§ Mr. CHARLES BATHURSTasked the President of the Board of Trade if the would obtain and lay before the House particulars or the purport of any working agreements which have been entered into during the last five years between the Midland, the Lancashire and Yorkshire, and the London and North-Western Railway Companies, or any two of them, with a view to the avoidance of competition?
Mr. BUXTONThe heads of the Agreements which the hon. Member appears to have in mind were laid upon the Table of this House in June last, and have been published as a Parliamentary Paper. [Command 4,695.]
§ Mr. CHARLES BATHURSTasked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the fact that negotiations are in progress between certain railway companies with the apparent object of converting the whole railway service in the South of England, from Kent to Cornwall, into one solid monopoly; and whether he will communicate with the chairmen of the Great Western, the London and South-Western, the London, Brighton, and South Coast, and the South-Eastern Railway Companies respectively with the view of ascertaining from them the precise meaning of the announcements made by them in reference to such negotiations at the last half-yearly meetings of their respective companies, and lay the information so obtained before the House?
Mr. BUXTONIt has not come to my knowledge that any agreement is in contemplation to comprise the whole of the four companies mentioned, but negotiations are, I believe, taking place between the Great Western and London and Southwestern Companies, and between the South-Eastern and Chatham and London, Brighton and South Coast Companies. With regard to these negotiations, I am not at present in a position to add anything to the reply which I gave to a question by the hon. Member for Stockport on the 2nd ultimo.
§ Mr. CHARLES BATHURSTI should like to ask whether it is the present policy of the Board of Trade to encourage or wink at the formation of these railway amalgamations or trusts?
Mr. BUXTONWe never wink at anything at the Board of Trade. Any action we take is always above board. As regards the present position, we watch these things as carefully as we can, and if we think anything arises adverse to the public interest, of course we take action with regard to it. The information I have given to the hon. Member is all I have at present with regard to these alleged negotiations.
§ Mr. REESMay I ask whether the Board of Trade has any power to prevent owners of private property from combining to get something better than 3 per cent.?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member must give notice of that question.