Lord George Hamilton has addressed an important letter to Sir
Alfred Hickman, M.P., on the subject of American firms and Indian railway contracts. Sir Alfred Hickman having alleged in the House of Commons on May 23rd that these contracts were made on no business principles and without due regard to efficiency, public safety, or real economy, Lord George Hamilton replies that the placing of the orders with American firms was simply due to the exigencies of the situation. Until the recent great engineer- ing strike no order for a railway locomotive had been given by the Indian railway officials outside Great Britain. Since then, owing to the British workshops being blocked with work, certain Indian railway boards found it necessary to place a few limited orders in America, and in Lord George Hamilton's opinion their action was fully justified by the satisfactory results. In conclusion Lord George Hamilton asserts that the footing obtained by the
American firms was not due to favouritism or ignorance : "The competition we have to face is founded on some- thing much more formidable and substantial. Chemical research, concentration of capital, thorough technical educa- tion, improved industrial organisation, have made in recent years greater advance in America than here." He accord- ingly appeals to Sir Alfred Hickman, as a leading member of the steel industry, to impress on his associates the necessity of rendering British competition efficient in regard to price and time of delivery.
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