The railway dispute does not take a more favourable turn,
but we still cannot believe that there will be such a national disaster as a great strike. Several meetings of railwaymen have been held during the past few days. On Monday the annual Congress of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants was opened at Middles- brougb. The most important speech was made on Tuesday by Mr. R. Bell, M.P., the secretary. He called attention to the Report issued by the inspectors appointed by the Board of Trade, in which the long hours worked by some railway servants were condemned as " detrimental to health." Colonel Druitt in his Report expressed regret that the men had not called attention to their excessive hours of labour ; but Mr. Bell declared that every effort had been made to do so. We are glad to note that, in spite of being exposed to some criticism, Mr. Bell has throughout the Congress coun- selled moderation and patience till the companies have answered the request for a Conference. A resolution expressing appreciation of the action of the Board of Trade in trying to reduce the hours of labour was carried. On Thursday Mr. Lloyd-George made a statement to the South Wales Daily News. The Government, he said, were fully alive to the gravity of the position, and the Board of Trade would exhaust all the powers it possessed to prevent a catastrophe.
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