A great railway strike has broken out this week in
Scotland. Seven thousand permanent hands, signalmen, shunters, engine- drivers, and all classes employed in the yards, making up the majority. The Companies continue with great difficulty to run their passenger-trains, but the goods traffic may be said to be suspended, to the grievous annoyance of the cities, which are in serious danger of a coal-famine. The demand of the men is practically that the present minimum day of twelve hours shall be exchanged for a maximum day of ten hours, with eight hours for certain classes whose occupation is exceptionally exacting. This means, of course, a con- siderable increase in the aggregate payment for wages, and the Companies declare themselves unable to afford it. Though recently highly prosperous, they are this year greatly harassed by the condition of the pig-iron industry. As yet there is no prospect of any reconciliation, and the Companies are endeavouring to import fresh hands ; but the sympathy of the public is with the men's demand, though not altogether with the men, a considerable proportion of whom have broken their agreements. It is felt that the hours for signalmen and drivers in particular are much too long. The men get dazed.
