102. Mr. WILLIAM ARCHER REDMONDasked the freight charges on butter and eggs from Ireland and Denmark, respectively, into London and the other principal distributing centres in Great Britain; whether the new railway regulations regarding the method of consignment of packages containing eggs and butter apply to Denmark and other foreign countries as well as to Ireland; and whether these regulations, if insisted upon, will increase the freight on eggs and butter imported from Ireland into this country, and thereby cause serious detriment to Irish producers and English consumers, and gain to the railway companies alone?
Mr. ROBERTSONThe Irish railway companies have now informed me that they have temporarily adopted the regulations of the English companies as to addressing goods, and I am sending my hon. Friend a copy of these regulations. I understand that the regulations do not at present apply to traffic consigned to or from foreign countries and conveyed direct from truck to ship. I am not in possession of the information as to freight charges which my hon. Friend desires.
Mr. W. A. REDMONDMay I ask the hon. Gentleman why it is that the Irish railway companies are only temporarily adopting the system proposed by the English railway companies?