RAILWAYS, 
18% 
more than Rs. 10 lakhs. Olags I systems have a total route mileage 
of 37,000, and the others of 3,000 and 1,000 miles respectively. 
In accordance with our terms of reference, our enquiries have 
been limited to the lines running through British India only, thereby 
excluding from our survey two Class I railways with a route mileage 
of 2,000 miles and employing about 23,000 workers. Of the remaining 
twelve Class I railways, five are state-owned and state-managed, five 
are state-owned and company-managed, and two are both owned and 
managed by companies. We have received written evidence from each 
and in addition have had the advantage of hearing evidence given on be- 
half of nine of the administrations and of workers’ organisations connect- 
ed with eight of them. Our arrangements did not permit of oral evidence 
being taken in connection with the two company-owned railways or 
the smallest state-owned company-managed line, employing between 
the three about 50,000 workers and covering a route mileage of less than 
4,000 miles. There was also submitted to us written and oral evidence 
from the members of the Railway Board, and we desire to express our 
appreciation of the assistance rendered us by them and by railwaymen 
generally, while making detailed enquiries info the working conditions on 
the different railways. 
Railway Administration. 
Before proceeding to state the result of these enquiries, it is 
necessary to refer to the position occupied by the Railway Board in the 
administration of Indian railways. Control over the operations of the 
railway companies was at first secured through the appointment by the 
Government of India of consulting engineers and later through adminis- 
trative and secretariat appointments in the Public Works Department 
of the Government of India. A Railway Board was constituted in 1905 
and reorganised in 1922 when g Chief Commissioner was appointed to 
act as President without being liable to be over-ruled by his colleagues 
on the Board. In 1924 a Financial Commissioner was added and. from 
that date until the spring of 1929 the Railway Board consisted of four 
members, one of whom dealt with general administration, personnel 
and traffic subjects. The transfer of more railways from company to 
State management and the increasing complexity of the labour prob- 
lems necessitated the addition to the Board of a special member to 
deal with questions concerning staff in general and labour in particular, 
This member has the assistance of a Director and Deputy Director of 
Establishment and since 1999 the problems of railway labonr have heen 
receiving special attention. 
The Railway Board is directly responsible to the Government 
of India for the administration of state-owned railways managed by the 
State and have complete administrative authority over the general 
managers or agents of thege railways, to whom considerable powers have 
been delegated. Within the grants at their disposal, the agents are 
competent to create most of the higher subordinate and all the lower 
posts and to grant additional pay to individuals: they also have full