130 REPOHT OF THE SCOTTISH COMMISSION 



is the exception. The little rural association collects from the 

 farmer ; the federation collects from the local association ; the 

 produce for export is thus aggregated in centres where it is offered 

 to the railway in ton loads or truck loads at stated intervals and 

 despatched with the smallest cost of time and labour. Co-opera- 

 tion, as widely and skilfully practised in Denmark from the first 

 stage to the last, favours this preliminary accumulation of goods 

 before the chief transporting agency takes up the work. Handling 

 of perishable goods in small quantities made up in packages of all 

 sorts and sizes is incompatible with the low railway rates and quick 

 transit that are essential to Denmark's export trade. It follows, of 

 course, from the system that a far larger proportion of the total 

 traffic is being carried at the 5 tons waggon-load rate than could be 

 the case in a country of non-associated senders doing a greater total 

 business. 



As the Danish export business grows, the proportion of traffic 

 enjoying the lower scale of charge will also grow. The advantage 

 accruing from the large load is considerable. While the railway 

 will carry small lots 10 miles for 2s. 5id. per ton, it will carry 

 a waggon load of 5 tons the same distance for Is. 6|d. per ton. 

 Or, on the principle of the sliding scale in use, the figures for 

 100 miles would be 9s. 4d. for the small lots per ton, and 6s. 6|d. 

 for the waggon load per ton. Moreover, if the sender is also the 

 owner of the refrigerator or insulated waggons — and 90 per cent, 

 of the waggons used for the carriage of butter and eggs are private 

 property — the railway refunds him Is. l^d. for every 31 miles the 

 waggon travels. 



The fixing of rates in a sliding distance scale, the charge rising 

 with the addition of every three statute miles, seems to be regarded 

 as fair, and at any rate it has the merit of rendering impossible secret 

 contracts and preferences. A foreigner cannot get his goods into 

 a Danish market at an advantage over the native trader ; nor can 

 one native trader obtain better terms than another. The effect of 

 geographical inequality is minimised by the co-operative working 

 which spreads the cost of carriage over numbers, as well as by the 

 absence of any undercutting in the selhng market. Then perishable 

 goods are not subject to the tax of a higher rate. No matter how 

 distant the place of origin from Copenhagen and Esbjerg, the two 

 chief points of departure for Great Britain, the perishable goods 

 are carried at the same rate for quick transit as by goods train. 

 All the rates are at owners' risk. 



As examples of rates for inland conveyance of butter, eggs, 

 cheese and bacon, the following may be quoted : — 



