The Railway Reiriew informs us that only one item in
the Government offer was then accepted by the Conference. That item referred to the standardization of railway work by the elimination of a large number of grades. Every other proposal was rejected. The wages rates basis was rejected, and the sliding-scale was rejected. The Conference further demanded that any increase of wages should be retrospective to August 18th, 1919 ; and that grades whioh had been excluded from the Government plan should be included. When the decision of the Conference was made known to Sir Eric Geddes, he replied in a letter written last Saturday, pointing out that the Conference had " reverted to the utmost limit of the demands which they put forward in the early part of 1919," and declaring that he could not make any further suggestions without obtaining the sanction of the Cabinet. On Tuesday the new demands of the men were communicated to the Government, and on Wednesday afternoon the negotiating Committee of the N.U.R. were informed what the answer of the Cabinet was.
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