RAILWAY AMALGAMATIONS 241 



Other Combination Bills introduced in this same session 

 included the London and North-Western and Midland Rail- 

 way Companies pooling agreement, the London and North- 

 Western, Midland and Lancashire and Yorkshire Companies 

 pooling agreement, and two Welsh Railway Agreement Bills, 

 but as they did not threaten the same far-reaching influence 

 over rates and conditions, the Council did not take any action 

 in regard to them ; the Mansion House Association, however, 

 opposed them, and the amalgamating clauses were struck 

 out of the Taff Vale - Cardiff Bill, while the Taff Vale 

 (Rhymney) Bill was withdrawn. 



The foregoing paragraphs would almost make it appear as 

 if the traders had won a victory, but this was in reality very 

 far from being the case. The astute railway managers and 

 their legal advisers had found a way which would be as effectual 

 from their point of view, would cost them much less than 

 parliamentary inquiries and would entail much less publicity. 

 They at once began to make " working agreements " between 

 themselves, and within a few months such " working agree- 

 ments " were announced between the London and North- 

 Western, Midland, and Lancashire and Yorkshire companies, 

 and the Great Western and South-Western companies, 

 among others. 



On 6th May Mr. Churchill announced his intention in the 

 House of Commons of appointing a Departmental Committee 

 to inquire into the question of railway amalgamations or 

 working unions. The composition of this Committee was 

 deemed to be so unfair that, when the Central Chamber were 

 invited to send witnesses, their Railway Committee declined 

 to nominate representatives. The Council, however, instructed 

 the Committee to try and secure competent witnesses, but 

 on 21st September the Council adopted a further report from 

 their Committee in which it was stated that they were unable 

 to find any. At a later stage, in view of certain important 

 points which other witnesses had brought out, and after a 

 further invitation from the Departmental Committee, the 

 Council nominated Mr. Thomas Waghorn to appear on their 

 behalf. 



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