England's Failures.

Progress, Volume II, Issue 7, 1 May 1907, Page 259

England's Failures.

end behind the guard's van. The intention is, of course, that these vehicles should, by means of strong springs, or otherwise, take up most of the force delivered as the result of one train crashing into another. One thing that militates against the project is the unprofitableness of running stock of this sort. Now this seems to shunt the proposal into the background altogether. But it does not. A way out of the difficulty will be found, and I may mention something I heard of recently. Everybody acquainted with Glasgow stations is aware that at some of them hydraulic buffers are placed at the ends of the platforms to reduce the force of a collision in the event of a train coming in too fast These long buffers, of, say, nine feet or so, are driven into their sockets against an accumulation of water, which acts the part of cushion until the weight of metal acting against it has forced the water to escape from its containing

The record of the year's failures is the reverse of favourable, says St. James's Budget. The total number of failures appears, it is true, at 10,231, as against 10,240 in the year 1904 ; but any comfort we may derive from that fact is more than nullified by the increase in the number recorded for the wholesale trade — 916, as against 883. Thus, though the aggregate of failures is less, the actual loss without a doubt, has been greater. In this connection, it may be noted, that the total for 1904, was £9,371,780, showing an advance of upwards of £2,000,000 on that of 1903. As regards the retail trade, it is of interest to remark that the grocers and provision dealers contribute the greatest number of failures, with a total of 1114, while builders and architects, 600 ; farmers 522 ; publicans 447 ; and bakers, 258 ; figure high up on the list. Not a single banker, discount or bill broker, or sugar refiner has been compelled to appeal to his creditors.