324 Report of the Committee on Colour-Vision. 



In connection with this test I should like to hand in a letter 

 which I received lately from Mr. Clement E. Stretton, C.E., of the 

 Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen : — 



" 40, Saxe-Coburg Street, 



" Leicester, 

 " December 2ist, 1889. 



" Dear Sir, — I am always glad to read a letter on the eye- 

 sight question, as I trust it will all lead to something being done 

 to avoid that which may soon turn to a strike against i dots and 

 wool.' In order to save the men their situations the Railway 

 Societies are having the men taught in wool shops with first-rate 

 results. 



' The present tests are useless for railway men, and very un- 

 fairly applied when required to get rid of the men. 



"The Mechanical World and Invention of to-day each have 

 important information upon the subject. 



" I would strongly advise you to apply to Mr. Harford, Rail- 

 way Servants' Society, 55, Colebrooke Row, London, N., for the 

 practical side of the question. 



" Yours truly, 



« CLEMENT E. STRETTON." 



The Complaint which. Mr. Stretton makes as to the unfair way 

 in which railway men are treated is no doubt grounded on just 

 cause, but he is in error when he attacks, as he has on many 

 occasions done, Holmgren's test, which has with reason been 

 accepted as a reliable one by those more competent to judge. 

 The " dot and wool " test of the Railway Companies is not the 

 wool test of Holmgren, and the fact, as stated by Mr. Stretton, 

 viz., that the railway men can be educated to pass the test is, if 

 any were required, positive proof that the test applied to them 

 is not Holmgren's. It would, however, appear that there is cause 

 to believe that the men are badly treated, as the following letter 

 will show ; and until Holmgren's test becomes the official test, 

 and is applied by those who understand its use, and who are in 

 an independent position, the friction which is at present felt is 

 likely to continue : — 



" Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, 



" Head Offices, 386, City Eoad, London, 



" March, 1887. 



" Dear Sir, — At the last Meeting of the Executive Committee 

 the testing of the eyesight of drivers, firemen, guards, signal- 

 men, and other servants of the various Railway Companies was 

 considered, and from the facts submitted it was felt that the 

 usual tests were often most unfairly applied, more especially in the 

 case of the older servants, and that, in consequence, men were 

 being reduced or removed from the service under the plea of 

 defective sight. From this there being no appeal, the Executive 

 Committee considered that the tests were being used so as to 



