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/173

 against one man being in the motor cab. It was carried also before the Trade Union Congress.

While this storm continued there was an interlude, owing to the committal for trial on a charge of manslaughter of Driver Webster, of Stratford, following a fatal collision. Webster had seen 50 years service without accident, and the Society acted promptly and well for his defence. He was tried by and a jury at the Old Bailey, and after lengthy evidence was acquitted, Mr. Justice Grantham adding that he hoped Webster would be driving for many years to come without accident. But Webster had not escaped injury, and soon he was incapacitated. The litigation dragged into 1906, when Webster was paid a final settlement of £128, in addition to sums previously paid.

The trial was scarcely over when Mr. Bell issued a printed report of a joint executive meeting, alleged to have been altered in several places after the Associated signatures had been appended, and certain remarks of Mr. Bell's were put into heavier type. While vigorous protest was being made, Mr. Fox was in the field in South Leeds, with a strong A.S.R.S. section impairing his chances, and Mr. Millman was authorised to contest Mid-Glamorgan if opportunity came. The opportunity did not come, but South Leeds was contested, Mr. Fox losing with a vote of 4,030. The result came almost at the same time as the result of the election of the second organiser, previously referred to. The four highest votes in the eight candidates were: Drummond, 2,138; Bromley, 1,158; Vaughan, 906; Atkinson, 617.

In 1906, sad to relate, there were complaints of bad language used in club-rooms and branch-rooms about politics! The divided ones sought the advice of the Executive, who replied that they knew no politics but Labour. In that year the Labour Representation Committee became the Labour Party, and the Society had begun to regularly send its delegates. Messrs. Fox and Drummond were submitted as candidates. A feature of the period was the issue of loans to members, many of whom took the advantage of borrowing £250 or so, to buy their own dwelling-