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/330

 better method than this, then our duty was to be alongside of themz in the battle. So, friends, we are here, and I want to say this, with the short notice at our disposal, with the hurried nature of the call we had to give to our members, although many of the wires which I sent yesterday afternoon had not reached our branches by mid-day to-day, the fact that our members had seen in the Press their Executive was backing the N.U.R., and the loyalty of our members to the Executive Committee, I am proud of the fact that from the North of Scotland to the South of England our members are solid in this battle. We are in the fight, not for a farthing for our members, not for any advantage to our members, not to benefit any of our members, we are in it to help the N.U.R. on a trade union principle. I, again, on behalf of my organisation, give this pledge to the meeting, and, through this meeting to the railwaymen of the country, that we shall in no way block any settlement; in no way make difficult the work of those who have to conduct this meeting by rejecting anything on our behalf."

When the Government withheld the wages previously earned by the men as an attempt to reduce them to surrender, strong feeling was aroused throughout the country.

Sir Eric Geddes and Sir Robert Horne were subjected to an extremely hostile demonstration by a large crowd in Whitehall on Friday. October 3rd. When they reached Parliament Street the crowd became extremely hostile. People booed and hissed them as they proceeded across the street, escorted by four police officers The crowd pressed round them, and for a time the incident looked ugly, but there was no molestation, and they proceeded across the road to Whitehall Gardens. After that, mounted escorts were used for the unpopular Ministers.

Great efforts were made by the anti-Labour authorities to run a skeleton service, but it was a complete and ghastly failure. Trains ran without passengers, trains ran which reached no destination but the jack-points, and expresses ran at ten miles an hour. The daily boasting in the Press of the "improved " service was a mighty attempt at deceit, but it seemed to deceive very few. On one occasion when a Pressman asked Mr. Bromley's opinion of the service which was running. Mr. Bromley said, "I will give them