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/338

 history of British trade unionism, i.e., the absolute stoppage of a union which had just obtained a settlement for its members, in support of the members of another union who were likely to suffer a reduction. I would like to point out that the minimum wage of 40s. per week offered to other grades meant, with the present cost of living in comparison with pre-war prices, a wage of the value of about 17s. 6d. This could not be tolerated, and in the interests of all Labour our members were called upon to resent it."

The Thirty-ninth Annual Report of the Society showed the year to have been phenomenal from the membership and finance points of view also. The increase of income for the year was £19,700, and the year closed with funds of £199,650, although the Protection Fund showed a loss of £65,420 on account of the strike just described. There was an increase of 32 branches in the year, the total being 370, and the membership rose by 17,244, an amazing year's growth, to 57,184. This wave of new membership continued well during 1920, for in the first two months of that fortieth year of history 24 more branches were opened, and 2,469 new members enrolled, a rate of 300 per week!

There were significant increases, too, in the Provident Funds—£4,173 on Superannuation; £2,605 on the Orphan Fund (notably due to the special effort): £3,154 on the Death Fund; £9,530 on the Sick Fund; and £397 on the Death and Retiring Fund. The strike expenditure totalled £68,268. The twopence weekly increase in contribution proved a timely help in breasting additional costs. The sales of the "Journal" increased by 10,000 copies monthly during the year, a sure and certain sign of good health, and yet, so abnormal were the costs involved, that the increased sale only increased the loss. That is the summary in figures of a wonderful year, a fitting climax to this record. It saw not only the eight hours day, but the abolition of classification, the National Standardisation of Wages, and the raising of conditions of service to a higher level than had ever hitherto been known. It was a very great year, and