asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he will ensure that rolling stock returning empty from Kongwa to Dar es Salaam is allowed to stop at intermediate stations long enough to pick up sisal, cotton and other commodities for which there is an immediate market inside and outside the sterling area.

Mr. Creech Jones:

I have been informed by the Acting Governor of Tanganyika that only open wagons are returning empty from Kongwa towards Dar-es-Salaam. It is not considered advisable to load these wagons at private sidings on account of the risk of fire and consequent loss of scarce tarpaulins but they are being used to load sisal and grain from stations east of Kongwa.