§ MR. MORTON (Sutherland)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade, whether he has yet arranged with the railway companies to provide third-class sleeping-carriages in trains where first-class sleeping-carriages are provided.
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. KEARLEY, Devonport)In accordance with the undertaking of which I informed the House on June 25th last, † the general managers of the railway companies concerned have met and considered this question. The general managers now state that they are unanimously of opinion that if third-class sleeping-carriages were provided a very heavy pecuniary loss to shareholders would be incurred, and accordingly the companies concerned have come to the conclusion that such provision could not be justified.
† See (4) Debates, clix., 739, 740.