THE 1913 BALL CLAY STRIKE
by Steve Harris
The year 1913 was characterised by growing unrest in many industries throughout the country. Railway workers and coal miners had taken action to withdraw their labour and in June of that year the clay-workers of Kingsteignton, faced with spiralling rises in the cost of living, decided to ask for better terms and conditions. Their demands consisted of a wage increase of two shillings and sixpence per week, payment to miners for time taken to reach the clay face and trade union recognition.
The clay companies were not only unsympathetic to the wage demands of their workers but downright hostile to the notion of the workers forming a trades union. For two years efforts to have trade union representation recognised had met with stiff opposition from the employers. A short lived strike by workers of Watts, Blake , Bearne & Co in 1891 had been swiftly thwarted, with the company leaving none of the workers in any doubt as to who were the "masters". A letter sent to all its employees finished with a message regarding Samuel Whitear, who was preseumably the leader of the strike. It read:- "And now we will say a few words as to Samuel Whitear. We think that as for a long time he has been dissatisfied with his work and his master he had better find work and master more agreable to him."
A journalist named Edward Hartley from the Clarion newspaper visited the Kingsteignton clay pits in 1909. The following is an extract of the report he wrote for his paper on the conditions he found on his visit which appeared in the edition of 9th April 1909. His report gives a good backdrop to the strike:-
"If you come to Devon you will see your fellow Britons using what they call a tewble (but spelt tuble) to cut the native clay carefully in sections that it may be shipped off to America or Germany—not or the good of the nation or even the men who do the work, but for the profit of a few men who are selling our native land at so much a ton.
The Landowner, of course gets his royalty on every ton, this varying with the quality of the clay; and the profits of the clay dealers must be enormous, for they have a system which compels the clay-cutters to cut 22 ½ cwts* in order to be paid for one ton.
The men are very reticent and very suspicious of strangers. They would not tell me the rate of wages, but heard one of foreman, on paying very small wages to a gang of men, saying, "Do 'ee know, my dears-. I'd rather pay 'ee 24s than this miserable bit". At another shaft about 100 ft deep the men can earn 28s a week "if they will stick to their work."
When I asked if there was any gas in these mines, the answer was "No!" given very confidently. But a few more questions brought out the fact that it was dangerous to get near to the old workings, because if you broke through, the foul air was dangerous and took alight. The speaker had seen it when it took alight, and “roarin' like a cannon, came up the - shaft, like, carrying everything along wi' it like." This seemed to me very like gas, but the man would not hear of gas, "on'y foul air, sir"; though he went on to tell of one man who, "stannin' in the foul air whenit took alight, had the skin burned off 'en, vram his waist to ee's cap".
The burned man showed his good sense by never going down to meet the foul air again, but found employment above ground. Rumour told of men whose average wages were 13s a week.
Another rumour tells of a system of returning part of one's wages to the foreman in return for the foreman allowing them to work. But nothing definite could be got out of the men. "I do tell 'ee I've heard thicky said," is their way of putting it and they would not be persuaded to go any further.
Walking along we came to the canal where a number of men were cleaning it out; but they could scarcely be persuaded to say a word. The mud at the bottom was marked as though a snake had wriggled along. Asked if that had been done by an eel, the answer was, "Well 'ee see, it might be". Asked how much they got in wages we were told, after some reluctance, “Three shillings a day; but might it be any business of yourn?”
When I remarked that the wages were not great, the reply was, “Well, ‘ee must ha’ bread, sir”.
Bread! Surely this is the bread of bitterness – 13s, 17s, and the top 28s – made by hard, unremitting toil and at the risk of life.
Yet here is a part of the very nation itself being cut away piecemeal to enable a few to get rich and keep their brother men in subjection and ignorance".
* The clay ton weighed 22 ½ cwts to take account of the water content of the clay. Purchasers of clay refused to pay for water so the producers provided 2 ½ cwts extra for each ton ordered, but the workers were not paid for digging this extra amount.
Working everyday with the danger from roof falls and gas explosions, borne out by fatal accidents that had occurred within the previous twelve months, the miners of Kingsteignton were convinced that they deserved a better deal.
Matters came to a head on Friday 28th June 1913 when the workers at Whiteway & Co walked out on strike. The director of the company, Mr W H Whiteway-Wilkinson, refused to negotiate to the men, informing them that by walking out they had severed their connection with the company. Within a week the strike had spread to most of the pits of the other producers in the Kingsteignton pits.
A protest march was organised for the evening of Friday 4th July and procession of clay-workers from Kingsteignton led by the Brotherhood Band marched from Kingsteignton Fountain to the Market Square Newton Abbot where an open air meeting was held.
Mr Jack Jones from the National Union of Gas Workers and General Labourers informed the meeting that he had tried to meet with Mr Whiteway-Wilkinson of Whiteway & Co earlier that day only to have Mr Whiteway-Wilkinson turn his back on him. He added that he had been in touch with the workers who unloaded clay shipments at Liverpool and were paid twice as much as clay miners and they had indicated their support for the strikers. Mr Jones stayed at the Exeter Road home of Alf Scott, a foreman with Hexter, Humpherson & Co, an act which did not go un-noticed by his employers and for which Alf was made to pay for some time after the strike when he was dismissed from his employment.
The Western Times of 11th July reported that cranes used to lift clay belonging to Watts, Blake Bearne & Co had been pushed over into the mines from which the clay was extracted and caused considerable disruption. The strikers’ leaders immediately issued a disclaimer of any knowledge of such discreditable acts and affirmed that they advocated peaceful methods to attain their objectives. The clay company issued a reward of £20 for information leading to the conviction of the culprits.
The Hexter, Humpherson & Co response to the strikers was by publishing a list of wages paid to its various gangs, listing the names of the men working in the gangs. Whilst the list showed that one gang of five men had in one week earned £11 10s 6d (which averaged at £2 6s ½d each) it also showed that another gang of five had only earned £3 12s 4d between them, ( roughly 14s ¾d each). Most of the pay men received was for saleable clay dug. Removing overburden (necessary to get at the clay) attracted only a pittance, whilst for inserting a removing timbers, they were not paid anything at all as the employers deemed that payment for that work was included in the tonnage rate.
The union replied by asking the company to show the same transparency with its accounts and pointed out that it did not show the wages of the workers who worked in the quarries. The company was also reminded of its healthy financial position that had been revealed during a long running bitter legal wrangle over its ownership a few years before. That dispute had arisen following a disagreement about directors' expenses when the story had made headlines in the local press.
The clay-workers held meetings in Torquay, Paignton and Newton Abbot which were chaired by local activists such as Messrs Will Carnell, Will Joslin, R Rendell and Mark Sanders. At one meeting on 18th July 1913 Mr R Rendell informed the amassed gathering of the conditions the men had to work in. He explained that on occasions he would be working underground all day in water up to his knees and that the noise from water falling from the roof of the tunnel was so loud men could not hear each other speak. When he announced that for working in such conditions he received 2s 1d per day, cries of “shame” emanated from the crowd.
Often trade unionists from places such as Devonport and Southampton were invited to address the meetings where collections were held for funds to support the striking miners. The main financial assistance for the strikers came from union strike pay and further support came from fundraising marches around the neighbouring towns and villages. Stockpiles of clay were prevented from being moved as the men who worked the canals were persuaded to join the strike.
The clay-workers received moral support from the minister of the Kingsteignton Congregational Church, the Rev John Peters, who was equally outspoken outside of the pulpit as he was in. At a meeting an open air meeting in the Market Square at Newton Abbot on 26th July he declared that he was “a brother of the working man and I intend to stand by his side” and asked “If the employers were not willing to meet Mr. Jack Jones, will they meet Mr. John Peters?” Such comments may well have irked Mr. C D Blake who as well as being the head of Watts, Blake Bearne & Co, was one of the great benefactors of Newton Abbot Congregational Church.
A trade unionist by the name of Young, from Southampton, informed the meeting that the demands were extremely modest and were 5s 8d less than a certain Mr Rowntree had said was the minimum wage for a man to provide a decent life for his family. The union could also point out that they were not at loggerheads with two companies in the district which were already paying more to their employees than the men at Kingsteignton were asking for.
The dispute attracted a flurry of correspondence in the local press. One writer who termed himself “Old Mid Devonian” highlighted the fact the Mr C D Blake had given his blessing to trade unions in other local businesses in which he had financial interests such as Bovey Pottery. He asked why the position of the clay-workers was so different. Another who penned a letter under the name of Peacemaker stated that the miners only worked an eight hour day in contrast to the eleven hours 50 minutes of men who worked at the Newton Railway Works and that their wages compared very favourably with those of other workers in the district. Peacemaker's comments were met with derision by the clay workers who reminded everybody that for every 22 ½ cwt of clay they dug they were only paid for digging 20 cwt.
In August the lightermen still working on the Hackney Canal were persuaded to join the strike by pickets sitting on the lock gates at Hackney. This action was closely followed by accusations of sabotage when it was discovered that the ropes fastening a lighter had been cut in two places and it had been set adrift. Mr. Jones of the Union said he thought that it was the work of children as anyone wishing to put the vessel out of action could have done far more serious damage.
The dispute raised many bitter feelings within Kingsteignton itself. The vicar, the Rev Percival Jackson, was at one meeting accused of sitting on the fence by not supporting the miners who were his parishioners. He responded in the Kingsteignton Parish Chronicle by appealing to both parties to reach an agreement as the strike was damaging to traders in Kingsteignton. He did not wish to see the dispute drag on until the point was reach that one party was forced to sue for peace.
At one meeting one of the local union activists, Mark Sanders, revealed how he had been given notice to quit his house. He informed the meeting that he was not behind with his rent and thought the reason he had been given his notice was because of his support for the strike. The chairman of the meeting, Mr Will Joslin, said it reflected the underhandedness of those who called themselves gentlemen.
Mr Will Thorne (pictured left), British Socialist MP for West Ham South, and a founder member of the union came down to Devon to offer his support for the strikers and addressed a number of meetings. Mr Thorne asserted that the only reason the employers were not willing to meet with Mr. Jones was because they feared they would be beaten in an argument. He added that workers were unwilling to meet with the employers without representation as, in the past, when this had occurred, those who had been outspoken had found that within a few weeks they had been discharged. Mr Thorne's comments and actions were not met with enthusiasm by the owners of clay companies who would not reply to letters he wrote on behalf of the strikers and refused point blank to speak with him. The employers labelled him and Mr Jones as outside agitators.
The strike dragged on through August without any end in sight. However, when Mr Thomas Butland, Chairman of the Parish Council, addressed a meeting of the strikers on 25 th August he reported the first sign of a dialogue being established when he gave an account of a meeting that he had had with the owners. He reported that the owners had acknowledged that there had been a rise in the cost of living and were prepared to give the men a rise in wages but not as much as been asked for. He told the men that the employers were willing for the men to join a union if they so wished but they would only meet with local representatives. Mr Butland offered to do whatever he could to help bring the strike to an end as it would be in the best interests of the village.
In contrast the local branch secretary, Mr W G Carnell, reported how he had approached the owners for talks and had been told that he was showing signs of wavering. He assured the meeting that he was not. He explained that the employers had previously met with the local MP Capt Morrison-Bell and had repeated their insistence in not meeting with outside union officials. In a reference to Mr C D Blake, Mr Carnell said that the great Newton Liberal, who they had previously thought of their friend, had proved to be their arch-enemy. He added that when the men saw Tory and Liberal employers fight the workers, the men were beginning to see the need for Socialism.
Idle barges moored on the Stover Canal in 1913
The strike dragged on through August without any end in sight. However, when Mr Thomas Butland, Chairman of the Parish Council, addressed a meeting of the strikers on 25 th August he reported the first sign of a dialogue being established when he gave an account of a meeting that he had had with the owners. He reported that the owners had acknowledged that there had been a rise in the cost of living and were prepared to give the men a rise in wages but not as much as been asked for. He told the men that the employers were willing for the men to join a union if they so wished but they would only meet with local representatives. Mr Butland offered to do whatever he could to help bring the strike to an end as it would be in the best interests of the village.
In contrast the local branch secretary, Mr W G Carnell, reported how he had approached the owners for talks and had been told that he was showing signs of wavering. He assured the meeting that he was not. He explained that the employers had previously met with the local MP Capt Morrison-Bell and had repeated their insistence in not meeting with outside union officials. In a reference to Mr C D Blake, Mr Carnell said that the great Newton Liberal, who they had previously thought of their friend, had proved to be their arch-enemy. He added that when the men saw Tory and Liberal employers fight the workers, the men were beginning to see the need for Socialism.
Mr Butland said that he was disappointed to hear of Mr Blake being spoken of as an enemy and assured the meeting that when he had met him, he wanted only for the strike to end. He told the men that Mr Blake had specifically asked for any meeting between the men and the employers to be held during an afternoon so as he could attend.
The Rev Peters, the minister of Kingsteignton Congregational Church, also attended the meeting, and said that he thought the owners should acknowledge the union as it would be better for masters and men, as had been proved in connection with the Devon and Courtenay Company.
Reverse of a card produced by the National
Labour Press in support of the strike
Two day later Mr Jones informed a meeting in Market Square Newton Abbot, that while he had been away in London, Mr Watts had approached some men on a picket line and had informed them that he was willing to meet their local representatives without a union official. Following this direct approach from the employers Mr Jones had advised the men to meet with the employers meetings had now been arranged between the employers and groups of local representatives to discuss ways of bringing the dispute to an end. Before any such meetings took place he urged that all the men should stick within the union which would see to it that any agreement was kept. The men who had spoken from the platform during the strike would represent the employees of the various companies and report back to him to ensure there had been “no monkey tricks”.
Eventually, on 12th September 1913, after meeting with the employers, the men of Watts, Blake Bearne & Co, Whiteway & Co, Hexter, Humpherson & Co, Goddard & Co and the Hackney Canal Company balloted to return to work.
A pay rise of 1s 6d per week had been granted to the miners and increased payments per ton were won for shipping clay on the canals. As for recognising the union Mr W G Carnell claimed that whilst some employers were saying that there had been no recognition of the union, some firms had recognised their officials and one firm had told him that “they could elect their representatives for a deputation at a meeting of the union branch”.
On 15th September 1913 the Western Times reported on a meeting held at the Market Square Newton Abbot where the local union representatives Mr R Rendell and Mr W G Carnell related to the crowd the outcome of the negotiations. They thanked the public for their support and police for their patience listening to the speakers at their meetings. They added that they were proud of their men's behaviour during the strike and pleased that no conflicts had arisen with the police. Mr Carnell also offered thanks to Mr Harold St Maur of Stover House for his financial support to the strikers' fund.