§ Sir J. D. REESasked the Under-Secretary of State for India what steps the Government of India propose to take to remedy the shortage of coal wagons, of which complaint is made in India?
§ Mr. MONTAGUThe present difficulty of dealing with the coal traffic at Calcutta is largely due to congestion at the Calcutta docks, in consequence of lack of shipping and inadequate facilities for the export trade. I am informed that the railways have carried a larger quantity of coal for export and bunker this year than last, the figures for the first four months of the year being 1,307,000 tons, as compared with 1,150,000 tons in 1911. There has also recently, been an exceptional demand for coal wagons in India, because coal required for the railways in the west of India that would ordinarily have been carried by steamer has been carried by rail owing to high steamer freights consequent on the English coal strike. Provision has been made in the Budget for spending £3,100,000 on additional rolling stock in 1912–13, and it is the828W present policy of the Government of India to spend the capital Grants for railways mainly on improving open lines and on rolling stock. I may add that the Secretary of State received a deputation from the East Indian section of the London Chamber of Commerce yesterday, on the subject of the provision of rolling stock. A report of the proceedings will be communicated to the Press.