The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-03-01 00:00:00

WALES.

THE MINERS' STRIKE IN SHIITE

MKITIITR, Silardy.

The tradesmen of Merthyr, having exhausted the

. . ...
means .1 their dlePosal for giving relief and granting credit
to the men on strike in that neighbourhood, convened •
meeting with a view to bring about a oompromhei between
the manager of the Dowlais works and those who lately left
their employment there. It having been ascertained that
the original offer of Mr. lien/bias was still open, provided
the men accepted It at once, • union agent was Introduced,
who advanced three points which he hoped might form the
heals of a settlement. It was decided to hold a mass meeting
on Monday morning, at which the mattees in dupe% will be
discussed by all concerned.

The Correspondent of the Daily Noes, writing from
Merthyr, on Monday night, gives the following
account of the attempt to mediate between waston
and men :

The new hoyes which were created by the negotiationa
which had such an auspicious promise on Saturday that
to-day would see the termination of the strike have beim sig-
nally blighted.

T:.,-day7a meeting seas held at the Bethany Chapel, a large
place, eatable of accommodating about 1,00, persons.
workmen from tvery department were present at the
first, bur, as was done hut week, the iron-workers
and men from all branches, except collieries and
ironstone 111111.4, were excluded, and as they left,
their places were taken by colliers and miner., who
speedily filled the building. A working man was appointed
chairman, and, in a brief speech, explained the object of the
meeting, after which the Union agent for the Merthyr dis-
trict said he, in company with the agent of the Aberdare
district, waited upon the Dowlais Company's manager on
Saturday evening and talked over matter.. They had drawn
out the heads of an agreement which they proposed to submit
to the manager for his consideration, and lilt were accepted
he had no doubt that they would terminate the strike to-day.
That agreement embodied the following conditions. The
workmen of the Dowlas iron Company to resume work on
the 25th February at the reduction of 10 per cent, and con.
thane at that rate until the 12th March • the old rate of wages
in December last then to be restored', and to be continued
until the Ist April, when an advance 01 10 per cent, upon
that rate should be conceded, the workmen and company
to sign an agreement to that effect upon the resumption of
work.

.. --
After some discussion, an amendment for an alteration of
the rates of reduction at which they were to go in to work
from ten per cent to five per cent, was put to the vote, and
not a single hand was held up for tt. The resolution for the ten
per cent reduction and the lame amount of advance on the
ISt April was next put, and canted by acclamation. A deputa-
tion was then appointed, and it was agreed that the men to
be selected should not be the same who composed the depu-
tation of this day week. Hall a dozen men having teen
selected, they proceeded to the Dowlais office, bearing with
them the document setting forth the terms to which the
meeting had agreed. At the office they were joined by
another deputation representing the various departments of
works alx.tve ground, and together they were received by
Mr. Menelaus. -

On re-assembling, the Chairman briefly erpressed him hope
that the deputation had god news to cummunicate. The
agents who had drawn up that memorandum had done their
best in the interests of a settlement, and, in his opinion,
gone a little further than they need have gone.

The deputation then individually gave an account of what
transpired at the office, which, in substance, was as follows
The propositions of the men were rejected. They had appa-
reutly mhunderstood the basis upon which Mr. Menelaus had I
consented to negotiate on behalf of the Dowlais Company.
Nothing was said about • ten per neut. advance, or the
signing of an agreement To these terms they could not
accede. Their offer was this—" Go In at the ten per cent,
reduction, and on the 15th March at Iciest we will state
the terms upon which we propose to continue your en-
gagemente. Pending the statement of these terms, your
contract shall be from day to day, eo that in the event of our
Ultimate offer being unacceptable, you will be at liberty to
cease work without notice. We can enter into no agreement
now, but if you will repose confidence In us as your em-
ployers, we promise you the moat liberal and generous treat-
ment. Further than that we cannot go." Mr. Monello. was ,
immovably firm. The deputation, however, could not give I
him an answer offhand, and they arranged, therefore, to
return to him again at hallptut three with the final con-
clusion to which the meeting arrived. The deputation said
there was another point w !itch Mr. Menelaus stipulated,
namely, that he offered those terms conditionally upon their
acceptance he the men of all the essociated works, and their
honest and faithful observance of Chem.
The Aberdare district agent of the Uolon then addreased
the meeting in • quiet temperate speech :—The Dowials
Company evidently Mought that the agreement emanated
from the Union, which WAS not the ease, bat they did net ,
want to enter into any agreement at all. He did not I
dispute that if they were to accept the Dowlais Coro-
pony a offer they might obtain even better condielons
than that agreement stipulated, which was greeted
with exclamations of approval. Of counts, he con-
tinued, none of them knew what was in the
manager's mind. lie thought however, it would
be better to have the term, defined, so that they
could all underatan•l what they were doing. If the
masters had taken that document and looked at it care-
fully, they would hays seen that practically what the
men asked for on the tat April was the advance which was
required on the Ist October lass, bot the notice for whils
was withdrawn in the lice of the threatened lock out. lie I
thought that wfts a air point for the consideration of masters.
But the question now before them resolved Itself Into this
—Coold they rely upon the promise of the Dowlais Company
Did they feel that they could go to work upon that pronouse,
with the certainty that their employers would keep their
word to them? If they had that confidence in the company,
and thought proper to go to work upon such terms, then, to
nee his own word., "If you can do that. I quite agree with
you." It was for them to decide at that meeting If they
came to such a conclusion, well and good. Be would
not diesuade them from it. But whatever they did, he
asked them to do nothing which soulci aggravate the situa-
tion, es ha-1 been done at some other oleo's recently. Ile
earnestly begged them to consider the question well, and
decide in the way which they believed would be beat for
themselves. But there was one point to which he directed
their special attention, namely, to the condition which Mr.
Menelaus stipulated for liberty to stop the Dowlais men at
once, in the event el the men at any other works refusing to
go in on these terms. Ile thought it was unfair that the
Dowlala men should be required to make • settlement for
the obstinacy of others. That should he pointed out to him. I

This Breaker was followed by the Agent for the Merthyr
district, who spoke in Welsh, and said the men bed gene.,
upon one knee to the masters, but they wool 1 not bend
both. If the masters were not yet prepared for. settlement
let them lake a little more Mule to consider. It was better
to wait a little longer than to force a settlement upon an-
satisfac!ory grounds. They would cut be in ewers' position
a month hence than they were now. Ile was not willing to
make greater couceinoua than tney flat already made, and
is as not prepared to let the grouna slip from under their
feet. Tiny had been starving for the last two months, and
the hardship would not be much greater if they starved
three mouths hence. They had su7mitted a document
setting forth reasonable propoeitious, and if It dni not suit the
masters to accept them, let them wait until they came to
their senses. Mr. Menelaus's promise was all very well, but
he could not pledge the other companies, though he worked
In c dubination with them. He recognised the good offices
of the tradesmen, but advised them in future to leave the
masters and men to settle the dispute between themselves.
He could not recommend the meeting to accept the bare
offer of Mr. Menelaus, but they might do so if they liked.
The decision remained in their hands. The Aberdare agent
then put the question, "Have you confidence to go in on
those terms ?" The response to willch was a loud and
general " No.*

It wu then proposed that Mr. Menelaus's offer should be
rejected, and the motion, having been seconded, was tarried
unanimously.

Immediately afterwards another motion was made, and
mho carried without opposition, that no further meeting. be
held until they were convened by the muter.

The deputation returnod to Mr. Manetaus with the answer
of the meeting about half-past four, and his reply was,
" Very well, gentlemen ; then we needn't lay another
word."
. . . . . . . . .

So the matter rests, but it has thrown the town Into a state
of Indescribable despondency, and the tradesmen YieW the
prospect with looks ol blank despair.

In the course of the proceedings on Monday, M.
Clark said :

"Now let roe sey a word. I have represented the Dowlals
Company for 15 years, for many years singly and solely, and
what I say I have the power to do and twill do. I interfere
as little as possible, because the works cannot be managed
by two people. Mr. Menelaus has a pow= its his works which
I can assure you no other manager has. What bas says, I
always sanction It seems to me better that in these die
maid ma the talk should be by one, and not by more. You
suffer from having too many heads talking to you. I WY de-
termined that we should not suffer fr. .m this. Mr. Menelaus
has met u and said from time to time what our terms are.
I soy that I cordially sanction every word Mr Menelaus rays.
You know that the men do not work In either quality or quan-
tity= they used. Here there has been a very little work done
to what there used to be, and a great deal of even that little
has not been good work. That is a very unpleasant state of
things. At last this dispute came, and I have this to say,—
We have very maturely considered the question. I don't be-
lieve that there are any masters in the country so strong as
we are. We had one weak man among us, and he has wone out.
Not only that, but the 'Jowls& Company itself Is sufficiently
strong to stand. And I tell yon this. I would rather resign the
lease into the hands of Lord Bute and give up the works for ever
and evert's= concede these terms. I think you have found Mr.
Menelaus true, hon.st, and Inst. A great deal has been said
In the newspapers about tyrannical masters, but I think you
must 10 Mr. Menelaus the Nati= to say that he underst=ds
)our =sinews, and I think he has treated 5= fairly and well.
Whet, you talk about truating to our honour, I would say
th 4 we never said anything about honour, but it you like to
trust to our good feeling towards the men well and good. If
you donst like to trust to your 15 years' experience of this,
tAngs must take their own course.' —(This account Is from
The Times' Corre.po.ident J

The Times' " Own Correspondent" writes under date,
Merthy r, Feb. 25 : -

The state of things at this moment may be described in.
few words—it Is one of general emprinilemy, nowhere re-
lieved by a stogie ray of hope. Lost night Mr. Halliday ad-
dressed a meeting, but susgested nothing new, and Mr.
LI. lid Jones, who has ci me down from Loudon, I hear, to
collect statistics upon the prices of c.ial arid the rotes of
wages prevailing at various places, spoke upon the general
question. To-day, however, the former has male another
proposition for settlement upon the folioe tog conditions:-
1. That the colliers Medi resume v.ork,at le per cent. re-
duction for the space of two weeks.
2. not for one month thereafter the old rote of wages
which prevailed% December last shall be restore I.

3. That from the expiration of that time, for a further
period of twelve weeks, an additional adirmice of 5 per cent.
dist' bo paid.

4. In the meantime a general meeting of the masters and
men chaff be held to fix, On a resaJnaule Wahl, the future
wage rate of the district.

- ----- •
Substantially, those terms are the subs ea Mr. Brogden
adopted, the only modification being that the men accept
the min :thin In full. It is useless to hope for anything from
this proposal. The masters have repeatedly expressed their
decided objection to any such conditions, and if any doubt
remained in the minds of people as to their intentions upon
this point, It in not have been oiapelled by the unmistakable
firmnese of the language used by both My. Clark and Mr.
Menelaus to the deputation yesterday.
The only solution which we may look forward to after the
events of the last ten day. is that which will follow from
Lie exhaustion of the weaker party. Whether it will be
the employers or their workmen time alone must decide,
but there is • preponderance of probabilities against
the workmen. For weeks the greater portion of them
and their families have subeleted on the credit of
their tradesmen. Those who have no credit to fall
back upon have gone begging, while their families have been
sustained by the charitable distribution of the soup kitchen.,
but now these sources of livhig are rapidly approaching ex-
haustion, and a few daye hence their supplies will entirely
cease. There will then be keener hunger than them has yet
been experienced, and we must wait to see what influence it
may have upon the general attitude of the man.

A meeting of delegate ironworkers was held on
Monday at Great Bridge to hear the opinion of Mt.
Kane, the secretary of the National Amalgamation of
Ironworkerd, upon the South Wales strike and the
future basis of wages in the iron trade. Mr. Kane
remarked that the sympathies of the country with
the miners and ironworkers on strike in South Wales
was every day being more clearly expressed, and
there 1,1 .8 an almost universal feeling that they should
te supported against the oppression of capital.
He heartily approved the course adopted by Mr. Brog-
den with his workmen, and was glad that his men
had acceded to the terms. He believed that the ex-
ample of Mr. Brogden would be followed by other
employers, and the strike eventually be terminated on
• bean achsuitsgeolui to the me. The meeting ail:test
the following resolution ;—"That this meeting