QUESTION. OBSERVATIONS. (Hansard, 20 September 1886)

§ EARL DE LA WARR

, in rising to ask, Whether Her Majesty's Government propose to consider, during the Recess, the recommendations of the Board of Trade relative to railway brakes, with a view to taking some steps next Session to carry them into effect? said, that he ought to explain his reason for bringing the matter forward. It was, he was 953 aware, not the time for the discussion of this question, and he was desirous only of asking Her Majesty's Government whether they could give it their attention during the leisure of the Recess. The question was far from being a new one. It had been thoroughly inquired into and reported upon by a Royal Commission. It had for many years been commented upon by the inspecting officers of the Board of Trade, and it had been on several occasions under the notice of Parliament. In the year 1877 the Board of Trade, speaking of accidents which had been investigated by their officers, said— From a careful examination of which, and similar information for the past few years, the Board of Trade are led to conclude that three-fourths of these accidents might probably have been avoided, or the results materially mitigated, if the passenger trains concerned had been provided with continuous brakes. He was free to admit that much had been done by Railway Companies since that time. He was also quite aware that there were difficulties which required time and experience to overcome them; but, nevertheless, he could hardly think that at the end of nine years from the date of the Circular issued on the subject by the Board of Trade to Railway Companies they should be where they now were if the talent, the skill, and the experience which railway engineers possessed had been made good use of by Railway Companies. The object in view would, he believed, have been attained, and they might now have had a uniform system of continuous brakes in accordance with the recommendations of the Board of Trade. But what had they instead of this? They had six different brakes employed which were said to comply with what the Board of Trade required, and 10 others which did not pretend to comply with their conditions. Then, according to the Returns made by the Railway Companies, about 50 per cent of the total stock of carriages and engines were fitted with brakes that complied with the requirements of the Board of Trade; about 32 per cent were fitted with brakes which did not comply, and about 18 per cent were fitted with no continuous brakes at all. But supposing that railways in the next 10 years were to arrive at being all fitted with brakes of some kind, some complying and some 954 not complying with the conditions of the Board of Trade, what would be the consequence? It would become more and more difficult that different lines should communicate one with another, such as the London and North-Western with the Caledonian Railway, the Great Northern and Midland with other railways in Scotland, and in all instances where intercommunication was required, if the carriages were not fitted with the same brakes. He desired as much as anyone to see Railway Companies originate and carry out improvements without compulsory legislation. They had done much in that way, and no doubt they would do more; but after the length of time which had elapsed since the question of continuous brakes had been under consideration, and after the strong opinion which was expressed by the Board of Trade nine years ago, the time seemed to have arrived when some steps should be taken to carry fully into effect what had been so long recommended, and the advantages of which for the public safety there was, he believed, no competent authority which would dispute.

§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Lord STANLEY of PRESTON)

said, that in answer to the noble Earl, who took a practical interest in this question, and on which he spoke with authority, he begged to state that the attention of Her Majesty's Government would shortly be turned to matters connected with railway legislation, when he trusted that the important subject to which the noble Earl had drawn attention would not be lost sight of. Whether proposed legislation on this matter would form part of any larger measure he was not able at the present moment to state. In a Bill relating to the regulation of railways, which had been brought forward some little time ago, it had been proposed to introduce a provision relating to railway brakes; but in the last two Bills on the subject of railways, which had been drawn up but not passed, it had been thought better to leave out the consideration of this point, and to embody any legislation on the subject in a separate measure. Having these facts in his mind, he should wish to reserve to himself full liberty to deal with the question of railway brakes in any way and at any time which might appear to be the best under the circum- 955 stances. He, however, did not yield to the noble Lord in his desire that some practical effect should be given to the generally expressed wish that some steps should be taken to deal with this question. There were, however, some difficulties in the way of drawing up a satisfactory measure having reference to this subject, one being that of obtaining the best information relating to it from the Railway Companies; and another being the feeling, rightly entertained, as he believed, by the Board of Trade, that it was not a part of their function to determine what particular kind of brake should be used by the railways, or to take up in any respect the invention of any particular inventor. He trusted that the noble Earl would rest satisfied with the assurance he now gave him that the subject should receive the best consideration of Her Majesty's Government.