as having regard to the admitted success of public control of railways, this Conference again expresses the belief that railway nationalisation would be most advantageous to the community. Further, we consider that the appointment of an Advisory Committee (partly composed of representatives from the employees) and a Minister of Railways responsible to Parliament, is necessary to ensure the success of the undertaking, and to guarantee that the interests of the community and railway employees will be adequately protected.
Moreover, in view of the fact that the present Industrial Truce is responsible for withholding from railwaymen generally higher wages and better conditions of service, we consider it essential in the public interest that the future cost of their improved conditions shall be calculated, and the amount thereof deducted from the purchase price of railways, should the transfer of railways from private to national ownership become an accomplished fact.
2.—To give effect to the foregoing resolution, a Committee of three representatives from the Labour Party E.C., with three representatives (one each from the AS.L.E. & F., the Railway Clerks, and the N.U.R.), be appointed, with six representatives from the Railway Nationalisation Society, to consider and draft the necessary procedure to be taken to retain the railways under the control of the Government at the end of the war, and to formulate a scheme to bring about complete Nationalisation and State ownership of the railways, to be worked in the interests of the whole of the people, instead of private monopoly.
These resolutions proved to be the forerunner, not only of an important debate, but of an important change of policy in regard to railway administration. The Ministry of Transport is now in being, and the history of the change will go on after this book is out. Partial railway control has already come and is dealt with later, but full democratic railway control is undoubtedly coming.
