The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-06-27 00:00:00

RAILWAY STRIKE

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES.
SIR,—I have not examined into the merits of the dispute
between the magnates of the London and North Western
Railway Company and the porters employed by them in
Liverpool, but would merely express au opinion, in which a
great majority of this commercial community ill agree
that it is the duty as it the interests of the Railway Com-
pany to select for porters the strongest, the most intelligent,
and the most experienced men they can obtain. Men of
this class will, of course, require, and ought to be paid, the
highest current rate of wages.
The goods stations here of the London and North
Western Railway Company, in consequence of the strike,
are in great confusion. To-day I had to visit the Waterloo
station, to ascertain the 'cause of -the non-delivery of a
quantity of goods. At the office door in Great Howard-
street, I was stopped by three policemen, who said they
could riot allow me to enter, I insisted that I would go in,
as I wished to ascertain what had become of my own pro-
perty ; having effected an entrance, I found it impossible to
get any information whatever, my only recourse is, there-
fore, to write to my correspondents in the country, to request
of them to send nothing further for me by the London and
North Western R iilway Company, until these matters are
settled, and this course, I presume, will bo extensively
adopted.

It is not satisfactory to the Public, who trust the
railway company to convey their goods, to be told,
that they will soon obtain a compliment of hands. To a
great extent the business of a railway porter is skilled labour,
in the loading, unloading, and packing of goods, shunting
of waggons, the use of tarpaulins, the assortment of
waTgons, making up trains, &c. These operations not
only involve the protection of property, but the hazard of.
human life, of which the railway company have had previous
experience, and which will not be forgotten if future
accidents occur. Their duties require, even with intelligent
men, some months' of experience; and that such persons
should be employed is interesting to the public, as the time
and facility of receipt, and delivery, an 4 the condition
of the goods when deliv red, mainly depends upon them.
The qualifications of a railway director do not re-
quire such preparation, and if the whole of the
present board were to resign to-morrow, as a canse-
qaence of a change of system, men, equally well fitted,
could be found at once to supply their places, without the
least inconvenience to the public, and possibly with benefit
to the company itself.
I would say to the railway company, meet your old
servants fairly—if you disagree, refer the matter disputed
to a mutual friend—and pay them liberally, according to
their merits. To fill your offices with inexperienced boys,
and to take the sweepings of the streets for your porters, is
not the way to give confidence to the puh'ic, or to realise
profit to the shareholders.—l am, sir, yours respectfully,
Liverpool, 26th June, 1856. A SHAREHOLDER.

A QUERY TO THE POST-OFFICE

AUTHORITIES

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NORTHERN TIMES

SIR,_ Fill you allow me, through the medium of your
journal, to ask the p,st-office authorities of Liverpool,
when it is at all probable they will be in a position to
supply the public with fourpenny stamps, for during the
past few days none have been obtainable ? I suppose it is
attributable to that much grieved system " Red-tapeism."
June 26, 18E6. A MERCHANT.