John R. Raynes

“ Elections of representatives of the employees were held under the supervision of the Board of Trade, from those who were employees in the section and district, each nomination paper being signed by not less than 20 adult employees of the candidate's section and district. The Board of Trade prepared, received, and counted the voting papers, and published the names of members of each Board, whose term of office expired November 6th, 1914, but was generally continued owing to war conditions. ”

“ The members would not handle blackleg goods, and soon Liverpool was a great storm centre. At Horwich the works were already closed because eleven unions were fighting as one, and there had been a localised strike at Hull, The Barry men asked permission to tender their notices in April, in support of three A.S.R.S. men, said to have been victimised. Activities on other companies had rather better results, for on the G.W., for example, a new agreement secured immediate advances to 2,386 firemen (nearly 80 per cent. of the total) and 527 enginemen (nearly 18 per cent. of the total) . ”

“ I am going to contend that the man with a guinea, with a uniform, with regular hours of employment, set against the man with 25s., who wears out more clothing, who carries out food that is destroyed, he is financially as badly off in the goods of this world as the man with 20s. ”

“ The railway companies had given very little away under the Conciliation Scheme, and were determined to maintain it. There were loopholes for separate interpretation in every concession, and it cannot be wondered that men rose in a body. Since 1907 the position of companies had vastly improved, but wages had remained almost stationary. ”

“ Bromley was available, and if it was not advisable for him to leave for Liverpool to watch developments. It was resolved: "That until the General Secretaries of the unions have corresponded with our own General Secretary we cannot entertain applications made by our branches." ”

“ The following telegram was sent out to all branches:—
"Joint Committee have settled strike. Victory for trade unionism. All men must return to work immediately."
The Royal Commission, duly set up to investigate the working of the 1907 scheme, and to report what changes, if any, were desirable, held 29 sittings and examined 67 witnesses. Of its five members, two represented the companies and two the men, with an impartial chairman. The members were as follow:—
For the Railway Companies—Sir Thomas R. Ratcliffe Ellis, Secretary to the Mining Association of Great Britain; Mr. ”