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/177

 two forces were far from ready to stand shoulder to shoulder in common cause like they did in 1911 and 1919. They magnified mole-hills into mountains of difference, and said sharp things against each other, while the directors looked quietly on, lying low, like, and sayin' nuffin'. This made favourable ground for Mr. Lloyd George to come forward as the "friend" of the railwaymen, as he did later.

Correspondence between the two Societies came to narrow limits, letters from the A.S.R.S. being only formally acknowledged. During that summer, Theophilus Millman got into hot water for taking lunch with the officials concerned at an Inquiry. I see no harm in that, especially as poor Millman had had no food for 13 hours. Some branches felt it was compromising with the devil, and strongly protested. In that year, too, Ivor Gregory was discharged at Taunton, and while his claim for victimisation was disallowed, he was engaged as a clerk in the Head Office.

A third organiser was appointed, the voting being:—W. Warwick, 2,490; J. Bromley, 2,469; R. Atkinson, 1,903. Thus Messrs. Parfitt, Drummond and Warwick were in the field in 1907, and were instructed to reside at London, Glasgow, and Chester respectively "forthwith." That led to a little friction, as the Society had already recognised the principle of extra pay for London. Fifteen new branches were opened in one month that year, and even on the S.E. & Chatham the Society enrolled 600 members. It was certainly a moving time, with 219 branches at work, and amid the activities came the, the Scottish driver who was sentenced to imprisonment for manslaughter. Gourlay was not a member of the Society, but his harsh treatment for an error, after long years of faithful service, caused a national outburst of indignation. Practically every member signed a petition for his release from prison, which was presented to the Secretary for Scotland, with 21,000 signatures appended. But the law moves very slowly for a workman, unless he has stolen a loaf of bread, and Gourlay had completed his bitter sentence before the Secretary for Scotland had completed his consideration of the appeal.