sufficient data in existence. This could only be hoped to be obtained after the new Mines Regulation Act had been in operation a sufficient length of time to furnish proper statistical information. The report then treated on the subject of the remuneration of local committees, and next it was remarked that not one single case of arbitration had occurred during the year-a proof that there had been little or no ground for disputes in connection with the administration of the affairs of the society. The number of members who had died from accident during the year was 61, being 9 fewer than last year, and, taking the average number of members at 27,000, giving a little over 2 per 1,000. 38 were married men, leaving 38 widows and 73 children; 8 were unmarried; and 15 were half members. 47 disabled members had been placed on the fund during the year, and 43 had gone off. 8 widows had also gone off the funds, and 22 children. The number of recipients at the end of March was as follows :-Widows, 196; children, 331; disabled 99; total, 626. The income of the year had been:-Contributions, £8,890 8s.; owners' per centage, £1,608 8s. 4d.; honorary subscriptions and interest, £514 4s. 5d.; total income, £11,013 Os. 9d. The expenditure had been :Single members' legacies, £184; married members' legacies, £190; half members' legacies, £180; widows and children's allowances, £3,983 9s. 6d.; disabled members, £1906 19s.; general management expenses, £720 3s. 4d.; local expenses, £1,039 17s. 7d.; total expenditure, £8,204 9s. 5d.; showing a gain on the year's account of £2,808 11s. 4d.; the balance from last year being £13,431 10s. 11d., the total balance now amounted to £16,240 2s. 3d. Since the commencement of the society there had been paid to widows, children, and disabled members the sum of £31,387 12s. 3d. The income of the minor accident department had been: Contributions of members, £3,135 10s. 1d.; entrance fees, £115 16s.; total, £3,251 6s. 1d. The expenditure had been: for relief, £2,284 10s. 4d.; local expenses, £320 6s.; total, £2,604 16s. 4d. The balance in hand on account of this fund was £678 15s. 5d.

Mr. Haswell read the following statement of the investments of the society: Cash in Backhouse's bank, £2,534 8s. 4d.; Lambton's bank, £1,646 17s. 2d.; with Tyne Commis

L

sioners, £4,500: Blyth and Tyne Railway Company, £500; North Eastern Railway Company, £2,340; Three per Cent. Consols, £2,000; cash in deposit, £1,775; ditto at collieries, £995; total cash and investments, £16,291 5s. 6d.

A report of the Finance Committee, which had been circulated amongst the collieries, reviewed the present position of the society, and pointed out the effect which the adoption of the various proposals as to advancing the allowance to widows and children, and disabled members, the increase of pay to the various officers, and the alteration of time when the allowance should commence, would have on the funds. The committee observed :-"After extensive inquiry, we find that the future requirements of all the widows and children now on the society would amount to £15,530, and the future claims of our present disabled members would amount to £2,000, making a total of £17,530 as the value of our existing liabilities. To meet these liabilities we have now a balance of £16,240, and assuming the rate of interest at 3 per cent. per annum, the present value of our balance is £16,969 But our liabilities, as you see, are £17,530, being £561 less than the future requirements of our present widows, children, and disabled members. You will, therefore, perceive that the benefits cannot be increased unless the contributions be increased at the same time." They, therefore, came to the conclusion that, as there was no proposal to that effect, the alterations suggested in the propositions were not consistent with the permanent interests of the society. The closing paragraphs of this report were devoted to the position of the management fund, the expenditure for the year 1873 having, it appeared, exceeded the income by £186.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

FORMATION OF ANOTHER GENERAL UNION OF THE TWO COUNTIES. OUTBREAK OF THE STRIKE FEVER IN DURHAM. PROGRESS OF THE UNION.

Having, in the last chapter, brought the history of the Permanent Relief Fund down to the present day, it is not my intention to return again to that institution, but to devote the few remaining chapters to the present union of Northumberland, and to the rise and progress of the union in Durham. The union amongst the Northumberland men having spread with comparative rapidity, it was deemed advisable to make a furthermore effort to get up another general union for the two counties of Northumberland and Durham. With this end in view, a delegate meeting was held on the 6th of June, 1863, in the Victoria Hotel, Newcastle. There were 30 delegates present, twenty-seven representing the collieries of Northumberland, and the remaining three representing the collieries of Whitworth, Spennymoor, Washington, and Usworth, in the County of Durham. Mr. Joseph Sheldon presided over this meeting. The secretary intimated that the rules had been distributed amongst the members, at that time amounting to 4,070. Amongst the other business transacted at this meeting, it was agreed that the delegates should meet quarterly, and not half-yearly, and that district meetings should be held in the County of Durham, with the view of moving the men of that county to join with them.

Mr. Joseph Sheldon subsequently visited Washington and Usworth Collieries, when the miners employed there unanimously agreed to join the union, and to use their best efforts in getting the neighbouring collieries to join with them. There was not much difficulty in inducing men to attend the meeting, for they were at this time greatly oppressed, the yearly binding being in full force in the County of Durham. They heard of the success which had attended the efforts of the miners of Northumberland, and they readily came to the determination to join in with them, and endeavour to shake off the fetters that then bound them. In a short time a great number of collieries in Durham

joined the union, and the Durham portion of it ultimately became far larger than that of Northumberland.

But still, blind to their own interests, and impatient of all delay, however necessary, the men were no sooner united than they began to strike again, even before there were any funds to support a strike with. Many seemed to imagine that the moment they joined the union a large fund would be accumulated, as if by magic, and though they had had bitter experiences of the fallacy of such a very irrational conclusion, they set the rules of the association at defiance, and ceased to work. It is no wonder, therefore, that the men found themselves beaten, as they did on the present and many subsequent occasions; for the union which they had joined was but a shadow, and they dispersed even that before it could have time to develop into any distinct form. There were no funds in the union, and nothing, therefore, to maintain them with when out on strike, and they had, in consequence, to fall back upon the voluntary subscriptions and levies of the men. But at some of the collieries the men did not even take the precaution to join the union before turning out on strike, and many of them struck work, and like the pilot, "trusted to Providence." A district meeting was held at Thornley, on September 12th, to induce the men of this colliery to join the union.

There were

about 600 present. Mr. Menomarrow presided, and earnestly appealed for every man to join the union. Inkerman Colliery, which had joined the union a short time before came out on strike for an advance of wages. A deputation of men waited on Mr. Elliot, who said he would meet the whole of the men at two o'clock, and not a deputation. The men a second time sent a deputation, when he again requested the whole of the men to meet him at the office. Thereupon the entire body of men went, and were invited into the office, and were then told by the viewer that those men who were willing to go to work should remain in the office, and those who were not might go out of the office. All the men, true to each other, at once went out of the office and left Mr. Sparks and his agents to consult together as to what was best to be done. Mr. Sparks subsequently stated to the men that those who would not work under the terms of the owners should come to the office the following

day, and he would pay the wages due to them; and accordingly the next day, the whole of the men met the cashier. He paid the wages of all the men who were not living in the colliery houses, but refused to pay those who occupied the houses. The men of Ashington Colliery, situated between Choppington and Longhirst, also came out on strike, and in the course of the strike a riot ensued. Several men were taken prisoners and tried at the Moot Hall, Newcastle.

At the next quarterly delegate meeting, which was held at the Victoria Hotel, Newcastle, it was found on the roll being called that there were 14 additional collieries in the union. At this meeting it was resolved that Mr. Crawford should act as agent and secretary, and that another agent should also be appointed. Mr. Sheldon, who had previously been engaged by the Cowpen men, was appointed to this office. The delegates also agreed that the first conference should be held in October. A committee meeting was held at Seghill on the 12th of September, to fix the different collieries that the newly elected agents should visit for the first six weeks of their office, when Mr. Sheldon was appointed to visit the collieries in Northumberland, and Mr. Crawford the Auckland district in the County of Durham. Several active members about Spennymoor also visited the neighbouring collieries. A deputation having visited By ers Green, promised to return two days after, and arrangements were made to get up a meeting of the men to hear them. The men had a burial club at this place and used to hold their meeting for the transaction of the business of the club in Mr. R. Rhodes' long-room, where it was intended that the meeting should be held. The landlord hearing of this sent for one of the men previous to the meeting and asked what the meeting was about. On being told that it was to consider the necessity of organization for the better protection of the lives and labour of the miners, he said the men could not have the room for that purpose, and that he would send word to Spennymoor to prevent the men coming from there. This did not prevent the men from holding the meeting, for they obtained another room from Mr. Butter. The meeting was well attended and the men were unainmously in favour of the union.