35o DO THE RAILWAYS HELP THE FARMERS? 



volved in going through the above processes 112 

 times in the case of the aforesaid Petersfleld 

 parcels, he will see why it is much less costly 

 to a railway company to handle one big consign- 

 ment than a mass of small ones. The clerical 

 labour is practically the same ; though it may 

 be even greater in the latter case, because the 

 smaller the parcel the more likely it is to go 

 astray, and lead to endless trouble before it is 

 found. Effective agricultural organization means, 

 therefore, not only lower railway rates for the 

 farmers, but a decrease in working expenses for 

 the railway companies. 



Reverting to the London and South Western 

 pamphlet, I find there some very low rates for 

 the conveyance of milk. The rates charged per 

 imperial gallon are — for distances not exceeding 

 25 miles, \d. ; 40 miles, %d. ; 60 miles, \d. ; 100 

 miles, Id. ; 120 miles, l§d. ; 150 miles, l±d. ; 

 above 150 miles, l^d. Under any circumstances 

 such modest charges as these could hardly be 

 called excessive; but they include more than 

 appears on the surface. In districts where the 

 passenger train service is not adequate for the 

 conveyance of the milk, special milk trains are 

 put on so as to avoid delay. Such trains are 

 run to Waterloo, on week days, from Ports- 

 mouth Junction at 6.15 a.m., from Yeovil 



