ON THE VERGE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 34, 4 November 1907, Page 5

ON THE VERGE.

WILL TRERE BE A RAILWAYS STRIKE? SOCIETY: PREPARING. MR. LLOYD-GEORGE AND THE DIRECTORS. BY TELEGRAM—rnESS ASSOCIATION-—COrYKIGIIT, ; ' (Rcc. Nov. 3, 4.3 p.m.) ■London, November 2. After two further conferences with tho directors of tho British railway companies, Mj> Lloyd-Gc'orgo, President of tlio Board of Trade, has" invited the men's representatives to meet him on Wednesday next, in caso ho may Have any proposal to submit. Meanwhile, tho Advisory Committee of tho. executive of the Amalgamated Socioty of Railway Servants has unanimously resolved that the'dircct'ors' refusal to meet tho Association's representatives leaves ,no alternative but to enforce tho niaiukto resulting from tho ballot, which recommended tho issue of notice papers to.the whole, railway service. : . :' Mr. It. Bell, the Society's secretary, declares that, everyone ..will be called out. Though their rauks-aro snpnosed to contain on'y 97,000 out of 581.000 railway employees, tho' Amalgamated Society embraces. the most skilled men, and it is not clear how many non-members may join in a strike. The Roeii'ty in demanding'that it bo recognised, by tho railway directors, declared that recognition would not. be allowed to interfere in any way, with matters affecting discipline. The directors, in effect, resist the men's demands, because, as they say -.— . , . . , Their innii are not dissatisfied. , Grievances are always listened to. Tho trade union is not discouraged. Working expenses do not permit wholesale .increases of wages. It would be,destructive of responsible/railway control to allow the trade union ' ' to intervene. . '■'. ' ■ Thei probable.offect of a railway strike was discussed' in our Saturday's issue.