The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-07-16 00:00:00

COMPENSATION FOR RAILWAY
ACCIDENTS.

The report of the Select Committee appointed to
iniptire into the law of compensation for railway accd,
dents and other inattera, has been published. The
following recommendations are made:—

The recommendation of the Royal Commissioners Is in the
following terms :—We iecounnend that, on the one hand,
rattan) companies should be absolutely responsible for all
Injuries arising in the conveyance of passengers, except three
due to their 01,11 negl,geuce ; and that, on the other hand.
the liability of the railway companies be 'Milted within a
11116Killilll11 amount of conmenaation for each clasa of fares.
With respect to these rec•.mmendatims, your Committee
propose en alteration In the tribunal before which cases Cl
railway accidents fe r the future should be heard. ritn-y
are nt ophilun that trial by jury does not in these cases work
satisfactorily •, and they rtcommen I that for the Ileum a
court should be established for the trial of these cases nirhout
a jury, which would he k uffielently strong to secure the con-
tidence of the public, and which should possess adequate
legal easserieriee, and be assitted by engincerlng and metal
advice. They recommend to the careful consideration of her
Majesty's Government the beit mode of comitituting such a
tribunal. All disputed claims for damages arising out of
railway se:Admits shall be made to such court, which shall
have power, if l think, fit, to institute an inquiry on the
spot.
The costs shall In all ME(111, when the claimant recovers
damages, be borne by the company, except when the corn.
patty shall have ten reed acorn equal totr larger than the
sum recovered, in which case the coats shall he in the Mo-
at-bon of th, court.

Notices of poesible or probab'e claims shall he given to the
company within a limited specified tine (NM the date
of the accident ; to default thereof no claim shall oe rota-
bllshed.

Should this trlblinal he established, your Committee see
no reason for altering the present is sum of unlimited
lily. In the event of the tribunal, entallifog as now, your
Committee are of opinion that the liahility should be limited
as follows, VIZ, in the case of lint-class pa.sengers, £1000;
second-class passengers, £590 ; third-cluis passengers,
Your Committee further think that if this limitation Is
conceded, the pubic should hare power i is,, urine *lll, 11,0
company, 1, r an additional stun of £23,000 io a first-class,
£2 000 in the seco rid-class, £9 0 in a tnird,lars, at a reason-
able charge not exceeding 3.1. a £l,OOO for the first-class, 2tl ,
for £5O In the recoi,d class, and ld. for £3OO in the third
class fur the journey.

It may not be inopportuue to remark that the evi,
deuce given by Mr. Grit-moo before the Select Com-
mittee on Railway Companies certainly goes for to
account for the slender chvidends which the Great
Western Company has }atilt rto been al le to pay. He
stated that on one occasion the company carried a
number of persona 150 miles at 24. 6. per head, for
whie4 their receipts amounted to £lO. raid on aceichnt
occurring, the company had to pay 1:24 793 as com-
pensation. On another micasion a number of pasier,
gore were conveyed 450 miles at 12.. 61 a Marl. The
receipts were £O7; tue compensation, £42,230.