Mr. Clynes moved the rejection of the Bill on the
ground that it not only failed "to provide for the publics ownership and -control of the railways, but would prejudice the future acquisition of the railways by the State on a fair and economic basis." He suggested that the railwaymen were compelled to reject the offer of workmen directorships in order to safeguard their wages, but Sir Eric Geddes assured him that the railwa.ymen did this of their own free will, much to the Minister's regret. Mr. Clynes also objected to compulsory arbitration in disputes about wages. Sir F. Banbury pointed out that State control had obviously proved disastrous.. He declined to accept the Minister's optim- istic estimates of the savings to be effected by grouping the railways. In Marsh, even with the higher rates, the railways had shown a deficit of half a million. He would prefer even " nationalization " to such a Bill.
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