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Monthly Circular.
No. 217.	January.	1914.
To The Members.

Gentlemen,

Our first consideration must be our usual review of the year we have just finished. The commencement of the New Year has generally been used as vantage ground whence we could view the work done in the year just ended. We have not done that in any amplified manner, but have con fined ourselves to am outline, with connecting explanations or deduced lessons, where such are necessary or desirable. So far as our own position is concerned as an organisation, we have not had anything heroic to disturb us except the meeting of the Joint District Board and the disappointing decision (disappointing to all within our ranks) of Sir R. Romer. We expected a different conclusion, and I am bound to say we deserved one. It was an improvement on the previous one in a few points, that we cannot deny ; but there were others which were as clamant and as urgent as any of those which were altered to say the least.

There was one pleasing feature in connection with that decision which stands to our collective credit in the balance sheet of last year. I refer to the manner in which it was received. That there was some displays of passion, strong expressions of opinion, and threatenings as to stoppage of work is true, but these were not the unexpected by any one with a slight knowledge of the feelings which are called into play in a large organisation like ours by the smallest impulse, prompted by design, and aided by such an opportunity as our circumstances afforded.

The pleasing feature, however, is the patient manner in which the situation was accepted, as soon as it was made clear that the position was neither more nor less than the outcome of an Act of Parliament, that all was being done which that Act permitted, that a stoppage of work would be the height of indiscretion to say the least, and that the Executive Committee had done all that was possible for a body of men to do, and were prepared to go as far in securing a remedy as possible.

In our review of our associated work we have given the primary position to our membership. The table is for five years, and will enable you to see at a glance the fluctuation in the numbers

The table deals with full members alone. In addition we have over 20,000 half-members.

I am sorry that I have again to make complaint about the negligence of some of our Lodge Secretaries in respect to making the return of the number of their members. It is our custom to send out a return, and ask for the numbers at the end of the year. In accordance with that practice I sent to each Lodge a form on December 8th. I am writing this note on January 16th, and yet there are eleven Lodges which have not responded, although we have written specially to them two or three times, and it was announced at the last Council meeting to the Delegates. I need not say more, as it will be obvious to all, that if Lodges will act in such a manner, it imposes a large amount of labour upon the central offices, and leaves room for a great deal of uncertainty as to the accuracy of the matter we are dealing with for the time being.

The Financial Position.

There are two of those items which require a word or two by way of explanation. The contributions show an increase of roundly £3200. This is encouraging in itself but there is a reduction in the interest received of near £6300, which darkens the outlook. The increase in contributions involves a corresponding increase in numbers, but the decrease in interest not merely suggests reflection throughout our whole membership, but demands it from us. It is one of the "chiels that winna ding," and must be faced. In it we have one of the aftermaths of the strike in 1912. Prior to that sad occurrence, the interest on our deposits paid, or nearly so our working expenses, and we were able to save the main portion of our income. I hope that by the economies adopted at our Annual Council, we may soon begin to rise out of time deplorable financial position in which we unfortunately find ourselves.

The Outlay.

There are two points of view whence we can look at the outlay table. It will be instructive if you compare it with that inserted in the January circular, 1913. In it we had the large sum of £332,360 paid for the strike of 1912. As a contrast the outlay for that form of expenditure is £2,680. The outlay for relief is pleasing as compared with the previous year. This showing a decrease of £12,000 odd pounds. From a monetary point of view that is cheering, but it is none-the-less an indication of improved trade. I quote a few words from the comment in connection with our last review. "Our Relief Fund is a very clear indicator as to the state of trade. It is a barometer whose readings are instructive. The payment is made to men who are out of work owing to depression of trade, and therefore a lessened outlay for relief benefit means a larger demand for men."

The other point of view is not so pleasing. Take the expenditure for sickness and accident. There has been an increase of £39,292. This affords room for Serious reflection. At a glance you will see that although our contributions exceed those of the year before by over three thousand pounds (which gain was nullified by the decrease in interest), we have in this large increase in our payment for sick a serious balance against us. There are other items which require our observation. Our contributions to the Miners' Federation have increased from £3,283 to £6,977, while there is a new item of expenditure in the payment for the working of the Minimum Wage Act. This has accrued from the fees to Local Umpires, and the allowances to deputations. I am not complaining against these forms of and increases in payments, but simply give you an idea in outline of the ever-increasing financial burdens which we impose upon ourselves, without due regard (if any) as to the ability to meet them. You are the deciders of what we shall pay in any direction, and to any project so long as the law will permit it. It is my duty, as in this case, to give you warning before the step be taken (a duty I have never shirked), and after you authorise the taking of the step to let you see clearly what are the consequences.

The following tables show the work of the various Committees. They are in the usual form. In as bare outline as possible, because to give them in a more enlarged form, would make it very bulky, and out of uniformity with the ordinary circular

Joint Committee, 1913.

Urgency Committee, 1913.

Meetings of Executive Committee, &c.

Compensation Cases, &c.

In the above table you have the work of the Compensation Committee for the year. In the next you have the totals for each year since the Act came into operation. The first column includes the total of the cases which came before the Committee — fatal and nonfatal — while the other column relate only to non-fatal cases.

In the next table we have a yearly account of the money received for fatal accidents, the number of cases, and the cost in lawyers' fees, Committees, and all payments necessary for working the Act, either through the Committee or where we have been compelled to take cases into court, which are a very small percentage of our total number of cases. We are the only Society which has a Committee such as ours. By its operation we have been enabled to settle our disputed cases without referring many to the county court.

The Wages Changes.

Pits Lying Idle Illegally.

The table below gives the record, so far as we have it, of collieries which stopped illegally during the year. It is inserted for the purpose of drawing attention to what is not merely an unconstitutional, but an unbusiness-like and unprofitable action. We need not use many words to prove those propositions. They are self-evident, as must be clear to even those who institute the illegal stoppages. We could understand such actions where there was a poor organisation, and where men were new to combined efforts, but it is strange in an organisation so compact, and with a record covering 44 years, with a constitution as democratic as it is possible to make it, where a revision of rules are very frequent, and where we have a Committee for every phase of our industrial relations. May I hope this year may see an improvement in this most injurious procedure.

Collieries Idle Illegally.

A Warning.

I have from time to time had to insert letters in the circular from the West of Canada. This is from the U.S.A., and contains most serious information. Please read it at Lodge meetings

Compensation Committee.

This meeting was held on Monday, January 26th. There were in all 30 cases, divided as follows :— 11 Fatal, and 19 Non-fatal.

Fatal Cases

Lodge	Name	Age	Occupation
North Hetton	John, Allison	15	Driver
Horden	Benjamin, Barber	17	Putter
Ouston E	John, Baxter	17	Spare Fireman
Craghead	Christopher, Birbeck	20	Hand Putter
Black Prince	John G., Collingwood	25	Shifter
Page Bank	John George, Dixon
St. Hilda	William, Findlay	32	Hewer
Rowlands Gill	John G., Forster	26	Hewer
Oakenshaw	Henry J., Hopper	16	Driver
Hebburn	James, McEllhatton	19	Putter
Easington	John, Nichol	25	Labourer

Durham, 1914. John Wilson.

 

Source:

NEEMARC - Ref: NUMDA/1/6/39, D.M.A. Minutes, Circulars etc. for 1914 (two volumes: covers Jan-Jun, Jul-Dec)