§ Mr. HAYDENasked the Postmaster-General if he is aware that on the 31st May, 1897, the Secretary to the Treasury informed the House of Commons that ho had contracted with the London and Northwestern Railway Company to accelerate the Irish night mail trains by half an hour, and to pay an additional subsidy of £5,150 for this service; that the London and Northwestern Railway Company are not now giving this acceleration; that the down night mail train is invariably late, on several occasions recently over half an hour; that the cause of this lateness is that the London and Northwestern Railway Company, for economical reasons, have taken off their Greenore express service, which was established in the year 1874, and are utilising the down night Irish mail train for the Greenore passengers, and thus causing the delay; has this arrangement been made with his approval; and, if not, does he intend to allow it to be continued and the London and Northwestern Railway Company to receive a contract payment the terms of which they are not carrying out?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELI am aware of the circumstances, and I have already caused urgent representations to be made to the railway company as regards the late running of the train. I trust that this will result in a more punctual service. 1073W The train from Euston which connected with the Greenore service was not under Post Office control.