So by the passage of more telegrams an appointment was made at Manchester, where, at the Midland Hotel, an offer was made to accept a date to be mutually agreed upon for the acceptance of the eight hour day. He promised to lay that before the War Cabinet, and the Executive offered to meet him anyw here in the United Kingdom on the matter. At 12.45 p.m. on Thursday, December 5th, a telephonic communication was received from Sir A. Stanley, requesting the E.C. to meet him. They caught the 1.15 ex Leeds to London, and met Sir A. Stanley at the Board of Trade the same evening. Mr. Bromley, be it remembered, was all this time trying to conduct his Parliamentary contest in North East Leeds, having given up Morley to Mr. Ben Turner. Owing to engagements in Leeds, Mr. Bromley could not accompany the Committee to London until Friday, and Sir Albert Stanley specially asked Mr. Bromley, in a personal talk over the telephone, to follow on and to join the Executive in the final discussion. This Mr. Bromley did, travelling in the night, and he was thus able to render the last assistance needed to secure that boon to all railwaymen-the eight hour day. The E.C. of the N.U.R. was waiting at that deferred meeting, but the Committee of the Society rightly demanded that as they alone had secured the pledge, and had prosecuted that tiring quest. Sir Albert Stanley should now meet them alone. This was agreed, and the President of the Board of Trade suggested March 1st, owing to the impossibility of working the eight hour day at once. The Committee suggested January 1st, and eventually February 1st was agreed upon.
Following is the text of the agreement, and owing to the compulsory departure of Mr. Bromley for Leeds, it will be noticed that Mr. Worthy Cooke, President in 1918, had the honour of signing for the Society the first Eight Hour Agreement for the British Railway Service:-
Copy of Agreement.
1.—The principle of an eight hour day for all members of the wages staff has been conceded, and is to come into operation on February 1st.
