§ SIR E. PAGETI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he will be good enough to state to the House the manner in which the Board of Trade propose to proceed to consider the objections of traders, farmers, and others with regard to railway rates, charges, and classification under the Railway and Canal Traffic Act, 1888; whether the hearing of parties will be conducted in public; by whom the hearing will be conducted; and when they will commence; whether it is the intention that parties may be heard at their own discretion either in person or by counsel; and whether it is proposed to deal, in the first instance, with Imperial questions involving matters of principle such as terminals and short-distance clauses; or to deal with groups and objections submitted by special classes of farmers, traders, or to deal separately with the classification schedule submitted by each Railway Company?
§ * SIR M. HICKS BEACHA Circular explaining the procedure to be adopted at the hearing of objections, of which I will hand a Copy to the hon. Baronet, will be sent to each Railway Company and each objector, and will be given the utmost publicity. The hearings will be conducted in public by the principal permanent officers of the Department, presided over by Lord Balfour of Burleigh, the Parliamentary Secretary 771 to the Board of Trade, who will have such expert advice as may be necessary. Parties will be heard either by themselves or by representatives, as they may deem desirable. It is proposed, in the first instance, to deal with questions involving matters of principle, commencing with terminals. Further details the hon. Baronet will find in the Circular.
§ SIR R. PAGETWill the right hon. Gentleman say when the parties will be heard?
§ * SIR M. HICKS BEACHOn October 15.