142 AGRICULTURAL ORGANISATION 



of the deliberations thus entered upon, the members of the 

 committee were informed, at a further meeting held on 

 March 30th, that the company had resolved to make a 

 number of material reductions in their rates for agricultural 

 commodities, besides putting on a special fruit train to run 

 from Maidstone to London and connect with trains to the 

 north. Mr. Cosmo Bonsor, then deputy-chairman, remarked 

 in regard to these concessions that "a big instalment had 

 been made in the right direction, and what had been done 

 might be regarded as an earnest of what might be done 

 in the future, the company being thoroughly disposed, 

 in the interests alike of themselves and of the country, 

 to encourage by every practicable means the prosperity 

 of the district they served." 



On April 2ist, 1896, the Great Western Railway Company 

 had a conference at Paddington with leading landowners and 

 agriculturists in the western and midland counties in order 

 to ascertain their views and requirements, among those 

 present being the Earl of Jersey, Sir W. Cameron Gull, 

 M.P., Sir R. H. Paget, Sir A. F. Acland Hood, M.P., and 

 Mr. Rew, secretary of the Central Chamber of Agriculture. 

 Viscount Emlyn, chairman of the Great Western, who pre- 

 sided, said the question of railway rates had been brought 

 to the front by the large amount of foreign competition, 

 and a good deal had been said about advantages given to 

 the foreigner. The Great Western had no desire to give 

 any advantage to the foreigner ; but it must be remembered 

 that the foreigner seemed to have gained his footing by 

 sending his supplies in such a form that they could be 

 handled with the smallest possible amount of trouble and 

 cost to the railways. This was found, for example, in the 

 carriage of meat. From Birkenhead to London train loads 

 of meat, representing a minimum of 30 tons, were sent at 

 a 255. rate, and the farmers living between Birkenhead and 

 London had wanted to know why they could not have the 

 same rate. To this the Company had replied that if only 

 the farmers would send consignments, not in 30-ton, but in 

 3-ton, lots, the company would quote them a lower rate. 



