THE GREAT STRIKE
On April 25th I got the committee together again. This time they met in
the Cozens' Temperance Hotel, King's Lynn. There attended the following:
Mr. George Nicholls, M.P., President; Mr. Richard Winfrey, M.P.,
Treasurer; Messrs H. Day, J. Stibbons, T. Thacker, W. Codling, A. P.
Petch, G. Giles, M. Berry and myself. The first minute that was passed
was that my quarterly report be received and that my action in giving
support to the Trunch members out on strike be endorsed. The last part
of the resolution was not necessary as the Emergency Committee I had
called together on April 18th had decided that I should support the men,
but it was an attempt on the part of some who were not at the meeting on
the 18th to ignore the Emergency Committee, as they were opposed to my
calling the meeting; but I stuck to my guns and said I would do it again
if such an occasion arose. The malcontents, however, were determined I
should not, so they passed the following resolution on the motion of Mr.
Winfrey:--
That an Emergency Committee be formed consisting of the officers of
the Union and three other members of the Union living nearest to
the District where any dispute takes place, and that they have
power to deal with any dispute that may arise and report the same
to the next Executive Committee.
I warned them of the folly of such a resolution and told them that we
were within measurable distance of another dispute of much greater
magnitude than the one we had got on at the moment. I asked them if they
thought it was right for one or two men to commit the Union to a strike?
No one knew where it might end. The reply I received was that they were
not going to the expense of calling the committee together more than
once a quarter. Mr. Day, who was in close touch with the enormous amount
of work that was being heaped upon me and my assistant and knew that we
were utterly unable to cope with it, moved a resolution that another
organizer be appointed in order that I might devote more time to office
work. This was turned down, although the Union was going up by leaps and
bounds, which all added to the work of the Union, and we were left to
struggle on as best we could. Can it be wondered at that the matters at
the office got into a state of chaos? For it was humanly impossible for
any one person to grapple with the work, especially in a room four feet
by six feet and I never at home.
Events soon proved how true my forecast was, for on May 10th I received
a letter from Mr. George Hewitt, branch secretary St. Faith's Branch,
informing me that there was a great deal of unrest in the St. Faith's
district in reference to the hours of labour and rate of wages and
urging me to go over and hold a meeting and discuss the matter with
them. I at once summoned a special meeting of the branch for May 14th. I
also summoned Mr. H. A. Day, Mr. Robert Green and Mr. Thomas Thacker,
members of the Executive, to an Emergency Committee according to the
minute passed at the last Executive Committee.
All of them attended. The branch room was packed, every member being
present. Mr. G. E. Hewitt presided. I asked the members to state
definitely what alteration they required and what demands they wanted to
have made on the employers. Their reply was that they wanted 1s.
increase on their present wage, which would bring their wages up to
14s. per week, and wished to have their hours of labour so arranged that
their working week should finish at one o'clock on Saturdays. I could
not say this was an unreasonable demand, in fact I had made the one
o'clock stop on Saturdays one of the chief planks on my platform ever
since the days of Arch, and so far as the rise of wages was concerned I
felt it was long overdue. The labourer had not had an increase in wages
for years, yet the cost of living had been steadily going up meanwhile.
But the temper of the men was of such a nature that I felt the utmost
caution must be exercised by us who were responsible for the conduct of
the men and in whose hands the interest of the Union was placed, for I
felt that one false step would wreck the whole movement. The spirit of
the men was so aroused that they demanded prompt action, which meant
notices being handed in at once. This I knew would never do good, and I
then proceeded to address the members in a speech in which I felt the
grave responsibility resting upon me and which was delivered with some
emotion. I counselled the men to move slowly and not to rush into any
action without well considering the importance of such a step. And
further, I told them that so far as I was concerned I could not consent
to a strike until every other means of a peaceful nature had been tried
and failed. I told them that if they consented to this course being
taken, then, if we failed and the worst had to come, I would fight for
them to the bitter end and would be a staunch advocate of their claims
which I knew to be just. This rather damped them, and I do not think
according to the temper the men were in that they would have allowed any
other man to have said such things or have taken such an action. But I
had the satisfaction of knowing that they thoroughly trusted me and
would take any advice I thought it wise to give them, and I was able to
persuade them to pass the following resolution:--
That the committee be asked to allow the General Secretary to
write to every employer in the parish and district covered by the
branch asking if they would consent to a rise of 1s. per week and
to so arrange their hours of work as to enable their working week
to finish at one o'clock on Saturday, and to make arrangements for
this to commence on Saturday May 28th.
On this resolution being passed the committee withdrew to consider it.
We discussed it most seriously, and I expressed an opinion to the
committee that I considered the matter of such a serious nature that I
thought the whole committee ought to be called together and decide the
matter as a whole. Mr. Day did not think so, and reminded me of the
resolution that was passed by the committee on April 25th on the motion
of Mr. Winfrey, M.P., which absolutely prohibited me calling the
committee together for such a purpose. My other two colleagues agreed,
and they passed the following resolution:--
That the request of St. Faith's Branch be granted and the General
Secretary be instructed to write to every employer in the district
as requested by the resolution passed by the branch.
They also decided that another special meeting of the branch and the
Emergency Committee should be called for May 20th to receive the reply
of the employers.
On returning to the room I informed the meeting of the decision of the
committee. This was received with the greatest enthusiasm, but I left
with a heavy heart as I could not see the end of it. I could see the
beginning, but it is one thing to commence a strike and another thing to
end it. I was, however, determined that I would do everything that was
humanly possible to prevent a strike of this magnitude. I was also
determined that so far as I was concerned the other officials and the
Executive should take their share of the responsibility of what might
happen, and that I would so frame the men's request to the employers
that it would open every avenue for a peaceful settlement and, if
trouble did arise, that the whole fault should rest with the employers.
I can't explain it, but I always had, from the moment I took a leading
part in the Trade Union movement, the greatest horror of a strike, and
would go almost any length to prevent it, so much so that many of my
friends used to say that I went too far in my peace-loving methods. But
I don't think I did, and in looking back over my long public life I
don't regret any action I took in this direction. I have made many
mistakes, but that is not one of them. When, however, I had to fight, I
gave no quarter to anyone and fought with the greatest determination.
I had no time on the Saturday or Sunday to do any correspondence. On
Saturday I had my County Council work to attend to, and on my return
home I had my week's accounts to make up with my assistant, and on the
Sunday I attended to my religious work, for I never neglected that for
anything. But on the 16th inst. I wrote the following letter to the
employers on behalf of the men:--
DEAR SIR,
I am directed by the men in your employ who are members of the
Labourers' Union to ask if you will consent to raise your men 1s.
per week. Further, if you would be willing to so arrange the hours
of work as to make it possible for their working week to finish at
one o'clock on Saturday. They would also be glad if this
arrangement could be made in time to commence on Saturday May 28th.
I would be glad to receive a reply from you at the earliest
possible moment.
Trusting that you will be willing to accede to the men's request,
and, further, we would be glad to meet a number of the employers
and discuss this matter and come to some reasonable arrangement,
and thus prevent any dispute arising between you and your men with
all the suffering and inconvenience that must inevitably follow.
Yours faithfully,
(_Signed_) GEORGE EDWARDS,
_General Secretary_.
I also wrote to the President of the Union, Mr. George Nicholls, M.P.,
also to Mr. Winfrey, M.P., the Treasurer, telling them I was sure some
very serious trouble was taking place and that, although Mr. Day did not
think so, I was strongly of opinion that the whole Executive ought to
meet and deal with the matter at once. Unfortunately, Mr. Nicholls was
not at home and the letter did not reach him in time to reply before May
20th. Mr. Winfrey after a day or two did reply and said he thought we on
the spot could deal with the matter, and there was no doubt we should
have to support the men. I received no reply from the employers.
On May 20th the special meeting of the branch was held at the King's
Head, St. Faith's. The large club room was packed to overflowing.
Unfortunately, only Mr. Day and myself turned up. My other two
colleagues did not attend. Mr. George E. Hewitt again presided, and I
reported that I had received no reply from the employers. The men at
once became indignant at what they termed a great insult to them. I saw
at once that all hopes for peace were over. I could not but confess that
the employers had treated the men with scant courtesy. A very angry
discussion arose and in the end the following resolution was passed:--
That we ask the committee for permission to give the employers a
week's notice, and that, unless our demands are granted, we shall
cease work on Friday.
Mr. Day and myself retired, and I again told him that I felt very
strongly that the whole committee ought to be called together, as I felt
this was too big a responsibility for us. He again objected and said I
must not call the committee together, especially after the Treasurer had
written and said the committee did not want to meet. I therefore decided
to face the situation bravely, and we went back into the meeting and
informed them we had decided to give them permission to hand their
notices in. I then addressed the men and urged upon them to enter into
this contest thoughtfully and seriously. Their claims were just and
reasonable, and I was sure if they acted soberly and orderly they would
have the public with them.
The question then arose as to what form the notice should take. I
advised them to draw up what is known as a round robin and each man sign
it. This was done and a notice was drawn up for each employer. It read
thus:--
We the undersigned workmen of yours hereby give you notice that
unless we receive 1s. per week rise of wage upon our present
ordinary rate of wage on next pay day, also an agreement come to
whereby our hours of labour be so arranged that our working week
finish at one o'clock on Saturday, this notice will terminate on
Friday May 28th.
Each man signed it and a notice was handed in to each employer on the
Saturday morning May 21st. The employers received the notice as far as I
could learn without comment and very little was said during the week. I
at once took steps to grapple with the situation. I got a strike
committee formed and got proper pay-sheets printed, which every man
would be asked to sign at nine o'clock every morning at the club house.
At the same time I intended to explore every avenue during the next few
days before the final crash came to secure peace. On Monday morning May
23rd I received the following letter from Mr. J. T. Willis, Secretary of
the Farmers' Federation.
SHERINGHAM,
_May 22, 1910_.
DEAR SIR,
On behalf of the farmers of the neighbourhood of St. Faith's, to
whom you wrote on the 16th inst., I am directed to reply that they
very much regret they are unable to accede to either of the men's
applications contained in your letter to them. They quite
appreciate the suffering and inconvenience and bad feeling which
is the inevitable result of a strike and would do everything to
avoid one. It is not a question of paying the farm labourers as
little as 13s. or 14s. per week, for it is well known that the
average earnings inclusive of piecework pay amount to a
considerably higher figure. During the past winter farm hands in
the St. Faith's district received wages on the scale that had been
paid during the summer instead of being dropped during the days of
short hours as is usual. The farmers in that district recognized
that circumstances then justified their paying what in fact
amounted to an increase of 1s. per week wage. If instead of
adopting this plan they had followed the usual course of dropping
the wages during the period of short hours in the winter and had
now raised their men to 13s. per week, probably there would now
have been no discontent and they would have saved money. The result
of the farmers paying higher wages during the winter than was from
their point of view necessary, as labour was not scarce, is that
they are now confronted with a demand for further increase for
which the price of farm produce affords no justification. As you
are probably aware, the market value of wheat is about one-third
less than it was a year ago, and this reduction is not
counterbalanced by better prices for other farm produce. The
employers regret to hear that many of their workmen who have been
in their service the greater part of their lifetime are intending
to sever such old associations, perhaps against their personal
inclination.
However, in case the threatened strike should be carried out, steps
are being taken to fill the vacancies which will be so caused.
Yours faithfully,
(_Signed_) J. T. WILLIS,
_Secretary_.
GEORGE EDWARDS, ESQ., C.C.,
Gresham.
To this I wrote the following reply, to which the Secretary of the
Farmers' Federation never replied:--
GRESHAM,
_May 25, 1910_.
DEAR SIR,
Yours of the 23rd to hand _re_ the labourers' dispute at St.
Faith's, and I very much regret to see by it the employers are not
prepared to meet the men on either of their requests. I had hoped,
considering the serious consequences involved both to the employers
and employed, the employers would have been willing to meet the men
and endeavour to come to some agreement without a strike having to
be resorted to. I wish also to say my Executive entirely disagree
with your Executive that the present state of agriculture does not
guarantee any advance in wages on the present wage.
We are of opinion, considering the much higher price they have to
pay for their food and that the purchasing value of their wages is
greatly depreciated, that they are entitled to some little advance
further. We consider that, had the employers reduced wages last
autumn, they would have treated the men most unjustly, and,
further, my Executive thinks the threat thrown out in the last
paragraph of your letter, namely to fill up the men's places, does
not manifest a very conciliatory spirit. If the employers had first
shown a willingness to meet the men in some way, it would have been
much better. We hope, however, the employers and your Executive
will yet consider their decision and meet us with a view to
preventing a strike with all its bitter consequences.
Yours faithfully,
(_Signed_) GEORGE EDWARDS.
J. T. WILLIS, ESQ.,
Secretary, Farmers' Federation,
Sheringham.
The receipt of Mr. Willis's letter, if I had any hopes that a strike
could be avoided, would have dashed all hopes to the ground. Still I was
anxious to catch at the last straw and to prevent a strike if possible.
Also, when the history came to be written, it should never be said that
I was the cause of it and that I did nothing to prevent it, for I did
everything that any man could do to bring about peace. And in this story
of my connection with the Trade Union movement I very much regret to say
that, until the late Great War, the farmers never would meet the men nor
their representatives, but persisted in dealing with the men in a most
highhanded autocratic manner. Had they shown any kind of a conciliatory
spirit nine strikes out of ten that have taken place during these last
fifty years would have been avoided.
On Friday May 28th the notices handed in by the men expired, and, as no
attempt on the part of employers had been made to arrive at a
settlement, the men brought their tools away. I cycled over from the
other side of Norfolk where I had been holding meetings during the week.
Also my assistant, Mr. Thomas Thacker, was present. On arriving at the
village we found the greatest excitement prevailing. We were met by the
men and their wives, also a number of Trade Union friends from Norwich.
Amongst them was Mr. W. R. Smith, Mr. W. Holmes and Mrs. Reeve. Mr. Day
was also present. A meeting was held under the tree that stood on an
open space close by the King's Head Inn. Almost the entire village was
present. Stirring addresses were delivered by the Norwich friends.
Representatives of the press were present, and in order that the public
might know that I had made every effort to prevent trouble, I read a
copy of the letter I had sent to the employers at first, also the letter
I had received from Mr. Willis, the Secretary of the Farmers'
Federation, and my reply to it. It was generally admitted that I had
gone the full length any leader of a Trade Union could go in the
direction of peace. In fact some thought I had gone a little too far,
but I felt, and I do now, that it is better to err on the side of peace
than it is on the other side. But the fight had begun and I felt the
whole brunt of it would fall on me. I therefore set my teeth and made up
my mind that, as my efforts for peace had failed, I would fight like
grim death and, if we were to suffer defeat, the fault should not be
mine. Altogether I had 105 men on my hands, 75 at St. Faith's and 30 in
the Trunch district. The Norwich friends offered to render as much help
as possible and undertook to have collections made at all the factory
gates on Saturdays to raise a fund to pay the men who were married and
with families more than strike pay. I also decided to make collections
throughout the Union. I also decided to hold big Sunday demonstrations
throughout Norfolk and to make collections. The meeting concluded about
ten o'clock, and I went home with my friend Mr. George Hewitt to stay
for the night, but not to sleep, for there was no rest for me. The
responsibility was too great for me to rest, and I wished I could have
had an Executive that would take some share of it. But I had a good lot
of local workers. My friend George Hewitt, the branch secretary,
undertook to act as strike secretary and to see the men sign the
day-sheets. The next morning the village was full of excitement. At nine
o'clock a number of mounted police arrived in the village and an equal
number of foot police, for what purpose no one ever knew. I, however,
saw the danger. Before leaving for Norwich I summoned the men with their
wives to the branch house and warned them to be on their guard and give
every instruction to the pickets to keep strictly within the law of
peaceful picketing, and not on any account to attempt to molest the
non-unionists when they were at their work, only to use peaceful
persuasion on the road and in every respect to carry the fight on in an
orderly manner and not in any way to run contrary to the authorities,
for I was satisfied they would receive the greatest provocation. This
they assured me they would do, and I am pleased to say, in spite of what
was said to the contrary, that the men through the eight months'
struggle acted in the most orderly way and only in the most technical
manner did they overstep the bounds of the law.
On Friday June 4th I received the men's first lock-out pay from the
Treasurer. On Sunday June 6th I arranged for a big demonstration at
Weasenham, which was addressed by Messrs R. Winfrey, H. A. Day, R.
Green, James Coe and myself. A collection was taken at both meetings for
the lock-out fund amounting to over L7. The meetings were attended by
over 1,500 people. An Executive Emergency Committee meeting was held
after the afternoon meeting. Mr. H. A. Day presided, and there were
present Mr. Winfrey, Mr. Robert Green and myself as General Secretary.
It was resolved that the men out on strike at St. Faith's be supported
according to the minute passed at the Executive Meeting held on April
25th, which read as follows:--
Any member having paid three months' contributions and his entrance
fee be paid full lock-out pay, but the General Secretary shall
deduct from his first week's lock-out pay three months'
contributions to bring them into compliance with Rule 6. But
members having paid less than three months' contributions shall
receive grants on the following scale: Married men, 7s. 6d. per
week; single men, 5s. per week.
Mr. Winfrey also offered at this meeting to find work on the
co-partnership farm at Walpole for sixteen men, the General Secretary to
pay their rail fare. On Monday June 27th I took sixteen men over to
Walpole. Arrangements were made for the men to have all their food in
the Jepson Hall and that building to be used as a living room for the
men. I purchased earthenware and cooking utensils for their use. One of
the men was elected to act as cook and to keep the place clean. A good
building at the farm was cleaned out and made fit for the men to sleep
in and good clean straw was put into clean bags for beds. Each man took
some bedclothes for himself, and thus I got them settled and saw them at
work next morning before leaving.
The Norwich friends did splendidly. Our men stood at the factory gates
on Saturday. The boxes were never opened without us finding from L12 to
L20, and with the collections at our Sunday meetings I was able to pay
married men 2s. per week above their lock-out pay and 1s. per head for
each child, both in the St. Faith's and Trunch districts. I always paid
the men at St. Faith's on Friday and the men at Trunch on Saturday.
Never once was I an hour late. The men at St. Faith's always cycled on
the road to meet me and act as my bodyguard, for the farmers' tools had
again become threatening. Although we had nearly cleared the farms,
there were then, as there always have been, some to do the bidding of
the opponents of Labour; but the men in both districts took very good
care no one should harm me. These two disputes created great interest in
the Union. My assistant Mr. Thomas Thacker and myself held meetings
during the week, opening branches almost everywhere, and the Union went
up by leaps and bounds. The labourers joined every week in hundreds,
and, had the Executive let me have another organizer or two and more
clerical assistance at home, the strikes would not have affected the
funds of the Union to any great extent. The dispute, however, though
serious and causing me many anxious moments, was not devoid of its
humorous side. I always stayed with my friend Mr. Hewitt on Friday
nights, and after the men were paid I always held a meeting under the
tree which is now an historic one. The whole village would turn out to
these meetings; the women were most enthusiastic. They were always on
the look out for the blacklegs, as they would call them, and if one did
venture to come anywhere near the village he would have to undergo some
good-natured chaff. The employers were careful not to let these come too
near the danger zone.
The Federation had provided very comfortable huts for them to live in on
the farms and, when they had to pass through the village, they conveyed
them in carts guarded by policemen. There was no necessity for that, and
it was a wicked waste of time and money for which the county had to pay.
The men and their wives had received instructions from me that they were
not on any account to molest the strike-breakers, however great the
provocation, and they loyally carried it out, for no leader of Labour in
time of disputes ever had more loyal followers than I had in the St.
Faith's and Trunch districts. But I could not always be with them, as I
had to stump the county holding meetings in the interest of the Union,
and the young folks and the women would have a little harmless
horse-play. But the employers grew more bitter every day and apparently
were determined to compel these poor people to break the law. Writing
twelve years after this dispute I can write more calmly and yet more
deliberately, and I assert without fear of contradiction that there was
a deliberate attempt on the part of someone to compel these poor people
in some way to lay themselves open to be prosecuted, and that the
authorities were anxious to embrace the first opportunity to punish
severely these poor people for daring to demand the right to live by
their labour and to see their wives and children properly fed and
clothed.
One day the occasion arose, although no one could ever say that there
was any attempt to molest the strike-breakers or in any way to use
violence towards them. When these men were being conveyed from one farm
to another guarded by the police about twelve of the men's wives
gathered together with kettles and saucepans and sang one of the Union's
songs on the approach of the blacklegs, and, although they never
approached nearer than one hundred yards to the strike-breakers, they
certainly followed them through the village, beating their tin kettles
and singing their Union ditties. They were summoned by the police and
appeared before the magistrates at the Shirehouse, Norwich. They were
ably defended by our solicitor, Mr. Keefe. Although he proved that there
was no breach of the law of intimidation, the magistrates bound these
women over to keep the peace for six months. But soon another occasion
arose for these people to be cruelly persecuted. One of the men, after
urging upon his fellow workers to strike, had gone back again to work.
One afternoon he went to work on his allotment. About twelve of the men
went to the allotment gate with tin kettles and a concertina and waited
until he came out to the road to go home, and without saying a word to
him walked about one hundred yards behind him, playing their concertina
and singing one of Sankey's hymns, "Kind words can never die." The wife,
hearing the singing, came out into the road and began to shriek out and
make a dreadful noise and shout out, "Oh, they will kill my husband!"
although no one was within a hundred yards of him, nor did they intend
to be. But this was enough. The men were summoned by the police to
appear before the magistrates at the Shirehouse, Norwich, on August
20th. Mr. Keefe was instructed to defend the men. I was unable to attend
the court as I had to attend to two other emergency committees in
connection with the harvest disputes. But Mr. Herbert Day, the
Vice-President, was present in the court on behalf of the Union, and,
although the police were unable to bring one solitary witness forward to
swear that they saw anyone touch the old man or even go near him, the
magistrates decided to convict and fined the men L5 each with costs.
The total amount was L60 16s. or three months in prison. Mr. Herbert A
Day at once wrote out a cheque for the amount and prevented the men from
going to prison. This money he paid out of his own pocket and never took
a penny from the Union, and, further, for months in addition to what the
Union, paid the men with families he gave the married men with families
1s. per child. The report of the conviction, when it appeared in the
daily papers on August 22nd, caused widespread consternation and
indignation at such a sentence being passed on poor helpless men. Never
before since the scandalous sentence of seven years' transportation
passed on the Dorchester labourers on March 15, 1834, by Judge Baron
John William, the prosecution that was ordered by Viscount Melbourne,
the Whig Home Secretary who was out to crush the rising spirit of Trade
Unionism, had there been such outspoken criticism of any magistrates'
sentences, nor had there been such a spirit of indignation. On every
Labour platform throughout the country the sentence was denounced as
being most unjust and cruel, and, instead of it in any way damping the
spirit of the labourers, it created a widespread interest, and through
the efforts of my assistant I was able to report up to September 30th
that we had enrolled into the Union in Norfolk over 1,800 members. Many
expressions of gratitude were given to Mr. Day for his great spirit of
humanity and kindness. But many of the leading Trade Unionists thought
it would have been best to have let the men go to prison and to have
taken steps at once to get the conviction quashed, which they said we
should have had no trouble in doing, as it would have been the means of
bringing even a more widespread sympathy to the men and to our cause.
During the summer months a great deal of controversy took place in the
press, and I as a rule came in for a great deal of personal abuse and
was accused of making the gulf wider and wider between employer and
employed for no other motive than my own personal interest. Well, those
that made that charge and heaped that abuse upon me would not have said
so if they had had to work night and day as I had for 23s. per week and
to bear the responsibility of a dispute with a hundred men involved and
an organization so rapidly growing in strength and influence. But on
July 3rd and 4th I embraced the opportunity of again making known to the
public that I was anxious to do anything that any human being could do
without giving away absolutely the men's case, which I knew was just and
reasonable. There appeared in the _Daily Press_ the first week in July a
letter from Mr. J. H. Bugden suggesting that a conference should be held
between the two sides with an independent chairman with a view of
arriving at a settlement that would be honourable to both sides
concerned. On going over to St. Faith's on the Friday to pay the men I
addressed a meeting and said that I had seen in the press during the
week a good deal of correspondence concerning the dispute in the St.
Faith's and Trunch districts, and I was very pleased to see a letter
from the pen of my friend Mr. J. H. Bugden suggesting a conference
between the two sides concerned, with a view of bringing this unhappy
dispute to an end, and I wished to let it be known publicly that we were
quite as willing and always had been to enter into negotiations with the
employers or the Executive of their Federation with a view of bringing
this dispute to an end, but up to the present they had declined all such
offers that I had made and now we would go a step further. If such a
conference could be held, we would accept Mr. Bugden as chairman. On
July 6th I wrote from Castleacre to the Secretary of the Farmers'
Federation the following letter:--
CASTLEACRE,
_July 5, 1910_.
J. T. WILLIS, ESQ.,
Secretary, Farmers' Federation,
Sheringham.
DEAR SIR,
As I stated in my speech on Friday last at St. Faith's, in replying
to the correspondence in the _Daily Press_, we are quite willing to
enter into negotiations with the Executive of your Federation _re_
the dispute in the St. Faith's and Trunch districts, and would
quite willingly accept Mr. J. H. Bugden as chairman of a
conference, and, in case the parties not agreeing or not being able
to come to terms, we would be willing to submit the whole case to
an arbitrator, to be named and appointed by the joint members of
the organizations assembled. Or, if the employers in each affected
district prefer it, we would be willing to have an equal number of
the employers and an equal number of the employees with the
Secretaries of the Federation and the Labourers' Union to be
members of the conference to represent the two organizations. Each
labourer to meet without prejudice. Of course, if your Executive
and the employers fall in with this suggestion other preliminaries
can easily be arranged. An early reply would greatly oblige,
Yours faithfully,
(_Signed_) GEORGE EDWARDS.
P.S.--If you reply to-morrow, Wednesday, please direct your letter
to the address below,
Visiting Committee Board Room, County Asylum,
Thorpe, Norwich.
I ought to say I was absolutely unable to get my Executive together to
discuss the dispute further before the regular quarterly meeting, which
was not until July 30th. I wrote this letter entirely on my own
responsibility, irrespective of what they might say in reference to my
action, but I felt the responsibility too great to let an opportunity
pass that might bring peace.
On July 9th I received the following reply from the Secretary of the
Farmers' Federation:--
SHERINGHAM,
_July 9, 1910_.
DEAR SIR,
I placed your letter of the 5th inst. before the Executive Council
of the Farmers' Federation at their meeting to-day, and they regret
they are unable to see that any good would result from a conference
with representatives of the Labourers' Union. The Farmers'
Federation has no dispute with the Labourers' Union, the present
trouble being one between five or six employers and their
labourers. All that the Farmers' Federation is doing is to assist
its members in resisting the demands made upon them by the
labourers who were in their employ.
Yours faithfully,
(_Signed_) J. T. WILLIS.
GEORGE EDWARDS, ESQ.,
Secretary,
Eastern Counties Agricultural Labourers'
and Small Holders' Union.
To that letter I sent the following reply:--
GRESHAM,
_July 11, 1910_.
J. T. WILLIS, ESQ.,
Secretary, Farmers' Federation,
Sheringham.
DEAR SIR,
Yours of the 9th inst. to hand, and I very much regret that the
Executive Council of the Farmers' Federation could not see their
way to accept the offer of this Union to meet in conference with a
view of bringing about a settlement of the St. Faith's and Trunch
districts disputes. It must be obvious to them, as they are
supporting their members in the dispute, that they are an
interested party in the dispute in just the same way as the
Labourers' Union is by giving support to its members. It would have
been a wise and humane policy for the two organizations to meet and
endeavour to bring about a settlement. We having made the offer and
not for the first time, and the Federation have refused it, now the
onus must rest on the Farmers' Federation, whatever may be the
evils arising out of their refusal. There would have been no
lowering of the prestige of either of the societies had they met in
conference. But your Executive seems to ignore entirely the last
paragraph in my letter where I offered on behalf of the men for an
equal number of the men to meet an equal number of the employers
and only the secretaries of the two organizations to attend the
conference of the employers and their men. By your making no
mention of this part of my letter I take it that that offer is
rejected too. Such being the case, there the question must rest so
far as we are concerned, and we must leave the public to judge
which side has acted in the most conciliatory spirit.
Yours faithfully,
(_Signed_) GEORGE EDWARDS.
This ended all efforts for a settlement so far as I was concerned. All
future efforts would have to be left to others. If the men had to go
down then I would go down with them, but I would go down fighting. I
ought to say also that Sir Ailwyn Fellowes, now Lord Ailwyn, expressed a
willingness to intervene if both parties agreed. I at once on behalf of
the men agreed, but the Farmers' Federation refused. And so the dispute
continued and, as the weeks went by, the relationship became more
strained. I think I can say never was there a Labour dispute when so
many efforts at securing a settlement were made by the men's leaders as
I made on this occasion, and never a leader's efforts thwarted by the
employers' organizations as mine were by the Farmers' Federation. It
seemed that they could not bring themselves to see that the days of
autocratic methods of dealing with their men were fast passing away and
that the days of collective bargaining were rapidly approaching. They
constantly kept the old parrot cry, "I always did do as I liked with my
men, why can't I now?" Happily there is a better spirit existing now.
Both sides do meet together now and discuss these problems, but it is a
sad reflection that it took a great war to bring about this long-desired
change.