further comb-out of man-power for the Army, to which were related the questions of excessive hours and food shortage. Sir Auckland Geddes was already consulting the N.U.R., when, on December 21st of 1917, Mr. Bromley wrote that any arrangement made for further depletion of the footplate staff with people other than representatives of the Society would not be accepted by the members, and further, that any increased employment of inexperienced men on railway engines, or an aggregation of the excessive hours being worked, would lead to a revolt of a serious nature.
In a further letter dated January 2nd, 1918, the General Secretary said he had the instructions of the Executive to emphasise the fact that the footplates were so denuded of men as to cause unbearably excessive hours, turns of 15 and 16 hours being very common, and up to 29 hours being worked without relief. During the same period the Executive Committee were in communication with the Board of Trade and Railway Executive on the subject of excessive time. On January 18th representatives of the Executive, with the General Secretary, visited the Board of Trade, and handed in particulars of excessive hours, along with excessive weeks, ranging from 70 to 121 hours, affecting nearly 200 depots. On the previous day they had visited the Food Ministry, pointing out the difficulties of members in regard to food. Efforts had also been made to obtain the 12 per cent. increase recently granted to munition workers by Mr. Churchill, made applicable to the Society, but without success.
It was a time, too, of special conferences of the Labour movement on Peace, Food Supply, and other vital matters. The Labour Party decided to hold its Annual Conference in June for the future, and therefore brought forward its 1919 Conference to June, 1918, having thus three annual conferences in twelve months, to each of which the Society sent delegates. A letter was received from the War Office, inviting the Society to send 35 representatives on a visit to the war zone, but it was declined, although many trade unions sent representatives to France as the guests of the War Office.
Such are the ways of Government that it is necessary to
