A large and very attractive scheme for extending the under-
ground railways of London, and of incidentally providing work for the unemployed, was propounded on Wednesday by Lord Aihfield. He stated that work could' be found for 20,000 men for about two years. But, of course; a far larger number of men would be indirectly employed owing to work that would be set going in iron and steel and electrical factories and else- where. Lord Ashfield's scheme would cost about £6,000,000. As he explained in an interview published by the Daily Chronicle, on Thursday, nearly 75 per cent. of that amount would be paid in wages. The traffic combin,e which he represents would ask for (1) a Government guarantee of their securities in order that they may be able to raise money in the City on reasonable rates, and (2) security for ten years against competition by " pirate " buses on the routes now used by the London General Omnibus Company. The underground railways have conferred such untold benefits upon London at .no cost to the taxpayer or ratepayer, and Lord Ashfield himself is so bold and enter- prising an industrial leader, that we hope the Government will give the most careful attention to the scheme.
Previous page
