The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-01-06 00:00:00

RAILWAY SERVANTS.

On Sunday evening a meeting of railway servants,
including engine-drivers, guards, ticket-collectors,
porters, shunters, stokers, policemen, and other classes
of railway entidopa was held at the "Winchester
Arms," Southwark-street, London, to advance the ten
hours' movement, the payment for overtime, the dimi-
nution of Sunday duty, and the weekly payment of
wages. The chair was taken by Mr. George Chap-
man.

The chairman gave a most 'encouraging account of
the.progress .4 the newly established Amalgamated
Society of Railway Sarvante, and spoke of
the encouraging sympathy and liberal dona-
Bone they had received from outside friends. There
could be no doubt when it became generally
known that the rules of the society were
framed in the interest, not solely of the railway ser-
vants, but of the public, a large amount of public
general support would be given to the society. As a
matter of course, the presidency of the society was
offered to Mr. 114. T. Bass M. P. (cheers), or, rather,
the hon. gentleman was mated to be good enough to
accept that position. They all knew that no man in
England cmild more appropriately take the post of
pri Admit of the society, because Mr. Bass had evinced
the deepest interest in the condition of railway servants,
and had devoted much of his valuable time and given
his great influence to redeem the grievances .4 the over-
worked servants of the different railway companies in
the United Kingdom. However, he had received the
following letter from Mr. Bass :

"Bangemore, Burton-on-Trent, Dec. 27, 1971.
. Dear Sir—lt would be a real pleasure to me to accept
the °nice of President of the Amalgamated Soelety of Rail-
way Servants, and I feel very grateful for the offer of such
a mark of their confidence : felt, after the beet consideration
I could give to the subject, I have come to the clear concha-
shin that I may be of more service to the society by preserv-
ing a perfectly independent position. You may feel perfectly
sure that In that quality I shall negleA no opportunity of
doing all that in powible for me to promote the best interests
c f the society.-- Believe me faithfully yours,
"To Mr. George Chapman." "M. T. BARS."
The Chairman went on to say that on Thursday Mr.
C. B. Vincent, agent of Mr. Bane had been appointed
y the members of the society their president and he
the chairman) was appointed the general secretary.
'hat night Mr. Vincent was to aildresa a meeting of
railway servants at Chester, when Mr. Raikes, M.P.,
would attend.
. . .. .. • - - -- •

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Several railway servants then detailed their
grievances. A man employed AS a porter on the lireat
erthern Hue said he worked 112 hours (luring
the past week. One or two signalmen told him
they were werking short-handed, and hail to do
twelve hours a day. Four signal-boxes between
Kiii,„,••s-crossaud Wood-green were thus served. A porter
on the London. Brighton, and South Coast line said he
Lad worked during the Chri-tmas holidays for '25 o
ii-
eecntive hours, and had not received a penny extra for
it. A guar,' observed that on the North Kent line
men of his class worked 14 or 13 hours a (lay, and
on Sunday often 18 hours. A young man, who has
just resigned the post of ticket collector on the
Brighton line, which he had held for sixteen
years, said he had been at a country station at
El a week, but when a new superintendent came
down he toil him (the ticket collector) that the
expenses must be cut down, and that if he wanted
to keep his £3 a week he must go up to London. He
did so and, arrive! in London, he got 18s. a week.
("Oh 1" and a voi "An Irishman's rise.") He had
circulated the announcements from the new society
among the men, and hence his place was made so un-
comfortable that he was obliged to resign his situation.
A mate of his went on duty at 8 o'clock on Saturday
evening and would remain on duty until 2 o'clock on
Monday. i" Oh, oh.")
The Chairman said it was well known that men, as

a rule, were not paid for overtime.
Strong resolutions were pwsed in support of the ob-
jects of the new society; and a treasurer having been
appointed, the prooeedings, which were protracted
and enthusiastic, closed with a vote of thanks to the
chairman.