Chapter IX
Another circular was sent out by Mr. Wm. Dean (G.W.R.) on August 5th of 1890. It was of a more acceptable nature than the one mentioned in an earlier page, and it was a reply lo the Memorial signed by two thousand men. After mentioning the increases in rates of wages granted in the previous December, and the concession of extra payment for Sunday work, it proceeded to guarantee the long demanded six days week for "men sent temporarily to Penzance, Weymouth, New Milford, and other stations for the fish and vegetables or other special traffic," The directors also withdrew the limitation of £2,000 on their annual contribution to the Enginemen and Firemen's Friendly Society, and paid to it a sum of £1,030 for the half-year ending June 30th, 1890, at the rate of 3d. per week per member. The directors were not prepared to allow any further alterations in the conditions of service, as "the cost per train mile of enginemen and firemen has increased from 1½d. in the year 1867 to 2¼d., representing an increase in the cost of working of 50 per cent., a rate of advance which is without parallel in any other branch of the service."
But there was another side to this story of increase without parallel, for at that time, and until long alter 1900, engines were being built to bigger size, and the weight of trains enormously increased.
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