being afforded to either party concerned to ask for reconsideration when necessity arises, it being understood that the men's representatives would not hereafter bring forward any demand for or based on the 12½ per cent. bonus or wages.
The agreement was signed by Sir H. A. Walker for the R.E.C., and by Messrs. Worthy Cooke and J. Bromley for the A.S.L.E. & F. It was certainly a very good fruit of the enterprise, for there was no acceptance here of a restrictive clause against further applications, and the advances won were equivalent in value to a 12 per cent. on the wages of men over 21 years. Opportunity was taken to discuss other subjects with the R.E.C., including the difficulty of meeting the chief officers of the L. & N.W.R., and the improvement of the Conciliation Scheme, to obtain better negotiating machinery.
The Political Fund members had been meeting with a view to forming a panel of Parliamentary candidates, in readiness for a general election that was known to be pending, and could not be long deferred after peace was once secured. A ballot of the membership of that fund for twelve Parliamentary candidates resulted in the following selection, it being understood that Mr. Bromley was already nominated and known as the prospective Parliamentary candidate for North East Leeds:-Ivor Gregory, 3,709; G. Moore, 3,231; Barton Wild, 3,159; A. Mason, 2,947; W. J. Squance, 2,876; W. W. Cooke, 2,486: H. J. Oxlade, 2,411; Geo. Wride, 2,393; John Drummond, 2,226; R. Hill; 1,734; R. T. Mackereth, 1,401 J. Richards, 1,309. Mr. Oxlade withdrew before the ballot was completed. The names mentioned, with the exception of Mr. Oxlade, therefore constituted the Panel of Parliamentary candidates, but had not the power to pledge the financial support of the Society without the consent of the E.C. The Secretary of the Labour Party was informed of the formation of the Panel, along with an intimation that the Society was prepared to accept a reasonable proportion of financial responsibility, to be agreed upon between the Constituency and the Society, for three candidates
