Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald and North and South Wales Independent

THE PENRl^YN DISPUTE. THE BOARD OF TRADE CENSURES LORD PENRHYN. PLAIN WORDS FOR A STIFFNECIvED PEER. ..•(JLL TIEXT OF THE CORlRESPOND- ENOE: WITH THE BOARD OF TRADE. THE 1ES AS UNITED AS KVER. At last we are able to place before our readers copies of the correspondence which ms passed between the Quarry,men's Union and the Board of Trade respecting the asked- fur intervention of the latter in the above dispute, and the correspondence between the B-j-ird of Trade and Lord, Penrhyn with the latter's replies. His replies are all very characttffistie of his action and attitude all a:oii,y but if we mistake not the publica- ticn of this correspondence will rouse such a feelintr throughout the kingdom as wiJ not allow the Penrhyn men to suffer a defeat, and go in conquered on the most vital ques- tion to every working man—his right to combine W,ith liis (fellows for the mutual protection of their interests. We might draw attention to one or two points that stand out clearly in this cor- respondence. First of all, there is the re- spectful way in which the Board of Trade refers to the Penrhyn imen. Calling tliam "gentlemen" is something, in glaring con- tradistinction to his lordship's curt "Robert Davies and six others." Previous to the receipt of that noted letter his lordship com- menced his replies to Sir Courtenay Boyle with the words "Dear sir;" after that let- ter "Sir" is good enough for the n-ian who dared to write such a letter. That is curious and suggestive. lAj'uin, what (reason -could hig lordship have for retflisiiicr to allow the men to employ their own shorthand writer, and interpreter chosen, as they wished ? Peffhaps he had some sort of a reason for it, for surely even Lord Penrhyn must be aware that the feudal times (when every Lord and baron could treat his abjects vassals according to his fixed prejudices or his passing whims) have gone by for ever. 31eii now-a-days ask for a reason for everything; it is not sufficient for any local magnitude to say that because he wishes it, it must be so. If his lordship was afraid that an official of the Quarrymens Union would get admission into the inter- view in the guise of a sharthajid writer or interpreter, his fears vere groundless for the organiser of the Quarrymen's Union-, foresee- ing perhaps some difficulty of the kind, had arranged that the shorthand writer should be a capable reporter—and a reporter on a Tory paper, to hüot-and that the interpreter should be one oi the best known official in- i.erpretors in the North Wales courts. \gain, what reason could Lord Penrhyn have against the preseiice of a representative of the Board of Trade ? His refusal, here is a slap in the face given to his own party who have passed the (Conciliation Act. But per- haps Lord Penrhyn does not believe in con- ciliation, and that his belief is that might is right. Let it be so. "Trech gwlod nag ar- We can say that the men of Bethesda wore never so thoroughly determined and closely united, as at the present moment. The step which his ilordshif) has now taken has put him. in the position of one man against millions. Compared to other local strikes, the present strike is not at all a fiery one, Vat of all strikes in these parts within living memory this is the one that is most characterised by quiet dogged resolution. In fact, the men are as one, without a single dissentient among them. 0 THE MASS MEETING. The Market Hall was densely crowded with an audience of at least over two thousand last Saturday night, despite the terrific storm that raged. The men, all standing, were so packed together that all women and children were carefully refused admittance. The meeting had been announced for six o'clock, but because the halg was so crowded that not another single parson could get in, it was commenced at a quarter .past five. Mr William Evans, as usual, presided, and in opening the meeting said he was glad to see the encouraging look on all the faces be- fore him, and that after a battle lasting 13 weeks (applause). He explained that the object of the meeting was to hear read the correspondence between the Board of Trade and Lord Penrhyn. Three weeks ago they had appointed a new deputation to meet his lordship. Theyt at the time (felt that in appointing a new deputation they were doing something that was against the grain, bur, in deference to the wishes of others they put their own feelings and wishes cn one lSide. IBut by now tha-t move had terminated unsuccessfully, as far as they could see..During the whole of the 13 weeks the men had fought gloriously, honourably, and bravely. The previous week the secretary of an English Trade Union, in sending them a donation of E33 had complimented them on the manner in which they had carried on this "beautiful struggle" (applause). Hitherto he (the chair- man) had never realised that the appellation of "beautiful" could by any means be applied to a strike, but evidently the stand made bv the Penrhyn mien was deserving of that description. They had been united so far, and he felt justified in saying that they would stand shoulder to shoulder as one man to the very end, and then their victory would be a magnificent one (cheers). Mr D. 'R. Daniel, organiser of the Quarrv- men's Union, read English copies of the cor- respondence as given below. In the course of some introductory remarks he said he (believed that the whole of Great Britain would regard the men's cause in a far more I favourable light after the publication of this correspondence. The correspondence had been sent to him by Sir Courtenay Boyle, permanent secretary of the Board of Trade, and It was for the men to decide what further to do after they had heard it read. He then read the correspondence, the full text of which is appended:- "North Wales QuanymeiiH Unaion, Car- narvon, 16th September, 1896.-To the Sec- retary, Labour Department, Board of Trade. —.Sir,—An its meeting on Saturday, the coun- cil of the Union considered -and adopted a re- solution of the Penrhyn Quarry Committee asking that t.he attention cf the Board of Trade be called to the dispute between them and their employer, tho Bight Hon. Lord Penrhyn, with the view of seeking its inter nmtion under darase 2, section C, of Concilia- tion (Jrades Disputes) Act, 1896. On Mon-, day, before the above resolution had been forwarded to the Bcttrd of Trader eaoh mem- ber of the committee (the Penrhyn Quarry) that had hitherto carried on ail the negotia- tions between the men and their employer, together with other persons whose names had transpired in the correspondence, received a notice to the following effect from the chief manager, Mr E. A. Young:—T have to in- form you that you are hereby suspended till further notice as and from the end of the present quarry month, namely, Tuesday night, the 28th inst.' TI10 immediate effeot. of this has been to precipitate a conflict which the committoo had done all in its power to prevent. The men, looking upon this as a direct blow ait the principle of combination, on Monday evening held a masis meeting, when the following resolution was passed un- animously —'Thau this meeting of the work- men at Caebraichycafn (Penrhyn Quarry), understanding that cur representatives on the committee have been suspended from to- morrow night until an indefinite period, re- solve that it is our duty also as workmen to cease work until we have received! an planation of this action on the part of the management.' This resolution was immed- iatedy forwarded to the working manager, and in the course of yesterday Mr Young sent woni that these "reasons will be imblisned in due course." As yesterday was the time for iakmg the moninhly bargains in the quarry and tiie meji, abiding by their resolution of Che previous evening, refused to take any ii. iS that about 2700 men are idle. Lau* iii roÐ day the management: posted a novice ill (}ua-rry insti acting the men who hlid not* bargaiillS to take their tools, &-c., 111ë. works. AD a meaning of the general niht, it -was .gain resiodrc^ that we da apply to the Board of Trade and call its ntitenitioii to the case raider the clau.-v and section quoted above. Trusting that yo u wid see your way to com- ply I their re^'UCM. and &0 facilitate the way to a peaceful' settlement-^ I beg 'to re- main yours truly, D- JR. DANIJiL, Organis- ing Secretary. --= "Tiie Labour Department, Board of Trade, 44. Parliament-street, S.W., Oc-cobor 16tii, 1886.i"W.,ith reference to your letter of the 30th ult., inviting the Board of Trade t,) mke action under the Conciliation Aut, 1896. with regard to the dispute at the Penrhyn Quarries, I hare n'nv to statei that the Board have plaox). ;hem-eives in cam- nian;tal.ian with Lord Penrhyn on the sub- ject, and that they will it", gladl to receive any s.at-eune,lit or documents) which you may be ki a position to supply with reference to the causes and circumstances of the dispute.—-I :11:n, yours .obedi-enCy, l' H. LLEWELLYN SMITH Commissioner for Labour. Mr D. R. Daniel." [The desired statements and documents, which have already been, made public, were sent to the Board of Trade.] "Labour Dvipiartmic^t, 28tbn -N-Clw!mber 1996.-Dea,r sir,—With reference to the d pute at the Penrhyn Quarries, I have now 11 -6-Y. inform you that the Board of Trade, ILI .e' staill,d thair, Lord Penrhyur is prepared t< an inteiview with a deputation repre the quarrymm. It appears undesi the present stage that any of the a (Kail^iri0Ti whose suspension v>*a« the immedia' cause the stoppage of work should be members oif the deputation. I am to ask yc G to, put the matter before the. quarrytmen a .å:acted by the disivute, with a view to the «-ijpeciino" up of <ie negotiations.—I am, you TT sum.; Si La-ljour. N or till WaJ«s Quarr Union, De.- cember 6th, 1S9&.—-1 ar —Xn reply to your le.-teT^ dat^d^ N c .rejrijber 28th, I beg to say that, m 0 ooiu.v.-r .&11:Y -with your wish, I put the subject ma Cll' before a mass meeting head in the A Hall, lietheBda, December 5th, when the i ^solutions (a oopy of whwh I now encxose) w cre pased unauaimouisly. In i. tlie w sh of t. men tliat the place of meet- ing should oo apjKaittod by the Board of Trade'. I Aiiiiaiin, yours fai'tlhfullv, D. R. DANIEL. « Reso1 ..Qtioiis passed at a maps meeting'of the Penih yiv qun-riymen, Saturday, December 5th, 1396: -1. That this meeting of the Pen- rhy a quanymdii, uc.ideis:anding through the xtril of Trade tliat Lord Penrhyn is pre- "I v7 P ami tin. have- an interview with a, deputation repretsenting the qmirrymm, hereby appoint W. H. Williams, Rabemt Jones, and Henry Edwards as a deputation to wait upon Lord! Penrhyn, with a view to discussing a basis for the settlement of the present dispute. 2. That this meeting expresses its earnest- and strong desire that one or more reprerentattives of the Board of Trade should, if possible, be present at the first interview, believing thait the adoption of this course would greatly facilitate the opening up 0f negotiations. 3. That this meeting is of opinion that the de- putation should be aooomipanjied by its own irite,rpreter, and also by its own shorthand writer, if any notes of the proceedings are to be taken. 4. That a. copy of these resolu- tions be forwarded to tihe Board of Trade." "Labour Department, Board of Trade, De- cember 7th, 1896.-D-ear sir,—I have to ac- knowledge your letter of the: 6oil inst., tirans- mittdoig resiohicioina umaiumausiy paRaed at a meeting of the quariymen OIL tSaturday last. A copy of these resolutiolls has been forward- ed by the Board of Trade to Lord Penrhyn, and on receipt of his reply I will communicato with you at ojicc.- am., youns faithfully, H. LLEWELLYN SMITH." -r- "Board cl Trade, 19th December, 1896.— Sir,—With further reference to your 1 otter of the 6th inst., and the ræoluticm of the quarrymen enclosed therein, I have to trans- mit with regret, for the information of the men, a copy of the correspondence between the Board' and Lord Penrhyn, with regard to the propcsedi interview between himself and a deputation of the quiarrymen. If, under the circuimstaiiices, the deputation decide to apply for the proposed interview, they will: dfaibtlecis communicate with Lord Penrhyn direct-.—I am, sir, tout obedient servant, COURTENAY BOYLE." "Board tf Trade, Whitehall, 7Th Decern- j ber, 1896.—My lord,—I am directed by tie! Bcarcl of Trade to info-nit you that, in ac- ] cordance with the verbal understanding ar- rived at at a rec-ent informal interview be- tween Mr Ritchie and Mr Young, they have oommmiicaltedl with the quarrymen affected by the dispute at your quarries, wilth the view to the appointment of a deputation to wait upon you. with regard to the Hett,leiffiellt of the dispute, such deputation not to in- clude any of the suspended workmen. I now have the pleasure of transmitting to you a copy of the resolutions passed at a massi meet- ing of the men on Saturday. From the first cf" these resolutions, you will observe that L q the men have accepted the made to them, and have appointed a deputation of three of their number to wait upon you. From the second of the resolutions you will see that the men express a desire that a Board of Trade representative should be pre- sent at the first interview. Under the pre- present circumstances it seems pos-siible that some advantage may accrue from, the adoption of the course suggested, and I am to, state i that if you see no objection the. Board til Trade will be prepared to send a representa- tive to attend at such a place or time as may be convenient to yourself. The matters! of detail referred t.o m. the third resolution of the men do not bp-pear to ba such. as are. likely to cause any serious difficulty. If, as tho Board of Trade hope, you oea your way to comply with the mean's, request, I should be glad to learn from you what day and hour would bo convenienlt. to you fo.r the, first interview, and whether you would prefer that i:t should take place at your office or at some neutral place in the loc,-dity.-I am, tfx. (Signed), COUR- TENAY BOYLE. The Right Bon. Lord Penrhyn." "Port Penrhyn, Bangor, North Wales, 9th December, 1896.—'Dear sir,—In a-ccord with mine of yesterday, I now beg to reply to yours of the 7tlii instant, and to thank you for the copy of the four resolutions passed at a mass meeting at Bethesda last Saturday. With regard to resolution o. 1, I have to say, in reply, that I am quite willing, as I always have been, to receive at this office, as usual, a deputation, and in the present cir- cumstances I shall be glad to arrange for an interview with the deputation named, con- sisting cf thcree of my late employees, upon reeer i in writing a. request from them to that c'eet, accompanied by their statement givii vjie an outline of the points which they propose to lay before me. With regard to the suggestion contained in the second reso- lution, that, a Board of Trade official shoulld attend at the first interview, whilst I thank you fur having expressed your readiness to meet my convenience on the subject, I must, in reply, with all due respect, beg to decline to comply with such a suggestion, as my ac- ceptance of it would establish a precedent for outside interference with the manage- ment of my private affairs. As to the third resolution, asking that the deputation should be awompanied by its owa iii-terpreter and shorthand writer, I will, on occasion if fheTareTl'^ f°int' to it' Provided tftey art- selected from amongst mv ;at.e em_ ployees, not included amongst the *71 who T>e ,f!Jivi,eJKie'i—Yau^ faithfully fSi PEAdtHYLY.-Sir 0. Boyle, g } MyBLord <,fTTla Je' .i2tl1 Leeem' i896.— -vij hord,—d am directed by -v, V> v.f i-raae to acknowledge the re ,fac,Bo^rd of letter of the 9th ink With 7T presence of a Board of Trade Lthe at the proposed conference and the men, I am to sSte desire to prtfeS the matter 6 there is no es. but I am to point o W1Sh; the provisions » £ the C f -ft U1,V1fV^?f Board cannot admit tlir ^ct the prdlonged dispute, ail' ^he settenient °* of men and their fair tU1« "°?e th^nds gar ;led a's a .matter W.th reference to £ mteresfcf OIK> letter, I am also s ^oul, the men only acr OUt to ^ou they should 4pp ^;ed taat ing anv of the A a dQl>utation not mc.ud- form their c workmen, who n,.Pfi41ir„ fn.m. suttee, 'Under the strongest thev jiove 1 rt'1.e Trade. Now, that x-r Educed with great difficulty thus far, the Board of ne«'otiati ^reati7 regret if the opening of such cir -always a difficult matter under difficu -^niJ-tances—should be rendered more and by the impositions of fresh conditions stoo' ^st-rrjtions. Mr iRitchie clearly imder- tio troTa Mr Young that if such a deputa- w a-as was suggested were appointed, you eukl be prepared to confer with them, «ith -the object of arriving at a settlement !fif tte dispute, and not merely permit the deputation (subject to a written request being made by them) to place before you for con- sideration certain matters previously submit- ted in writing. You state that you are pre- pared, if pressed, to allow the deputation to bring their own shorthand writer and inter- preter, provided they are selected from among your late employees other than the 71 Suspended men. As it appeared to the Board of Trade somewhat doubtful if there are gentlemen competent for these purposes among the rank and file of the quarrymen, an inquiry has been addressed to the men's representatives on the point, and the Board are informed, in reply, that no such persons can be found. I have no doubt that you will see your way to a modification of your offer in this respect. I shaFl be glad to hear from you on this point before communicating the substance of your letter to the quarrymen. —I have the honour to be, my lord, your obedient servant, (Signed) COUlRTENAY BOYLE." "Brogyntyn, Oswestry, December 16th, 1896.—Sir,—It is with regret that I see, from yours of the 12th, that mistaken ideas, have been formed as to certain portions of my last lettr. Please clearly understand I did not in my letter of the 9th describe the dispute ais 'a matter of private interest only.' My contention was, and is, that the presence of one or more Board of Trade officials at the proposed intm-view would 'establish a precedent for outside interference with the management of my private affairs.' With re- gard to your remarks as to the 'imposition of fresh conditions and restrictions,' I beg leave to observe that the arrangements named in my last Setter for the proposed interview are exactly the same as those under which previous deputations have for many years (and up to the time of the strike) attended at my office, and the request that the de- putation should bring anyone from outside as an intorpreter and shorthand writer I must, for obvious reasons, decline to assent to.—Yours faithfully, ( PENRHYN. —Sir Courtenay Boyle, Iv.C.B." "Board of Trade, December 19th, 1896.— My Lord,—The Board of Trade have re- ceived with regret your letter of the 16th in- stant. The Board, on the invitation of the men, placed themselves in communication with you, because experience of similar diffi- culties ded them to beli, ve that the best jroepeot of terminating tne present differ- ence—a result which the.; assume that you as well as the men desire—would be by a friendly conference between yourself and ycur workmen, at which a free exchange of views might take place on the various points to which importance is attached on each side. Under the conditions on which you insist, they would have to come to you, not only without' any of their chosen leaders, but also without their own interpreter or short- hand writer, and without the presence of an impartial! outsider which they desire, whilst you would have the advantage of skilled ad- vice. Having regard to the.se conditions, it does not appear to the Board of Trade that they could at present usefully take any fur- ther steps to promote the desired conference. A copy of the correspondence 'between your lordship and the Board of Trade will be furnished to the men, and it will be for them to consider whether a meeting such is you offer them affords a reasonable prospect of a satisfactory settlement of the several ques- tions at issue.—I have the honour to be, my llord, your obedient gen-ant, (Signed) COURTENAY BOYLE—The Right Hon- ourable Lord Penrhyn." A Welsh translation of the correspondenee was read by Mr W. J. Williams (general ( secretary of the Quarrymens Union), who, I prior to submitting the correspondence, said that the meeting was without a para-i'lel in connection with the history of Welsh quarry- men. The men had made to the Board of Trade a request which was on the lines of similar requests made by employers and men engaged in other occupations, but they had not had the reception whicl ought to' have been accorded to them. Ee believed that the time had now arrived when the men should speak out freely, aid without any ambiguity. The Governmert- officials who had, kindly undertaken to iitervene in this present dispute had effectmlly done so in previous cases, and the Pen-hyn quarrymen had absolute confidence tlia the gentlemen alluded to wou'ld do their utnost to facilitate an honourable and peaceful ettlement, alike I to Lord Penrhvn and ihk-s :atc empLoyers (cheers). Even quite Irceny the Board cf Trade had dealt satisfactorily with the London and North-'West-ern dispute, which had elements not unlike hose which had precipitated the trouble ,t the Penrhyn Quarries. In both cases themen's recognised leaders were rejected, and the employers likewise studiously ignored i;e society which the men demanded should be recognised, and the privileges of which jiev had a per- fect right to enjov (cheers). By preserving the honourable and gentlmanly attitude which had characterised thei up to the pre- sent, they stood a fair chano of successfully vindicating the right of conciliation. The quarrymen must regard the present utilisa- .1 tion of the Conciliation Ac as a valuable birthright, which was not to )e thrown away unappreciated. After reading this corret>ondence, Mr Daniel stated he understood hat correspond- ence was still proceeding between Lord Penrhyn and the Board of "rade. Mr W. J. Williams, gental secretary of the Quariymeci's Union, sal this was tho most important meeting everheld in connec- tion with Welsh quarrydoar It might be asked why lie, who -Was no in Lord Pen- rhye's employ, .should be pesent and take part in the proceedings. Hi reply was that he was there in the caipraiei'tr of the quarry- Illwn':J servant. They at tlit meeting were his masters, and it was his duty, as their servant, to attend when his Masters required his services (laughter). Tli men had the same right- to secure the serices of their of- ficials as Lord Penrhyn hn. to benefit by the advice cf hilagent andmanager. The time for plain speaking li,-A come. Ther;) were itssues involved in whih not only the Bethesda men, but all engaiod in the slate trade, were directly iiiteTest,e.. For the first time In the history of that hportant indus- try, a department of Statø lid tak-eii official cognisance of then icos, and had con- sented to inteiTono on their behalf. That d opart men & had. intervened in similar eir- cumstances in cixmeoticn with other classes of woikuig-men elsewhere with the happiest re- sults to all concerned, and etlsh quarrymen had hoped that in till cir case aiso a similar happy resale would ere ijliis lian-c beeei attain- (d. There were two ski iking instances to which lie would refer in whnjh the interven- ÜuH of the Board of Trado had resulted in averting a soriousi disdocateotn of important tradico. These were did bovA and shoe dispute and the recent London said Noi-th-Wee-tern Railway dispute. Eaoh of those, possessed features very similar to those of iJneir dispute at Bethesda. The men's leaders had been similarly suspended illûho c:u>o of tilte rail- way men as in the of Up: (j^iaivrvuieiii. The shoemakers, like, the quarrymen, asked for the reeotfnction of a minimum standard wage. Iai 'addition to this, the quarrymen 3Nkt:>d for the discontinuance of the system of large contracts under which they "suffered so exceedingly, and for justice to the rybe-1- wyr. These men we're practically reduced; to be beggars in the quarry. Was that right or just? (Loud criels -of no'). How long was -this to last? (Shouts of "No longer," and cheers). He urged them see bhat tho best use was made of the new birthright thc'v had just secured (loud cheers). Mr W iiliarn Humphreys then proposed— "That this mas-; inoeiting of Pourhyn work- men desires to express i-to gratitude to the Board of Trade for the patient, care with which they have endeavoured to facilitate' a settlement of the present dispute, affecting thousands of men and ilueir f^uialieu;, desires to express its regret that Lord Penrhyn and I his advisers have tiouted the C'oncilxaitloii Act (Trades Disputes), October, 1896, rejected of the kindly oillces OIf the Board of Trade, and imposed such conditions md re-triotio'iis upon anv projwsal for a -friendly conference be- tween himself and his workmen as to render impossible a reasonable ptOspect of t satis- iacftory settlement of the several questions at issue desires to renew iits solemn covenant to stand by one another till right is done." This was seconded by Mr R. Jones', and carried unanimously, amidst a scene of great enthusiasm and intense excitement. Sir Bobert Griffith moved—'That we heartily Iff)ank cuir..Jfellowfquam-ymen and other Trade Unioni«it» belonging to otlier in- dustries in the kingdom, and others who have I fo generously assisted us with tlieir subscrip- tions, and trust- the is-iinia ready assistance may be ooaitiinued hereafter to enable us to obtain the privileges which workmen in oaiher trades have already for years enjoyed." Mr W. H. Williams, leader of the new de- putaticn, in seconding this resolution, said1 the help already receivod far exceeded their expectations. They had faced, a seriousi ii&k in proposing to. go out and face, the winter without work, but the help they had received and weT.) receivicig fully justified their saying that not a single man, woman, or child need suffer from want of the necessaries of life (cheers). And their pro-pecte were brighten- ing. Ho could assui-e them there would lie work shortly available for hundreds of addi- tional men m» North W ales slate quarries, and the only men. available would be the Bethesda men out of empiloy (cheers). Hav- ing cammeuterlonthe st,riking contrast bc- t.w,ce,i Lord Ptnrhyn's eagerness, to publish reports of previous neg,jt-iaitdoi:s with the de- lay which had taken place in making public t'h.e corrcspci;ideitoe with the Board of Trade, he urged1 upon them to be firm, faithful, and united. Their only danger lay in the pos- sibility that seme weak men might not rø- main true to each other, but detwotir to secure for themselves re-employment at the Penrhyn Quarries. There was. no immediato danger of this being dlccie, but it was a danger they might, have to face in February or March unless the men were ixifluonoed by a high sense of principle and of obl/ga ion to each other. As a parting word, he said those who now sought employment elsewhere should be prepared to give all undertaking that if they got work they would faithfully carry out the contracts they might undertake, even if that IICIWT! i.bffifcodj 1>J-.illcaii f-.r WJ come elsewhere (cheers). On belialf of those who l-emained at Bethesda, he would say that no arrangement would be come to with the man- agement to reoonnmeoice work unices such ar- rangement was eanfi .Tned by a mass meeting beld on a Saturday after sufficient notice had been given to enable those who worked else- where to return in time to taka part in the deliberations; and furliher, that no such ar- rangemenit 'Would be m-ide without an ex- press stipulation that Ifilio-,to who were engaged on contracts elsetwhere should have an exten- sion of timel which would enable them to ful- fill such contracts lica-icrtly, and yet reposse's.s the places they had held at the quarry before the strike (loud acid prolonged1 cheers). Mr Robert D.-ivieci, the chairman of the first deputation, then moved—That we re- joice to understand! that. arrangements are being made by severau qua-rryowners to m- C1r0al early in the new year il, number of quar- ries which have been dosed for some) years and earnestly urge th-oso who have not yefc obtained e:nployment elsewhere to avail them- selves of tho opportunity, or any orbhei-.swliieh may present themselves in other directions, to obtain permanent employment." This was seconded by Mr Williams, Ger- lan, and ucianimooisily adcjited. The Chairman th-en proposeci a voter of sympathy with the relatives of Mr Thomas Hughes, who was killed in a quarry accident at Bettwsycocd this week, and of thasnks to the proprietor of that quarry for the sub- stantia! tokens of sympathy he had shown on that occasion. This was canned in impressive silence, and the meeting terminated. A GRAND CONCERT AT HOLYHEAD was held on Tuesday evening, in the Hyfryd- le Chapel, kindly lent to the committee of the Bethesda. Quarrymen's Relief Fund. The Rev John WiLMamis, (pastor of the church, occupied the chair. The chief at- ¡ traction of the evening was the singing of the ,Bethesda. Miale Voice CSioir. Mr IX Bangor Jones and party did good service in their renderings of glees. A number of ar- tistes from a. distance al-so took part with good effect. WORK AT OTHER QUARRIES. OFFERS TO THE MEN. On Tuesday, letters were received at Bethesda. containing offers of week in quarries outside the district, and from centres so remote as Cornwall and Westmoreland. In South-West Wales, on the borders cf Car- marthenshire, 'Cardiganshire, and Pembroke- shire, are a number of isolated slate quarries, which, partly from lack of means cf trans- portation and aCso from want of skilled labour, have not been developed to ainy large extent. Expert investigation has, however, shown that these quarries are capable of de- velopment, and the stone, though at present not .quite equal to that produced in North Wales, is nevertheless a good roofing material, and in some the slabs can take a (very high polish. The opening of the railway from Whitrianci to Cardigan on the one hand, aind from Clynderwen to Letterston on the other, has at the same time so largely improved the means of transport 8"" to afford additional impetus to the local quarrying industry, to the extension of existing works, and* the opening of others. From the Glogue Rox- busli and Tyrch Slate Quarries in "this dis- trict letters were received at Bethesda on Tuesday intimating that some of the Penrhvn quarrymen had already found employment there, and that the results of their skilled labour had iproved so satisfactory that the management proposed immediately extend- ing operations, and would require a consider- able number of hands forthwith, and this number would probably Ibe doubled in the course of the next two or three months. In- timation to a somewhat similar effect was received from Til/berthwaite Green Slate Quarry, at Coniston, near Kendal. The manager of this quarry is a Carnarvonshire man, Mr John Thomas, under whose manage- mest the quanry has been energetically worked, and he is now in need of a number of experienced quarrymen in addition to those a-erady employed there. A similar Ül- timation has been received from some of the stone quarries of Cornwall. LORD PENRHYN S CASE. A correspondent of the "Times," writing ^F01U. under date of Monday, givea the to^owing account of the Penrhyn Quarry strike A strike which paralyses tne princ;- pj.i industry of a populous-, district; a t,lk0 begun at the end of September nud 1* öL, apparently, in full vigour now ti.u. Christmas is passed, is in itself a. matter grave moment to the public. Moreover, there aiv certain incidents in the history of this particular strike, and certain points in tho correspondence which had takou place be- tween the Board of Trade and Lord i'enrhyii. that add greatly to the interest which at- taches to the conflict from the pc)nt of view of these who study the relations between capital and labour with care and with anxiety, because they be-leve that one of the most serious questions of our time is in- volved in those relations. The Penrhyn quarries, as most persons know, are among tiie largest, if not actually the largest, slate quarries in the world. Thi- idtuata in the immediate vicinity of the town of Beth- esda, of which they aro the raison d etre, and they have been the property of successive owners of the Penrhyn estate. In the year 1874, in the time of the late Lord Pen- rhyn, the quarrymen succeeded in ousting the then manager at Bethesda, and in ob- taining, through a committee, practically the entire control and management of thgreat quarries. This state of things lasted until 1835, and there need be no hesitation in sav- ing that, under the rule of the committee, the men obtained, so long as affairs were re- garded from a shortsighted point of view, great advantages and benefits, the like ef which they will never enjoy again. The owners: interests were hanLy so much as considered in the management of the quarry, no regard was paid to the future pruspects of the quairry, good rock was worked ex- travagantly, rubbish was not cleared a way in due proportion, and the wage-rate was far higher than in other and competing quarries. From the owners' point of view, huwever, the position became serious and even critical by the year 1885, and the present Lord Pen- rhyn, then the Hon. G. Douglas Pennant, came in to the assistance of his father, with a free hand and full authority, at a time when it became a question whether the quarry could be kept open at all for many months longer. The newcomer went to work in a resolute frame of mind. He abolished the quarry committee; he resumed on the part of the owner the complete control of the management of the quarry he reduced the extravagant wages, and, in a word, reorgan- ised the whole enterprise in a business-like spirit. The story of the next ten years was, on the whole, peabefui, and there can be no question that the quarry ga-ew greatly in pros- perity. It was in the autumn of 1895 that signs of impending trouble began to appear, and an "organiser" was appointed to work among the quarrymen. Early in the autumn of this year things began to assume a- sorne- what daaigerous appearance, and it is essen- tial to a true appreciation of the situation that the precise sequence of events should be given. On 'August 7th a memorial of grievances, signed by (seven persons, was sent to Lord Penrhyn. On August 17th Lord Penrhyn had an interview of four hours with the representatives of the men, who were distinctly informed that they were re- ceived not as a committee, and that Lord Penrhyn absolutely declined to recognise a committee. At this interview the alleged grievances of the men—which are for the most part of a very technical character—were discussed at length, and a transcript of the short,hand note of the interview was pub- lished and supplied to the men within a week. On August 20th Lord Penrhyn printed a reply to the memorial and to the allegations made by the men at the interview, and that reply calls for two observations. It must, I think, be admitted on oil lxvndcs that Lord Penrhyn succeeded in showing that a large number of the general allegations of the men had been made in the absence of any evidence to support them. On the other hand there remained, and still remain, a substantial number of demands which Lord Penrhyn was not, prepared, and to all appearances never will be prepared, to con- cede, because, in his judgment, they in- volve the restoration of the quarry committee to the position which it occupied before 1885. On August 26th the men replied by a reitera- tion of their original complaints; and at this juncture comes a point of some im- portance. It has been stated repeatedly that Lord Penrhyn's reply to the reiterated com- plaints was the immediate dismissal of the 71 men forming the committee. The f)lain documentary evidence absolutely disproves this statement. Lord Penrhyn and his ad- visers spent weeks in investigating and con- sidering the whole matter, and, on Septem- ber 25th, Lord Penrhyn issued a statement in 15 closely-printed folio pages. In this lie dealt with the standard wage, which he de- clined to raise on the ground that the average waiges earned by quarrytmen were in excess-of that standard he declined to recognise, for the usuaH reasons, the theory of a minimum wage; and then he proceided to analyse 11 ys e some specific allegations of grievance in the case of particular individuals. He dealt also with the question of contracts and a corollary allegation of sweating. He also appended, as an answer to the men's low wage list, a table showing the earnings of the "crews" mentioned in that list for several months, and not for one month only. the object be- ing to show that the standard wage had, "days lost" being deducted, been earned by all. Finally, he reiterated his desire to listen to all serious complaints in the usual way, but he made it clear, not for the first time; that he would not listen to those complaints coining from a committee. On the following day the committee resolved, and their re- solution was announced publicly, to declare a strike in March next unless their demands were conceded in the meanwhile; and it was not until September 28th—that is to s\-i,y. after the March strike had been announced, a-nd after the mmm Ittee had ordered dis I obedience in the case of two men who were summoned to the quarry office that Mr Young, the manager, suspended sine die*71 men wdio farmed the committee. On the evenni,g of the same day, at a mass meeting, a resolution in favour of an immediate strike was carried. That is the strike which is was carried. That is the strike which is now going on, and the above facts prove be- yond question that Lord Penrhvn's I although resolute, was not precipitate. He is reproached, of course, with aiming a blow against combination, the sacred1 right- of workmen; but to the plain man.it is manifest that the suspensions did not take place until after the committee had ordered men to dis- obey commands or until after the committee had announced publicly their intention of causing a strike to begin in March. Lord Penrhyn s attitude on the matter as described by himself is'that he does not object to any combination among- his men, but that he is determined to remain master of his own quarry. Meanwhile the Board of Trade had, at the request of the men, been in corres- pondence with Lord Penrhyn, with view to bringing the Conciliation Act of 1896 into operation and before dealing with that cor- respondence, which tvas published in the "Times" of this morning, it is imperative to call attention to the fact- that, iinlcss the statement of the early history of the dispute which has been given is borne in mind, the correspondence produce a fa'se impres- sion. To one acquainted -with the facts it must appear from the correspondence, and particularly from the opening letter of Mr Daniel, that the suspension of the 71 men was the immediate, almost the direct, con- sequence of the men's appeal to the Board of Trade whereas, in fat. the suspension of the committee came at the end of weeks of careful inquiry, after a resolution to strike in March, and after the committee had in cited men to disobey orders. Now Lord -# Icnrhyn may be rigat or may be wrollg- tnat is .a. matter upon which there will be many opinions—but ne has cerianuy not been precipitate. It. may be observed that, where- a.. tne correspondence between Lord Penrhyn and the Board was supplied by the Board to the men, Lord Penrhyn had not, so recently as .ate last night, ueen supplied with a copy of the correspondence between the Board and the men, and that he is inclined to regard as onesided the treatment which fiias œeIJr measured out to him. Meanwhile, from the correspondence, two points emerge. First, tne Conciliation Act being optional and not compulsory, Lnd Penrhyn is clearly Ie- soived not to permit it to be applied to hinv and no man can deny that lie is within le^al rigxits in refusing to permit representa- 1.1 v es oi the Board of Trade to be present at the proposed interview. He thinks, in oif ect, that the presence of Board of Trade cinjiO-s w,u-d tend to weaken .the authority of the quarry officials in the future. My own view, which is merely personal, is that he is prudent in assuming this attitude, because i i his is one of tliose matters which are not iti tne least ii&e.y to be settled easily, and ni tvinch conciliation, useful .when well timed, is premature, and for that reason harmful. In bile matter of the i,iiortbalid writer, which it rea-Ly not very important, Lard Pen- rhyn had not, perhaps, been wise. lA com- petent shorthand writer is not likely to be found among the quarrymen, and a really competent interpreter is very rarely to be found anywhere in Wales. Lord Penrhyn inserted bis stipulation mainly because he did not desire the presence of any outsiders in the dispute but he might have said with equal reason that the accuracy of his own shorthand writer s notes of the four-hour interview has never been questioned. The mam interest of the situation is to be found, in the fact that the man who has managed a great enterprise for many years, a man who is famed for generosity and for resolute disposition, asserts in the face of an optional Act of Parliament his right to manage hJ8 own business in his own way, and his Tight to oppose, not the principle of combination, which is one thing, but the acts of a coffi- oniatioii, which are a very different thing* by all legal means. After all is said i» favour of trade unionism, it is a strong thin? to assert that- a man is bound to keep"in hi* employment the men who announce in Sep- ember that they mean to cause a strike in March. Indeed, the suggestion recalls the table of the man who nursed a viper in hi* j bosom. If I remember rightly he 'paid dearly )r his tenderness of heart. LETTER FROM LORD PENRHYN. The following letter from Lord Penrhyn appeared in Tuesday s "Danv Ohroiiiele My attention has been called to an artie.e which appeared in your columns of the 22nd uist., containing statements contrary to f, et and calculated to prejudice my position in the eyes of the public as an emp oyer of labour, and I feel that I am justified in complaint? I.) the following statement made by you, to the effpet that, ,mr (to the memorial on grievances) was to dismiss all those who had signed the memorial," the true fact being that no men were dismissed for having signed the memorial, which was, in fact, signed by oil- seven men. After a careful inquiry, lasting over six ",ceks, into the alleged grievmces, my reply was duly pub- iished in full; and although some 70 men were subsequently "suspended" (but not dis- missed), that suspension was not in any vray connected with their having signed the mem- orial, but main lv on account of .their ill- subordinatior and inciting the men to strike it having beiui (before the suspension of the 71 men) pullicly announced by the quarry committee that a. strike would commence III March unless their demands were previously conceded aiul, moreover, the committee had so far advanced in a dictatorial tone as to forbid certain men to obey the orders of their employer, who had called upon them to at- tend at the office. Otlior ^otateiiifciits in the game article arc equally incorrect, and however anxious you may be that public opinion should be brought to bear upon my action in this matter, I assume that you w ish that opinion to be baaed Upon facts, and not upon misstatements. I .therefore give you an opportunity of pub- lishing this correction. FESTINIOG QUARTiYMFiN AND THE PENRHYN STRIKE. The cii.ief subject discussed at the dining- rooms ct the various quarries during the past few days has been the be- tween the Board cf Trade. Lord Pe-nrhyn, and the Organising Secretary of the North Y. aie>i Quarrymen's Union. The efforts of Sir Conrreaiay Boyle and the other officials of I., li-e Beard of Trade weae recognised by the workmen who took para in the discussions, fziid the Conciliation _Ci1 evidently is appre- ciated1 by the men an a, bcdy, every referèuoo to it being received with cheers." Sir John Daviea, in a. review of die situation, said tliaa already the loss in w^ges amounted to close uP' n and to give a reasonable esti- mate, liord Penrhyii'a in the way of .profit,s must be considerably ever E15,000. Large corporations, and wealthy employers üf, labour might; for a tome scorn the combined efforrs of their workmen, to obtain redrew of their grievance's, but recent history proved that, justice must prevail in the end. Mr W. Jones and Mr It Williams folio-wed. Tho latter said -that the pu\Fciy given to this cor- respondence had gained a considerable amount of ympthy fox "I, cir fellow-men at Bethesda^ who veie fighting the battle of right a.ga.in;:1 might. One collector reported that he had been instructed by a min- ister to cajl upon htin once a month for 1km Bulwcripticn while tiie struggle continued. Another .gentleman who had been indifferent to the matter, if not sympathising with Lord Pei i rb ni, iveiit out of h's -y^y t{) ask t'he col- lector to put his name down for a handsome monthly subscription toward* the relief fund, and gave him an assurance off his support. f (Continued on pvge 8). —-

Oo^roaND' for Coughs, Colds, Asthma, and Bronchitis. Of Chemists only. c815rl92w The appointment of Mr egard. H.M. in- spector of schools for the Leeds division, to the chief inspectorship for Wales, will not be allowed to ipi-s;, unchallenged. A mcve- ment is on foot, to ensure organised action among the educational bodies of the Princi- pality, and to raise the question in t-ke Tiouse of Commons. i « ii a ,<■ ■ »

TME ORAND OLD REMEDY FOR CHEST DISEASES. la use from the year 1826. Congreves Balsamic E 40 is Ms (Plendld medicine s&oMd Be In everv hnn<*hnM. IN CRISES OF COUCHS^B,, BRONCHIAL AFFECTIONS Persevere with this tnedi- cine, and you can hardly lail to get the Cough, re- lieved, and the iroiichia.1 tymitoms to disappear. On the appearance ot tb« Firat Symptoms ofa Cold a good dose of the BALSAMIC ELIXIB will. In nineteen out 01 twenty cmet,carry it off be/ore it becomes fettled or merges into influenza. At the first suspicion of INFLUENZA take it, -as well as when the well-marked symptoms aprear; also take it for tiie SUKSKiJUENT WEAKNESS of the LUSGS, and other direfui effects of this alarming disease. REv. F. E. UXAPE, of Derby' writes; "If. always puts my lung# rO';t. and drove out the terribl* l.N Ki.O;NZA last May." In that very distressing disease, 10 terrible, es,1eci"llv to th., ajid -astiwa—ai.so uitis -COXGHF.VE'S 13 A L S A M I C ELIXIR has tieen tl:" means of wonde; ftj) relief. Sen the c.rw of LADY G. n RUM LEY) No. XIII. in Mr. hnlõ¡¡I For HOARSENESS It V invaluable and IT% gPLEHPIB FOR THE UOICi -I. Al-o as a I'rhventative or OÙLt) to Speakers coins out In ai weathers. \\Ait»I A.ND OO.ili-'OiU'I.NG AM) VF.liY PLKASAJO rvwnlm!J"?'i |n:D,,r ,J nf s"fC!lr >'i the way of a loienpe.' CO>GKh\ i,S bAL.SA.1flO 10,1 XO; mit- ho had of all Medicin» Vendors In bottle# at la. lid., 2&. SM. 4s. l,u., and fdinUy bottle* at lis and < tf W w