Having seen the part that railways have played in helping to develop the
industrial interests of the country in general, we may now consider (1) to
what extent the railways themselves constitute a national industry, and (2)
various conditions relating thereto.
The latest available statistics as to the number of all classes of railway
servants connected with the working of railways, and including, as I
understand, both salaried and wages staffs with the exception of heads of
departments, are to be found in "Returns of Accidents and Casualties" as
reported to the Board of Trade by the railway companies of the United
Kingdom for the year ending December 31, 1910 [Cd. 5628]. These figures
give a total of 608,750 persons, classified as follows:--
No. of Persons
NATURE employed on
OF EMPLOYMENT. 31st Dec., 1910.
1. Brakesmen. (_See Goods Guards._)
2. Capstan-men and Capstan-lads:
(1) Men 1,421
(2) Boys 140
3. Carmen and Van-guards:
(1) Men 18,382
(2) Boys 6,604
4. Carriage-cleaners:
(1) Men 6,572
(2) Boys 286
5. Carriage and waggon examiners 3,811
6. Checkers:
(1) Men 9,112
(2) Boys 77
7. Chockers, Chain-boys and Slippers:
(1) Men 288
(2) Boys 271
8. Clerks:
(1) Men 61,361
(2) Boys 9,044
9. Engine-cleaners:
(1) Men 13,912
(2) Boys 4,267
10. Engine-drivers & Motormen 27,330
11. Firemen 25,419
12. Gatekeepers 3,543
13. Greasers:
(1) Men 943
(2) Boys 753
14. Guards (Goods) and Brakesmen 15,339
15. Guards (Passenger) 8,239 {406}
16. Horse drivers 1,159
17. Inspectors:
(1) Permanent-way 1,029
(2) Others 8,603
18. Labourers:
(1) Men 54,981
(2) Boys 1,333
19. Lamp-men and lamp-lads:
(1) Men 1,655
(2) Boys 418
20. Loaders & Sheeters 4,274
21. Mechanics & Artisans:
(1) Men 78,389
(2) Boys 8,294
22. Messengers:
(1) Men 1,124
(2) Boys 2,468
23. Number-takers:
(1) Men 1,252
(2) Boys 671
24. Permanent-way-Men 66,305
25. Pointsmen 708
26. Policemen 2,130
27. Porters:
(1) Men 53,388
(2) Boys 4,501
28. Shunters 13,281
29. Signal Fitters and Telegraph Wiremen 3,905
30. Signalmen 28,653
31. Signal-box lads 1,894
32. Station-masters 8,684
33. Ticket-Collectors and Examiners 3,904
34. Watchmen 1,151
35. Yardsmen 1,299
36. Miscellaneous:
(1) Adults 33,620
(2) Boys 2,563
-------
Total 608,750
The foregoing table serves to show the great extent of the railway industry
from the point of view of the number of persons directly employed therein,
and it also suggests a great variety in the occupations or grades of those
employed. In the latter respect, however, the information given fails to
offer a complete idea of the actual situation, since over 36,000 men and
boys (that is, persons under eighteen years of age) are, as will be seen,
classed as "miscellaneous."
Whatever the further variety in the particular occupations included under
this head, it is certain that the railway service affords employment for a
greater range and diversity of talent, skill, ability or effort than
probably any other single industry or enterprise on the face of the earth.
From the general manager to the railway navvy, and from the chief engineer,
working out intricate problems calling for a high degree of skill and
scientific knowledge, to the boy who helps in the unpretending but
necessary work of cleaning the engines, there is opportunity for almost
every possible class or type of labour, whether skilled or unskilled.
Over and above the employees, of all grades, concerned in {407}"the working
of railways," as here shown, there is a very considerable body of men
employed by the railway companies in the building of rolling stock, the
making of rails, in the provision of many other requirements, or in the
doing of much other work, necessary in the construction, equipment and
operation of their lines. The smaller companies are content to buy their
rolling stock, and they mostly have repairing shops only; but the larger
companies have their own locomotive, carriage and waggon works in which a
very considerable volume of employment is afforded to mechanics and
labourers who would hardly come under the ordinary designation of
"railwaymen" proper; while in this respect the companies concerned may be
regarded as not only providers of transport but as, also, in effect,
engineers and manufacturers.
In order to give the reader some idea of the extent of the employment
afforded by these subsidiary branches of what is still actual railway work,
I give on the next page a table--for the data of which I am indebted to the
companies mentioned--showing the actual or the approximate number of men
employed in the leading railway works of the type in question; though it
should be added that the figures relate only to the particular works
mentioned, and do not include men who may be engaged in engineering or
productive work elsewhere on the same company's system.
Information as to the extent to which the railway companies of the United
Kingdom in general afford employment in the directions here in question
will be found in the "Census of Production (1907)" [Cd. 5254], issued in
1910, included in these returns being three tables which are given under
the heading "Railways (Construction, Repair and Maintenance of Permanent
Way, Plant, Rolling Stock, etc.)," and relate to (1) output; (2) cost of
materials used; and (3) number of persons {408}employed.
NO. OF
PERSONS
COMPANY. WORKS. WHERE SITUATED. EMPLOYED.
Great Central Locomotive Gorton 2512
" " Carriage and waggon Dukinfield 1741