§ MR. EASTWICKasked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether the Rope system of communication between passengers and the officers in charge of Railway trains has been reported on; and, if so, whether he has any objection to lay a Copy of such Report upon the Table of the House; whether there is any objection to lay upon the Table of the House a Copy of Colonel Yolland's Report on Major Wethered's system of communication, which has been declared by the Board of Trade to be a Report not unfavourable to that system; and, whether the Board of Trade is using or intends to take measures to discover the best means of communication between passengers and officers in charge of trains, and to encourage its adoption?
§ MR. CHICHESTER FORTESCUEsaid, in reply, that the power of the Board of Trade with reference to the establishment of a means of communication between railway passengers and guards consisted in signifying their approval of any particular arrangement. Under the authority which they possessed, they had approved the rope system in most instances, the exceptions being the South-Eastern and the South-Western Railways; in their cases the electric system had been approved. There was no Report within the last two or three years of the Inspectors of the Board of Trade with regard to the rope system; but there were elaborate Reports of Colonel Tyler and Colonel Yolland on the whole question of communication between passengers and guards, including that system. Colonel Yolland, he might add, had also reported on Major Wethered's system; but he was bound to say that he, as well as other Inspectors, considered it as being by no means the best mode of communication. The hon. Gentleman could see Colonel Yolland's Report if he wished; but there was this objection against laying it on the Table of the House, that if it were produced the same 1875 course should be pursued with respect to the Reports of the officers of the Board of Trade upon the plans of other inventors.