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/269

 ment, and done his share in contributing towards the success of this war."

, at the Great Northern Railway meeting, February 11th, 1917: "I should like to say one word upon the great services which have been rendered to you by our officers and staff during a very trying and difficult period. A very great amount of traffic has been carried, and as you all know, the staff has been greatly depleted. Consequently the work which has fallen upon our men and our officers has been greatly increased. I think that you owe a great debt of gratitude to our officers and staff."

, at the Great Western Railway meeting, February 24th: "I may say without hesitation that we are having to deal with an enormous volume of traffic, greatly in excess of normal times. It is only owing to the most careful forethought on the part of our officers and the zealous co-operation of the staff that these difficulties have been able to be overcome."

, at the London & North Western Railway meeting, February 25th: "It speaks volumes for those both in authority and under authority for the way they have wholeheartedly grasped the importance of efficiency under most difficult and trying circumstances. It only remains for me to give a cheering word of gratitude and encouragement to our staff."

During the years 1917 and 1918 there was a very marked increase in the number of women and girls employed as engine cleaners. Being only a temporary feature of railway life, they were never admitted to the Society, but thousands of women were daily engaged in cleaning engines and moving about the sheds clad in various styles of overalls, leggings, puttees, and trousers. It is appropriate to mention here, I think, that the pressure of war conditions contributed to the most terrible railway disaster on record, the wrecking of a troop train from Scotland, near to Gretna, on May 22nd, 1915, which entailed a death roll of 227. At that time human life was going so cheaply, in such wholesale slaughter on the Continent,