, ▁but ▁the ▁necessity ▁for ▁providing ▁the ▁passenger ▁trains ▁with ▁a ▁larger ▁proportion ▁of ▁break ▁power ▁was ▁pointed ▁out ▁by ▁the ▁Board ▁of ▁Trade ▁to ▁all ▁Railway ▁Comp an ies ▁more ▁than ▁ 2 0 ▁years ▁since ; ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁exception ▁of ▁a ▁very ▁few ▁railway ▁companies ▁that ▁recogn ised ▁that ▁necessity ▁and ▁acted ▁upon ▁it , ▁it ▁may ▁be ▁truly ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁principal ▁Railway ▁Comp an ies ▁throughout ▁the ▁Kingdom ▁have ▁resist ed ▁the ▁efforts ▁of ▁the ▁Board ▁of ▁Trade ▁to ▁cause ▁them ▁to ▁do ▁what ▁was ▁right , ▁which ▁the ▁latter ▁had ▁no ▁legal ▁power ▁to ▁en force , ▁and ▁even ▁now ▁it ▁will ▁be ▁seen ▁by ▁the ▁latest ▁returns ▁laid ▁before ▁Parliament ▁that ▁some ▁of ▁those ▁Comp an ies ▁are ▁still ▁doing ▁nothing ▁to ▁supply ▁this ▁now ▁generally ▁acknowled ged ▁necessity ▁ ▁Question s ▁in ▁Parliament ▁In ▁the ▁after math ▁of ▁the ▁accident , ▁questions ▁to ▁the ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁Board ▁of ▁Trade ▁Sir ▁Michael ▁H icks ▁Beach ▁revealed ▁that ▁ ▁in ▁the ▁whole ▁of ▁Ireland ▁only ▁one ▁engine ▁and ▁six ▁vehicles ▁were ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁an ▁automatic ▁continuous ▁bra ke ▁ ▁in ▁England ▁ 1 8 % ▁of ▁the ▁passenger ▁rolling ▁stock ▁had ▁no ▁continuous ▁bra ke , ▁and ▁a ▁further ▁ 2 2 % ▁had ▁non - autom atic ▁bra kes ▁ ▁in ▁Scotland ▁ 4 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁passenger ▁rolling ▁stock ▁were ▁without ▁continuous ▁bra kes ▁More ▁specifically , ▁for ▁the ▁Great ▁Northern ▁of ▁Ireland ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 8 8 8 ▁there ▁were