Evening star., 1946-12-01
Britain Moves to Seize
Transport Facilities
Step Raises Question as to Kind
OF Government We Are Aiding


Step Raises Question as to Kind
OF Government We Are Aiding
By George Weller
LONDON, Nov. 3o.--With the con-
servatives and the stockholders howl-s
ing an lnheeded chorus of protest,
Britain's socialist minded government
reached out today long red arm and
encircled. for future possession, the en-.
tire transportation system OF the
United Kingdom.
The gigantic transport bill, now be-
fore Parliament, is being dropped like
q tent on Britain's whole railway, canal,
omnibus and trucking system In the
strongest move so far in the labor cabi-
nets program Of collectivism from the
top down"
To place this program in motions the
government has by-passed proposal BY
the railroads TO coordinate themselves
and aims boldly at virtual complete
possession Of every means Of move
ment by power on land, except private
automobiles and airplanes.
Since private flying is almost dead
in Britain and the government already
controls public airlines, it appears that
the monopoly viii be nearly perfect,
Parliament's laborite majority Is ex-
pected to press hard for the bills
passage.
sixty railroads will come into gov
ernment hands on January i, 1948, and
$4,000 bus and transport companies will
find that they are working for the gov
ernmept.
Everything from crack trains to dinky
little motorcycle vans go governmental.
Six per cent of Britains working popu-
lation become state employes-that is,
$4,000, in big-scale enterprise, and
about third of million in local
trucking companies. Small-timers can
not operate for business more than 40
miles from their garages.
Under the new setup the government
puts itself in the hotel business as well
as bossing railroads, trucks and buses,
canals and the London subway and
omnibus system.
To own railways and canals and Lon
don's big, red, double-decker buses the
government is prepared to pay approxi-
mately $4,250, 600 900, or about 100000
900 more than Americas recent loan
to Britain. Stockholders groan at this
figure, saying that they are losing
$4,000, 900 900 worth OF property in this
governmental squeeze. The government
plans make most of the payment by
issued shares, guaranteed by the treasury.
There Is plenty of room for the gov
ernment's infiltration deeper into pri-
vate enterprise. because it is specifically
authorized to build hotels as well as to
expand the transport network. About
the only self imposed ban is that the
government cannot build small ships
small" meaning below ITS tons.
AS move toward collectivism, the
transport bill dwarfs the recent nation
alization Of the Bank of England. La
borite sponsors claim its 127 clauses will
make British transport efficient, ade-
quate. economical and properly inte-
grated"
IS y
Opponents assert that the British
transport system showed brains and
muscle Juggling Americas colossal Army
during the war. They claim it is oper-
ating cheaply and well now and needs
no Socialist coup as an economic spur.
In its bold and -encompaSsing pro-
portions. this Socialist bill inspires fresh
inquiry among American observers in
London as to what character Of govern
ment the United States is supporting In
England.
BY threats to invoke party discipline,
Prime Minister Clement R. Attlee has
been able to put at least temporary
quietus on leftists who attacked Amer
ican capitalism and demanded Britain
swing nearer to Europe's Marxist powers.
AT the same time. the government is
moving frontally to socialize and col
lectivize the largest service industry OF
the nation. What Is most remarkable is
that this offensive, though peaceful and
fabian in technique, does not seem to be
accompanied by any cost analysis, reve-
lation of outrageous profits or disclosure
Of inefficiency.
With the war emergency past. this
compensated confiscation is. therefore,
taking place simply as matter of So
cialist principle. What is even more odd,
from an American point of view, is that
Conservative critics seem resigned to a
collectivist victory and challenge the
plan on details of bookkeeping, not on
principle.
BY their picayune protests, the Con-
servatists act as convinced as the Social
lists that transport is one thing which
can be seized by the government with