Accrington on Rails - The Tramways: A Complete History - Robert Kenyon

consideration, and in view of the whole of the circumstances, we are unable to recommend the municipalities allow the application in so far as Clauses 1, 2 & 4 are concerned. With regard to Clause 3, which refers to the length of time which should elapse before an employee reaches the maximum rate of pay, we are prepared to meet with your representatives in order to negotiate this matter at your convenience. No doubt you will wish to bring this matter to the notice of your Committee at the earliest opportunity. May I also inform you that all the representatives on the Joint Industrial Council of the Tramways Industry have now, (with the exception of Scotland) been appointed. The Ministry of Labour has addressed a letter to my Association suggesting that a meeting of that Council should be held during September, hopefully during the first week. Yours, J. Beckett (General Secretary). September At a meeting of the General Purposes Committee it was resolved the Tramway Manager could attend a conference of the Municipal Tramways Association in London on September 4 th to consider the claim by the Transport Workers’ Federation for an increase in wages and the merging of the War Bonus and that this should go to arbitration. He was instructed to vote. The Electricity & Tramways Committee met to receive correspondence from the Branch Secretary of the Amalgamated Association of the Tramway & Vehicle Workers, as to the ‘advisability’ of forming a works committee in connection with the Tramway Department. It was resolved the Town Clerk should submit this suggestion to the next meeting of this Committee, to ascertain what, if any useful purpose such a committee would serve. The Committee received another letter from the Secretary of the Amalgamated Association of the Tramway & Vehicle Workers on the subject of having a works committee. The Town Clerk was authorised to make enquiries of other boroughs relative to this matter. The Tramway Manager submitted a report together with a statement of the Tramways parcels receipts and expenditures for 1918/19, which revealed net loss owing to the increased wages and War Bonus paid to the staff of the department. It was resolved that from October 1 st charges would be increased in accordance with the scale now put forward by the Tramway Manager. At another meeting of the Electricity & Tramways Committee a letter ( dated September 22 nd ) was received from the Town Clerk of Rawtenstall Corporation, conveying a resolution passed by his council expressing their approval for a continuation of the through running agreement on the present basis for a further twelve months. October Accrington decided to withdraw all the morning services before 1pm on Sundays, following similar moves by both Rawtenstall and Blackburn, who had made these changes on “economic grounds”. With the exception of ‘special cars’ this situation would remain, until the withdrawal of all the tramway services in Accrington. The Electricity & Tramways Committee met, and with regard to the minute passed in July last on the subject of obtaining new sand drying equipment, the Borough Surveyor submitted plans for a shed to be erected on land adjoining the Ellison Street depot in order to house this equipment along with ‘other’ sheds for storing purposes. The total cost of these would be £350. It was resolved to approve these plans and to authorise the Borough Surveyor to proceed with them forthwith. The Tramway Manager reported that the sand drying equipment would itself cost £250. The Committee received a deputation from the tramway employees who asked for the reinstatement of one of the ‘wiremen’ who had ceased duties some three weeks previously. Following careful consideration of the whole of the circumstances surrounding this matter, the Committee confirmed the actions of the Tramway Manager and could not see their way to acceding to this request. The Town Clerk read out a number of replies he had received to his enquiries on the subject of forming a works committee in connection with the Tramways Department. This matter was deferred for the time being. The Tramway Manager reported that in the period between October 13 th , 1915 and September 30 th , 1919, the Motor Ambulance had been called out on a total of 851 separate occasions.

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