§ 23. Mr. PETOasked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the report of Sir John 2217 Purser Griffith, lately general engineer of the port of Dublin, on the system of the new transport company for handling railway goods traffic; whether this system was considered by him in his capacity as a railway manager; and whether he will call for an expert investigation and report on the system and the claims made for it of economy which can be effected in railway goods transport?
Mr. ROBERTSMy right hon. Friend has seen the report referred to. While he is fully aware of the scheme and of the desirability of facilitating the handling of goods traffic on our railways he does not think that at the present time an investigation into the system proposed by the New Transport Company would serve any useful purpose.