• Fortunately, second thoughts saved the delegates from their injudicious
act. On Monday they met again and kr. W Dobbie (President of the N.U.R.), Mr. J. H. Thomas, Mr. C. T. Cramp, and others, succeeded in convincing them that the only alternative to a disaitrons strike was the acceptance in its integrity of the Board's award. It would be useless, it was explained, to try to reopen negotiations on minor points. The Board was an invaluable apparatus of conciliation, which had been welcomed by the men themselves, and it did not work more in favour of the companies than in favour of the men. It was absurd to accept the apparatus of conciliation and then destroy it simply because one party to a transaction did not gain all it wanted. If the men were displeased so also 'were the companies, some of which had protested against the award. The leaders held gallantly to their point ; they would not allow any temporizing tactics or evasions. The issue was plain and could not be shirked. It must be voted upon at once—acceptance and peace, or rejection and a strike. In the end the delegates reversed their previous decision, but only by a tiny majority. •The figures were, for a strike 36, for acceptance of the award 41.
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