BRITISH RAILWAYS

Hokitika Guardian, 21 February 1929, Page 8

BRITISH RAILWAYS

COMPETITION OK THE ROADS. LONDON, January 5. “ From the point of view of the railway service, the year 1928 has been disastrous,” states Mr J. FI. Thomas. M.P.. in a New Year’s message to the Railway Review, the organ of the National Union of Railwaymen. “There have been several serious railway accidents, resulting in loss of life, which is deplored hv all ranks o 7 the service; and there has been such a fall in traffic receipts as seriously to threaten the economic position of the railway companies, and which, unfortunately, is only a reflection ot the general industrial position of the country. “ It is my earnest hope that we have now touched bottom, and that the year 1929 will see the turn of the tide to wards national prosperity. The railway companies have had the double misfortune of having to suffer from the general trade depression and from the unfair competition of road transport aswell, hut with the help of the N.F.Jb they have succeeded in obtaining road powers from Parliament, and thus in future will not he so much at the mercy of such unfair competition. SPIRIT OK CO-OPERATION. “When the railway companies confronted the railwaymen during the pas'vear with the serious economic position of the undertaking, we did not hesitate to vise to the occasion, and seriously to consider how best the problem could be solved. “ This incident illustrated what I have long urged, and that the only red mid true relationship that should exist between the employers and employeesis one where both sides talk freely tr each other instead of at each other. “ Let us hope that the year 1929 wil' bring better times, and that the same spirit demonstrated in the last agree ment will continue to prevail. Air C. T. Cramp, industrial sccretar of the NX.lb, writes: “ During 1929 1 am hoping to see a great advance in the direction of augmenting rail services by railwav-ow net road motor transport. 1 believe that during the next few days our industry will be transformed 'from purely rail t< a, great rail and road-transport system We cannot stem the tide of invention nor is it desirable that we should, even if we worts aide. “Our task must he to see to it tin human conditions do not suffer because of invention, or development remain uncontrolled. We must control them in the interest of the workers who arc engaged in transport.”