Irish Railways and the State. 59 



not see why they should not be a success in Ireland. Germany 

 failed because she neither left this matter to private enterprise 

 nor took it entirely over. 



The Post Office would not be nearly so well managed in 

 private hands. There is, for instance, much to be desired in 

 the present management of the telephone. In the hands of 

 Government the service would be better and cheaper. The 

 tendency at present was in favour of State aid being given, not 

 only to railways, but to every large industry that was a neces- 

 sity to the general public. He thought electrical traction 

 would be safer and cheaper than steam traction. 



Mr. Walter Bailey said he was surprised to find that no one 

 present had made a serious suggestion that the State ownership 

 of Irish railways would be a benefit to the country at large. He 

 was under the impression that the State purchase of Irish rail- 

 ways was one of the strongest planks in the platform of many 

 gentlemen in Belfast to-day. He thought, however, that most 

 people believed that private enterprise was, upon the whole, 

 far better than the State working of Irish or any other rail- 

 ways. The subject of the price to be paid for Irish railways, 

 should the Government think the scheme feasible, was one of 

 the greatest circumstance, and on it a great deal might have 

 been said, but the point had not been raised. Indeed, the dis- 

 cussion had been of a very cursory description, and he did not 

 wish to trouble the meeting with statistics on that particular 

 point. 



On the motion of Dr. Redfern, seconded by Mr. Adam 

 Speers, Holywood, the hearty thanks of the meeting were ac- 

 corded to Mr. Macassey. 



