Fox was taking a close interest in. On April 11th and 12th of 1905 the suggested joint conference of delegates from both societies took place, and drew up a national programme. On November 23rd of 1906 came another joint meeting of the E.C.'s, the two items put down for discussion by the A.S.R.S. being the discussion in the A.S.L.E. & F. Conference, and the pamphlet issued by the General Secretary, "Items of Interest," consisting of a series of quotations of a militant and critical type, which Mr. Bell characterised as libellous, untruthful and malicious." The A.S.L.E. & F. members left the room, and proceedings terminated. Mr. Fox later declined to sign the printed report owing to alterations having been made in previous reports after he had signed. The conditions of the Scheme of Federation had, it was complained, been ignored by the A.S.R.S. in several matters.
In January of 1907 the A.S.R.S. declined an invitation to co-operate with a conference of A.S.L.E. & F. members to draw up a national programme, but agreed it was time something was done. It is almost pathetic to notice that in the N.E.R. arbitration proceedings before Lord James of Hereford, Mr. Bell submitted, by way of an alternative to the guaranteed week, that the men should be allowed to live further away, and to carry on any other business they desired. In October of the same year a conference of the five railway societies was held to discuss federation of the whole, as a result of a resolution passed at the A.G.M. of the Pointsmen's and Signalmen's Society, and arranged by that Society. Mr. Bell then said by letter that he could not see how a Federation scheme could work between any two societies catering for the same employees, and agreed to send Mr. Williams with a watching brief. All the Societies at that conference were agreed upon enforcing their demand for recognition by the railway companies. A resolution was carried embodying the principle of Federation of all railway trade unions, and a committee of two members from each Society was elected to draw up a scheme. There, for the present, I am obliged to leave the history of a movement which is neither complete nor satisfactory.
