The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-11-11 00:00:00

Olt 3totrprib9t Obstrber.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1871

RAILWAY AMALGAMATION AND
RAILWAY WORK.

Everything in connection with our Own gigan-
tic railway system is of interest to the general
public. Steam has worked wonders in commu-
nication, on land as by water. We hear some•
thing now and again of the revival of the good
old times of stage-coaching ; but, agreeable as
the mode of travelling may be under favourable
circumstances, these circuinatancee are excep-
tional, and the railway is practically our only
mode of travelling for any considerable distence.
Railway property is becoming more valuable
every dav, a.. a general rule, as traffic is devel-
oped awl systematised ; and as railway directors
eow-a:days are lunch wiser than their predeces.
,ort ia the matter of latices branches—" feeders"
•,..; they o,.re called—there is no reason why rail-
,l:,y property should not continue to improve.
flawe was a tilt not lang ago of a Railway
Congress, but perhaps tke directors of our nu-
niereue lines have become BO sick of the many
congresses and conferences, here and abroad, on
every imaginable subjects, that they have &ban.
duel the idea in disgust. But it might never-
theless be well if railway directors, representing
every line in the United Kingdom, were to meet
out seriously study the one great subject of
railway fares. This would involve many other
considerations, such as ruinous competition, on
the one hand, and amalgeruatiou on the other.
They might also devote attention to the hours
of labour awl the wages of the working staff of
their employes. Whether our magnates of the
iron road will consider thein or not, railway
anfalgamation and railway work are becoming
pressing questions of the day.
Two schemes of amalgamation have lately at-
tracted much public interest. The one is prac-
tically an accomplished fact; the other is in a
transitions state between plan and accomplish-
ment. We refer to the North-Western and
Lancashire and Yorkshire amalgamation and to
the proposition to amalgamate the North British
and Caledonian Railways. The former has been
amply commented on, and we will only remark
that the shareholders in the united concerns
will, in all probability, be the gainers by this
blending of interests, and that we hope the
public will not be the losers. If the latter am- '
algamation scheme receive the sanction of Par-
liament, the shareholders in either line will
benefit by it, and those who hold North British
stock will gain eonsiderably. Instead of keen
competition, which has been detrimental to the
interests of both companies, there will be har-
mony of working and unity of management.
These railway amalgamations will probably have
considerable effect on some other companies, and
if the policy prove successful in some cases,
there is no reason why it should not be tried
in others.

Closely connected with this subject is that of
railway work. There was, on Sunday last, •
large meeting of guards, shantere, brakesmen,
drivers, firemen, Sic., connected with the North-
Western, the Lancashire and Yorkshire, and the
Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Rail-
ways. The place of meeting WM the Free
Trade Hall, Manchester. We have no sympathy
with the spirit which would dictate secular or 1
trade meetings on a Sunday, but in this instance
the fact of the meeting taking place on the day
of rest (to others) was in itself significant. Al. 11
though these men found it more convenient to 1
insnt on this day, as less work WM demanded of
them than on week drys, it is well known that a
large proportion of the working staff of the rail-
way coon are engaged during a great part of the
Sunday. The object for which the men met was
to obtain an increase of pay and a dimunition in
the hours of labour. Mainly owing to the deep
interest which Mr. Bass, M.P., has taken in this
subject, and to the startling facts which he has
elicited, the public must be pretty well aware
that railway men do not agitate without cause,
and it is a queetion—unlike most trade disputes
—in which the public are deeply interested, so
far at least as protracted labour is concerned.
Unreasonably arduous and prolonged labour on
railways has often led, and will again, to noire
or leas serious accideuts, and frequently to loss
of life. 'This shows that to exact such labour is
had policy on the part of directors, who have to
pay compensation which comes out of the
pockets of shareholders. It will be well, there-
fore, for the directors of the three companies
named to take fairly into consideration the pro-
posal that their men make—a day of ten hours.
overtime at the rate of eight hours a week, and
2s tici per week advance in wages. As to the
latter clause, we refrain from expressing any
opinion, but the request as to hours of labour is
really a public matter, and we unhesitatingly
express ear belief that the men are quite in the
right.