pettily autocratic treatment of men by unpractical subordinate officials, involving ignorance by departmental heads of the existence of grievances, and consequent accumulation of these grievances, and arbitrary punishment of men for trifling ofiences. The specific grievances arising out of those conditions were these:—
1. The 'booking' and the 'trip' systems, by which it is alleged the men were paid for a number of hours less than those actually spent on duty.
2. Systematic overtime working.
3. Degradation or dismissal on trifling pretexts of men who presumed to complain on behalf of themselves or their fellows. The evidence on all of these points offered by the men is abundant but unauthoritative. Although the returns of the companies to the Board of Trade sustain the men's complaints of systematic over-working, only an inquiry like that undertaken by Sir gichael Hicks Beach's Committee can secure full disclosure of the facts.
The Reasons of the Strike wittwist Notice. One of the leading incidents in the lop-sided development of the Scottish railway systems was the discontent, justifiable or not on abstract grounds, engendered by it in the minds of the men. This discontent had important economic results, especially on the system in which it was most pronounced, viz., the North British. The discontented men had three courses open to them. They might r. epresent their grievances to the managers, they might leave the servme, or they might strike. In the wew of the men, the first course had been tried until they were wearied out by the fruitlesshess of it. ' There is no questio. n at issue. e There is no need for arbitration. Any real grievances are m progress of being remedied. Many concessions have been granted.' These were the statements of the railway managers, to which the men replied through their representatives that the concessions were inadequate, and that the fundamental grievance, viz., excessive overtime, was still unremedied. The second course was adopted by a large number of men. The changes on the North British system during the past few years have been very numerous. The immediate cause of resignation was frequently broken health, often it was the feeling that the conditions of work were intolerable. Other men were procured to fill the places o! those who had gone. These men, coming up from lower grades of labour, looked upon the relatively large wages's o! railway servants as an inducement to change their employment, and thus in a crude sense the supply numerically met the demand. In addition to the demand for labour by the N. B. Railway Company, due to the discontent of the older men, and to their consequent resign?ion, th.ere was a sudden demand for men in consequence of the rapd expansion of the system. These two causes together introduced a raw element into the service which formed a large proportion of the whole; the result was deterioration of the staff, both in point of efficiency and in point of morale. The supply had met
hours rest at towns distant from their homes and have to find accommodation as best they may. Barracks are .aid to be urgently needed, e.g., at Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen and Berwick.
1 By alleged individual reprentations, but formally and collectively by correspondence between the Secretary of the Railway Sewants' Association and the Managers of the Companies on 10th September, 19th October, 9th and 15th November, 1890. See details in The Scollish Railway Slrike, pp. 7 el seq.
2 Circular to staff, 15th November, 1890.
3 Engine-drivers, 4s. 6d. to 6s. 6d. per day; firemen, 19s. to 24s. per week; guards, 24s. to 30s. per week; express-driver.% 7s. per day. C.f. The Scollish Railway 8lrike, p. 50.
