The Shropshire Examiner and all round the Wrekin advertiser. — 1874-08-01 (Wenlock, Shropshire, England)

THE QUESTION OF CO-OPERATIVE COLLIERIES. To the Editor of the " Examiner."  Sin,—Will you allow ml a small space in the "Examiner' to say a few words on the luestion of co-operation. The strikes that have taken place in connectiMa with the Amaltaruation have had such an effect on the members of the Association that many have discontinued paying into the anion through the levies that have been laid on them for the support of the South Stafford men while on strike. When the South Wales men were on strike many men left our ranks everywhere throughout the Amalgamation, and would not pay, because of the levies that were laid on them.  Now, Mr. Editor, let me suggest a system of co-operation, that would, I think, assist men on strike, without leaving the members so much,and that is this,that every member should he requested to pay 10s. eadi, in levies, at Is. penfortnight. which would amount to £53,184, according to the return of members last conference; and let a piece of land be bought, and pits sunk on it, and after paying all demands of wages, &c., the surplus to go into a fund for the purpose of paying members on strike, and let it continually keep going into the fund, and augment it until it reaches the sum of £200,000 or mor...  The coal owners of South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire are forming an association with a capital to that amount, and why should not the miners make an effort to get a fund equal to them. If this were done, there would be no giving way on the part of the members of the Amalgamation, but it would be the means of cementing the members together more than anything else would do. The question of co-operation has occupied the attention of our conferences several times, but nothing has been done by way of commencing operations in the matter. I think it is quite time something should be done, and if it were carried out on this principle, it would do a vast amount of good. In laying down this mode of working a co-operative colliery, I must not be understood to mean that all collieries started on the cooperative principle shall be devoted to this purpose. Only one or two, or as many more as the members of our Association shall think proper, for the benefit of those that feel inclined to take out shares in them, shall be commenced. Ido hope, Mr. Editor, the members of our Association will take the matter up with spirit, and commence operations at once, and also I should like to see the opinion of some of the Tamworth and other districts expressed through the Examiner. I am glad to hear that the men in North Stafford are making a move in that direction, and I bode every district in the Amalgamation will take the .piestion up ' with a will. If they do lam convinced it will be one of the best things that has ever befallen the amalgamation. I We see, Mr. Editor, clearly that there is wante some. ' thing more than levies to help to fight the battles of capital and labour to a successful issue, and this is what we want. I have brought this question before the members of the district, and they have expressed themselves in favour of it, and say they are willing to pay their part towards commencing operations. Trusting that some one else will take the question up, and set forth their thoughts thereon through the Examiner, as there are men better qualified to write on this question than I am myself, that the members of our federation may be aroused to their duty. Yours in unity, JONAH DAWES, Miners' Agent, Tainworth district. July 27th, 1874.  The Bishops of Winchester and Guildford inaugurated the new college dedicated to the memory of the late Bishop Wilberforce, in the New Kent Road, on Monday. At the Devon Assizes, on Saturday, Thomas Macs donald, a discharged Royal Marine, was found guilty, and sentenced to death for the murder of his paramour, Bridget Welch. A