§ MR. WHITEHEAD (Essex, S.E.)To ask the President of the Board of Trade I how many complaints of increased rates have been received at the Board of Trade, under the Railway and Canal Traffic Act, 1894, during each of the ten years ending 31st December, 1907; and in how many of such cases the increase has been withdrawn or modified in consequence of I action taken by the Board of Trade.
1545 (Answered by Mr. Lloyd-George.) The figures for which my hon. friend asks are shown in the following Table, so far as they can be given. The cases dealt with by Mr. Pelham before the year 1899 numbered 1,938. The figures given for 1906 and 1907 are provisional. Too
| Complaints of increased Rates received by the Board of Trade during the nine years 1899–1907, inclusive. | |||||||
| Year. | Increases completely with-drawn | Increases modified. | Certificates issued to allow the complaint to be taken before the Railway and Canal Commission. | Complaints not pressed. | No modification effected. | Cases still under consideration. | Total. |
| 1899 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | 5 |
| 1900 | 1 | — | 17 | 16 | 30 | — | 64 |
| 1901 | 2 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | 25 |
| 1902 | — | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | 13 |
| 1903 | — | 5 | 3 | 5 | 1 | — | 14 |
| 1904 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | 9 |
| 1905 | — | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | 4 |
| 1906 | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | — | 6 |
| 1907 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2* | 13 |
| * Counting as one complaint the numerous representations received against the withdrawal by the railway companies of a wastage allowance for coal lost in transit. |