South Yorkshire Times, October 14th 1944
School For Mine Officials
Pioneer Scheme Opened At Wath
A group photograph taken at the opening ceremony including (front row, left to right), Mr. L. C. Hodges, with some of the students, and Mr. F. A. Linton (third from left, standing).
Believed to be the first training scheme of its kind in the country, “Amalgamated Denaby Collieries and Manvers Officials’ School of Mining and Mechanisation” was opened at Dunholm, Carr Road, Wath, on Monday by Mr. L. C. Hodges (managing director Amalgamated Denay Collieries Ltd.). Colliery officials and members of the staff of the two companies were present, as well as the first students to take the course and prospective students.
Devised and brought into being by the joint efforts of the two colliery companies, on the suggestion of Mr. Hodges, the school has been formed with the object of providing underground officials of both companies’ collieries with a wider knowledge of the mining industry.
The course, which lasts for some 30 weeks, includes lectures given by experts on mining subjects and visits to engineering works and collieries in other coalfields, during which time the students actually take part in work being done and are given an insight into different methods employed. A knowledge and interest in costing and economy of labour and materials, and of the high organisation employed by the companies concerned, is included and some features are leadership and a proper knowledge of handling men, safety and the knowledge and experience required for the operation of machines, cutters, conveyors and power loading and roof control.
Mr. C. J. Phillipson (chairman, Manvers Main Collieries Ltd.), who presided at the opening said that as coal owners he thought they could have certain pride in several features of the occasion. The scheme was, as far as they know, the first of its kind in this country and it was brought into being by the joint efforts of the two colliery companies, Amalgamated Denaby Collieries and Manvers, working closely together, and it continued to be operated in the same way. The length of the course might be taken as an indication of the importance which they attached to the necessity of providing every facility on modern lines, and in a practical way to enable and assist their officials to equip themselves for the important responsibilities which were, or would be, theirs.
So far as the Manvers Company was concerned, they could be assured of their close interest. When the scheme was first suggested they welcomed it, feeling it to be on the right lines, and they were glad to give it all the support they could. Each month they received, with the greatest interest, reports of what he could only call “the activities and wanderings of the students.” As students they had the opportunity of going to many places and they hoped that what the students had seen had been of much interest and benefit.
“Deplorable State of Affairs”
He said, everybody present, as well as others, must be worried by the recent announcements of the Minister of Fuel and Power. It had been recorded by him in recent months that since the April Wages Agreement, which everyone hoped would bring an end to their troubles and of which many hoped a great deal more than experience justified, not only were there over 100 strikes in the six weeks ended July 20th, but also, and more recently, voluntary absenteeism had increased by 25 per cent and output per man fallen by 5cwts. per week. When they considered that we were still fighting the biggest war of all time, in which Britain had achieved much, it was a truly deplorable state of affairs. Everyone had his own ideas as to the cause. Some attributed it to war-weariness, others to income-tax and some to high wage levels not related to productivity and yet others put forward more obscure reasons. One cause however, which practical men seemed unanimous over was the effect of the Essential Work Order and the resultant lack of discipline. They had been told when pressing for the abolition of the Order as a means to restore the authority of colliery officials, that in effect they were at the same time asking for the restoration of the right of the individual to seek work and to work wherever he could; further that such a course was impossible if the whole industrial war effort was not to be prejudiced and they must recognise that at the present time, and for the duration of the war, this might well be so.
“It seems to me,” said Mr Phillipson, “that some other, if temporary, solution must be looked for, and I feel there may be a good deal in the suggestion made some time ago and stated publicly within the past few days by Mr. Watson Smith, namely the working of a five-day week of eight hours per day.
“It is my view, however, that neither this nor anything else will really improve matters unless discipline is restored, absenteeism is checked and reduced and some respect is shown for the law of the land which clearly lays down that lock-outs and strikes during times of war are illegal. If, however, some steps are taken on these lines and the authority of colliery officials once more becomes a reality, this should have a considerable effect on our outputs of coal.”
Difficulties Ahead
When peace came the period of settlement, if history was to repeat itself, was bound to be difficult. All parties interested in the industry were, and had for some time been, busily occupied considering those times and working out their own particular solutions to the problem. It was to be hoped that the present period of uncertainty might be as brief as possible, whatever the final decision.
“For us as individuals, I think we must decide in our own minds what it is we think will be the best for the country.” he said. “Is coal, one of our greatest industries to be worked under Government control and the dead hand of officialdom, or under enlightened and modernised private enterprise, with only such control as is necessary to ensure the industry playing its full and proper part in the trade of the country? To us, and we all here have some knowledge of the industry, can there be any doubt, especially after our war-time experiences, that the last course is the better? If so, one cannot but hope that we shall be ready to fight for what we believe to be most desirable.”
He suggested that these issues were of such vital importance to this country and to everybody that they must be weighed and considered by everyone with the greatest care. I mention them only, for I believe that we have a measure of responsibility as individuals in ensuring in any way that we can that before the final decision as to the future of the industry is reached, the case is properly heard and all evidence has been available,” said Mr. Phillipson.
He congratulated the students who had successfully passed through the first course of training and expressed to them best wishes for their future on behalf of all present. He also paid tribute to the commandant of the school, Mr. F. A. Linton, (a former agent of Barnburgh Colliery), who, he said, had been responsible so largely for the success of the venture. Manvers was very pleased to see him once again associated with the activities of the company.
Instructing Instructors
Mr. Hodges, opening the school, expressed the hope that similar schemes would be started all over the country, suggesting not a few big schools, but a number of collieries in order to give the students an opportunity of hearing views rather than their own. He said he could take a little of the responsibility for the joint collieries’ scheme in that he suggested the idea. It really emanated from the thought that they were putting officials in a false position since they were relied upon to instruct others and it was necessary that they should have as much experience and instruction as it was possible to give them. The students who had already gone through the course would realise what they were trying to do for them and would feel they had got something now which they did not possess before. He was quite certain that the scheme would do the coal trade a good deal of good and hoped that all students would act as missionaries in propagating the right spirit, which was essential at the present time. The only difficulty was to get sufficient students through in time for the very dangerous years ahead.
He thanked the Manvers Main Co. for providing such an admirable centre.
The formation of the scheme and its objects were described by Mr. B, H, Pickering (Joint Regional Production Director), a governor of the scheme. The brunt of the work, he said, had fallen to the management committee under the chairmanship of Mr. F. G. Glossop, assisted by Mr. Linton. Firms which had been visited by the first students were to be thanked for the kindly co-operation The students were having a better chance than he or Mr. Hodges had had by being able to go out and see working conditions in other counties. He hoped they would return in kind the benefits they had gained and wished them the best possible luck and good fortune in the future.
Mr. Linton gave a resumé of the first course. There were 14 student deputies and overmen, two from each of the companies’ collieries. Mr. Linton felt that the students had returned with a broader outlook in mining and definitely with confidence to tackle any difficulty with which they might come in contact. He advised the students who had not gained their second and first-class certificates to get in touch with the local Technical College. They could not go very far without them.
Managers’ Views
Managers’ views on the scheme were given by Mr. F. G. Glossop (agent), Amalgamated Denaby Collieries. Technical proficiency he said, was being required more and more and the view taken, when the course was finished, was far sighted. “Unless we progress, we cannot possibly hold our own as a coal-producing country, and when we managers saw this sheme we were amazed at its scope and realised what a splendid opportunity it was for any young man lucky enough to take the course.”
Views of the students were given by two students who took the first course. R. G. Hopkinson (A.D.C.) and Mr. G. Wilkes (Manvers)
Mr. Hopkinson presented a chiming clock to Mr. Linton from the outgoing students.
Certificates to students of the first course were presented by Mr. Hodges, Students were
R. Gill and W. Chambers (Denaby), J. Wall, J. C. Brown (Cadeby), J. D. Concannon, M. Godfrey (Rossington), G. E. Hopkinson, E. T. Webster (Dinnington), S. Parker, W. S. Bancroft (Maltby), A. G. Wilkes, W. Cresswell (Barnburgh), J. White and H. Stephenson (Manvers).
Speakers were thanked by Mr. P. H. Lloyd (managing director, Manvers Main), who is also a governor of the school.