§ 12. Mr. CHARLES EDWARDSasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that a large colliery in Monmouthshire (Messrs. Burnyeat, Brown, and Company, Nine Mile Point Colliery) was idle a large part of Friday, the 22nd instant, through want of trucks, and that a train of forty wagons was on the main line outside the colliery sidings for nearly four hours, because the London and North Western Railway Company were cutting down the wages bill by ceasing to keep a man in the signal-box adjoining the col- 10 liery; and whether he will take steps to compel the company to keep a man there as formerly?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANIt is a fact that the colliery referred to was idle on the date named, but hardly for a large part of the day as stated. The actual stoppages being for two periods of about one hour each. The cause of the stoppage was lack of wagons at the colliery and I am making inquiries as to the reason for this.