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/188

 A fraternal visit by Brother G. A. Allen, General Secretary of the Queensland Locomotive Enginemen, Firemen, and Cleaners' Association, caused Mr. Fox to proudly exclaim that they had cemented the whole of the English-speaking locomotivemen. Later in the year 1909, Messrs. D. Brodie (Scottish), C. Shipley (North), and R. Atkinson (Cheshire) retired from the Executive for re-election. Of the three retiring members, only Mr. Brodie returned, the newly-elected members being Mr. W. W. Cooke (Crewe) for Cheshire, and Mr. R. Hill (Bradford) for the North. Mr. Geo. Wride, of Cheltenham, was elected Chairman of the Executive, with Mr. W. Chapman, of Doncaster, as Vice-Chairman, and it was decided to issue ballot-papers to members, and to invite nominations for another organising secretary, the districts being arranged as follows:—Mr. Warwick, London; Mr. J. Drummond, Scottish; Mr. H. Parfitt, South Wales; with Manchester organiser to be appointed. The Executive met on April 4th, 1910, to count the votes recorded, and found Mr. J. Bromley elected with 4,350 votes, the next highest being Mr. R. Atkinson, of Liverpool, with 1,730. Amongst the candidates was the late Mr. John Hunter, of Southport, who subsequently became a valuable President of the Society. A little later, Mr. H. J. Oxlade, of Willesden, was elected to the Executive as North London representative. The Executive decided in 1910 to invite nominations for an Assistant Secretary to the Society, and thirteen names went to the ballot, Mr. Geo. Moore, the ex-President, being elected with 2,103 votes. This election caused other vacancies on the Executive, Mr. John Hunter being elected for Lancashire, Mr. D. Evans for South Wales, Mr. W. Clarken for the Midlands, and Mr. J. Healey for the North Midlands. Mr. Geo. Wride was re-elected Chairman, with Mr. R. Hill as Vice-Chairman.

The year, therefore, seemed to bring a new generation of responsible workers for the Society, and it is a fitting opportunity to recall the smallness of the Head Office at 44, Park Square, in 1903, the purchase of premises at 8, Park Square, in 1904, their renovation and alteration at a cost of £282, and the Centralisation of