DIMINISHED ATTENDANCE ON RAILWAYS.
THE facts prove beyond a doubt that railway companies have not so perfected their arrangements as to insure safety for passengers with a diminution of attentlance. It is possible to suppose that with very perfectly constructed roadways, perfectly constructed rolling stock, and perfectly arranged methods of timing and placing, trains may be despatched in a minimum of space and time, and yet in such certainty of working that accidents could scarcely happen. It is possible to imagine such arrangements, but the repeated accidents prove that they are yet far from being attained. After the sweeping disaster at Bolton we find the recurrence of minor accidents still unbroken ; attesting the excessive imperfections of all arrangements. The mis- chances reported during the week would have attracted more attention if they had been the first of their kind, and yet the im- portant fact is that they are but the continuance of a series. The breaking-in of the tunnel on the North Kent Railway, standing done, might have passed for real accident ; but when attention has long been fixed on the imperfection of permanent works, the first impression is that this is a case where grave risks have been run for want of sufficient margin in the allowance of building strength. "A Traveller" complains to the Times, that he came to London by a train due at Euston at 4.15, but did not arrive at the Camden station till 5.10; losing an outward train in consequence : the whole retardation had occurred between Rugby and London, and was caused by trains in front. Other cases of the same kind are rife, and it is needless to rake up instances. "A Resident En- gineer" reports that one cause of collision is the insufficiency of sidings,—an insufficiency still unsupplied, and demanding all the more attendance to effect such operations as shunting with celerity and certainty.
But, as we stated last week, while the arrangements are thus imperfect, there is a progressive abstraction of attendants. This fact may be placed in a much more striking light than our figures supplied at the time. The actual diminution per cent was fro'm 10.27 in 1849 to 9.49 in 1841. At the same time, however, there has been an increase in the traffic to the extent of 20 per 6ent in passengers alone. Without great improvements in the conduct of railways, this increase of traffic ought to have been accompanied by an increase in the attendance. If the two had gone in parallel proportions, the attendants in 1851 would have amounted to 12.83 per mile. In other words, the actual number of attendants as com- pared with the attendants that ought to have been found may be stated at 19 as compared with 25 the result is equivalent to an abstraction of 6 out of every 25 servants on the line, and the pro- gressive development in the accident department shows that this abstraction of attendants has not been prudent.
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