i8 



fish ? It may be said that fish is three times, nay lOO 

 times, more perishable ; but this is not analogous. 



Fish is dead weight — so is whisky ; the former is the 

 most perishable, but if the railway company cause no 

 unnecessary delay in its transmission they run no 

 additional risk by reason of its being perishable. This 

 anomaly will be more clearly understood and appear more 

 unreasonable when I state that in the case of fish carrying 

 the railway companies have exceptional facilities for 

 profit, without an extra rate, inasmuch as that it is shipped 

 from Kinsale and its branches in sufficient quantities to 

 load as many as three to four special trains, and, therefore, 

 gives a certain traffic, at an exorbitant rate, against the 

 uncertain traffic of the goods for which the same companies 

 charge lesser rates. 



I hold that it is unreasonable and unjust, and I also hold 

 that goods which are used as food should be carried at as 

 cheap or cheaper rates than ordinary merchandise. Let 

 railway companies raise their rates for breakable or perish- 

 able merchandise ; but food, without which we cannot 

 live, should be carried at the lowest possible rate, and I 

 think that this matter deserves the attention of those of 

 the Government who are responsible for the public health. 



It appears, too, from the fact of there being only two 

 railway companies — viz. : at Milford and Holyhead — which 

 carry to the English markets, that they hold a monopoly 

 of traffic from the Irish mackerel fisheries, and charge what 

 they like — and they do " like " a very large rate when they 

 charge 6^s. from Milford and .Holyhead to London, and 8oj-. 

 to some of the English markets from the same ports of 

 landing. Not only does this railway monopoly affisct the 

 Irish mackerel fisheries, but also the injportant herring 

 fisheries of Ilowth, Arklow, Ardglas, &c., on the eastern 



