§ Mr. FIELDasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether, in making a contract with Messrs. Perry for the 1258W Castlecomer Railway on the ground that they had plant at their disposal in England, the engineer acquainted the Board of Trade with the fact that the Great Southern and Western Railway Company of Ireland were just completing a railway at the expense of the Treasury in the adjoining county, and why the plant, the property of the Government, used in that railway was not availed of for the proposed new line, instead of acquiring plant from Messrs. Perry, which, besides the cost of the same, would occupy shipping space needed for other purposes in transferring it from England; and will he in future oases of this kind save the public purse by employing an Irish engineer familiar with local conditions, even if Irish contractors do not get a chance of competing for the works; (2) whether it was by the instructions of the Board of Trade and with their knowledge and sanction that the engineer who visited the spot on behalf of the Board procured the representative of Messrs. Perry, but of no other contractors, to inspect the location of the proposed Castlecomer Railway; whether the Board of Trade authorised the engineer to arrange a draft contract with Messrs. Perry to be completed immediately on the Treasury sanction being given for the construction of the line; whether this is a cost price, plus percentage for profit, contract, and at what rate is the percentage; and what are the fees paid or to be paid to this engineer?
Sir A. STANLEYThe Board of Trade and the engineer who reported to them in regard to the proposed Castlecomer Railway did not overlook the fact that another railway is being constructed by the Great Southern and Western Railway Company, but this railway is not completed. The Castlecomer Railway is being constructed under the supervision of the chief engineer of the Great Southern and Western Railway, and it is proposed to utilise the railway company's plant as well as that provided by the contractors. The answers to the first three parts of the second question are in the affirmative. The percentage to be added to the actual cost in respect of administration, services, and profit is a sum not to exceed 5 per cent., but no percentage is to be paid on any sum by which the actual cost may exceed the estimated cost. The engineer has been good enough to give his services gratuitously.