§ MR. FIELD (Dublin, St. Patrick's)I beg to ask the Postmaster General whether he is aware that, although the Dublin Steam Packet Company offered some years ago to erect hydraulic cranes, and although the Dublin, Wicklow, and Wexford Railway Company built special vans to enable the quick mechanical transference of the mails from the jetty to the steamer, the Government and the London and North Western Railway opposed this expediting arrangement, and refused to sanction its introduction; and whether this matter will be reconsidered?
§ MR. A. MORLEYThe transfer of the mails to and from the steamers and the trains at Holyhead and Kingstown by machinery has been under consideration again and again for many years past; but the saving of time is extremely problematical, and, apart from the question of expense, there are practical difficulties, which the Department has never yet seen its way to overcome. Under the present plan of loading and unloading by means of porters, the mails, which are of very varying bulk and weight, are packed in the trains in such a way as to facilitate the sorting duties which have to be performed en route, and the subsequent disposal of bags for roadside stations. A transfer in crates would be less convenient in 1284 many respects, and not only would vans of a special construction be required, but also additional vans, which would increase the weight of the trains, and tend to hinder the observance of punctuality.