Note 588 — Chapter VIII

The South Wales miners were, at this date, in a transition state. The Miners’ Federation had gained a considerable following in Monmouthshire and Glamorgan, but the bulk of the men still adhered to the Sliding Scale machinery, claiming 36,000 members, for the maintenance of which a fortnightly contribution was usually deducted by the employers from the miners’ earnings. The Forest of Dean Miners’ Association (4000 members) seceded from the Federation in 1893. A small Miners’ Union (2250 members) at West Bromwich also held aloof.