On August 4, 1914, under an Order in Council made in pursuance of the Regulation of the Forces Act, 1871, the Secretary of State for War issued a warrant—which he renewed week by week, until August 1919, when statutory possession vested in the Minister of Transport under the Ministry of Transport Act, 1919, rendered its continuance unnecessary—authorizing the Board of Trade to take possession of practically all the railways of the country. This was done, but the railways continued to be conducted by their respective managements acting under the instructions of the Railway Executive Committee. On October 1, 1914, a truce agreement was concluded between the companies and the Unions, continuing the 1911 Conciliation Scheme, but making it terminable on six weeks’ notice. Alike with other trades the railwaymen received increases in wages from February 1915, on to November 1918. Up to September 1918, men of eighteen years and over received a war-wage advance of 30_s._ per week. In November 1918, a sliding scale was arranged under which the war-wage was to rise and fall with the index-number of retail prices as published in the _Labour Gazette_. An additional 3_s._, raising the war-wage to 33_s._ per week, was given in November 1918. The Wage Agreement of March 1919 Following the Armistice, the National Union of Railwaymen gave notice to terminate the truce agreement of October 1914, but early in December 1918, the principle of an 8-hour day[13] was conceded by the Government for all members of the wages staff as from February 1, 1919. In March 1919, an agreement was made between the Government, the Railway Executive Committee and the Unions which provided for increased rates for overtime, night-duty and Sunday-work, but provided for stabilizing other wages till December 31, 1919. An important provision was contained in it providing for a continuance of negotiations to standardize rates so that all men throughout the country doing the same work under the same conditions should receive the same rate of wages. This agreement also provided for the setting up of a joint committee consisting of representatives of the Railway Executive Committee and the two Unions concerned[14] to deal with questions of pay and conditions until “some final arrangement is arrived at in regard to the future position of railways.” The agreement stipulated that “when the new Ministry of Ways and Communications is set up it is the intention of the Government to provide in the organization for, and avail itself fully of, the advantage of assistance, co-operation and advice from the workers in the transportation industry.” Standard rates were agreed between the Government and the two Unions for drivers, firemen and cleaners by an agreement in August 1919, and negotiations were continued to standardize the rates for other railwaymen. The Railway Strike of September 1919