The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1921-10-24

coniroi- have been returned 10 pFl'
waite management and tho British
taxpayer IL approximately lhr-e quar-
tefa of . mlllloa poorer isi.osi.its
pounds sterling. 10 hu exact,
Today ne aafs 10 say tho british
people generally rejoice At tho ter
minallon Of state interioFencc In the
railroad business.
Moreover. the man IN the street
Il undoubtedly convinced that ma
tlonallzalion" Of the roads would
prove a very que,llpnahle and costly
innovation. and he would point TO
war time eurialled service aad eosg.
" passenger fares. TO prove bis con
tenilon that any Specialization la
doomed 10 uiifr failure.
Because tho british afe essentially
modest about pFoc.simlng themselves
efficient" tho world at large ID
virtually ignorant OF tho speedy ex-
press trains that In normal times
run at world record speeds. Also
lie not generally known that the
british railroad companies and their
workers have highly complex. self.
adjusting wage scales that automat.
ically and with very little real frlc.
tlon keep the rate OF pay at a
definite figure. a. compared with
the cost OF living.
Wherefore. H. transfer OF these
gigantic properties from goyeFnmen.
tai 10 private control was accom-.
plishcd without any special discus.
slon regarding wages. since this prob.
lem had been adjusted many months
previously.
Also. the whole qucsction Of gov.
ernmcntal remuneration TO the com
panles had been taken care OF by
means OF an arrangement whereby
the government guaranteed the rail-
road managoments 10 keep the ret
receipts. whllc under state control.
equal to the 1913 earnings.
Regular payments were made from
the state. subject to later refunds
from the companies should super
audited statistics fhow any over.
payment.
Here II was tina, the state treas.
ury suffered. by the time decon.
troll arrived. August Is. 1921. the
state had paid out l2i.9Si.i49 pounds
while an additional figure OF approx.
imately 60,0OO.O0O younds remains to
be paid.
These sums were transferred in
three payments, the first Oi which
was made March 81. 1920. Previous
to this date receipts had balanced
expenditures.
Added to the public cost of state
control Is stlll another item Of some
100000 pounds for the railroad
companies of Ireland.
Britain has accepted these huge
losses with very little grumbling.
because they represent a small por-
tion of the staggering cost of the
great war.
Throughout the terrific struggle,
the British railroads never broke
down, and 1t is believed here the
roads stood the strain better than
the railroads of any other belligerent.
Experts explain that Britains prae.
tice of constructing the solidest kind
of roadbeds and bridges, and the
consistent use OF light weight rolling
stocks accounts for the war time
efficiency.
Principal causes or huge losses in
state operation of the roads is at
tributed to general Inauguration Of
the eight hour Gay, necessitating
employment of 10000 men, costing
15,6OO,O00 pounds yearly, to which
must be added war time wage in
creases to the regular pernonnel.
Comparative pre.war and war time
wage bills are as follows:
1913 annual wages, 47,5O0OO0 pounds
1920 annual wages, 113,000,O00 pounds
1921 estimated 173,0000OO pounds
Under the present wage arrange
ment the men get an additional shil-
ling for every increase of five points
in an index figure of the cost of
living, as compiled by the ministry
of labor.
Downward trend of the living cost
entails wage reductions in the same
proportion, until a definitely fixed
low level is reached, wherever the
wages remain stationary and cannot
be reduced further.
By act of Parliament, the British
roads are to group themselves into
four great amalyamations which will
be completed by January l., 1922.
Each group will have its directorate
thereby eliminating scores of board
of directors now functioning.
Sir Eric Geddies, who was war
time minister of transport, is re-
ported to have estimated an annual
saving of approximately 30,000,000
mounds though less nntimistic nrn.