§ MR. H. H. FOWLER (Wolverhampton, E.)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether any applications have been made by the Railway Companies to postpone further the operation of the Railway and Canal Traffic Act, 1888; and whether, before taking into consideration such application, the Board of Trade will give the traders an opportunity of stating their case in opposition to such postponement?
§ SIR M. HICKS BEACHI have received an application to postpone the operation of the London and South-Western Railway Rates Provisional Order Act until the 1st January next, at which time the schedules in the Provisional Orders now before Parliament will come into operation, and I have reason to believe that similar applications are likely to be made in 1886 the case of the other Railway Companies whose schedules were settled last year. It seems to me primâ facie desirable, for many reasons, that all the schedules should come into operation at the same time. But I shall be happy to receive and consider any representations which may be made to me on behalf of the traders against such a course.