The Miner and Workman's Advocate. — 1864-04-30 (London, England)

THE SOUTH YORKSHIRE LOCK-OUT.  We would entreat public attention to the condition of the miners of South Yorkshire. Between three and four thousand honest toilers are now in a state of complete destitution, brought about by no fault of their own. We trust that not only the miners and iron-workers, but the public generally, will extend to these suffering people their generous sympathy and substantial support. •  STRIKE AT SEGIIILL.—No change for the better has taken place in the state of affaird at Segh ill, and now it is thought by some that there is little chance of an early settlement. Mr. Laycock met the men, and read over to them the wages they had been earning, at the same time giving them to understand that he was still bent on adhering to the scale of wages already laid down. This appears to have given great dissatisfaction to the pitmen, who withdrew, and so the matter stands. Some little excitement has been created in the village, owing to some of the men being deprived of their gardens, whilst others have to pay a rental of Bs. a-year. This has tended greatly to exasperate the men; and, with other annoyances, has caused many of the men to leave the colliery and seek employment elsewhere. A few of the off-handed men have returned to work, and of course fall in for a share of abuse from those still out. It has been suggested that the differences be submitted to arbitration. THE LOCK-OUT IN SOUTH YORKSHIRE.—A South Yorkshire correspondent writes :—At present there appears to loe no immediate prospect of any arrangement being come to in the dispute now pending between the colliers of South Yorkshire and their employers. The workmen allege that their masters have locked them out without a shadow of reason, as at many of the collieries the men were in no way connected with the union, and had no idea of even asking for an advance of prices. It is to be hoped that some satisfactory settlement will shortly take place, for it is undeniable that coalowners can ill afford to let their pits remain idle much longer, and the misery and suffering already being endured by the men and their families have been sufficient to induce them to accept the first reasonable offer made by their employers. Many men have made themselves chargeable to the parish, which is employing them in stone-breaking at the miserable remuneration of 8d per day for single men, is. per day for married men, and id. per day for each child.  ASSAULT AT RYITOPE COLLIERY.—At the county petty sessions, held at Sunderland, Thomas Nicholson, a Ryhope pitman, was charged with assaulting a brother workman, named Robert Scott. The assault, it appeared, arose out of the recent threatened strike and disturbances at the colliery, and the defendant, a young and enthusiastic adherent of the pitmen's union, was foolish enough, in concert with two companions, to attack the complainant because he presumed to differ from them on the questions in dispute with the colliery owners. Scott, it appeared, defended himself courageously, and in the words of a witness who was present, "was likely to pay off all three o' them," when the unequal combat was put a stop to. The bench commented in severe terms on Nicholson's conduct, and fined him £3 and costs.  11430 44 0e  THE COLLIERS' LOCK-OUT.  The struggle between the masters and men still continues, and judging from what we hear, we are afraid there is no likelihood of its coming to a conclusion. We are told that the men at the Oaks and High Royd collieries are determined to continue the struggle; while, on the other hand, we are informed that the masters came to an unanimous decision al to letting their pits remain closed until the Oaks' and High Royd question is settled. After arriving at the above determination, it is said that, by waY of exhibiting their firmness, they adjourned for one month. In Sheffield and the surrounding district the strike and lock-out is being seriously felt. In London, too, coal-consumers complain that, if they order particular descriptions of feel which they have been accustomed to burn, they get a circular from King's-cross expressing regret that owing to the strike this quality of coal is no longer in stock. Surely the present suicidal policy will be brought to an end, else the trade of the district will be ruined. Last week a meeting of the locked-out colliers was held on May-day Green, when Handy Ireland was called to the chair. He called on Reuben Joynes to move a resolution which had been previously agreed upon, to the effect that the colliers should present themselves infa body at the Union Workhouse and demand admission. He said he was not a miner himself, but was so intimately related to them by family ties that he could not but feel a sympathy for them under their present trying circumstances. In his opinion, the so-called guardians of the poor— but who in reality were their bitterest enemies— were playing entirely into the hands of the masters, and their object was to compel the men to submit to any terms which their employers might choose to dictate. He concluded by moving the resolution. George Sedgwick seconded the motion, which waS carried unanimously. 

Article type: NotIncident