§ DR. THOMPSON (Monaghan, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that repeated complaints have been made as to the working of the Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway by members of the public, and that the working company complain that some of the inconvenience is caused by the want of telephonic and telegraphic communication along the said railway; and seeing that on the opening of the Letterkenny Roman Catholic Cathedral on the 16th of June passengers on their return journey were, in consequence of the want of means of communication along the railway line, delaye for five hours by the breakdown of the engine, whether he will take steps for the provision of the required communication.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINI presume that the hon. Member's question relates to the Letterkenny Railway (not the Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway). The provision of telephonic communication along the line has been the subject of communications 108 between the Board of Works and the Lough Swilly company; but the company did not accept the Board's proposals. The Board will, however, endeavour to come to an arrangement with the company.
§ DR. THOMPSONI beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury whether his attention has been called to the fact that the Letterkenny Railway is the property of the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland (representing the Treasury as mortgagees in possession), that the said railway is worked by the Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway Company, which is practically owned by two shareholders, under an agreement with the Treasury, and that for a certain percentage of the receipts the said railway company are bound to maintain in proper working order said railway; and, seeing that an engineer, as representing the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland, lately inspected the line and reported adversely as to its efficiency and safety, and recommended it would require to be relaid with steel rails and new sleepers in order to give a safe and satisfactory service to the public, whether he will state what steps he proposes to take.
§ MR. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAINThe first three statements are generally correct, though I am not aware of the amount of stock held by the two principal shareholders. The Board of Works, Dublin, have recently caused the line to be inspected by a competent and experienced engineer. His report did not suggest the necessity of relaying the line with steel rails or supplying new sleepers, provided that the line was worked under the existing conditions as regards speed and weight of engines. Considerable improvements have been made by the working company with regard to certain points to which he called attention.