The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-11-30


Railway naturalization so long
- talked of by theorists has become a
question of practical politics in England
within the last fortnight. 1t has been
made so by the appointment of a royal
commission, the terms of reference OF
which though vague are understood to
comprise the big Question of nationaliza-
tion.
These terms are:
To inquire into the relationship between
the railway companies and the state in
respect of matters other than safety of
working and conditions of employment,
and to report what changes, if any, are
desirable In that relationship.
The very makeup of the commission
indicates that serious consideration is to
be given to the great business and finan-
cial problems involved in such q depar-
ture. The members are:
Chairman, Lord Loreburn, the ex-lord
chancellor; the Earl of Derby, formerly
postmaster general; Sir Henry Primrose,
X. C. B., late chairman of the board of
In land revenue; F. Huth Jackson, late
president of the institute of bankers; Sir
F. r. Upcott. X. C. v. o., late chairman
of the board of Indian railways; Sir w.
Plender, head of the firm of Delotte,
Plender & Co., chartered accountants and
late president of the institute of chartered
Ter of Sheffield; r. E. Prothero, agent TO
the Duke of Bedford; d. p. Shackleton,
senior labor adviser to the home office
and previously labor member of Parlia-
nent for Clitehroe. e. w. Rountree of
the board of trade, will act as secretary.
Some idea of the magnitude of the task
may be gained from the following figures
relating to the railways of Great Britain
and Ireland as they stood at the end of
last year:
Miles of line open ............... 23,4r
Total capital .$6,674 S17. $50
Passengers carried .............. ,294 337, ,0i6
Weight of goods carried (tons) 520279, ,12s
Gross receipts ...................$ 642, ,767, ,0S5
Working expenses ............. 406,l21 ,715
Net profits NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 246 645. $40
Average dividend (per CENT?. 352
Rates and taxes paid ..........S 25645, 900
Annual coal bill ................ 81 ,005, 900
Annual wage bill az coys)...... S002O, ,6S5
Public opinion in this country has been
slowly crystallizing in favor of nationali-
cation and events of the last two or three
years have had the effect Of notably
hardening that opinion even among rail-
way shareholders. who now quite
ready to fall In with any scheme which
will substitute for their rather speculative
and declining holdings of railway shares
government stock which shall pay f1xed
return regardless of earnings.
Inc average return 10 runway snare
holders in this country is now little
over per cent Some important lines
pay nothing at ALL and more pay divi-
dends that are negligible in value. No
railway in this country brings in an ex-
travagant return to its owners.
1t must be remembered, too. that in
this country more perhaps than In any
other railways are suffering from motor
competition. England is a country of
small distances and it actually takes less
time now to make a journey from, say a
London suburb to a point 100 or $50 miles
away by motor car than by rail- The
motor car comes tc the passengers door,
takes baggage and all and delivers him n t
his ultimate destination, sparing him the
trouble of a journey to London terminal
and. perhaps, a drive of several miles
at the other end. The cost of such travel
ing for four or Ave people is actually less
than the first class fare. and the rich are
more and more deserting the railway for
the car. Even the third-class traffic Is
suffering from the competition of the
humble motor bicycle and side car, which
will carry father, mother and the baby to
the seaside for less money and in greater
comfort than the railway.
The same conditions are affecting The
railway freight traffic. 1t is soma years
now since the postmaster general found
out that 1t was cheaper and quicker to
sanA the malls by road up to $50 miles