Mr. W. A. REDMONDasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the decision has been come to by English and Scotch railway companies insisting on the full name and address of the consignee being attached to every package of butter and eggs exported from Ireland to England and Scotland; that the system for the last forty years has been to consign the goods to English and Scotch termini to the order of the Irish trader; whether the new regulation is at all a legal one; whether this is an innovation calculated to strike a serious blow at the butter and egg trade between the two countries; whether notice of this revolutionary change has been given by the Railway Clearing House only ten or fourteen days ago, and whether, in view of these facts, he will urge its immediate with- 1656 drawal, or at least postponement, in order to avoid the difficulty and inconvenience caused thereby at the coming market at Cookstown, county Tyrone, and elsewhere throughout Ireland, on Saturday, 29th March?
Mr. ROBERTSONI am aware that the British and Irish railway companies have announced their intention of requiring that all goods consigned by rail, with certain exceptions, shall in future be sufficently addressed, but I understand that the British companies are prepared to accept a distinguishing mark and the name of the station of destination as sufficient. The question whether the requirement is a legal one is not a matter upon which I can express an opinion, but I should be glad to consider any case in which it is represented that real hardship will be caused.
Mr. W. A. REDMONDCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether the Regulations apply to Danish butter and other foreign imports as well as to Irish produce?