FOSTERING LOCALITIES 



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the general policy of railway companies in deal- 

 ing with the whole body of agriculturists in the 

 districts served by their respective lines. As an 

 appendix thereto. I should like to offer some 

 instances of how railway companies may seek 

 to foster the agricultural development of par- 

 ticular localities. 



Some eight years ago it was found that the 

 land in the neighbourhood of Girvan was well 

 suited to the growing of new potatoes, and the 

 growers and dealers asked the Glasgow and 

 South Western Railway Company to encourage 

 the starting of such a business by allowing them 

 to send new potatoes from Girvan to Glasgow 

 (a distance of sixty-two miles) at a lower rate 

 than the existing one of 16*. Id. per ton, which, 

 it was feared, would render the trade unprofit- 

 able. After looking into the matter the railway 

 company agreed to reduce their rate to 10*. 

 The enterprise was developed with remarkable 

 rapidity, and subsequently a deputation from 

 the farmers and potato merchants represented 

 to the railway company that a still larger 

 business could be done if the rate were further 

 reduced. Thereupon it was brought down to 

 !).v. 6dL, and, later on, to S.v. 9d. Then, again, 

 the railway company, finding that the farmers 

 wanted large supplies of stable manure, took it 



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