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25
(e) Travelling Facilities.
Time and time again, particularly, of course, before
the war, I have made adverse comments on the facilities
for travelling to and from Barking, and I do feel this is
a major issue which must be faced.
The difficulties which, as advised, 1 believe will have
to be faced if improvements are to be made, and the
length of time I am advised it must take in order to
overcome these difficulties, make it the more imperative
that steps should be taken forthwith to begin to
deal with this urgent matter.
It is true one hundred per cent, that coughs and
sneezes spread diseases, and even in ordinary conversation
there is an invisible but nevertheless real and
dangerous droplet spray coming out of the mouth
carrying germs of infection.
Crowded as the trains are at peak-loads in the
morning and the evening, the danger of infection is
considerable, particularly, of course, during the
evening, when the people are returning to Barking, tired
not only with their day's work, but tired also from the
added strain of travelling, standing cheek by jowl in
uncomfortable positions, with little or no opportunity
of steadying themselves against the erratic movements
of the floor on which they are standing.
The amount of time lost due to these infections
must be considerable. There is, however, a most
insidious loss in production due to the fact that
everybody has only, after all, so much energy to
expend during the day, and if constantly a man or
woman is called upon to endure with fortitude, the