ject as a result of Mr. Channing's motion. It is satisfactory to learn from hhs evidence of Mr. Courtenay Boyle, C.B., Chief of the Railway Department of the Board of Trade, that the practice of compelling men to return to duty after very short rests is on the decline. Mr. Boyle is reported in the Times as saying that:—
'The percentage of instances of returning to work after a rest of either one or two up to eight hours on the leading railways in 1888 and in 1890 was:—Great Eastern, 1888, 26, 1890, 3·51; Great Western, 1888, 12·22, 1890, 5·61; Great Northern, 1888, 3·25, 1890, 3·77; Lancashire and Yorkshire, 1888, 126, 1890, 71·64; London and South Western, 1888, 32·29, 1890, 2·73; North British, 1888, 88·33, 1890, 31·10; Glasgow and South Western, 1888, 88·25, 1890, 3·06; South Eastern, 1888, 99·20, 1890, 38·17.'
A great improvement is undoubtedly here indicated, as a man who returns to duty after but a short rest following excessively long hours, is unfit to have charge of a train from the first moment of his return to duty.
We must wait for the issue of the inquiry by the Select Committee, before we can form a final judgment on some of the points above raised. Thus, with respect to the long hours on mineral trains, so far as they are caused by delays at sidings, it is a fact that those who are nominally at work for very long hours are not actually at work for more than a few hours. But it is a matter of controversy, adhuc sub judice, what allowance should be made under this head.
The Scottish Railway Strike
Perhaps the most serious Labour struggle which Scotland has experienced in this generation culminated on December 21, 1890, in a strike of a large number of men, employed chiefly in the traffic departments of the three leading Scottish railway companies.[1] The immediate consequence was paralysis of the system of internal transport in the industrial districts of Scotland. This paralysis in its acute form lasted merely a few days; but during the six weeks of the strike, only a partial passenger and merchandise service was carried on, while the mineral traffic was almost entirely suspended. The effect upon the industries of Scotland of this arrest of the means of railway communication was prompt and serious. The coal supply, by which the wheels of industry are fed, was curtailed almost to the quantity that could be carted into the towns from neighbouring pits, for stocks were speedily exhausted. Shipbuilding yards, engineering works and factories closed their doors. At one time probably a hundred thousand persons were idle from causes directly or indirectly due to the strike. Some commodities, coals, for example, reached famine prices.[2] Ships
- ↑ The North British, the Caledonian, and the Glasgow and Sound Western Railways. The companies suffered in that order mentioned. The strike on the N. B. Co. ended on the 29th January, 1891, that on the Caledonian on the 31st January, and that on the G. and S. Western on 31st December, 1890. It is very difficult to form an accurate estimate of the number of men out at any one time, and the number varied during the strike, but the maximum number was probably over 8,000.
- ↑ Coals sold in the streets retail at 9d. per cwt. prior to the strike, were during its course sold at 1s. 6d. to 3s., and isolated cases occured of higher prices up to even 7s. 6d. per cwt. have been paid. For quantities the price rose from 15s. to 40s. per ton.
