1932 A REVIEW OF LARKHALL DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION.
Few in Larkhall mourned the passing of 1932. To some it began with great hope and brought little to enthuse over; to the majority of the inhabitants of the village it meant nothing more than a continuance of the period of depression which seriously affected them and Larkhall.
At one time nearly four thousand coal miners worked in the local pits but during the year, three quarters of these men and boys were unemployed. Dykehead Colliery was the main colliery of the district and work had been suspended from May till November. Ferniegair Colliery didn’t fare much better with the men employed there being idle for some months. The Bleachfield works and Avon Foundry continued work as normal but workers at the silk factory were affected by foreign competition.
The slum clearance programme made a little progress with a number of houses being built at Strutherhill and Hamilton Street, but these were inadequate to meet the demand.
Work on desperately needed sewage schemes was postponed by a government economy drive.
The erection of many glass houses for tomato growing was one ray of light but these although welcome, employed few people.
The depression affected every business in the village with several of them going out of business.
The unemployed men were subjected to the indignity of a “means test” after they had exhausted their standard benefit. This means test was brutal and with its only aim to pay the unemployed as little as possible. The Fourth District Council had announced at the beginning of January that they expected to save an estimated £24,000 by applying this test.
The Rev. M. F. Wright left Larkhall Baptist Church for Dunfermline and the post was eventually filled by a former minister the Rev. William Wood of Rutherglen.
Larkhall Thistle won the Lanarkshire Junior League championship and in bowling the Miners’ Welfare bowling team consisting of J. Smith, J. Love, W.P. Campbell and W. Farr won the Scottish Cup. Messrs J. Steel and J. Rowatt of Larkhall Club won the pairs tournament at Weston-super-mare and Mr J. Steel annexed the Dauncey Cup for single-handed play. Larkhall Club also won the Middle Ward Trophy and the Welfare team won the League shield for the fourth successive year.
In quoiting the local players were well on top with Birkenshaw Welfare Club winning the Scottish Cup and J. Henderson of Larkhall Raploch featured in the single-handed championship final.
There were three golden weddings in the village; Mr and Mrs John Ferguson, 69 Raploch Road in January; Mr and Mrs William McIntosh, 69 Miller Street and Mr and Mrs Robert Nicol, Victoria Street, both in June. Mr and Mrs William Peat, Percy Street celebrated their ruby wedding in February.
The Fairholm Players a talented group of local dramatists gave public performances and at the initial concert the Larkhall Orchestra was under the able leadership of Mr John Faulds.
At the end of the year the County Council and District Council elections were held when the Labour Party and the Independent Labour Party were chief contestants. All the Labour members were re-elected with large majorities.
Let it gang—the auld year that’s awa’,
Wi’ its “means tests” an’ hardships for a’,
Let’s forget a’ the fears,
The sighs an’ the tears,
That were oors in the year thirty-twa.
Let’s then hope that the year yet to be,
Will shine brichter for you and for me,
An’ wi’ joyin’s and laughin’,
An’ singing and daffin”
We’ll welcome in year thirty three.
Ref. Hamilton Advertiser.
7/1/1933. Page 12.
Wilma Bolton. 2005.
