§ Mr. CAUTLEYasked the Under-Secretary for India whether he is aware that continuous complaints have been made since the year 1894 as to the service, accommodation, and supply of wagons given by the Indian railways to meet the demands of traders and the development of coal mining and other Indian industries; whether a memorial addressed to the Marquess of Crewe, fully setting out the grounds of complaint and defects of the railway services was presented by Indian mining associations in November, 1912; will he state what, if anything, has been done as the result of that petition, and on what railway; and what steps he proposes to take to increase the efficiency of the Indian railways, the supply of wagons, and to improve the railway system on each of the railways mentioned in the memorial?
§ Mr. HAROLD BAKERComplaints have been made from time to time, but no memorial from the associations mentioned has reached the Secretary of State. The capital expenditure on open line works and rolling stock provided by the Government or with a Government guarantee from 1909–10 to 1912–13 will have amounted to approximately £24,240,000, and provision is made for £10,596,000 in 1913–14. It is hoped that this large expenditure will greatly facilitate the working of the lines.