§ Mr. FFRENCHasked the Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture (Ireland) whether he is aware that the railways in Australia are practically owned by the various State Governments, and that the concessions to customers stand in the following order: The farmer, the pastoralist, the miner, the merchant, and the suburban passenger; and whether, seeing that in Ireland the farmer receives the least consideration of all, the Department of Agriculture will enter into negotiations with the railway companies with a view to relieve farmers from excessive railway rates?
§ Mr. T. W. RUSSELLThe Department understand that the governments of the several States own the greater part of the railways in Australia. The Department are in frequent communication with railway companies regarding rates for the conveyance of Irish agricultural produce. Pending the issue of the Report of the Vice-Reg[...] Commission on Irish Railways, it is now 117W possible to indicate what action it may be deemed desirable to take in regard to the general question of rates for Irish agricultural produce.