The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-08-31 00:00:00

THE RAILWAY EMPLOYES.

avy we
elewly to
essential

A fortnight since the clerks employed at the London
offices of the Great Eastern Railway Company sent a
memorial adopted at a meeting to the directors. asking
them for an increase in their salaries by twenty per
cent, irrespective of the yearly advances; payment
for overtime at a certain rate; and the abolition of
guarantees for clerks, with the exception of those em-
ployed in the financial departments. Mr. Swarbrick,
the general manager, requested the clerks to inset him,
and, accordingly on Saturday, 22 of the latter had an
interview of a nio4 satisfactory kind, with the general
manager at the office of the goods manager. Bishops-
gate street. The 22 represented the large number of
clerks who signed the memorial. The questions at
issue were entered into at length between the general
manag, r and the clerks, the latter urging as an especial
reason for the concession of their rieurands, that tl.e
price of pros bis had h-en PO greatly enhanced that it
was imp. issible to live now in the SPITI.• way upon the
same mrians as a man could do a couple of sears ago.
The general manager then asked the clerks indi-
vidually what they had to comolain of, and having
ascertained what they considered to be their griev-
ances, said the directors could not concede the per-
centage princitle as to the salaries, but he told them
that any one of them who had aught to complain of
should come to him and lay the ease before him, when
he might be sure of redress. They knew the tribunal
to come to, and they might be certain of justice.
The clerks, who were fully satisfied with the interview,
thanked the general manager and withdrew.

The railway servants engaged in the traffic depart-
ment cf the London and South-Western Railway at
the Nine Elms goal. terminus have lately presented
two memorials calling for • general advance In salary,
one emanating from the porters and others employed
in the goods shed, to which some 500 signatures were
affixed, and the other agreed upon at • meeting of the
clerks, to whish was appended some 149 names, em.
bracing, with lam than halta•donen nonsignatorisa
ths whole of the stall employed in the *Sees at lime
Elms. The basis npse whieh th• applisations were
framed was the inserosed awl rapidly inerrosrog prise
et providrow e.4a11 sessesasy hottedreroup eroassedi-

ties. When it is stated that the salaries received by
the clerks average only between £7O and £BO per annum
it will be readily conceived how forcibly the enhanced
coat tells upon their slender purses. With regard to
the men they are in a somewhat better position, DA be-
sides the higher grades being in receipt of more money
than the lower grades of clerkehipa, they are, in
addition to being exceptionally well paid when com-
plied with some other lines, supplied with two good
sets of clothing yearly and are also relieved from the
necessity of maintaining an appearance, which, in the
case of clerks, is regxrded by the officials as a sine vitt
ma in the candidates for a situation in the company's
eervice. To both memoriale, however, unfavourable
answers have been returned.

EMIGRATION OF EX-RAILWAY SERVANTS.
In consequence of the late strike of clerks, porters,
checkers, carmen, Ste., at the Broailostreet g no(11, station
of the London and North-Weett rn Rail way Company,
a large number of them have been dismisee. I the err-
vice, and their case was immediately taken up by two
newly formed organisations, viz., the Amalgamated
Society of Railway Servants and the Amalgamated
Carmen and Conveyance Association. At the last
meeting of the former society a resolution to the follow-
ing effect was passed : "That the strike conduittem be
authorised to assist the men wishing to emigrate from
the levy fund to the extent of £6 per man, providing
the funds will allow it, after paying the usual allow-
ance." This was passed in consequence of many of
the men expressing a desire to emigrate. Some six or
seems ex. Loudon and NorthiWestern men left England,
on Tuesday, for America; and the Council of the
Amalgamated Society have also passed a resolution
recommending the general body of railway emigrants
to select one of their body to act as agent for the society
in America.

THE AUTUMN MANCEUVRES. —VISIT
OF THE JAPANESE AMBASSADORS.
The troops under Sir Alfred Horsford were inspected
on Tuesday by the Japanese Ambiussaiors. The in-
spection is thus reported by on of The Tones' corres-
pondents : .

It appeared that, with the energetic and ingidring spirit
of their nation, the Japanese had taken Mulford on their
way to visit the Portsmouth fortifications and Sir John
Michael could do no less than offer to show them what there
was to be seen. The moment, perhaps, was hardly the best
chosen, for the men of all ranks were dusty, more or less
tired, and hungry. but there was no second opinion an to the
right thing to be done under the circumstances. The light
cavalry of Colonel Baker's force, the 71'd and 10th Hussars,
and the lath Lancers, with the guns of the Horse Artillery,
were first formist up, anti went past at • trot; and the
Ambaseadors leant forward in their carriages and keenly
scrutinized the men, the horses, and the accoutrements,
which were probably unlike anything they had enjoyed
the opportunity of witnessing in America. Indeed, for
its numbers, they could hardly see in any part of the world
a finer brigade than this. It moves up or down hill, across
ruts or broken ground, apparently with equal facility, the
regiments trot, gallop, or canter with the ensemLie of one
man, and single " gallopers " go up and down places on these
downs where a slip would be fatal to man and horse. Such
a spectacle naturally whetted the appetite of the foreign
guests; they wanted to see more. The infantry, however,
were consciously not In review order; they had the dust
upon them of several miles of hills and valleys, and crom roads.
Moreover, in their packs and knapsacks, they were carrying
heavy weights, and were not therefore, in a condition phy-
mically. to preserve or respond to-that light, elastic touch so
musential in preserving a well-dresied line. It was accord.
iugly suggested that everyjnody might be pleased, and
time saved, If, instead of the troops marching past,
the Ambissaadort themselves were to drive down the line In
their carriages. This was accordingly done but still the desire
ot the distinguished visitors to me the troops la motion was
so Unmistakable that Sir John Michel gave way and ordered
the march past. First came, of course, the Guards, who
advanced to the music of the drums and fifes, and of the pipers
of the Scotch Fusiliers, the fall band having been left be-
hind at:headquarters. On this occasion the Grenadiers had,
If anything, slightly the advantage of their old rivals, the
Coldstresms ; but the difference was only in degree, for the
style was the same. The Japanese evidently had heard •
good deal about the Household Brigade, and not only watched
them curiously as they went by, but stood up in the carriage
to look after them when they had gone past. It is said that
among the present visitors from Japan there is their "Von
Moltke," a warrior who has seen more fighting, and generally
with success, than any of his contemporaries. Audit certainly
was remarkable what close attention he bestowed upon
such mechanical details as the tools of the pioneers,
the shape of the musical instruments, and the fastenings
of the guns to the limbers. The infantry brigades having
marched past in succession, even experienced eyes failing to
d .tect the presence of the one militia regiment from South
Down, the ambassadors two or three times said they should
like to see the artillery fire, "anti not at the other side of the
field—closer.' Several rounds were accordingly fired, at first
as near their carriages as it was thought the homes would
stand, and then when the party quitted the vehicles within
a few feet of where they were standing. The ambassadors
then became very anxious 10 .00 "a camp," but to comply
with this wish at the moment was impossible, for la,th
camps had been struck and both divisions were on their
march If they could only wait an hour or two, they were
told, things would be in order ; but it seemed that the
arrangements of the party did not admit oi this delay.
Every possible attention and courtesy meanwhile was paid
to them The saluting bane was fixed with reference to the
position of their carriages one of Sir J. Michei's aides-de-
camp accompar led the party to 'dandier% and ultimately to
the railwsy station'. m.d Sir Garnet Wols.ley, whose decors.
tiers are no numerous that room can hardly be found for
them on hie uniform coat, was in close attendance on the
carriages during the whole of the proceedings on Launceston
Down.