The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-01-03
NATURALIZATION
. OF RAILROADS IN
BRITAIN COMPLETE
Huge Task is Quietly Ac.
complished AS Result
Of War.

London, Jan. 3-One of the most
quietly and successfully accomplished
tasks of the war in England was the
natl onalfzation of the railways of the
kingdom. AT last after more than a
year Of application to detail, the chair
man of the executive committee in
charge of the roads reports that the
scheme tis working as smoothly as if
the lines no longer had their own in
dividuality."
This executive committee, which
sits continuously somewhere in Lon
don,'' is the general staff of the rail-
way branch Of the British govern
ment. On behalf of the government,
it has absolute control of railways,
rolling stock, locomotives, and staffs,
including every mile of steam road in
Great Britain.
The committee is the strongest body
of railway experts ever brought to-
gether. 1t includes the managers of
nearly all the great railroads, together
with a host of specialists and tech
meal experts specially drafted for the
purpose, under the craftsmanship of
Sir H. a. Walker, head of the London
and Southwestern lines.
"Our policy of CONTROL writes a
member of the committee, has been
MOTTO supersede the normal manage
ment of the roads, but, to coordinate
the whole of the railways of the coun-
try through several groups into a
single system available instantly for
all emergencies. The general rights
of the public are protected by various
special acts of Parliament.
= 1.-THE General Staff controlling this
complex fabric of railways is SO di-
vided that it is in session twenty-four
hours of every day Of the week. In
thiS nerve center, we could turn ev-
cry locomotive and car in Great Bril-
tain out of private use to respond to
emergency demands of the War Of
flee.
s.As have said, the lines are group
ed, mainly along sectional lines. and
to correspond with the Immediate re-
quiren1ents of army and navy trans
port, Each section is in charge of
officials selected from the staffs of
the roads represented In the group,
with suitable army representation
The demands OF the War office
have fallen differently upon different
lines. In some cases ordinary traffic
has been largely deTnoralized for con-
siderable periods, while other roads
have been scarcely affected. In a sim
gle month the Great Eastern, for ex-
with 10000 cars. The Great Western
in the same month ran 2, 200 special
trains onlwar business
The Southwestern system, however,
has had ito carry the greatest burden
of traffic. The experience of the
South African war had taught much
of value to the officials of this road,
and they were foremost in organizing
the other lines for the present war.
The enormous number of troop and
supply trains which this system has
operated successfully has been a rev.
citation even to the War Office Off
Gals At times, the rails from Lon
don to the coast have been occupied
by almost continuous lines of trains,
running just as close together as SAT-
ETY. would permit, ordinary train SER
vice being sa.ndwiched in wherever
the demands Of the military left the
slightest opening.
So, exceIlent1y was the work OF this
line done during the early period of
greatest pressure that the chairman
of the railway General staff sent a
special message of congratulate on to
the staff, expressing high apprecia-
ton of the loyal and patriotic manner
in which the employees have carried
out their onerous duties