(he had been knighted this year) and had satisfied him of the justice of our claim.  He promised to support us.  The meeting commenced at 10 o’clock.  We made our speeches, which were not long, for our printed statement had been in each member’s hands for some time.  Clear as our case was to us the Conference seemed unconvinced, and we began to fear an adverse vote.  Sir George was not present, something had happened, for he was not the man to disappoint his friends without grave cause.  Voting seemed imminent.  Robertson whispered to me, “For heaven’s sake, Tatlow, get on your legs again and keep the thing going; Findlay may be here any moment.”  I was supposed to be the glibbest of speech of our party, and up I got.  But Mr. Thompson (afterwards Sir James), the beau, was in the chair, and thought there had been talking enough.  However, like the Irishman I was not, I went on, and—­at that moment entered Sir George!  The scene was changed; the day was won!  A Sub-Committee of seven, three of whom were Colhoun, Robertson and myself, was appointed to follow up the matter, and ultimately the Irish proposal was adopted.

It was a very busy period, this year of 1892, and as interesting as busy.  On the 20th June the Railway Rates and Charges (Athenry and Ennis Junction Railways) Order Confirmation Act, 1892, received the Royal Assent.  It applied to all the railways in Ireland and contained the Revised Classification and Maximum Rates and Charges settled after long inquiries under the Railway and Canal Traffic Act, 1888, and which were to control the future rates to be charged by the companies.  Only six months were allowed in which to revise all rates and bring them into conformity with the new classification and the new conditions—­an absurdly short time, for the work involved was colossal.  But it had to be done.  Robert Morrison, Michael O’Neill and I, took off our coats and worked night and day.  We had the satisfaction of accomplishing the task in the allotted time, which not every company was able to do.  Generous, as always, Sir Ralph in his speech to the shareholders in February, 1893, said:  “I wish to express that we are greatly indebted to Mr. Tatlow for the care and anxiety with which he has endeavoured to arrange this important rates matter.  He has worked most energetically; has attended the Committees of the Board of Trade, and the Parliamentary Committee, and he is now seeing traders constantly.  I may tell you that I and my brother directors place the most implicit reliance on our manager, and I am satisfied that anything he has done has been reasonable to the traders and for the benefit of the shareholders.”  This was warm praise, and the more welcome, being, as it was, the spontaneous expression of what I knew he felt.