Take as an example the sudden.and unexpected demand of the
National Union of Railwaymen that'their wages shall be increased by a week. There •is no disguise about the reason for this demand, which was frankly put forward "in view of concessiors won. by workers in other-occupations." For -that reason alone the National Union of Railwaymen have become dissatisfied with the sliding-scale arrangement. When the railway settle- ment was recently accepted by Mr. Thomas he described it as " good " and "honourable." It was signed as lately as March 20th. Now the whole thing is once more unsettled, although Mr. Thomas has publicly stated over and over again that he thoroughly recognizes that -increases in wages merely increase the cost of living. As we feared, the granting of a high minimum -wage to the most casual of all labourers has sot all other industries, and particularly skilled workers, by the ears.
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