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ever since maintained. At the passing of the Act in 1870 there was only the National School in the town providing accommodation for 500 children. Before the expiration of Ellis's chairmanship in 1882 three blocks of school buildings had been erected at a total cost of close on 12,000 and accommodating over 1,700 children.

CHAPTER IV

GROWTH

THE life of the manager of a colliery is not an enviable one. His ordinary working days are filled with the claims on his attention of details and minutie of a most uninteresting character, and neglect of them spells disaster. From time to time he must expect to be confronted with difficulties of a serious nature, which try the nerve of the strongest and most self-reliant. Workmen are recalcitrant, machinery gets out of order, accidents to life and limb are not infrequent, and there is a perpetual tension which is wearing to the last degree. Qualities of determination, of vigorous initiative, of capable leadership, are essential in the manager, if the colliery is to prove a commercial success. Over and over again in the days of youthful manhood, John Ellis was weighed in the balance in respect of such qualities, and was not found wanting.

When, in the beginning of 1873, mutterings about the length of the hours of labour were heard, he was face to face with a difficulty which, although it had not then assumed the dimensions of the present-day disputes, was one of the most trying with which he could be confronted. His manner of dealing with the crisis, rendered more acute by the short-sighted action of neighbouring collieries, is described in the following

letter, and gives a forcible illustration of the judicial mind of the writer :-

To Joshua Rowntree.

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Nottingham, Jan. 8th, 1873.

The great event to me, however, of the last ten days has been the excitement about the new working hours of miners. I think I told you that business concerns continuing to employ persons under 16 after Dec. 31 would require to modify their hours, and I feared the result would be general unsettlement and excitement. It has been even worse than I feared, and men who ten days ago were working contentedly at nine hours per day, are now" striking," and trying to make others strike for eight. Unfortunately, they have succeeded to a great extent in this district. I say "unfortunately," because, in my opinion, when hours were reduced to nine, it was all that the trade would bear. No one ever heard me say a word against that; we gave it cheerfully and spontaneously (20 Jan., 1872). But to reduce from nine to eight and pay the same wages would be to advance costs frightfully, render our capital unproductive for much longer in the 24 hours than we could afford, and generally, in my opinion, have not a single good feature.

Before going to Scarborough I talked things over, and we arranged to notify on 31st that the work hours would be 8 per day with the new year. We started

all right with this, and went on without any signs of dissatisfaction till Saturday. The next concerns tried to work 9 hours, or at least gave notice that those would be the hours, but their men "struck," and were out Wednesday and Thursday. You may imagine the demoralising effect of such neighbours when I say that on Tuesday night they sent a message to the men by an office lad, which was keenly resented,— on Wednesday declined to see them at all, and on Thursday put out a pitiable notice conceding all the men asked, viz., eight hours per day, etc., etc. I was

1873]

WORKING HOURS OF MINERS

not surprised at being asked by some of our worst men on Saturday for the same terms, but I was determined not to let a small section impose their wishes on us, so I told them I would see all the workmen on Monday evening in the new schools, and posted notices to that effect. It was the most formidable thing without exception I ever undertook. No one knows how very difficult it is to collect information as to the men's views and intentions so correctly as to base one's actions wisely on it, except those who have tried. When at 6.30 I entered the room, and found between 5 and 600 men crowded there, and instead of anything like cheers, perceived an eager slightly excited attitude of suspense on each person's face, I certainly found it very formidable. I had thought everything over most carefully, and went there determined to risk a strike and stoppage of everything rather than make any alteration whatever on the hours as announced.

After hearing requests from two persons respecting the hours, I began my speech. I had felt it so very important not to use a single unwise expression, that really I had almost written out the whole, though I eventually spoke from memory. They listened with the same kind of half-excited suspense (nothing approaching an audible expression of sentiment being given) as I went on for twenty minutes explaining our reasons for fixing the hours we did, and also our reasons for distinctly declining to alter in any respect, whatever others did.

Little or nothing was said after I sat down, but for that I was not anxious. Altogether the meeting was considered a success and we continue working steadily and uninterruptedly at the hours arranged by us. I feel much credit is due to our men for their reasonable, intelligent appreciation of our case.1

1 In later years his opinions on labour questions underwent a change, and he voted in favour of the Coal Mines Regulation Act, 1908, which became operative in 1910 and limited the hours of labour below ground.

On a question of right-of-way he led public action, and although he failed he felt that his efforts would be productive of good in other directions.

To Joshua Rowntree.

6 July, 1873.

A case in which I am taking much interest is coming on before our next Assizes. The proprietor of the Newstead Estate is trying to stop a road, having succeeded quietly in effecting this as regards many during the last few years. However this appears to be almost the last straw, and great indignation has been felt in the locality. I have gone very carefully through the depositions of reliable witnesses and think it a very unwarrantable piece of injustice. We have retained Field, Q.C., leader of this circuit, and one or two juniors, and intend to make a good fight.

Nottingham, 12 March, 1874.

"This great case," as the judge termed it, was

decided against the public this afternoon.

Personally, I never felt certain of any other termination, though, after our very strong evidence, hopeful. I do not regret any step I had taken. My action has certainly enabled the case to be laid before the Jury as it could not otherwise have been, and our Counsel surprised the County not a little.

It is plain that all this time Ellis was being drawn slowly but surely into the maelstrom of politics, but as yet he appeared quite unconscious of the fact. When a local parliamentary contest was taking place he writes wishing he could help in some way, but feels that he is entirely out of politics and public work of any kind except the schools. His days were devoted to business and his spare time was spent in the garden or the greenhouse among his beloved plants. A little later he writes :-"

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I am going this evening to

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