14. Mr. FREDERICK GREENasked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been called to the loss and inconvenience suffered by timber merchants owing to the failure of the railways to deal adequately with this class of traffic; and whether he can take steps to ensure that in future this traffic is dealt with expeditiously?
§ Sir E. GEDDESI am aware that certain amount of inconvenience is being suffered by timber merchants owing to the shortage of bolster wagons for the transport of timber. During the War bolster wagons from the steel trade were available for timber owing to the decreased output of the kinds of steel re- 8 quiring this type of wagon; the home timber trade, which developed consider ably during the War, is now faced with a reduction in the supply of these special wagons, many of which have had to return to the steel industry. Every effort is being made to increase the stock of bolster wagons.