The search room at Woodhorn will be closed on Saturday 6/6/26

BERWICK ADVERTISER, 3RD JUNE 1926

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THE COAL CRISIS

LORD JOICEY ATTRIBUTES IT TO 7 HOUR DAY

The survey of the coal situation made by the Lord Joicey at the annual meeting of the Newcastle and Gateshead Chamber of Commerce- when he was unanimously re-elected president- is worthy of special attention.

“I do not think,” he said, “that many people really know the cause of the coal trouble. In my judgement, it was caused chiefly by the passing of the Seven Hours Act in 1919, which compelled coal owners to employ 280,000 extra men without getting a single ton of increased production. It meant an addition to the weekly pay bill of about £500,000 or £26,000,000 per annum, equal to 2s per ton on 260,000,000 tons.

“Our own concern,” continued Lord Joicey, “paid in rates and taxes a sum of £34,932 in 1914. Last year we paid £48,255, National health and unemployment insurance cost us £59,483 last year, as compared with £8,150 in 1914, whilst the Welfare Fund, to which we paid nothing in 1914, cost us £18,208 last year.”

Ref No: BRO 1944/1/2251/7 Blackhill Colliery

Between 1914 and 1925 the rates of Durham County were increased by over £700,000, and this with the 2s per ton already mentioned, meant an additional cost of about 3s 3d on each ton of coal produced. Instead of reducing expenditure as they promised, members of the Government added to it. “This expenditure by the Government and by local authorities must be curtailed if we are to see business improve.” “I do not believe in subsidies,” said Lord Joicey, reverting to the coal problem. “No industry can be carried on for any length of time excepting on an economic basis. In 1919, the Seven Hours Act played havoc with us, and in 1921 we fixed wages on a reasonable figure. In 1924 we gave an advance of 10 per cent.

“What we have done in connection with the present difficulty is this:

We have offered to revert to the eight hours day with a reduction of 10 per cent in wages- to take off the 10 per cent given in 1924. The wages in Northumberland and Durham have always been fixed in accordance with the prices ruling but having got under the national system the men refuse to recognise that, and the result is that the coal trade, in all exporting areas, is being carried on at a great loss.

“ I feel sure that the national system of fixing wages is noy one that will commend itself to the exporting districts.

“I always regret that we, have not settled with our own men in Northumberland and Durham. We have got on very well with them, and there has always been good feeling between us.

I feel quite sure that if we had an opportunity of dealing with our own men we should in all probability have come to some arrangement that would have enabled us, at any rate, in the North to carry on the export trade.

COAL RATIONING ORDERS

Information has been received by the Town Clerk from the Mines department, in regard to the coal emergency. This is to the effect that the supply of caol for household purposes is now absolutely prohibited, unless authorised by a permit in writing form the local authority, or unless it is purchased in small parcels not exceeding 28 lbs a week which are taken away by the purchaser. The quantity authorised by a permit must not exceed 1 cwt. per fortnight, unless a greater quantity is justified by exceptional circumstances, the nature of which must be shown on the permit.

As a general rule, apart from hospitals, and similar institutions, permits for household coal should be issued only where there are no means of cooking food, except by coal fire, or in case of sickness or infirmity.

THE SCREMERSTON MINERS APPEAL

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Sir- It is a matter for regret and anxiety that, so far, no settlement has been reached in the coal trade dispute. Every generous mind sympathies with the miner in is present plight. Whatever the merits of the case it is clear that the longer the struggle lasts the deeper and more acute will be the sufferings among poor families. No true hearted man or woman can look on without feelings of distress especially in view of the unmerited hardships which innocent boys and girls will have to endure, unless Christian charity springs to their aid.

Ref No: BRO 515-209 Scremerston Colliery

The great need of our age is Good Will and Love. It would be a disaster of the first magnitude if the boys and girls in the coal fields (who will be the workers and wives in a few years) should learn bitterness and hate at this time through hunger and want.

We, the undersigned, have been authorised by the local branch of the Miners’ Union to issue this appeal for help to all men and women of good will and charity in the district. Please send donations immediately. Help is urgently needed. The Union funds are exhausted. The money will be disbursed to needy cases only. Every contribution will be thankfully received and acknowledged by Rev. J. Lightfoot, Vicarage, Scremerston, or Rev. Roy Russell, 4 Warkworth Terrace, Berwick.

Bigger than a Cardboard Box

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Most of the documents we take in here at Northumberland Archives are small enough to fit into one of our archive boxes, sometimes we get slightly larger items. This recently re-housed item might be our biggest yet? 

SANT/GEN/BRI/2/8

And here we are putting it in its new home!

A two person job, but if anyone wants to have a look at this particular poster it is available for download via our shop, head to our website shop, or just click this link Search Results 

BERWICK JOURNAL, 29TH APRIL 1926

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BODY EXHUMED AT BERWICK

INQUEST OPENED AND ADJOURNED

Sensational rumours ran wildly round Berwick on Friday morning when it was learned that the body of the late Mr John Rogerson had been exhumed from the Tweedmouth Cemetery during the night and that the formal opening of a Coroner’s inquiry was to take place later that morning. It was timed to commence at 11.15, but a delay was caused by waiting for arrivals on Newcastle train. Proceedings were entirely formal, and beyond those necessary to the business, no one was present.

Stafford Little / Church Tweedmouth Cemetery

Mr Blakely read the appointment of Mr H. J. Percy as Deputy Coroner by Mr H. R. Peters, the Coroner for Berwick, who, it was said, might be called upon to give evidence. The certificate of the Justices for the inquest was also read.

The jury, compose of Messrs James Richardson, John Smith, Adam Winlaw, John Anderson, James B. Jobson, Peter Mason, J. H. Abbott, W. E. Rutherford and H. Stephenson, elected Mr P. Mason as their foreman.

Mr Percy then addressed the jury. They had been summoned there, he said, to perform a public duty which, he feared must have been a rather an unpleasant nature to them. But it as a legal essential that the Coroner and jury should view the body in order to give complete validity to any Coroner’s proceedings. All that it was necessary to do that day was that they should hear formal evidence of identification and to receive on oath such particulars as were necessary for the correct registration of the death and the re-burial of the body. He did not propose to say any more to t hem about the case at that juncture except one thing. An adjournment was necessary to enable certain medical examinations to be completed. Whether further evidence would have to be laid before them would, to a certain extent, depend upon the result of the medical examination. He then cautioned them not to speak of the case in the meantime. No charge, no suspicion was cast upon any man or woman in connection with the death. They were simply called upon owing to special circumstances which had arisen to inquire into and record the cause of death as soon as evidence as regards the death could be given them.

Giving the formal evidence required, Sergt. Barclay, of Spittal, said he identified the body of the deceased, who was for some time personally known to him, as John Rogerson, late of 14 Dock Road, Tweedmouth, aged 77. He was a retired wheelwright and had died at that address on March 18, 1926.

Dock Road, Tweedmouth, Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Mr Percy thereupon said he would issue his order for re-burial which would be out into operation at the time the postmortem was completed.

He then informed the jurymen that he would require seven, including the foreman, at the adjourned inquest, but would welcome them all if they could be present. He then bound them over to appear at the resumption of the proceedings in the sum of £50. The adjourned proceedings were then fixed to take place at 11.15 a.m. at Berwick Court House on Wednesday, May 26.

The postmortem was conducted by Professor Macdonald pathologist, of Newcastle, and Dr J. C. Mackay.

The exhumation was left until the night before the inquest, and then, soon after midnight, Supt. Shell, Sergt. Barclay, Dr Maclagan, and sexton and gravediggers made their way to Tweedmouth Cemetery. The grave is situated on the side farthest from the main road and is not overlooked by any house, so that there was not much likelihood of the proceedings being observed. All the light used was from a pocket electric torch, and this was flashed intermittently until the coffin was uncovered. AS there had been two previous burials in the grave, the coffin was not very deep down, and the work was finished comparatively quickly.

The postmortem examination commenced next morning soon after 11pm. A Police Constable must always be present at such an examination, and the duty on this occasion fell to Sergt. Barclay. The postmortem took some time, Drs Mackay, Maclagan and Caverhill being present in addition to the Newcastle pathologist, Prof. Macdonald. The body was again conveyed t the Cemetery and about midnight the re-burial took place, Supt. Shell again being present.

Next morning it is understood, Sergt. Barclay was dispatched to London with the organs to be examined.

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