400 History of Inland Transport 



case the children may be provided for by one of the philan- 

 thropic organisations established for this purpose. 



Nor does the annual summer or autumn holiday now 

 suffice in a vast number of British households. There are 

 supplementary holidays at Easter and Whitsuntide ; there 

 are the trips taken on the other bank holidays besides ; and, 

 lest all these opportunities may not suffice, the railway 

 companies now enable their patrons to take a little holiday, 

 at reduced fares, every week-end. Thanks, in fact, to the 

 ever-expanding facilities for travel, holiday-making a former 

 innovation now developed into an established national 

 institution is no longer confined to a regular holiday season. 

 Winter holidays, also, are coming rapidly into vogue. 



The question might well be asked if indulgence in the holiday 

 habit is not often carried too far, especially when trips unduly 

 long for the time at the tripper's disposal leave it doubtful 

 whether the holiday-maker should not have a second holiday 

 in which to rest after the fatigues of the first ; though if English 

 people are indeed giving themselves up far too much to 

 pleasure, sport and recreation, the railways must certainly 

 share the responsibility for what is happening. 



Leaving medical authorities and social reformers to decide 

 on the questions just raised, one may, at least, safely affirm 

 that the railway has been a great promoter of friendship and 

 family life, since visits can now readily be exchanged between 

 those resident in distant parts of the country, and ties can 

 thus be maintained that, at one time, would have been in 

 danger of complete severance by the difficulties or the undue 

 cost of journeys by road. 



In addition to doing so much to re-establish our industries, 

 our trade and our social life and manners on the new bases 

 here indicated, the railway companies have also sought to 

 play their part in the great and responsible question of national 

 defence. The gravity of the issues that, in case of invasion, 

 would depend on the railways being able to arrange for the 

 rapid and safe movement of troops, of war material and of 

 supplies from one part of the country to another is self-evident. 

 It is equally clear that the necessary plans should be carefully 

 prepared long in advance by those most competent to make 

 them. 



Happily the requisite provisions to this end exist in an 



