DISTRESS
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UNEMPLOYMENT
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UNEMPLOYMENT
fed three times daily at St Mary’s, and at Penybank the same course was adopted, where the children were also fed.
During November 1928 it was reported that the local Distress Fund was sparing no effort to relieve the needy cases in the village, of which there are so many, the members of the committee being untiring in soliciting gifts of money and clothing. Mr. Richard Bell, J. P., London, had sent several sacks of clothing in excellent condition, and a good sum of money for relieving sick cases he is closely connected with. He paid a visit to Fochriw during the month and had a personal talk with the officials, and promised to go back to London and renew his appeals for more support. Other contributors to the fund were Lord Wimborne, Mr. H. R. Jones, Lord Mayor's Fund, Mr. Morgan Jones, MP, etc.
A meeting was held by the Local Distress Committee in January 1929 when Mr. Peter Scott, organiser for the Society of Friends, gave an address, and outlined different ways for relieving districts, and the extent to which the Society was going to assist. He outlined a scheme for employing some of those that were unemployed, if he could get the Gellygaer Council to take the matter up. It was decided to form a boot repairing centre, at which a number of men were prepared to give their services. Fochriw had been adopted by Southgate, which was a great blessing to the distressed of the village. Since the formation of the committee, a great deal of good work had been accomplished. Hundreds of parcels of clothing, etc., had been distributed, and also sums of money. Praise was due to Mr. R. Bell, London, for its efforts for the people of Fochriw and Pontlottyn, which resulted in large quantities of clothing being sent down, as well as a goodly sum of money. He had also worked hard to bring about the adoption scheme, and he had won the appreciation of the inhabitants.
A meeting was held by the Local Distress Committee in January 1929 when Mr. Peter Scott, organiser for the Society of Friends, gave an address, and outlined different ways for relieving districts, and the extent to which the Society was going to assist. He outlined a scheme for employing some of those that were unemployed, if he could get the Gellygaer Council to take the matter up. It was decided to form a boot repairing centre, at which a number of men were prepared to give their services. Fochriw had been adopted by Southgate, which was a great blessing to the distressed of the village. Since the formation of the committee, a great deal of good work had been accomplished. Hundreds of parcels of clothing, etc., had been distributed, and also sums of money. Praise was due to Mr. R. Bell, London, for its efforts for the people of Fochriw and Pontlottyn, which resulted in large quantities of clothing being sent down, as well as a goodly sum of money. He had also worked hard to bring about the adoption scheme, and he had won the appreciation of the inhabitants.
The 22 January 1927 issue of the Merthyr Express contained the following, rather lengthy, caustic and “tongue in cheek” contribution from an anonymous “wit” from Fochriw regarding the various activities and “committees” in the village during theperiod of the strike.
Socialism in Practice: How it Operated at Fochriw During the Strike: Grave and Gay in its Daily Life (Specially Contributed by Pips, Squeaks and Whistles) If ever a section of the population has been stirred by an exposure in your valuable paper, then that section has truly been Fochriw "Hec-Hec." He has even penetrated the depths of Ogilvie Colliery, and many of the village Leninites mutter in their sleep "Hec-Hec." The kiddies are also hec-hec-ing, and one can imagine the inquisitive school medical officer trying to diagnose this hec-hec-itis when next he visits. If the complaint proves contagious, then the whole "red" army will soon by hec-hec-ing its way to Utopia. Ex-Fochriwites may think it strange, but Fochriw has its "spasms" of sensations, these are for the most part short-lived and humorous.
The long strike-period saw the village slag heaps swarmed with villagers, all in search of coal. It was verily a hard task for them, but their tenacity of purpose enabled most of them to procure enough fuel to commence trading. Their only speculation was labour. They were not greedy, and as a rule the price was left to the purchaser. It is recalled that one such purchaser rewarded one seller to the extent of a "glistening bawble" for eight bags of the precious black diamonds. This particular merchant escaped from income tax, and suffered the indignity patiently. Another experience fell to the village allotmenteers. They discovered the way to kiln their own lime. At once it became the rage, until one family monopolised the furnace, and the patience of the rest of the villagers got worn out in waiting their turn to stoke the kiln. Fresh lime was to be obtained in Fochriw in this period at the nominal fee of four pence a bucketful, and a roaring trade was done. The financial crash of the "Lime Market" came when lime was demanded at three pence less that the price aforesaid. House decorating also became rampant during the strike, and many of the 60-year-old "company" tenements were made to outshine the beauty of the modern Council houses. Cement, lime, sizes, paint and the gay artificial silk stockings of the village