BRITISH RAILWAYS

Southland Times, Issue 20225, 9 July 1927, Page 7

BRITISH RAILWAYS

SEVERE BURDEN OF TAXATION. Rugby, July 7. The National Union of Railwaymen at their annual conference to-day protested against the heavy burdens British railways had to bear as compared with road traffic. It was explained that £1,200,000,000 were invested in railways which paid £42,000,000 annually in local rates. Road users bore no such charges. On the contrary towards the upkeep of the nation’s roads only £20,000,000 annually were paid by road users through the road fund, the remaining £30,000,000 being paid by ratepayers. Mr J. H. Thomas declared that the railway companies by paying heavy local rates thus actually subsidised their competitors which, unlike the railways that must carry any kind of traffic, could discriminate in favour of the most profitable loads. A resolution was unanimously carried drawing attention to the unfair handicaps under which the railways suffered and urging that a co-ordinate policy between all forms of transport should be introduced to provide more efficient and more economical public service.—British Official Wireless.