§ 63. Mr. COOPERasked the President of the Board of Trade if any steps have been taken since the publication of the Report of the Royal Commission on Waterways to ascertain whether the local authorities, which would presumably be directly benefited by the construction of a main system of waterways in this country, would be prepared to consider the possibility of contributing in some way to the cost of such an undertaking; and, if so, what were the steps taken, and with what result?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. Buxton)The Royal Commission reported in 1909 that 409 their efforts to ascertain whether local authorities and traders would be willing to share the burden of waterway improvement had met with no encouragement or success. I have not thought it necessary, therefore, to renew the inquiries they made in this direction. But the question of local contributions is one on which I should look to those who advocate the acquisition and improvement of canals to supply me with further information.