Page:Engines and men- the history of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen. A survey of organisation of railways and railway locomotive men (IA enginesmenhistor00rayniala).pdf/110

 called me up, and said: "Weston, unless you retract those words I will dismiss you." I said: "Mr. Wheatley, you have the power to dismiss me, but I cannot retract what I said." I was compelled to do it, but I told him honestly that in coming home, running for 250 miles, when I came in at night I would find myself falling asleep."

What tragic testimony that is, and the result of the protest was that Weston had the option of being reduced to a branch line or being dismissed the service, and he left.

On the Highland Railway, a driver named Johnson "was on duty from 12.40 p.m. on the Friday till 1 p.m. on the following Monday afternoon." Murder? Yes, plenty of it in all trades to grind out dividends. On the Midland Great Western (Ireland) a witness named Carroll "fell off his box when asleep from exhaustion and want of rest." He had been on continuous duty 43 hours. It was no uncommon thing on that line, he said, for drivers to work 30 or 40 hours consecutively.

Remember, too, that the Companies remained absolutely callous and indifferent, and Capt. Tyler reported:—

"'I do not think that the Board of Trade ought to interfere with the railway companies as to the hours of working their men.'"

Mr. Haswell, of the North Eastern, mentioned the case of a driver and fireman who had worked 17½ hours one day, 17 the next, 15 the next, 18¼ the next, and 12 the next, or 80¼ hours in five days. On the Brighton line, Mr. Woodhead gave the case of a driver who made 89 hours in six days without a Sunday," and another who worked for 16 hours, and 14 hours, and 20¼ hours, and 16¾ hours, and 23¼ hours, and 16½ hours, in his week."

Frederick Harcombe, a goods guard on the Taff Vale, gave some startling evidence as to long hours on that line, and was asked:—

"Have not the companies a sufficient number of men to work the traffic? They should have more men, but they work the ones they have. I have seen many young men come and