§ MR. WEIRI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if he can state what number of repaired wheels of the Mansell pattern made 22 years ago, as referred to in Major Marindin's Report on the railway accident on the 27th of April last to a passenger train at Dunphail Station, are now in use on the passenger trains of the Highland Railway; will he explain why time was not allowed the examiner at Kingussie to go all round the train, instead of only time to examine the wheels on the right side; seeing that since the introduction of continuous brakes the strain upon carriage wheels has been much increased, will the Highland Railway Company be required to furthen strengthen them; whether he is aware that it is the practice on the Highland Railway for the assistant guard to ride in the rear van instead of in the front brake van; and that a penalty has been imposed on the Company for failing to provide a communication cord between the carriages and the engine and the brake van of the train, and for the infringement of Rule 22 of "The Regulation of Railways Act, 1868"; and whether all the carriages of passenger trains on the Highland Railway are fitted with automatic brakes, in accordance with the instructions of the Department to the Railway Company last year? In putting the question, I should like to say that the fourth paragraph has been so "seriously mutilated" since I handed it in at the Table that I withdraw it, with a view to framing other questions on it another day.
§ MR. BRYCEThe question of the hon. Member refers to matters which are within the knowledge not of the Board of Trade but of the Railway Company, whose office is in Inverness; and as the question appears on the Paper for the first time this morning, there has not been 417 time to obtain any information on the subject.
§ *MR. SPEAKERThe hon. Gentleman says his question has been "seriously mutilated" at the Table; but the only part left out consisted of mechanical details, which could instruct nobody.