MR. J. COWEN (for Mr. J. W. BARCLAY)asked the President of the Board of Trade, Whether he will procure and lay upon the Table of the House Copy of a Report, dated April 24th 1879, by Mr. T. E. Harrison, C.E., to the North Eastern Railway Company, on the Westinghouse Automatic Brake adopted on the North Eastern Railway; and, whether the Board of Trade will be represented at the experiments with this brake proposed to be made near York by the North Eastern Railway Company on Monday next?
§ MR. MACDONALDalso asked, Whether it was the custom of the Board of Trade to send representatives to witness experiments with other brakes that were candidates for public favour, especially as the Westinghouse brake was 25 a foreign brake, and not one of home manufacture?
§ VISCOUNT SANDONThe North Eastern Railway Company have sent us a copy of the Report to which the hon. Gentleman refers, and if he will move for it, shall happy to lay it on the Table of the House. The Board of Trade will not be officially represented at the brake trials proposed to be held by the North Eastern Railway Company near York; but Mr. Farrer, the Secretary to the Board of Trade, and two of the inspecting officers of railways, have accepted invitations from the Railway Company to be present on the occasion. I need hardly add that, by their presence, no opinion is expressed, or intended to be expressed, as to the comparative merits of the brake which is the subject of the experiment; and that, in the present condition of this question, should not think it right that the Board of Trade should show any preference whatever for any particular brake.