IMPORTED RAILWAY MANAGERS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2153, 20 May 1914, Page 7

IMPORTED RAILWAY MANAGERS

PROTEST BY THE CLERKS' ASSOCIATION. ■ By Telesra-oh—Press Asooci-attoa— Cdnyrißht "Times" and Syilacn? "Sun" SsrVieee, (Rcc. May 19, C.20 p.m.) London, May 18. At a canferciice of delegates from the' Clerks' Association (representing 20,000) held at Edinburgh, speaker? protested ■ against Lord Claude Hamilton's action in importing Si. general manager far the Great Eastern Railway Company from the United States. Tt» emifertiiic© condemned the nepotism, favouritism, and close Departmental system which prevented clerks securing fair promotion, and advocated the publie ownership of land, mines, railways, and other monopolies. An animated controversy tagc-d in the London Press not very kmg ago over tlio action of Lord Ctauii-e Ilamistoß, chawman of the -Great Eastern 25a!lsvay, in ■ importing from the United States -a new : general manager, giving as the reason for ! his action a statement that there was a dearth in tho British railway, services of men suitable for high administrative pnstii. One af tho conclusions arrived at, taking a line thronfili the various opinions express-Mi at the time, was that the class departmental system in vogtn._ in tli? British railway system did not afford the same opportunity for RCiwral training in. tho "various departments of railway administration ns stas pessible nndcr tho system adopted in tiie Ijnued States, although a list of high iipp-ointnients conferred in recent years upon- British railway wen servo to'show that at least u per centage would seem to have survived and overconio the restrictions of the British systetnsv