§ 15. Mr. HOGGEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the restrictions applicable to new season tickets apply to men discharged from the forces subsequent to 1st January, 1917?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. Wardle)The restrictions specified in the Railway Season Ticket Order of the 21st May apply generally to all classes of the community, and I fear that it would not be practicable to exempt discharged soldiers as a class from the restrictions.
§ Mr. HOGGEIs my hon. Friend not aware that the man who has served and been discharged from the forces after 1st January, 1917, obviously was ordinarily a 798 resident in the place where he was recruited prior to the War, and why does he urge the Board of Trade to continue this restriction against that man?
§ Mr. WARDLEHe will be under no special disability in consequence of that in any shape or form.
§ Mr. PENNEFATHERWould the hon. Gentleman undertake, on behalf of the Board of Trade, that this question should be carefully considered?
§ Mr. WARDLEYes.
§ Mr. HOGGEDoes the hon. Gentleman mean that if a man has been resident in a neighbourhood before 1st January, 1917, the fact that he has been discharged since is not a handicap against his applying for a new season ticket?
§ Mr. WARDLECertainly.
§ 16. Sir A. FELLasked the President of the Board of Trade if the limit of. 12 miles radius from Charing Cross for season tickets on railways means that from Liverpool Street Station the limit will be 10 miles from that station, whilst from Charing Cross Station it will be 12 miles, and from Waterloo 11 miles; and if it is proposed to create these differences under the new Orders?
§ Mr. WARDLEThe Order relating to this matter provides that a railway company may refuse to issue or renew a season ticket between any station situated within a radius of 12 miles from Charing Cross Post Office and any station outside such radius. The increase in charges for season tickets, which applies all over the country, is either 10 per cent. or 20 per cent., according to whether the tickets caver a journey up to or over 12 miles.
§ Sir A. FELLWould it not have been simpler to have made it 12 miles from all stations rather than 12 miles from Charing Cross, which must create the difficulty pointed out in this question?
§ Mr. WARDLEMy hon. Friend will see that that would not obviate the difficulty.
§ Colonel W. THORNEMay I ask whether the Government have made up their mind not to make any alteration in regard to this matter, in face of the tremendous feeling in London?
§ Mr. WARDLEThat is a question which must be addressed to my right hon. Friend.
§ Colonel THORNEIs my hon. Friend aware that there is a possibility of the Government falling over this question?
§ 17. Sir A. FELLasked the President of the Board of Trade if there are any records kept now of the number of persons travelling on the railways; if there are any figures showing the number of times persons use their season tickets; and if the statistics of persons travelling now are mere guesswork and not to be relied on for statistical use?
§ Mr. WARDLEAn exact record of the number of persons travelling on the railways, including those using season tickets, is not kept, and shortage of staff would make it impossible to keep such a record.
§ Sir A. FELLAre there no records now from which you can state how many persons are travelling, and particularly the percentage of season-ticket holders, nor as to how they compare with ordinary travellers?
§ Mr. WARDLEI do not think records of the sort are now being kept.