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158 cases of strikes or lock-outs. Your work, I believe in the months that lie in front of you will not be very difficult as in the months that lie behind. You have had your struggle, and now the time of consolidation is approaching. While I am away I would like you to work very hard to consolidate the Tramwaymen's Union in these premises. I need not give you the advice which I gave the other day to our brothers in Perambur in reference to strikes and lock-outs. I do not think that there will arise any necessity for you to go on strike or also for your employers to declare a lockout. Times of safety, when there is no danger ahead, are in one sense very awkward and dangerous times for us, for then everything being smooth already, we are apt to go to sleep and do nothing. I would advise you to do a few things, taking, advantage of the peaceful times that lie in front of you. First you must build up your funds for the Tramway men's Union. You remember the very difficult time we have had during the last strike. We must always prepare for ourselves in building up our fund, so that in cases of necessity--may be a year hence, two years hence or five years hence-if we have to go on strike or face a lock-out we are not dependent on outsiders, but can rely on our own funds. The first thing, therefore, that I would like you to do is to build up a good strong fund for your Union. The second thing that I would like you to do is to appoint a small SubCommittee of some of your members and ask them to put themselves by correspondence in communication with the Tramwaymen of Calcutta and of Bombay ; appeal to them to form their own Tramwaymen's Unions in those big cities, then correspond with them