The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-12-17
ADDRMse o. TINE MiNgRe' NATIONAL $3.50
clATIcM oE GREAT BRiTA@.

OlATtCw Ob CHmAT wWTA~s
The following address TO the coal,
iron, lead, copper. lime and shale miu-
ers of the United Kingdom, will doubt
less prove OF interest TO many OF our
mining readers who were born on the
other side of the Atlantic:
FKLLow-woRKnEN, several important questions |
fall TO come before the Houses Of Parliament
during the coming Session measures that viii
effect every one who works in or about the
Mines Of this country. These will be-the
Mines Regulation Bill-a Trades Union Bill-a
Truck Bill and there should also be a Compen- |
sation Bill for deaths and injuries arising from
neglect or recklessness on the part OF managers,
eversmen, or those under whom the workmeh
are placed In the Interest of the employers.
Consdering-th the magnitude Of these questions,
we have deemed II our duty 10 call a
CONFERENCE OF MINERS
from all parts Of the country, to be held at
Manchester, on the second Tuesday Of January,
1871.
The Miners National Association has a his
tory, and can refer you to il with some degree
Of confidence when asking you to meet them to
discuss the best means Of securing that all the
the measures named shall be made as effective
as possible In their fragmentary associations
they met in 1868, and agreed 70 urge upon the
government the necessity Of getting passed q
better Mines Inspection Act than the one Of
1865. The pressure put upon government had
the intended effect, as in 1850. an Act was
passed embracing new and important features
regarding inspection, education, and the weigh
ing of miners material. That measure they
watched, in all it's stages, till it became Law. In
the year 1862. and still in fragmentary form,
they pressed upon the government to introduce
a measure that would prevent another Hartley
disaster, and the government did pass Act,
declaring the necessity of double shafts.
In 1858, the National Association was formed.
As body they declared the means and manner
Of inspection insufficient; they from time to
time pressed the matter upon the government
BY petitions, and otherwise, until, in 1865,
they granted Select Committee to inquire in
to their complaints. This Committee they got
renewed in 1866, and again in 1857, when il
made its report in favor Of changes. In 1869,
the Association pressed the bringing forward
Of bill for the Regulation and Inspection Of
Mines, and they did 80 again in 1870 Every
concession that the government has made in
| favor of tie miners has been secured on the
representations of the Association, and Of those
( friends whom they had induced to interest them
selves, on behalf of the cause of the miners, in
both Houses Of Parliament.
The National Association can also point to
other matters in which they have interested
themselves They were the first to suggest the
calling Of conference to get the unequal law
of master and servant altered. 1t was the rep
resentatives Of the Miners National Association
| that secured the chairman Of the Select Com
mittee, John Morgan Cobbett, Esq, and Lord
Elcho. They, in conjunction with others, never
left the subject till the law was made equal for
employed and employers, in the first instance in
contracts purely of civil nature.
| Again, during the attendance Of the repre-
sentstives Of the National Association TO the
measures already referred to, they were often
assailed because they we're Trades Unionists
| They besought the government, not tc con
demr all ill they had opportunity Of defence.
The Association asked for an inquiry into the
working Of Trades Unions, which was granted.
| commission was appointed, and heard evil
dence-the expectation of many being that
| Unions would be found wanting this was not
| the result The continued pressure Of the AS
| ISOLATION on the government, has, with the aid
Of influential members Of the House Of Com
mons, led to the appointment Of Commission
to enquire into the vile Truck system. That
Commission is doing its work nObly it rests
now with the victims Of the iniquitous system
to do theirs
Till the National Association came into exist
ence, compensation to the families Of the killed
in the Mines BY neglect was unknown 4; so also
with those injured. To many a widow has our
Association been a source of joy From what
the Association has done, many a fatherless
child has been kept fro@ the workhouse. These
results have not been obtained so much by c.
tons at law, as by the information which our
proceedings were calculated to afford. The As
I'D. Aafa af
law Of compensation, and it now asks you to aid
it in securing a remedy.
In many of our movements we have been
aided in what we have accomplished BY thous-
ands, from time to time, helping Us with their
signatures. We acknowledge this aid, from
whence, or by whoms0ever, 1t was given. We
want now something more than your signatures
We want your counsel; your opinions az to what
would be to you a satisfactory Mines Inspection
Bill, Truck Bill, Trades Union Bill, and a
Compensation Bill 1t is desire that, on
these important subjects, the voice of the min
ers of England, Wales and Scotland may be
one We, therefore, desire every district TO
send delegates to confer with us, that we NAV
be able to present an united statement from
every mine or cOlliery in the kingdom. We
want that O) children, from twelve to sixteen
years of ege, shall work only eight hours per
day. (2.) That they shall be educated during
these years. (3.) We want an effective system
of Mines Inspection. a. We want standard
weights at every mine and every pit-bank- (5.)
We want inspection to extend to all mines. (6)
That wages be paid weekly, without any de-
ductions. al That it be made felony for any
owner or lessee of mines to have a store, or TO
exact poundage from their employers (Sl
We want that our union funds shall be held to
be az sacred az the property Of the most benev-
olent institutions of the land. (9.) We want
that all managers of mines be competent men,
(l0) That the owner will be responsible for the
act OF every incompetent person he may EN-
ploy who shall endanger human life. OF all
Who think these objects worthy of attention, We
earnestly ask that they shall at once organize
themselves, and send delegates TO. ths meeting
to express their views fully.
All counties or districts intending to send
delegates will kindly communicate the same to
John Dixon, secretary to the Miners National
Association, Methly, near Leeds, Yorkshire, be-
fore the LIST Of January, 1871. Any one desir-
ing information on the subjects enumerated may
obtain IL by writing to AK M'Donald president
Of the Miners National Association, HOlytown,
NIB.
In conclusion, fellow miners, we trust that
the questions that we view with SO much inter
est, viii be looked upon by you in the same
light and, in so deing, send delegates to give
such an expression of opinion no will lead to
legislation Of hind satisfactory to every one
who works 10 mines
The conference will be held In the Mechanics
Institute, David Street, Manchester, at 10 a. m.
on Tuesday, the 10th of January, 1871.
We are, yours respectfully,
ALEXANDER M'DoEALD, President.
JOHN NORNASsKLL, Vice-Presdent.
WILLIAM PIcKARD, Treasurer.
JOIN Dixon, Secretary
November 10, 1870.