Nodoubt the majority of the Transportation Staff—at least those engaged upon the compilation of statistics—have many times wondered just what “all these figures mean.” The first thought may be, “What a waste of time! Who ever looks at them?”

From my own personal experience when in a junior capacity I know that the average railwayman not actually in touch with the Administration views with disfavour the compilation of a host of operating figures. The responsibility for the correctness of statistics rests, in most cases, with comparatively junior members of the staff. Unless they have an interest in their jobs and realise what measure of responsibility is theirs it is quite easy for mistakes to be made which, as I shall point out later, might cause considerable losses to the Department.

I hope, therefore, that the following articles will assist in lightening the burden of those who, day after day, jot down, tot up, and summarise vast quantities of figures of the value of which they are possibly ignorant. Further, as the means of measuring the efficiency of the whole of the Transportation service rests on the correct diagnosis of statistics, I trust the Executive officers who are now being supplied with many new forms of statistics relating to the various spheres of operation under their control will benefit by the remarks I propose to make on the use of the figures placed before them.