Royal Railways with Uniform Rates: A proposal for amalgamation of Railways with the General Post Office and adoption of uniform fares and rates for any distanceArnold, Whately C.
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Royal Railways with Uniform Rates: A proposal for amalgamation of Railways with the General Post Office and adoption of uniform fares and rates for any distance
Arnold, Whately C.
Railroads -- Freight -- Rates -- Great Britain; Railroads and state -- Great Britain
2. The large amount of =goods sent now by road=, especially
in recent years by motors and steam tractors on account not
only of the heavy railway rates but also the cost of loading
and unloading, would with uniform rates be sent by rail. In
this connection it may be mentioned that a very considerable
increase of carriage by trolley trucks of loaded carts and
pantechnicons, or of the “containers” advocated by the New
Transport Company, Limited, thus avoiding both shunting and
the double expense of packing and unpacking, may reasonably be
anticipated.
3. A still greater increase in fast train traffic may be
expected in =perishable articles=, such as fruit, fish, milk
and dairy produce. The so-called reduced rates now in force
for instance for carriage of fresh fruit vary from 1s. 6d. per
cwt. (equals £1 10s. per ton), from Hampshire to London up to
as much as 8s. per cwt. (equals £8 per ton), from Hampshire to
Scotland, these rates being “reduced” on account of the large
amount of fruit (strawberries), requiring in the season special
trains carrying nothing but fruit. The rates for the same goods
from other parts where the quantity is not so considerable are
in some cases more than double, so that the farmers cannot
afford to send the goods. The rates for fish are similar, and
the same considerations apply, so that very little is consigned
to town except from fishing centres like Grimsby where large
quantities are available.
4. =With a regular service= from every station, village
stations as well as the large towns, and =similar to the
present postal service=, in fact forming an extension to all
goods of the present Parcels Post service, no one can doubt
that the total increase will be considerably more than the 10
per cent. estimated for.
CHAPTER VI.
WORKING EXPENSES.
Most critics will contend that the increased traffic will lead to an
enormous increase of working expenses.
In the first place allowance must be made for the several economies in
management occasioned by the amalgamation of the whole railway systems
in one and with the Post Office as already mentioned, and of which the
following is a brief list, viz.:--
Abolition of,
(_a_) The Clearing House,
(_b_) Separate boards of directors and clerical staffs,
(_c_) Legal and Parliamentary expenses,
(_d_) Advertisements,
(_e_) Book-keeping, printing and booking clerks now required
for differential fares and rates.
Economies by avoiding,
(_a_) Competing Receiving Offices, Post Offices or stations in
same localities,
(_b_) Competing trains,
(_c_) The waste of rolling stock now occasioned by the
ownership of different companies, instead of being used
according to the requirements of traffic.
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