An act of 1919 set up the Ministry of Transport, which took over the railway duties of the Board of Trade and the problem of the future policy with regard to the railways, which had been taken over by the Government at the commencement of the World War. During the war the railways were managed through an Executive Committee consisting of the existing general managers of the various railways; no praise could be too high for the splendid manner in which the railways carried enormous traffics during the war years, supplied large staffs, and much rolling stock and locomotives for work overseas, and while being unable to continue their normal repair and maintenance work built special ambulance trains and produced war stores from their own shops. The Railways Act, 1921, allotted i6o,000,000 for division amongst the railways to make good arrears of mainte nance and settle all claims against the Government, which had returned the railways to private ownership on Aug. 15, 1921. This important act, sometimes described as the Charter of the British Railways, (I) reorganized the railway system, (2) dealt with the regulation of the railways, (3) designed the principles upon which railway charges were to be based, (4) included important provisions concerning wages and conditions of the railway service, (5) touched on light railways, and (6) added certain general pro visions. The first of these was brought about by the new group ing arrangements (see Section A), although, unlike the position in France and Germany, competition was retained, such as between London and Birmingham. The second aimed at economies brought about by standardization of rolling stock and physical equip ment, such as electric traction. The third set up a Railway Rates Tribunal to be responsible for arranging the scales of rates and fares, and to be available for the reception of complaints by traders and the general public. The new scales came into force
on Jan. 1, 1928, on the so-called "appointed day," and were based on a much enlarged freight classification. The Tribunal also was to design charges so as to yield a standard revenue to be earned by the railways, but in view of the competition of road vehicles this ideal is not an easy attainment. The fourth part of the act made provisions for the channels by which disputes regarding wages and conditions of work were to be discussed, namely, through a Central Wages Board and, failing agreement, a National Wages Board (see Section C: Railway Organization ), though this arrangement did not succeed in preventing the withdrawal of the majority of railwaymen from work during the general strike in May, 1926. The fifth part, relating to light railways (see Section A 1, is comparatively unimportant, while the sixth made provision for the continuation of traffic facilities and flow of traffic, in addi tion to preserving the rights of those employed by the railways who might suffer from the results of railway amalgamation. The provisions of the Railways Act were far reaching and can only be judged over a long period of time. At one time nationalization was urged, and by some the act was regarded as a half-way measure, but reaction from Government control during the War was too strong to permit such a policy in 1921. Future legisla tion depends upon the degree of progress attained by the railways under the Act of 1921. Few railway laws in any country have been so far reaching in their provisions. (C. E. R. S.)