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STATE PROVISION FOR SOCIAL NEED
Series Three: Papers from the Mass-Observation Archive at the University of Sussex

Part 3: Topic Collections on Industry and Social Conditions, 1938-1955

Part 3 covers a further five topic collections of interest: Happiness, 1937-1951 (TC 7, 1 box); Labour Party ‘Ask Your Dad’, 1948 (TC 10, 1 box); Coal Mining, 1938-1948 (TC 64, 2 boxes); Industry, 1940-1955 (TC 75, 12 boxes); General Elections, 1945-1955 (TC 76, 9 boxes).

The box of Happiness relates primarily to a 1938 survey in which ordinary members of the public were invited to give their own definition of happiness. Some answers are somewhat trite, though commendable: “Happiness is only to be found fully, in my opinion and experience, by helping others.” “the greatest thing in life that money can’t buy.” – but these brief essays do reveal the aspirations of the masses and provide insights into their spirituality. It contrasts with the Labour Party ‘Ask Your Dad’ survey, which is set in the context of post-war disillusionment with the state of the economy and the efficacy of welfare policies.

The Coal Mining material contains detailed investigations of coal-mining communities across the country, including Blaina and Nantyglo in South Wales; Betteshanger Colliery in Kent; Newton Colliery in Manchester; Clifton Colliery in Nottingham; and Rossington Colliery in Doncaster. This is Mass-Observation at its best with reports on discussions with miner’s wives contrasted with lengthy accounts of union meetings. There are accounts of strikes and lock-outs, as well as on pit food and social activities. Some observers were employed in the mines and describe all of the various functionaries from clerks and pit-scientists to rippers, colliers and hauliers.

Leonard Woolf was invited to review the research on Blaina and Nantyglo and responded enthusiastically: “The reader … will learn, not only the material conditions of the life of the Blaina miner or munition worker, but also what he says that he thinks or feels about them. Data of this sort, … if used with intelligence and caution, may be of the highest importance.”

For contemporary researchers it is the vast body of direct evidence that will prove to be most valuable – from the descriptions of miner’s houses and working conditions, to the direct transcriptions of conversations at the pits.

There are 12 boxes devoted to Industry and these bring together a wide variety of evidence relating to: Planetown = Coventry; Oldville = Chester; Midville = Oldbury; Warvillage = Malmesbury; Tanktown = Luton (?); and other locations including Bristol, Leeds, London, Portsmouth, Sheffield and Worcester. There is material on women’s war work, post-war jobs, training, factory conditions, accidents, illness, absenteeism, holidays, rest breaks, crèche arrangements, shipyard labour, wages, taxation, unions and demonstrations. First hand accounts are supported by a wealth of contextual material including ephemeral publications issued by unions and industry and newspaper clippings. There are detailed investigations of a number of industries from tin mines in Cornwall to metal tube manufacturers in the midlands. There are reports on the Dockers’ Strike of 1945, the Hotel Workers’ Strike of 1946, the Building Trades Strike and Railwaymen’s ‘Go-Slow’ of 1945-46 and the Transport Strike of 1947.

The 9 boxes on General Elections mainly cover the elections of 1945, 1950 and 1955. There are observations and panel responses concerning posters, candidates, party leaders, and policies. For instance, a soldier in Germany in 1945 gives an insight into Churchill’s immediate post-war dismissal: “Churchill was a good war-leader, but he’s no use as a peace-time Prime Minister. What we’re looking for now isn’t war-leadership but peace-leadership, and Churchill is the sort of man who’d be likely to spoil our relations with Russia.

There are also newspaper reports, records of conversations and meetings and overheards and a mass of ephemeral material relating to individual constituency campaigns and these provide evidence of the importance of age, physical appearance, debating skills and knowledge of local issues in elections. They also show how all parties wanted to lay claim to the Welfare State. There are specific appeals to women voters and farmers in appropriate constituencies and discussions of the voting system.

This material will be invaluable to anyone interested in social welfare. The Topic Collections offer a unique grass roots perspective of these issues, offering the genuine views of the public, rather than the wishes of the planners and politicians. The files will be used by historians trying to understand the Labour landslide of 1945, by sociologists and social historians investigating cultural issues, and by those studying Family Planning, Post War Reconstruction and State Provision for Social Need.

NB This material was originally published by Adam Matthew Publications as Part 4, 5 and 11 of the Mass-Observation Archive.



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