RAILWAY AMALGAMATIONS 239 



announced that the companies concerned would promote 

 a Bill in the next session in order to obtain the powers which 

 the Courts held they did not possess. 



The attitude of the Central Chamber was that they would 

 not oppose, on principle, amalgamations between railway 

 companies, but that in every case they would oppose pro- 

 posals which did not carry with them clauses safeguarding 

 the public interest with regard to rates, charges and conditions. 



On llth February, Mr. G. A. Hardy moved a resolution 

 in the House of Commons, as follows : 



" That, in view of the widespread complaints on the part of 

 traders, agriculturists and the general public with regard to 

 railway charges and facilities, and particularly with regard to 

 preferential treatment of foreign goods, the time has come to 

 consider how far these evils could be remedied by State purchase 

 of the railways, as foreshadowed by the Railway Regulation 

 Act, 1914." 



The debate w r as adjourned, but during the evening Mr. 

 Lloyd George made a somewhat important speech. He 

 agreed that a case had been made out for inquiry, and thought 

 that it would be a mistake not to inquire also into the question 

 of the State purchase of Railways. He agreed to accept the 

 motion if all words were left out after " by " and inserting 

 " any change in the existing relations between the railways 

 and the State." He expressed his conviction that preferential 

 treatment was accorded to foreign produce, and thought 

 further inquiry into that matter was also needed. 



In March the President of the Board of Trade appointed 

 what was vaguely termed a " Conference," to consider the 

 whole railway question. Its personnel included representa- 

 tives of the railways, the traders and the travelling public. 

 Its sittings were held in camera, and 110 notes were taken 

 of its proceedings. It presented a report to parliament in 

 June, 1909, but this showed very little knowledge of the 

 requirements of the trading community. Among the recom- 

 mendations made was one dealing with owner's risk, but 

 such conditions were attached to this that but little advantage 

 was anticipated from it. None of the other complaints put 



