Chapter XVI
War on the colossal scale had been declared on August 4th of 1914, and it laid a chill touch upon everybody and every organisation. All Europe was involved, and half the civilised world seemed to be rising to arms. The cliffs reverberated with the roar of heavy guns barking hate at sea, and on land there was an all-pervading presence of khaki, of lumbering guns, and of grey paint. Motor vans, horses, and horse vans were seized, and on the first day of the war the British railways were taken over by the Government under The Regulation of Forces Act of 1871, being afterwards administered by a Railway Executive Committee, composed of the General Managers of the most important systems.
Owing to the national emergency, a mighty truce was called over all internal questions, including wage questions, at the very time when the revised National Programme was ready for presentation. It eclipsed the eight hour day, and for some time the revised Conciliation Board Scheme too. An agreement was reached on October 1st, 1914, providing that the existing schemes should continue in operation until six weeks' notice had been given on either side. Sectional Conciliation Boards were retained, but the number of such was reduced to four on each system. Conciliation stood
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