illuminated address and £25, be given to Mr. Dickenson, in recognition of the long and extremely valuable services he had rendered the Society. This presentation was fittingly made, and Mr. G. Eason elected to the vacant trusteeship. There were seven candidates for the post of organiser in succession to Mr. Bromley, Messrs. A. Mason, of Openshaw, and Barton Wild, of Ardeley, having the two highest votes. A second ballot was taken between them in October, and it resulted: Mason, 6,471: Wild, 4,420.
These, surely, were affairs enough to mark 1915 as a busy year, but in the middle of it came a letter from the solicitors to the N.U.R., claiming that some statements made by Mr. Bromley at an open meeting at Newport were a libel upon Mr. J. F. Williams and Mr. J. H. Thomas, and asking Mr. Bromley to withdraw the same, or proceedings would be taken. The matter was placed in the hands of the Society's solicitors, by the Executive Committee, with the assertion that the statements were true in substance and in fact, and no withdrawal of them could take place by the General Secretary, who stated his readiness to accept proceedings.
By September of 1915 the rise in food prices was more than 37 per cent. above the level of July, 1914, and the Executive was compelled to again enter demands on the companies. Early in October, it was resolved to press forward for the full 5s. war bonus all round; for sixpence per day to count as a wages increase, and the remaining 2s. to be termed a war bonus. Piles of resolutions were pouring in from branches, many threatening a strike, and they had some effect on the companies. An agreement was arrived at in October that railwaymen whose standard rate was under 30s. were to receive an additional bonus of 3s., those whose rate was over 30s. a bonus of 2s., while boys under 18 were to receive another shilling. This advance was naturally appreciated, but the terms under which it was conceded were not. The agreement was to last as long as the Government controlled the railways, and subject to termination by one month's notice on either side. The Executive was not to put forward any new demands, nor to countenance new demands by branches, nor to support any strike promoted to further new
