THE DISTRESS AMONG THE COLLIERS IN WALES.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 1882, 8 May 1878, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE DISTRESS AMONG THE COLLIERS IN WALES.

Our Merthyr correspondent telegraphs that a meeting of colliers oue of work was held at the Temperance Hall at 8 o'clock laßt night. The rector of Merthyr, who presidod, introduced to the men Mr William Simpson, of Liverpool. That gentloman, lie oxplaiued, had most inunificontly nssisted the distressed people of this and other districts. Ho had now como down to Merthyr to offer work in tho north of England ,&c, to colliers who were out of employ. Mr Simpson said the inhabitants of Liverpool had tried to do some little towards alleviating the distress in South Wales, and ho had come down to the Taff Valleys to see if a littlo more could not be done. A colliery proprietor had advised him a short while ago that ho could take on fifty men, and he,had|at once communicated with the rector on the matter to no pnrposo, for the offer had not been accepted. Subsequently another colliery proprietor had offered to take on a hundred. It was those oflbrs which had induced him to visit M orlhy r. If the colliers refused to avail themselves of these offers, refused to go and work where there was plenty of work for thorn, and where they could earn good wflges, why they must not oxpect to receive any aid or assistance from England. He had visited since his arrival Abordare, Pontypridd, and Mountain Ash; ho had gone into some of the houses in those districts, and however some persons might fancy that the descriptions given by tho " Daily NoW correspondent were exaggerated, whatever motive some men might have in stating that the men in these neighbourhoods were not in distress, all he could say was that although lie wm not unaccustomed to enterirapovorwhed homes during the last 27 yoars, although indeed he onteiod them every woek of his life, he never until that day understood thoroughly the meaning of the word distress. No immediate rosponsa was made to the oflfor by any of tho audience, and tho rector, to give tho men time for considering tho matter over, said the names might bo given them to-morrow at tho Drill Hall «oup dinner. — " Daily News," Fob. 1 4.