Page:The Working and Management of an English Railway.djvu/50

 in lieu thereof be allowed an increased pension of it per week. To those who were members of the former societies it will be optional whether they take the retiring gratuity or the increase of pension.

It has been thought that the case of the men employed in the locomotive department differs in some degree from that of the men engaged in the traffic and permanent way departments, seeing that amongst a body of men who are continually coming and going, and constitute, in fact, a sort of floating population, no scheme which provides for a large surplus or reserve fund would be equitable, and therefore the following plan has been adopted:—

A society has been formed, or rather two societies—one for Crewe works and one for the engine drivers, firemen, and others comprising what is known as the "running department." These societies are managed by delegates elected by the members, assisted by representatives of the Company; and there is a scale of benefits ranging, according to the grade of the men, from £40 to £100 in the case of death or permanent disablement from accident on duty, with a weekly allowance in case of temporary disablement from any cause, and a payment in the event of death from natural causes. The expenses are met by calls upon the members from time to time throughout the year, as necessity arises, but averaging from five to ten calls per annum ranging from 4d. to 1s. per call, according to the men's pay, the Company supplementing these payments by liberal contributions. The number of men in these two societies amounts to upwards of 15,000.

By means of these twin societies, the men employed in that most important branch of the railway service