§ MR. MOONEY (Newry)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury if he is aware that in the year 1899 the London and North-Western Railway Company agreed to accelerate the Irish mail train running from Euston to Holyhead in connection with the City of Dublin Steampacket Company's mail steamers from Holyhead; whether in that year the London and North-Western Company stated that they could only give the accelerated service if, in addition to the sum received for carrying the mails, they received a further sum of £6,500 per annum; whether this sum has been paid to the London and North-Western Railway Company annually since 1899; whether, according to the official time tables of the London and North-Western Railway Company, this so-called accelerated mail train takes five hours and thirty-five minutes on the journey to Holyhead; whether he is aware that since this subsidy was granted the railway company have run, and are running, a 1590 train without subsidy in competition with the London and Kingstown route, known as the London and North-Western boat train, which does the journey to Holyhead in less time than the so-called accelerated train; whether he is aware that, though this money was given to facilitate Irish traffic, the way in which that is done is by packing the mail train with people who are booked to intermediate stations on this side only; and whether, in view of the fact that the London and North-Western Railway Company not only run a faster train in competition with the subsidised accelerated train, but are proposing to alter the route of their steamers so as to bring them also into competition with the mail steamers, it is intended to insert in this year's Estimates provisions for the payment of a subsidy of £6,500 for a train actually slower than the railway company's own boat train.
§ MR. RUNCIMANThis matter has had my careful attention during the recess and I have arranged for the payment to the London and North-Western Railway Company for the train in question to cease as from 1st April next. The whole of the amount, however, will not be saved, as the payments to the company for the conveyance of mails in the year 1908–1909 will be increased by £5,500, in return for certain additional facilities to which the Postmaster-General attaches importance in connection with the company's Irish and other mail services.
§ MR. MOONEYAm I to understand that although you have taken away £1,000 from the London North-Western Railway Company, you have increased their grant for carrying the mails, and that therefore the company are practically getting this money in another form?
§ MR. RUNCIMANThat is not the case.
§ MR. MOONEYIs the House to understand that there is greater difficulty in carrying the mails now than in former years, and that that has caused the 1591 Postmaster-General to sanction an increased grant of £5,500?
§ MR. RUNCIMANIt is not an increased grant, it is a diminished grant, and any Question with reference to the arrangements for carrying the mails should be addressed to the Postmaster General.
§ MR. MOONEYHas there been a total saving of £6,500 on the one hand, and a further grant of £5,500 to the company on the other hand?
§ MR. RUNCIMANThe total reduction will be £1,000.