HC Deb 06 May 1901 vol 93 cc754-6
SIR HOWARD VINCENT

I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if, having regard to the preference accorded to the foreigner in the carriage of coal by certain railway companies, and to the prevalence of a like practice with regard to the import of steel and other goods, he will appoint a Departmental Committee, or consent to the appointment of a Select Committee, to investigate and report what measures can be devised to remedy this state of affairs.

MR. BARTLEY (Islington, N.)

To ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that many railway companies carry coal for shipment abroad at much lower rates than those charged for the same coal carried over the same distance but destined for home consumption; whether he is aware that the difference is often as much as 50 per cent.; and whether he will take immediate steps by enforcing the existing laws, and if necessary by introducing further legislation to prevent these preferential rates being enforced to the disadvantage of our own traders and our home consumers.

MR. GERALD BALFOUR

Where a railway company carrying coal for shipment or carrying steel and other goods inland from seaports gives a preference to the traffic so conveyed, it has to justify the difference under the provisions of the statutes dealing with undue preference. Those provisions were carefully framed, and I have no evidence that they are not sufficient to answer the purpose contemplated by the Legislature. The enforcement of the law must be left to the parties aggrieved, to whom it is open to make complaint to the Railway Commissioners.

SIR HOWARD VINCENT

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Great Northern Railway gave an advantage of 2s. 9d. to Boston in favour of coal exported as compared with coal for home consumption?

MR. GERALD BALFOUR

I am not.

MR. BARTLEY

May I remind the right hon. Gentleman of the fact that in the speech of the Chancellor of the Exchequer the other day he gave cases and made great complaint of these preferential rates?

MR. GERALD BALFOUR

I was present during the speech of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. In connection with these charges two questions arise. The first is, Are these preferential in respect of the same or similar services; and, secondly, if they are, is the preference undue preference? Both of these questions are to be decided by the Railway Commissioners.