§ 41. Mr. WATTasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the Caledonian Railway Company and the Glasgow and South-Western Railway Company are refusing to lift goods in the West of Scotland from merchants and manufacturers, consigned to Manchester and the Midlands of England, unless full van loads are provided and addressed to single consignees; will he say whether this action is due to the exigencies of war; and, if not, will he see that railway companies are pressed by his Department to give ordinary facilities to traders, especially in view of the fact that such conditions give a preference to large traders to the detriment of the smaller dealers?
Mr. RUNCIMANThe Board of Trade communicated with the companies named, and I am sending my hon. Friend copies of their replies. Owing to the volume of Government and other traffic at present passing by rail, restrictions are necessary from time to time in order to avoid congestion.