South African Railways and Harbours: Report of the General Manager (Sir William Hoy) of Railways and Harbours for the Year Ended 31st March,1925.
Published by The Union of South Africa, Pretoria, 1925, hardcover, morocco binding, large format, photographic illustrations, fold-out plans of Walvis Bay and Durban Harbours, some small loss to top/bottom of spine otherwise condition: very good.
The South African Railways and Harbours (SAR&H) Report of the General Manager for the Year Ended 31st March 1925, presented by Sir William Hoy, provides a detailed account of a pivotal year in South Africa's transport history.
Key Highlights of the 1925 Report
A landmark event recorded in the 1925 period was the first electric test train running between Ladysmith and Chieveley in October 1924, followed by the introduction of electric traction on the Natal main line (Glencoe Mooi River) in 1925.
In 1924/1925, the SAR&H implemented the civilised labour policy. This involved recruiting unskilled white labourers into a "probation grade" to combat industrial depression, leading to a significant increase in white employees while the number of black employees decreased.
This era saw the large-scale introduction of grain elevators in Table Bay Harbour and 34 country districts to handle grain exports, with a total storage capacity of 139,200 tons.
Earnings from high-class traffic (machinery, manufactured articles) accounted for roughly 41.4% of total earnings from all goods and mineral traffic (excluding coal) during the 192526 period, despite representing only 10.8% of the total ton-mileage.
Recognizing that many outlying areas were spread too thin for profitable branch lines, the SAR established National Road Motor Services as feeders to existing rail lines.
Railways and Harbours Service Act (No. 23 of 1925): New legislation was submitted during this year to formalise the organisation, discipline, and benefits for SAR&H staff.
The report covers a network that had grown significantly since Unification in 1910, linking the Union's main trunk routes to the Rand and managing over 11,000 kilometres of track.
The report reflects a massive workforce; for context, by the mid-1920s, there were roughly 30,000 European railwaymen and tens of thousands of black workers, many of whom were casual labourers.
Sir William Hoy (18681930) was a railway official who became a pivotal figure in South African transport history as the first General Manager of the South African Railways and Harbours (SAR&H). Appointed in 1910, he managed the newly unified South African railway system and oversaw its massive expansion and industrialisation.
THIS IS FROM THE LIBRARY OF THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE SAR&H.
