While the cotton dispute hinges on the interpretation of an
agreement, the railway dispute has arisen out of the inter- pretation of an award under the Government conciliation scheme. Lord •Macdonnell, who was appointed arbitrator last November, decided that there should be. a ten-hour standard day for certain grades. The men, who maintain that in the railway service "there was no such thing as a. meal-time as the phrase was understood in other industries," contend that the company were not entitled to insert at will in the middle of the ten-hour day a meal-hour which should not count as part of it,—i.e., that they could not " book a man off " till the end of the day. The company claim that they were free to order an hour's cessa- tion of duty for a meal, though as a " concession " they have waived the point in the case of guards and engine- drivers. To this the men have replied that it is not a con- cession, but a correct interpretation of the award, and should be applied to all other grades granted a ten-hour standard day, and they only agree to the matter being referred back to Lord Macdonnell on condition that the arguments are heard again on both sides. Lord Macdonnell, it may be added, has already been applied to by the men for a ruling on his award, and his answer is claimed by each side as establishing its contention.
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