"A Delegate: And after 21 years service!
"Mr. Bromley: We have firemen in this country getting past middle life, with a wife and children, who are not getting 25s. a week. 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.
"A Delegate: Worse."
That is a vivid sidelight on the poor conditions existing in 1912. A very long and important discussion on the question of amalgamation ended in the adoption, by 133 votes to 7, of a resolution instructing the Executive: "That the policy of Federation with other railway trade unions must be pursued, but they must not entertain any scheme of amalgamation with any other body than that of men following our own particular calling." This has several times since been re-affirmed as the established policy of the Society. The Conference also decided to appoint a fifth organiser. December of that year brought the Driver Knox episode at Gateshead. He had been arrested on a charge of drunkenness and assault when off duty. The latter charge was dismissed, and he was fined 5s. and costs for drunkenness. Following this the North Eastern Company reduced him to the position of pilot driver, and a storm arose at once. The North Eastern men would not have it, and a strike developed. There was keen newspaper controversy about the rights of drivers, and Messrs. Drummond and Bromley were dispatched to the troubled area. The Executive moved to York on December 9th, and proceeded to Newcastle, where the men had formed a strike committee. This body was consulted and the Chief Officers of the Company approached. They admitted that drivers might do what they liked in their spare time, but drew a firm line against drunkenness. All men were reinstated without prejudice.
