The latest available statistics as to the number of all classes of railway servants connected with the working of railways, and including, as I understand, both salaried and wages staffs with the exception of heads of departments, are to be found in "Returns of Accidents and Casualties" as reported to the Board of Trade by the railway companies of the United Kingdom for the year ending December 31, 1910 [Cd. 5628]. These figures give a total of 608,750 persons, classified as follows:—

NATURE OF EMPLOYMENT.No. of Persons
employed on
31st Dec., 1910.
01. Brakesmen. (See Goods Guards.)
02. Capstan-men and Capstan-lads:
(1) Men1,421
(2) Boys140
03. Carmen and Van-guards:
(1) Men18,382
(2) Boys6,604
04. Carriage-cleaners:
(1) Men6,572
(2) Boys286
05. Carriage and waggon examiners3,811
06. Checkers:
(1) Men9,112
(2) Boys77
07. Chockers, Chain-boys and Slippers:
(1) Men288
(2) Boys271
08. Clerks:
(1) Men61,361
(2) Boys9,044
09. Engine-cleaners:
(1) Men13,912
(2) Boys4,267
10. Engine-drivers & Motormen27,330
11. Firemen25,419
12. Gatekeepers3,543
13. Greasers:
(1) Men943
(2) Boys753
14. Guards (Goods) and Brakesmen15,339

15. Guards (Passenger)

8,239
16. Horse drivers1,159
17. Inspectors:
(1) Permanent-way1,029
(2) Others8,603
18. Labourers:
(1) Men54,981
(2) Boys1,333
19. Lamp-men and lamp-lads:
(1) Men1,655
(2) Boys418
20. Loaders & Sheeters4,274
21. Mechanics & Artisans:
(1) Men78,389
(2) Boys8,294
22. Messengers:
(1) Men1,124
(2) Boys2,468
23. Number-takers:
(1) Men1,252
(2) Boys671
24. Permanent-way-Men66,305
25. Pointsmen708
26. Policemen2,130
27. Porters:
(1) Men53,388
(2) Boys4,501
28. Shunters13,281
29. Signal Fitters and Telegraph Wiremen3,905
30. Signalmen28,653
31. Signal-box lads1,894
32. Station-masters8,684
33. Ticket-Collectors and Examiners3,904
34. Watchmen1,151
35. Yardsmen1,299
36. Miscellaneous:
(1) Adults33,620
(2) Boys2,563
————
Total608,750

The foregoing table serves to show the great extent of the railway industry from the point of view of the number of persons directly employed therein, and it also suggests a great variety in the occupations or grades of those employed. In the latter respect, however, the information given fails to offer a complete idea of the actual situation, since over 36,000 men and boys (that is, persons under eighteen years of age) are, as will be seen, classed as "miscellaneous."

Whatever the further variety in the particular occupations included under this head, it is certain that the railway service affords employment for a greater range and diversity of talent, skill, ability or effort than probably any other single industry or enterprise on the face of the earth. From the general manager to the railway navvy, and from the chief engineer, working out intricate problems calling for a high degree of skill and scientific knowledge, to the boy who helps in the unpretending but necessary work of cleaning the engines, there is opportunity for almost every possible class or type of labour, whether skilled or unskilled.

Over and above the employees, of all grades, concerned in "the working of railways," as here shown, there is a very considerable body of men employed by the railway companies in the building of rolling stock, the making of rails, in the provision of many other requirements, or in the doing of much other work, necessary in the construction, equipment and operation of their lines. The smaller companies are content to buy their rolling stock, and they mostly have repairing shops only; but the larger companies have their own locomotive, carriage and waggon works in which a very considerable volume of employment is afforded to mechanics and labourers who would hardly come under the ordinary designation of "railwaymen" proper; while in this respect the companies concerned may be regarded as not only providers of transport but as, also, in effect, engineers and manufacturers.

In order to give the reader some idea of the extent of the employment afforded by these subsidiary branches of what is still actual railway work, I give on the next page a table—for the data of which I am indebted to the companies mentioned—showing the actual or the approximate number of men employed in the leading railway works of the type in question; though it should be added that the figures relate only to the particular works mentioned, and do not include men who may be engaged in engineering or productive work elsewhere on the same company's system.

Information as to the extent to which the railway companies of the United Kingdom in general afford employment in the directions here in question will be found in the "Census of Production (1907)" [Cd. 5254], issued in 1910, included in these returns being three tables which are given under the heading "Railways (Construction, Repair and Maintenance of Permanent Way, Plant, Rolling Stock, etc.)," and relate to (1) output; (2) cost of materials used; and (3) number of persons employed.

COMPANY.WORKS.WHERE SITUATED.NO. OF
PERSONS
EMPLOYED.
Great CentralLocomotiveGorton2512
Gr"at Ce"Carriage and waggonDukinfield1741
Great EasternLoco. and carriageStratford, E.4578
Gr"at Eas"WaggonTemple Mills, E.618
Great NorthernLoco., carriage and waggonDoncaster6000
Great WesternLoco., carriage and waggonSwindon11,700
Lancashire and YorkshireLocomotiveHorwich3850
Lanc"shire and York"Carriage and waggonNewton Heath1960
London and North-WesternLocomotiveCrewe9000
Lon"on and Nort"CarriageWolverton4000
Lon"on and Nort"WaggonEarlstown1800
London and South-WesternLoco., carriage and waggonEastleigh3600
London, Brighton and South CoastLoco., carriage and waggonBrighton2035
Lon"on, Brig"ton and So"th Co"Loco., carriage and waggonLancing129
MidlandLocomotiveDerby3988
Mid"Carriage and waggonDe"4300
North-EasternLocomotiveGateshead and Darlington3953
North-"Carriage and waggonYork and Heaton2932
North-"WaggonShildon1161
South-Eastern and ChathamLocomotiveAshford, Kent733
South"Eastern and Cha"Carriage and WaggonAsh"ord, K"1211
CaledonianLoco., carriage and waggonSt. Rollax, Glasgow2695
Glasgow and South-WesternLocomotiveKilmarnock986
Gla"gow and Sout"Carriage and waggonBarassie269
North BritishLoco., carriage and waggonCowlairs, Glasgow2297
Great Northern (Ireland)Loco., carriage and waggonDundalk576
Midland Great Western (Ireland)Loco., carriage and waggonBroadstone Station, Dublin549
COMPANY.WORKS.WHERE SITUATED.NO. OF
PERSONS
EMPLOYED.
Great CentralLocomotiveGorton2512
Gr"at Ce"Carriage and waggonDukinfield1741
Great EasternLoco. and carriageStratford, E.4578
Gr"at Eas"WaggonTemple Mills, E.618
Great NorthernLoco., carriage and waggonDoncaster6000
Great WesternLoco., carriage and waggonSwindon11,700
Lancashire and YorkshireLocomotiveHorwich3850
Lanc"shire and York"Carriage and waggonNewton Heath1960
London and North-WesternLocomotiveCrewe9000
Lon"on and Nort"CarriageWolverton4000
Lon"on and Nort"WaggonEarlstown1800
London and South-WesternLoco., carriage and waggonEastleigh3600
London, Brighton and South CoastLoco., carriage and waggonBrighton2035
Lon"on, Brig"ton and So"th Co"Loco., carriage and waggonLancing129
MidlandLocomotiveDerby3988
Mid"Carriage and waggonDe"4300
North-EasternLocomotiveGateshead and Darlington3953
North-EasternCarriage and waggonYork and Heaton2932
North-"WaggonShildon1161
South-Eastern and ChathamLocomotiveAshford, Kent733
South"Eastern and Cha"Carriage and WaggonAsh"ord, K"1211
CaledonianLoco., carriage and waggonSt. Rollax, Glasgow2695
Glasgow and South-WesternLocomotiveKilmarnock986
Gla"gow and Sout"Carriage and waggonBarassie269
North BritishLoco., carriage and waggonCowlairs, Glasgow2297
Great Northern (Ireland)Loco., carriage and waggonDundalk576
Midland Great Western (Ireland)Loco., carriage and waggonBroadstone Station, Dublin549

It is shown that the total value of all goods manufactured or of the work done by railway companies' employees in construction, maintenance and repair of permanent way, works, buildings, plant, rolling stock, etc. (such values being sums representing only the actual cost of manufacture or work done, and made up of wages, materials and a portion of the establishment charges), amounted for the year 1907 to £34,703,000. The details are grouped under seven different heads, as follows:—