RAILWAY ALLIANCES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 477, 8 April 1909, Page 7

RAILWAY ALLIANCES.

BIG TRIPLE COMPACT. BILL BEFORE HOUSE OF COMMONS. LABOUR. OPPOSITION. (l)T TELKOIIAI'H—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYItIaHT.) London, April 6. A Bill to givo effect to the amalgamation of tho Great Northern, Great Central, and Great Eastern railways has been read a second timo in tho Houso of Commons by 13G votes to 111. The minority included some Radicals and tho bulk of tho Labour members. A QUESTION OF MOTIVE, Tho arrangement between tho three railway companies mentioned has been described by the President of the Board of Trade (Mr. Churchill) as the most far-reaching of all the pooling arrangements arrived at by British railway companies. 31 r. Churchill lias promised that the working of tho railway arrangements "will bo most carefully watched, and it evperienco shows them to operate detrimentally to the public interest, the Government will i\o!i hesitate to propose to Parliament a measure re(inrinj; their reconsideration." Referring to the Great Northern-Great Cen-tral-Groat Eastern Arrangement, tho "Daily Mail" says: "It is the intention, if the necessary sanction of Parliament' bo obtained, to brin? the three systems under one management, provision being made for the division of the net profits on some definite plan. Co-operation in working has already been introduced, as, for example, by the inter-availability of tickets, which, of course, spells a traffic pool; the closing of a number of receiving offices, and (since October 1) the institution of a joint Great Northern and Great Central express train service between London and Manchester, composed of fewer and slightly slower trains than when these conipnnies were rivals." Tho "Railway Review," the organ of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, deals with the employees' fear thai an amalgamation of railway companies would lead to the latter renouncing tho compact of 1907, under which they accepted a system of conciliation and arbitration in dealing with claims of employees. The "Railway Review" is certain that there is a movement to create a gigantio railwfly trust or series of trusts, and is prepared to believo that this movement is a coun-ter-movo to nationalisation of railways or an attempt to compel the State to purchase at a high figure; but the pnpor is loth to believe that the 1907 agreement will be trampled under foot. The attitude of the "Review" seems to summed up in tho following paragraph:--We gladly admit that up to the present in most instances there has been no sign of any desire to depart.from tho agreement, but there are certain under-current at work which are inimical to the continued success of tho agreement, and it would, therefore, bo a great gain at the present juncture if the companies would definitely state what their policy is to be. It will, of course, ba necessary to judge them by their actions rather than by their words. In any case tho employees miist bo wide awake to the possibilities of the future, and ready to meet whatever policy may ultimatelv h.- de■vcloped. For our own part, we again rwert that wo do not believe that an agreciieut' so solemnly entered into will bo thus Harllv set aside." Speaking goner.illy, the "Daily Mail" says — Tho public mind is still much in the dark as to tho real aims of railway co-operation, or, rather, as to tho means whereby economics aro to be effected. The point must bo emphasised that the great savings lie purely in a commcraial direction. Co-operation enables companies to appoint joint goods-agents, to curtail canvassing, to send traffic by tlio shorter routes, and to broaden theburden'of collection and delivery among themselves. Co-operation does not mean that they willceare to eive do travelling public the elaborate facilities, tho luxurious and expensive rolling-stock and station accommodation, to which 'the lattor have grown accustomed." ■