RESURRECTIONS
No sooner was the General Election over (which brought about the
greatest Tory defeat that that Party had ever experienced) than
victimization became rife. Scores of men were victimized on mere
suspicion, especially in Norfolk. The labourers appealed to me from all
parts of the country to help them to form another Union for the
agricultural labourers. The correspondence revealed most glaring cases
of victimization. I will give a sample of what was happening. One
correspondent told me that during the election a lady canvassed a man
who had had not been to any meetings of either Party. He was a very
quiet fellow and used rather quaint and witty sayings. When asked if he
would promise to vote for the Tory candidate he quietly asked her if she
could keep a secret? She replied that she could. He then said, "So can
I," and gave no promise. Within a month this man received notice to
leave his work on the plea that his employer was going to reduce hands,
and a week later he received a week's notice to leave his house. This
latter notice was put into effect. The man had a wife and five children,
and a friendly publican let him have the use of his clubroom in which to
live until he could find another house.
This was only one case out of many, and I might say that although these
cases were well known, the Liberal Party took no steps to protect these
men.
These matters were brought to my notice in February and March 1906, and
letters kept coming to me containing most pathetic appeals to form
another Union. Why I was the one to be written to I attribute to the
fact that I was the only one of the former leaders of the men taking any
part in public life. The others were either dead or had retired into
private life. Arch had retired, Z. Walker was dead and many of the
others had gone. I had continued in public life, retaining my membership
of the District and Parish Councils. Having again settled down to work,
however, I did not feel disposed again to accept the turmoil of leading
the men and shouldering the responsibility of forming another Union. I
did not feel equal to the task, and, so far as I knew, there were no
means of raising funds for such a gigantic undertaking. For some months
I took no action and told my correspondents that, if anyone would come
forward to accept the responsibility, I would place the benefit of my
past experiences at his service, that I would not only join the Union,
but would help him in every way I could, but that I could not at my age
accept the responsibility. I had then reached the age of fifty-six.
Further than that, I could not bring myself to believe that the
labourers would ever again have the courage to assert their rights and
demand by organization justice for themselves, their wives and children.
Still letters kept coming to me from all parts of the country, but more
especially from Norfolk.
I do not think I should ever have taken any steps to comply with the
requests but for the influence of my wife. One night I returned home
from my work and read the usual batch of letters. I said to my wife: "I
do wish these poor people could find someone to lead them. I don't feel
equal to the task." Her reply was: "You must try. There is no one else
who will."
I looked into that dear face as I wish I could to-day, and I pointed out
to her what a lonely life she had led in the past and that it would mean
the same to her again in the future. Her reply was: "If you will make
the effort, I will make the sacrifice."
This was indicative of the woman's noble spirit and the faith she had in
the righteousness of the cause. I could hesitate no longer. I decided to
take steps at once to call a conference, knowing full well the huge task
which I was taking in hand. There had not been a shred of a Union
amongst the agricultural labourers for ten years.
I have gone into considerable detail with this part of my story in an
endeavour to combat the false charge that has been brought against me in
certain quarters, that all through my long public life I was always
looking for a soft job for myself and was always living on someone else
without doing anything for it. I leave this to the judgment of my
readers. I think they will agree that I have endeavoured to devote my
whole life to the cause of my fellows.
In the first week in June I took steps to devise means of calling a
conference. I first wrote to several Members of Parliament who were
known to me, laid the matter before them and appealed for their help.
Those to whom I addressed letters included Mr. (now Sir) Richard
Winfrey, Mr. A. W. Soames, who sat for a considerable number of years
for the division for which I had the honour of election in 1920, Mr.
(now Sir) Robert Price, and Mr. George Nicholls. These gentlemen all
sent donations, but some had doubts about the success of the venture.
Mr. Nicholls and Sir Richard Winfrey not only sent donations, but
promised to attend the conference when held and render all the help they
could. Amongst other gentlemen I wrote to and who sent subscriptions
were the Earl of Kimberley and Mr. Herbert Day of Norwich.
Altogether I received L10. I made arrangements to hold the conference at
North Walsham in Norfolk, and engaged the club room of the Angel Hotel
for July 6th. I also provided for a tea for the delegates. We were to
have the conference at 2 p.m. and a public meeting in the Market Place
at 7.30 p.m., and I announced that Mr. Richard Winfrey, M.P., Mr. George
Nicholls, M.P., and myself were to address the meeting. I also sent out
invitations to the following: Mr. W. B. Harris, Sleaford, Lincolnshire;
Mr. J. Binder, C.C., Cambridgeshire; Mr. Blyth, Suffolk; and the
following in Norfolk: Mr. W. G. Codling, Briston; Mr. J. Sage,
Kenninghall; Mr. H. A. Day, Norwich; Mr. Holman, Shipdham; Mr. Israel
Lake, Gresham; and Mr. Baldwin, Cromer. All attended with the exception
of the last.
At the opening of the conference Mr. George Nicholls, M.P., was voted to
the chair and Mr. W. B. Harris to the vice-chair. After the chairman had
welcomed the delegates, I was called upon to explain the objects of the
conference. Before doing so I read several letters and went on to say
that I had been asked to make another attempt to form a Union for the
agricultural labourers. I explained that I thought a Union should be
formed for securing for the labourers better conditions of living,
assisting them to obtain allotments and small holdings, to secure better
representation on all local authorities, and also representation in the
Imperial Parliament, and that its funds should be used for these
purposes.
The following is a brief extract from my speech:--
GENTLEMEN,--You have been called together to consider the
advisability or otherwise of making another attempt to organize the
agricultural labourers. The calling of the conference is also in
response to a number of appeals from all parts of the Eastern
Counties. I think the desire to form another Union is general and
that the time is opportune for such an effort to be made. The men
have been disorganized for over ten years, and in consequence their
condition is no better than it was prior to 1872. But if such an
effort is to be successful, one thing is essential. There must not
be rival Unions. There must be one Union and one only, catering for
the agricultural labourers. The many rival Unions that were raised
in Arch's days were, I have no doubt, a great factor in its fall. I
think I ought to warn you that in forming such a Union you have a
great task in front of you. One thing must be borne in mind. You
cannot run such a Union on the same lines as Trades' Unions are run
in large centres of industry. In consequence of the isolated
condition of the labourers and the great distances to travel, the
expense will be very great and, through the miserably low wage the
labourer receives, the contributions he will be able to pay will be
very small. Therefore accumulation of funds will be very slow. In
my judgment it will take years to build up a Union that will be
effective in altering the conditions of the labourer. But I have
faith that it can be done, and in due course the labourer will be
able to take his place with his fellows in the towns. One thing is
certain, however. A great deal of hard work will have to be done by
someone. Also great sacrifices will have to be made, and those
responsible for the running of the Union will come in for a great
deal of abuse.
A long discussion followed as to the best method to be pursued.
Ultimately the following resolution was moved and carried:--
That this conference of agricultural labourers considers the time
has come when steps should be taken to form a Union for the
agricultural labourers, and that a provisional committee should be
formed to carry this into effect.
Then the question of name arose. It was subsequently agreed that the
name should be: "The Eastern Counties Agricultural Labourers' and Small
Holders' Union."
Then followed a long discussion as to the objects, Mr. Day contending
that they should be confined to the land question and that the Union
should be run on much the same lines as the old Irish Land League. This
was ruled out as being of no use to the labourer, and it was urged that
if it was to be successful it must be a Trade Union in the fullest
sense. This view was unanimously endorsed. It was also decided that the
rules should be so framed as to enable the Union to assist the members
to obtain land and let it to the members.
The conference then proceeded to elect a provisional committee to act
to the end of the year, this committee to use every endeavour to
inaugurate the Union in the various counties represented at the
conference. The following were elected to serve on the committee:--
_President_: Mr. George Nicholls, M.P.
_Vice-President_: Mr. W. B. Harris, Lincolnshire.
_Treasurer_: Mr. Richard Winfrey, M.P., Peterborough.
_General Secretary_: Mr. George Edwards, Gresham.
_Executive Committee_: Messrs. J. Binder, J. Sage, W. G. Codling,
H. A. Day, J. Bly, C. Holman and J. Stibbons.
At the conclusion of the conference the delegates took tea together at
the Angel Hotel. In the evening a large public meeting was held in the
market-place, near the old cross. Mr. R. Winfrey, M.P., presided, and
the meeting was addressed by Mr. George Nicholls, M.P., Mr. H. A. Day,
and myself. We explained what had been done at the conference, and that
we should visit the town again shortly with the object of forming a
branch of the Union.
On going through the expenses of the day's proceedings I found that they
totalled L11, having had to pay the delegates' rail fare, cost of room,
tea and printing. I had received only L10 in donations, and thus I was
L1 out of pocket on the day. It will be seen that I was left in a most
difficult position from which to commence organizing the labourers.
At the conclusion of the conference Mr. Day suggested I should have to
give all my time to the organizing work. I pointed out to him that that
was impossible as I could not live without an income. Mr. Day then said
that the work had got to be done, and he undertook to make himself
responsible for the payment to me of 13s. a week for the first twelve
months to enable me to give my whole time to the work. I realised this
was meagre remuneration, as I should have to keep my niece at home to do
the writing, whilst I went about forming branches. Still, I knew if the
movement was to be successful someone would have to make a sacrifice,
and as I had set myself the task I agreed to do it.
I did it on these terms for the first year.
I cycled about six thousand miles during that year, which averaged some
bit over one hundred miles per week, and for the first twelve months
13s. per week was all my niece and myself received for the work. She
conducted the correspondence and kept the accounts and I spent five days
in each week going about forming branches. I was not able to do much
before harvest, but I was able to form the following branches:
Kenninghall, Shipdham and St. Faith's. Kenninghall was started with
thirty members, Shipdham with forty and St. Faith's with twenty-five.
On the very day the conference met at North Walsham, July 6, 1906, I was
returned unopposed to the Norfolk County Council for the Buxton
Division. The seat became vacant on the death of Mr. Charles Louis
Buxton, who had represented the division ever since the Council was
formed. Some of my friends insisted upon me being nominated and promised
to pay all the election expenses. Mr. William Case of Tuttington was the
other candidate, but he withdrew and I was returned unopposed. I was at
once put on to the Small Holding Committee, in which work I was
interested. My return caused a great flutter in the Tory camp, and they
determined I should not be returned unopposed at the general election.
At the general election of 1907 they put up Colonel Kerrison, who beat
me by fifty votes. This proved my last defeat in seeking election to
this Council.
As soon as harvest operations were completed I commenced work for the
Union in all earnestness. During the interval the committee had been
hard at work drawing up rules. I had a few copies of the rules of the
old Norfolk and Norwich Amalgamated Labour Union, and we first decided
to adopt the principles contained therein. After careful consideration,
and whilst anxious to run the Union on democratic lines, we came to the
conclusion that the principles of the old Union would be impossible on
the grounds of expense and the smallness of the contributions of the
members. We decided on centralization, and by the time harvest was over
we had got the rules printed and ready for registration and membership
cards ready for use. We started our autumn campaign by a big
demonstration at Peterborough, at which the speakers were Mr. John Ward,
M.P., Mr. George Nicholls, M.P., Mr. R. Winfrey, M.P., and myself.
During the autumn I confined my labours to Norfolk. My method of working
was as follows: I would cycle out in the daytime into villages, engage
rooms, fill in blank bills with which I had previously furnished myself
and distribute them. I always billed meetings a week ahead. We had a
very wet autumn in 1906 and many miles did I cycle in the pouring rain.
I never missed a day in going out to arrange meetings and I never missed
a single meeting. The meetings were well attended and very seldom did I
fail to open a branch. I frequently had to act as my own chairman. After
I had spoken and explained the rules, I then appealed to the men to join
the Union. I soon found that the men I was then appealing to were of
quite a different type to those we appealed to in the seventies. They
were more thoughtful. Therefore the progress of the Union was not so
rapid as in 1872, but it was a steady growth. I had a feeling from the
first that its growth would be steady, but that it would attain a much
greater strength than the defunct Unions, and that the work which it
would be called upon to do would be of a far wider nature and of greater
importance than that of the other unions.
From September 1st to December 31st I opened forty-nine branches with a
membership of 1,500. As I look back to-day to those weary months I
often wonder how I stood the work, and my heart is sad when I think of
the lonely life led by my poor wife. I used to leave home on the Monday
morning, returning again on the Saturday evening. As soon as I reached
home I retired to a little bedroom which I had cleared in my cottage for
an office, and there would help my niece with the accounts and the
week's correspondence. Then on the Sunday I would again be away from
home, conducting services for the Primitive Methodists. I always made it
a point never to let my public work interfere with my religious work.
Besides addressing five meetings a week and attending to the Guardians
and District Council work, I wrote a weekly article on the objects of
the Union in the _Eastern Weekly Press_, the _People's Weekly Journal_
and the _Bury Free Press_, and by so doing kept the Union well before
the working people, which greatly assisted it.
I had not proceeded far before I experienced the same difficulty in
finding branch secretaries as in the old days, and young men soon became
marked men. Our first trouble of the kind arose at Ashill, Norfolk,
where a young man was elected branch secretary. He was promptly told by
his employer he must give up his office with the Union or leave his
employment. In several other places pressure was put upon the men, which
all added to the difficulties of my task. Nevertheless, with strong
faith in the justness of the cause, I pushed on with the work.
The Union was received with ridicule by the farmers at the first, and
they contended that its life would be short, for if Arch had failed,
then George Edwards, with only a little local influence, must fail. They
reckoned without their book, and by the end of the year they found that
"old George Edwards" was more successful in his work than they had given
him credit for.