§ MR. KENNEDY (Westmeath, N.)To ask the Chief Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland if he can now state whether the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction will exercise its powers under Section 17 of the Agriculture and Technical Instruction (Ireland) Act, 1899, of appearing before the Railway and Canal Commissioners on behalf of the boat-owners on the Royal Canal who feel aggrieved by reason of the tolls charged by the Midland Great Western Railway on. canal traffic, when added to working, expenses, being in excess of the freight, charged on that company's railway for the same class of goods, thereby destroying the competition of the canal.
(Answered by Mr. Wyndham.) The Department is in communication with the railway company on the subject of the complaints of the boat-owners. Until the correspondence has concluded the department cannot say what further action it may be necessary to take.