17 



but by companies (companies only so far as concerns the 

 hiring of the steamers). 



A rate for fish carrying is then struck ; this includes 

 icing, for these companies are large importers of ice for 

 fishing purposes, and having finally agreed to rates with 

 the different railway companies on the English side, the 

 hirers of the steamers not only carry their own fish, but 

 that of other and smaller merchants at a fixed rate (arrived 

 at in the manner I have shown), which this season is 105J. 

 per ton to London. 



This lo^s. is made up as follows : — 40J-. per ton of ten 

 boxes (each containing 100 fish) for icing and freight to 

 Milford, and 65^-. per ton railway rate from Milford to 

 London. 



Thus, when mackerel are bought at 15^'. per hundred, 

 they cannot be delivered in London under ^os., 4s. 6d. 

 being added for cartage, &c., to the carrying rate of 10^. 6d. 

 per box. The average cost of ice to the merchants is 1 5^-. 

 per ton cost and freight to Kinsale from Norway ; but, 

 allowing for melting, this really means 30^. per ton of 

 workable ice. One ton of ice will suffice for twenty 

 boxes, or two tons of fish (packed), so that allowing 15^-. 

 per ton for ice, the sender is charged 2^s. per ton, or 

 2s. 6d. per box freight from Kinsale to Milford. This is 

 not unreasonable, but the railway rate is, and should be 

 remedied. 



The cost of freight fi^om Cork to London on other goods 

 which come under the name of food and drinks is much 

 less than that charged for fish. The freight on whisky 

 is only 35-r. per ton. This is not a particularly perishable 

 article, but is liable to serious evaporation and loss of 

 strength from exposure, &c. 



Why then charge three times as much for the carriage of 



[31] C 



