448 History of Inland Transport 



public opinion was distinctly unsympathetic towards the 

 strikers. 



Meanwhile active steps had been taken by the Government 

 to effect a settlement, and late on the Saturday night 

 (August 19) an agreement was drawn up and signed by the 

 parties to the negotiations. 



Under this agreement the men were to return to work 

 forthwith ; pending questions were to be referred to the con- 

 ciliation boards, while the Government undertook to appoint, 

 at once, a Royal Commission to investigate the working of 

 the conciliation and arbitration scheme, and report what 

 changes, if any, were desirable with a view to the prompt 

 and satisfactory settlement of differences. It was further 

 announced that the Government had given an assurance to the 

 railway companies that they would propose to Parliament 

 in the Session of 1912 legislation providing that an in- 

 crease in the cost of labour due to the improvement of con- 

 ditions of the staff would be a valid justification for a reason- 

 able general increase of charges within the legal maxima, if 

 challenged, under the Act of 1894. 



Two statements, giving the result of the negotiations, were 

 issued by the Board of Trade on the night of August 19. In 

 one of these it was announced that Mr Claughton (chairman 

 of the London and North- Western Railway Company) and 

 Sir Guy Granet (general manager of the Midland Railway 

 Company), who represented the railway interests at the 

 Conference, had " stated that the recommendations of the 

 Commission would be loyally accepted by the railway com- 

 panies, even though they be averse to the contention of the 

 companies on any question of representation, and, should 

 a settlement be effected, any trace of ill-will which might have 

 arisen during the strike would certainly be effaced." In the 

 other of these official announcements it was said : " Assur- 

 ances have been given by both parties that they will accept 

 the findings of the Commission." The statements were re- 

 peated in " The Board of Trade Labour Gazette " for Septem- 

 ber, 1911. 



The Royal Commission, which consisted of five members, 

 viz. Sir David Harrel (chairman), Sir Thomas R. Ratcliffe 

 Ellis, Mr Arthur Henderson, M.P., Mr C. G. Beale and Mr 

 John Burnett, held twenty-five sittings, between August 28 



