MR. J. H. ROBERTS (Denbighshire, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether he will state what amount was, during the second portion of the year 1898, provided out of current Indian revenues to make up the difference between the net earnings of the guaranteed and subsidised Indian railways for that period, and the amount required for interest and dividends under contract; and whether he will present a statement showing the sums paid during the period referred to out of State revenues to the several railway companies, together with any sums which may have accrued to the public revenues from railways the net earnings of which exceeded the guaranteed interest during the same period.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Lord G. HAMILTON,) Middlesex, EalingThe Government accounts are not prepared according to the calendar year. I have no objection to have a statement prepared from the accounts of the several Indian Railway Companies, to show, with as much accuracy as practicable, the position of the Government in respect of the guaranteed and subsidised companies in the two half-years of 1898. To take the second half-year alone would be misleading.
MR. J. H. ROBERTSI beg to ask the Secretary for India whether he will state what has been the falling off in the gross earnings of the Indian Railways since 1st April, the beginning of the present financial year; and whether such reductions will affect the General Budget Estimate of 1899–1900, to be considered by the House at a later stage of the session.
§ LORD G. HAMILTONThe gross earnings of the Indian Railways from the 1st of April to the 20th of May, 1899, were Rx.4,094,030, or less by Rx.441,192 than the earnings in the corresponding period of 1898, which were unusually large. The prospect of the Railway Revenue Account will, of course, form one point for consideration in the discussion that will take place on the Financial Statement for the current year.