In its present form it
consists of all the principal railway companies of the United Kingdom,
each Company being represented by its Chairman, Deputy Chairman, General
Manager and Solicitor. A Director of any so associated Company, who is a
Member of Parliament, is also _ex officio_ a member of the Association.
As its membership increased it was found that the Association was
inconveniently large for executive purposes, and some twenty years or so
ago a _Council_ was formed with power to represent the Association on all
questions affecting general railway interests. At this moment this
Council is engaged in looking after the interests of the railway
companies in the matter of the great _Ways and Communications Bill_. By
the suffrages and goodwill of my colleagues in Ireland, who had the
election of one member, I remained on the Council till the end of the
year 1912. Mr. Cane states that "The Association has always preserved
its original character of a purely voluntary association, and has been
most careful to safeguard the independence of its individual members."
Also, that it has "been expressly provided by its constitution that no
action shall be taken by the Council unless the members are unanimous.
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