§ MR. BURNIE (Swansea Town)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade under what Parliamentary powers the Railway Companies claim the right to force on the traders the new Regulation they have issued with respect to the repairs and renewals of private railway wagons; whether he is also aware that the private owners of wagons look upon the Regulations as impracticable, and if attempted to he enforced likely to cause heavy loss to them as traders with- 1764 out achieving any satisfactory result; and whether he will confer with the Railway Companies on the subject?
§ MR. POWELL WILLIAMS (Birmingham, S.)Before the right hon. Gentleman answers that question, may I ask whether it is not a fact that the Railway Companies have thousands of wagons of their own which do not comply with these Regulations; and whether, in seeking to enforce the Regulation upon private owners, they are not displaying an undue preference in their own favour? Will he take steps to prevent that injustice?
§ MR. MUNDELLAUnder Sections 117 and 118 of the Railways Clauses Act, 1845, carriages are to be constructed according to Regulations, and such Regulations are to apply to all carriages running on the railway. Provision is also made for arbitration in the event of dispute between a Company and the owner of a carriage "as to the construction or condition thereof." Last year the Board of Trade drew the attention of the Secretary to the Railway Association to a letter of complaint from the Association of Private Owners of Railway Rolling Stock, and furnished that Association with Sir Henry Oakley's reply. The Board of Trade have no powers bearing on the question.