§ SIR C. HILL (Shrewsbury)To ask the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies what is the position of affairs in regard to the Shiré Highlands Railway, which is under contract with His Majesty's Government to construct a railway from 1051 Chiromo to Blantyre within five years from December, 1902.
(Answered by Mr. Churchill.) The rails of the line have been laid into Blantyre, but, mainly owing to difficulties in the transport of materials on the Shire river, the railway was not in a condition to be opened for traffic by December 1907, and an extension of time until the end of June 1908 has been granted to the company.