BRITISH RAILWAY RATES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1593, 9 November 1912, Page 5

BRITISH RAILWAY RATES.

GOVERNMENT BILL. '.-. By Telej;'rß,pli—Eroßa- Jj London, Novembor 7. In the House of Commons, the' Prime Minister (Mf.'Asqnith) said the'.Gdvei-n* ment intended introducing a. Railways Bill in 1913; meanwliilo it would introduce one clause of the: Bill this session to fulfil a pwmisemade during the strike. INCREASED RAILWAY , OPPOSITION' TO TEE BILL. .The "Westminster Gazette's" Parliamentary correspondent wrote some time affO: — ■ The' Government is under a pledge, to the railway companies to, bring in a Bitt to enable them to raise their rates, .as an equivalent for increased wages. There is ■ no question; that the Government will fulfil this ptedge. But it must be 6aid : that the Bwl will meet with considerable ■ opposition. This opposition has. not been removed by recent conferences at tho Board of. Traded Let me briefly sumniar-. ise some of the objections. Clause £ JS held to bo impracticable as. it (Stands, .at present. As the clause stands, a railway company has to show that there is an iribrease of its expenditure" "due to the cost of improvements made by tho company in the conditions qf employment of persons employed by them," and it has. tor persuado the Railway Commissioners that any increase of rates or charges is. due to this increased expenditure. But the' clause does not provido fof any inquiry into the question of what economies nave been or may ,bo effected by the company in tho working of its system to compensate/' it for. increased expenditure. The trader, in order to raise an, effective protest against an increase of. rates, ;must prove that they are unreasonable, M present the onus : lies on. the companies of iustifying ah increase, it js held by M.IP.V who represent commercial interesta'fchat tho trader will ]>e faced with an impossible task,, for he is in entire, ignorance of the facts and figures which' would enable him to deal in an intelligent manner "with the question, whereas the railway company can always establish the fact that increased wages havo been. paid, although these wages may add nothing to the cost of carrying • certain classes of goods. Tho case of the passengers' is hold, to bo just as hapd. The Bill, moreover, gives no control over the big railway trusts whioh are being formed. It is high, tihio, say the .opponents, of the B.ill> that, the companies snould be persuaded to give the-' public and the traders a reasonable'share of the savings Which." the companies admit that they effect by limiting competition. ' As it stands,' the Bill is o'ppteed%. a powerful combination in tho interest of the traders and the public, drawn, from all quarters of the Souse. j