was ar-
rived at, there was a general belief that be-
fore In g an iimie:!ble settlement would be
made. When the d Qeo ••,1 had lasted about
two 'intim h w a suggested that the men
should retire, as it was thought they might
be able to arrive more rapidly- at a decision
in private conclave, and that probably they
would afterwards be in a position to make
some offer on behalf of the men that would
be R irthi consideration by the masters. Atter
about a quarter of an hour's consultation in
the open air in front of the Queen's Hotel,
the men returned, and intimated that they
would recomend the men to accept the re-
duced wages if the master would undertake
to protect them from any further reduction
for three months. Upon this point a lengthy
discussion took place, several of the masters
being in favour of the delegates' decision, but
it was opposed by the majority, and ulti-
mately it was decided not to make any pro-
misc. The men soon afterwards left, and
undertook to report the result of the confer.
once to the men.

have