The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-02-09
SECTION TWO
English Railways Merged
Into -Four Great Systems
New Plan Lauded as Most Progressive Ever
Attempted in Rail Direction
ny MILLION RRONNER

roNpoN. Feb s.-Railroads Of
rnriand. Wales aud scotland have
.,s, ben auaigamatcd under the
new railroad law into four great rys.
,,n. Eighteen large and many
email railroads are included,
rha transfer and amalEamstion
,eok plSce January I. Tho entire
vcrk win Be completed BY July,
An Britain b lauding the new law.
chained 70 be the most enlightened.
,rorrossi,e and fair railroad hlll ever
,.ssea BY = modern stata Unlike
shs Each .cummins bin IN the states.
,he British biz has drawn eommenda-
,,on from railroad owners, employees
ara users alike.
The bin wac the direct outcome OF
rnriand's experience during tho war
vhen the government took over the
roads. II also aimed 20 compromise
between owners who wanted com.
plste eontrol Of their property and
radicals who wanted the roads na-
tonAlized
A passed By parliament the BIN
was designed 20 eliminate wasteful
eonpetition-cost % which had 10 be
uald by the eonsumrr-and TO give
control 20 as 20 provide for economy.
good service and eheapness.
High spot provisions OF the bin;
RATES-To regulate both passen-
ger and freight rates there Is a rates
tribunal composed Of a lawyer chair.
man. an expert representing tho rail.
WAYS, and an expert representing tho
business men. The main function Is
nom time 20 time 10 Fix tho standard
charges. The standard revenue for
each railway group Is TO be taken as
tie sum OF is actual net revenues
for 1915.
The standard charges are 20 be
fixed so as 20 enable each group rail.
way 10 earn this standard revenue.
plus s per cent on capital that may
have been expended since 1913.
But receipt Of this not revenue de.
pents upon the efficiency and service
even. II earnings exceed the stand.
ard revenue. one fifth Of the excess
l. 70 10 10 the companies and four
fiahs back 70 tho public. either In
reduced charges or improved faclli.
ties
LABOR RELATIONSHIP rail.
way Il 10 have one or more councils
consisting cs company and empioye
representatives. Under this arrange
uent one railway council and not
more than five sectional railway
councils. with local departmental
committees FOR the discussion Of local
matters have been set Up for each
railway group. They consider mat.
ters Of rates Of pay. hours Of duty
ard conditions Of service and kindred
subjects.
wAGES-Two tribunals are set
ID. First the Central Wages board
with appeal available 20 tho National
& Wages board. The Central Wages
board Is made up OF eight represcn.
tatives Of the companies and eight
employees. four being named BY the
National Union OF Railwaymen. two
BY the Society OF Engineers and Fire
men and two By the Railway Clerks
association
The National wages board Is made
up Of sir representatives Of the rail
way companies: six representatives
Of the employees two from each OF
tho unions above mentioned and
four from the users Of the railways
One each Of these IL named By the
parliamentary committee OF the
Trades Union congress. BY the Co
operative union. by the Association
Of British Chambers OF Commences
and BY the Federation Of British In
dustf1es.
This body Is to be presided over
b. chairman named BY the minis
ter OF labor.