320 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL srOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



After looking over the Clearance House classification book, I 

 have not been able to find that there is any preference given to 

 foreign timber as compared with home." 



From what has been stated above, it is evident that erroneous 

 ideas are prevalent as to the powers with which railway com- 

 panies are vested. Section 90 of the Railway Clauses Act, 1845, 

 states that all tolls must " be at all times charged equally to all 

 persons and after the same rate, whether per ton, per mile, or 

 otherwise, in respect of all . . . goods or carriages of the same 

 description . . . passing only over the same portion of the line 

 of railway under the same circumstances." The Railway and 

 Canal Traffic Act, 1888, declares that " whenever it is shown that 

 any railway company charge one trader or class of traders, or the 

 traders in any district, lower tolls, rates, or charges for the same 

 or similar merchandise, or lower tolls, rates, or charges for the 

 same or similar services, than they charge to other traders, or 

 classes of traders, or to the traders in another district, or make 

 any difference in treatment in respect of any such trader or 

 traders, the burden of proving that such lower charge or difference 

 in treatment does not amount to an undue preference shall lie on 

 the railway company ; " and it contains a proviso " that no rail- 

 way company shall make, nor shall the Court or the Commissioners 

 sanction, any difference in the tolls, rates, or charges made for, or 

 any difference in the treatment of home or foreign merchandise 

 in respect of the same or similar services." Further, the Act 

 empowers the Court or the Commissioners "to direct that no 

 higher charge shall be made to any person for services in respect 

 of merchandise carried over a less distance than is made to any 

 other person for similar services in respect of the like description 

 and quantity of merchandise carried over a greater distance on 

 the same line of railway." 



As one of the writers above states, "this very important 

 subject ... is one that well deserves full consideration from all 

 interested in timber," and unquestionably railway rates have a 

 very important bearing on the growing of timber on a commercial 

 basis in the British Isles. It is to be hoped, therefore, that the 

 members of the Royal Scottish Arboricultural Society, and others 

 interested, will endeavour to get up some evidence that may be 

 laid before the President of the Board of Agriculture in supple- 

 ment of the evidence on the su})ject collected by the recent 

 Departmental Committee on Forestry. 



