Page:The Working and Management of an English Railway.djvu/256

 of policy, can meet on friendly terms, can agree upon measures of concerted action, and afford one another the benefit of their mutual experience in devising measures for the common good. Three important conferences are held at the Clearing-house every three months, one attended by the general managers of the different companies, another by the goods managers, and a third by the passenger superintendents, all these dealing with the subjects specially germane to their respective departments. Thus the Goods Managers' Conference deals with such questions as the construction of private waggons, the charges for the use of waggons, the classification of goods traffic, terminal allowances, etc.; the Superintendents' Conference deals with the speed and signalling of trains, rules and regulations for working the railways, the block telegraph system, excursion trains and subjects of like nature; the General Managers' Conference reviews the recommendations of the Goods Managers and Superintendents, and, in its turn, frames proposals to be submitted to the Committee of Delegates for adoption by the companies.

Besides these three, there are a host of other committees and rates conferences for various purposes which hold their meetings at the Clearing-house, and the total number of such meetings held in the course of a year is upwards of 250.

Since the year 1847, the Railway Clearing-house, as a central establishment well adapted for the purpose, has been employed to facilitate the recovery of lost luggage, a duty which it discharges in the following manner. A description of every article lost or found is forwarded daily to the Clearing-house, who, in turn, furnish the information to the different stations, and