Engines and Men/Chapter 10
Chapter X
This would be a fitting period, seeing that we have just seen Mr. Henry Parfitt installed as Chairman of the Executive, to draw upon the recollections of that experienced member. When Mr. Parfitt knew that I was engaged for this task he readily gave me an interview, and that interview lasted a week, and it covered forty years of activity. Until he retired in December of 1919. Mr. Parfitt was our senior organiser, and in 1880 he joined the Neath branch on its opening night. He was founder of the Society in London, and was for several years Secretary of the Paddington branch. He was Chairman of Plymouth branch, and five years Secretary of Aberdare branch. He was Vice-President of Leeds Conference in 1886, President of the Conference in 1892, Chairman of the Executive 1893 to 1896, and has been in continuously close contact with the activities of the Society. Parfitt was born on November 15th, 1852, and took up railway service in 1873, and completed thirty years service as cleaner, fireman, and driver for the G.W.R. in 1903, when he was elected organiser, and continued in that capacity for seventeen years.
Such a long and varied experience made Mr. Parfitt a fountain of knowledge and bright incident, and my task was one of severe reduction from a hundred pages of shorthand notes. There was no railway union in being when Parfitt began his cleaning at Newport. He became a pilot fireman, and in 1875 was posted fireman at Llantrisant, where he joined the A.S.R.S. In 1878 a twelve hours day system of working was introduced, which was really the thin end of the wedge towards the introduction of classification, this great change being brought about on October 1st, 1879. This system classified the work and the men and the wages, and in its twelve hour day operation it led the G.W. men to see the necessity of having a society of their own as enginemen, and really proved the foundation of the Associated, Evan Evans, Tom Harding, Charles Perry, Tom Roderick, and others became pioneers of the new movement. They waited on Sir Daniel Gooch with a signed petition. “Damn the signatures," he said abruptly, "have you got the men?" This was the question they set out to answer, to get the men, and from Sheffield, Bristol, Pontypool, Newport, Birmingham, and other places the clarion call rang out.
Experience had taught the men there was no protection whatever in the A.S.R.S., and they desired to transfer from the friendly society attitude to that of a trade union. In 1881 Parfitt was transferred to London, and at Paddington set to work to form the first London branch of the Society. During the first ten years of the Society's history the Executive consisted solely of Leeds men, and it was the 1892 Conference which introduced the first representative E.C. The discussion on this subject is well worth more than passing reference. Sheffield had proposed to choose the Executive from a radius of 50 miles from the General Office, and Southport supported, but on the plea of Battersea that 50 miles was too small a radius, that limit was withdrawn. Wigan submitted a proposal that:—
"The whole of the branches shall be divided into groups or districts, and each such group or district shall elect one member of the Executive Committee, each branch in such group or district being allowed to nominate one member, and the member who receives the largest number of votes shall be the duly elected member of the Executive for such group or district."
This was supported by Plymouth, Openshaw, Sandhills, and Mr. Sunter reminded the delegates of the additional expense involved. Leeds had proposed as an amendment that the rule remain as at present, and for this 18 voted against 46 for the Wigan proposition, which was declared carried. The districts were then fixed, and a sub-committee elected as follows:-Mr. Bliss, London; Mr. Church, South Wales; Mr. Ullyott, Yorkshire; Mr. Gough, Lancashire; Mr. Evans, West of England. It was decided that the Executive Committee should consist of nine members, including the Trustees, who were elected by the Leeds branch. Rule 3 of the 1895 copy of the Rules set out the new basis of election, and it should be added that all the speakers paid high tribute to the efficiency of the work done by the Leeds Executive.
The North London men were keen to see what the Paddington branch looked like, and the Bow branch was opened with King's Cross as No. 3. The rapid development in London was largely influenced by a law case, concerning a fireman named David Newberry. The Inner Circle had just been completed, and some competent G.W. men were wanted as drivers. Newberry was one of those transferred, but the District Railway discovered they did not want these extra men, and booked Newberry for firing. This he refused to take, as it meant a drop from 7s. to 4s. 6d. a day, and he reported to Mr. Parfitt, Secretary of Paddington branch. The case was taken to County Court, and a claim for a month's wages in lieu of notice was successful.
Kentish Town followed King's Cross, and in February of 1887 Battersea was opened, becoming the mother branch to Nine Elms, Twickenham, and many others. Next Parfitt was transferred to Plymouth (1887), where the men gave a day's pay in support of the Midland strikers, and to Aberdare (1889). It is a very interesting sidelight on the G.W. agitations for better pay and conditions that when deputations attended before the Board the expenses of the visit were met by subscriptions of drivers and firemen out of their own pockets. Drivers contributed 2s. 6d. each and firemen 1s. 6d. I have before me a statement of such a levy, showing subscriptions from three stations to be £5 5s., leaving a balance in hand over expenditure of 5s. 6d.
Speaking of his experience on the 1893 Executive, Mr. Parfitt recalled the Probert case, which extended the benefit of incapacitation grant to eyesight failure on account of an accident to the eye. He always regarded it as an epoch-making year in the Society's history, for reasons which have been explained in previous chapters. The eyesight question was very prominent, and it was recommended that locomotive men should be allowed the aid and protection of spectacles, especially as they were used by other grades, and even by directors, and in America enginemen were allowed to use them. The revised rules of the Benevolent Fund also came into operation in 1893, making a call of 4d. on full members and 2d. on half members, an amount not exceeding £50 to be paid to any unjustly discharged members, or £25 to half members.
The 1895 Triennial Conference saw a keen discussion on the proposal to appoint organisers, and it was only lost by a vote of 25 to 24. The rules of the Superannuation Fund were altered at the same meeting, arising out of the following proposal from the Executive:—
"That any full benefit member-60 years shall be entitled as follows:—
"If a member 20 consecutive years, 5s. per week: 25 years, 5s. 6d. per week; 30 years, 6s. per week; 35 years, 6s. 6d. per week; 40 years, 7s. per week; provided he ceases to follow his usual employment."
This involved a slight reduction in certain cases, and it was vigorously opposed and rejected, the old provision of 5s. after ten years membership. 6s. after 15 years, and 7s. 6d. after 20 years, being supported by the majority. The Executive's proposal with regard to the Accident Incapacitation Fund, to give benefits according to years of membership, as in the case of superannuation on old age retirement, was carried. It was this Conference also which decided to present to Mr. C. H. Perry, of Newport, the pathfinder of the Society, and to Mr W. Ullyott, of Sheffield, the first member, a gold watch and chain and an illuminated address.
In May of 1895 Taff Vale was to the fore again, and the Executive decided "That after reading correspondence on the Taff Vale dispute we send the following telegram to Mr. G. Blake, Secretary of Cardiff branch: 'Executive Council consider the contemplated action of Taff Vale men leaving work without proper notice is illegal, and cannot sanction withdrawal of our members.'" A dozen members of the Society were directly involved by receiving notice to leave the Taff Vale service, and the Executive demanded the withdrawal of these notices. During the next two months Taff Vale was the centre of the picture. In a letter to Cardiff the Secretary said: "There is not so much as a resolution passed by your branch to warrant the information that there are four-fifths of our members in favour of a strike as per rule, and we feel, therefore, that no Executive Council would ever give consent to withdrawal of labour on such meagre information. We are in sympathy with the Taff Vale members, and we are not in favour of day to day or fortnightly contracts." By the end of July certain expenses incurred during the dispute were paid, and the men were back at work under the old conditions.
During the previous year, 1894, the Society had saved out of its income £7,642, nearly one pound per member, despite legal costs of £428 incurred in a libel action brought by one Beswick, an A.S.R.S. fireman, against the Trustees of the Society. Beswick lost his case, but could not pay the costs, and he was left to become bankrupt as a result. The Society only recovered £33 of the costs incurred, but it defended its good name for sound finance, and closed the year with a total fund of £40,127. During the year 1895 its funds represented a wealth per member of £9 7s. 6d., and in 1896, after sixteen years existence, they exceeded £10 16s. per member, the Society having the proud position of being the wealthiest per member of all the trade unions in the United Kingdom. Its funds had always been very carefully and soundly invested, and the annual interest on investments was exceeding the total income for its early years.
The Orphan Fund was just being mooted, and was strongly pressed by Bolton, alternative schemes being outlined in the "Journal." The Executive declared it was not practical, and that an increased contribution would have to be paid to meet the liability, They could not recommend anything being taken from the Trade Protection Fund, which was very substantial, as they felt its liabilities might be very heavy, and might be faced at any time. They therefore addressed the following questions to branches:—
In October of 1896 the votes were returned, showing a majority of 72 for the Orphan Fund, a majority against the Bolton scheme, a majority against increased contributions, and a majority of 371 in favour of the Executive drafting a scheme. The Executive decided that nothing further should be done until the next delegate meeting, but propaganda continued, and at the 1899 Conference the Orphan Fund was decided upon, on the motion of Mr. Geo. Moore, the Bolton delegate, now Assistant General Secretary.
The Jubilee year, 1897, was a trying one for organised labour, and a busy one for the Society. A conference was called in January to consider the position of affairs on the London & North Western Railway, and in February the Society voted £50 to the relief of the locked-out Penrhyn quarrymen. In March the Executive met specially at York to consider the very serious position developing on the North Eastern, and it was resolved that in the event of a strike developing amongst other grades, enginemen and firemen must refuse to fulfil any other duties than their own. Our members at Hull and other stations were not in favour of a strike, because the Society had submitted its own distinct programme, and when the strike did develop very few A.S.R.S, men came out, except at Gateshead. In April the companies declined to receive a deputation from the Society, and it was decided to ask the enginemen of each company to adopt the Society's programme and to present it by means of deputations. A letter to the A.S.R.S., suggesting joint action by all enginemen, led to a misunderstanding, and on April 9th a letter was sent to Mr. Harford saying: "Your Executive has misunderstood our letter. We never asked your Executive to consider the matter at all. We cannot allow anything which affects our interests as enginemen and firemen to be subject to approval by anyone other than enginemen and firemen themselves.. We have never asked your committee for joint action, but we shall be glad for the co-operation of enginemen and firemen to carry out our programme.
This letter related to a joint conference which had been held at Birmingham for the approval of the National Programme previously given. At the same Executive the following resolution was carried: "We, the Executive Council, desire to place on record our appreciation of the manner in which the General Secretary has conducted us through such an important epoch in the history of our Society by his forethought and tact, and trust that the result will be improved conditions for enginemen, firemen, and cleaners on the North Eastern Railway."
Later in the year came the great engineers' dispute, during which branches sent in proposals to grant any sum to the A.S.E. up to £1,000, to levy drivers 6d, weekly and firemen 3d. Mr. A. Fox moved, as a member of the Executive, that a grant of £1,000 be made to the A.S.E.," because the A.S.E. has always responded to appeals of kindred societies for help, and have been pioneers of nearly all reforms which have been gained by the workmen of the country."
It was further decided to offer a loan of £10,000 to the A.S.E. for three years, free of interest. An appeal was also issued to branches to levy themselves in support of the engineers during the lock-out. The one saving feature of the year was the passing of the Workmen's Compensation Act, which came into operation on July 1st of 1898. The Associated closed the year with 8,724 members, and reserve funds of £61,902.
The York Friendly Society of Enginemen and Firemen was taken over on September 1st, 1899, and the Leeds Society from January 1st, 1900. This twentieth year of the Society's history gave an increased membership of 940, and increased the funds by £12,764, the reserves standing at £88,862. There was prevalent dissatisfaction against conditions of service, and many men were, in fact, leaving the service because of its many injustices and the very slight prospect of younger men becoming drivers. Men were being compelled to work defective engines to the risk of their lives, and two boiler explosions on the L. & Y, killed four enginemen.
There had been hopes of Mr. F. P. Sargent. Grand Master of the American Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, visiting the 1899 Conference, but it proved impossible, and it was not until ten years later that the fraternal visit was paid. In the same year (1899) a conference took place with the Steam Enginemen's Friendly Society as to amalgamation, but the ballot of the members of that society went against it. Later in the year it was decided to write Mr. Richard Bell, the newly elected Secretary of the A.S.R.S., with a view to promoting a conference of ten enginemen and firemen, with two members of the Executive of the Associated, and a similar number of the A.S.R.S., who must be enginemen or firemen, with a view to the Federation of the two bodies of enginemen and firemen only. A preliminary meeting of the newly-elected Executive was held on January 2nd, 1900, to draw up a programme of national conditions of service. Those present were Messrs. A. Fox, J. Holt, H. Parfitt, J. Drummond, C. Shipley, J. Gough, J. Evans, J. C. Potterill, W. Ferguson, and G. Moore. The two absent members of the complete Executive which faced the new century were Messrs. Bliss and Warwick. The proposal discussed was of federation with only the enginemen and firemen of the A.S.R.S., those present to include five from each side, with two Executive men who are engine drivers or firemen from each side. They were to report to their Executives, no movement to be started without the consent of the Executives of both societies. In general or national movements they were to work together as one Society, each Society taking responsibility for its own members. Deputations were, as far as possible, to consist of an equal number of each Society. The Joint Conference took place on January 3rd, 1900, the membership of the A.S.R.S. being reported at 65,000, and the A.S.L.E. & F, at 9,000. A scheme of federation was drawn up and agreed to, being referred to a vote of members of both Societies. Incidentally, it might be mentioned that the A.S.R.S. delegates included two signalmen and their President. Mr. G. Thaxton, a Midland goods guard.
All branches were at once acquainted with the fact that the Societies had met on the proposed Federation Scheme, and had decided to submit one to members for their approval or otherwise. Until that was done the Executive considered it would be premature to sanction joint action, but they trusted both sides would work harmoniously together. When the returns came in it was found that only 1,750 members had voted, 986 for and 764 against. A second ballot was completed in July, with the following result: For Federation, 1,673; against 908.
Resolved that we sincerely regret the apathy of our members on the Federation question, not one half the members having voted, and the Executive not in a position to act," was the verdict given. Then came the recognition of the services of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman, and resolution of thanks was conveyed to them. It was resolved to present Mr. Gough, the retiring Chairman, with the sum of £5 and a gold medallion, suitably inscribed. On April 4th of 1900 Mr. A. Fox was elected Chairman of the Executive, with Mr. S. Hawkins as Vice-Chairman, and away went the new Executive with the work of a new century.