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/356

 British representatives were hastily summoned to attend a joint meeting at the House of Commons, on August 9th, representing the whole movement. It included the National Executive of the Labour Party and the Parliamentary Committee of the Trade Union Congress. At that meeting a Council of Action of 15 members was formed. Mr. Bromley being one of the five elected to represent the Labour Party Executive. During the next few days meetings were held in every centre, and there was no mistaking the deep fervour of the people against war with Russia. The national strike of miners, so long impending on a wage issue, developed in October, and continued for three weeks. Like the railway strike of 1919, it was an absolutely solid demonstration, and no picketing was necessary. The stillness of all the mines greatly lowered the volume of railway traffic, and there were prospects of a Triple Alliance strike. On Sunday. October 22nd, a message passed from Downing Street to Russell Square intimating that the Government would be glad to meet representatives of the Miners' Federation. Terms of settlement were signed on October 28th which, as in the case of railways, only put off the evil day, for the Government invited an agreed report from the Coal Association and the Miners' Federation by March 31st.

Many of our members wanted to emphasise their support of the miners by a sympathetic strike, and became so restless by October 15th that Mr. W. Stevenson, who was just about to retire from the Presidency, had to send out a special restraining message to branches, to do nothing without the sanction of the E.C. Mr. W. J. R. Squance succeeded Mr. Stevenson as President of the Society.

The complete de-control of railways became due on August 14th, 1921, and the complete financial de-control of mines on August 30th, subsequently advanced to March 31st, with serious consequences. In both these industries the workers demanded an adequate voice in the control of their own destiny, and in both it was opposed. The builders were leading the way by forming Building Guilds which accepted housing contracts running into hundreds of thousands