ON AGRICULTURE TO IRELAND 131 



British, the Highland, and the Great North of Scotland, put together, 

 and not carrying on anything like the trade of these four Scotch 

 Companies. The following figures bring out the comparison : — 



Mileage. General Merchandise. Receipts. 



Caledonian Railway Company 1 ,095 5,767,614 tons £1,273,657 



North British ,. „ 1,305 4,966,073 „ 1,253,080 



Highland „ „ 509 237,949 „ 111,390 



Great North of Scotland 336 413,370 ., 140,264 



3,245 11,385,006 ., £2,778,391 



Irish Railways . . . 3,312 3,755,775 „ £1,288,908 

 In Ireland, which is making such strides in co-operation nothing 

 seems more natural than that the railways should combine but while 

 co-operation is admirable in connection with farming in Ireland, it 

 is deprecated so far as transit is concerned, and not without reason, 

 for it would kill competition and this would put the trader entirely 

 at the mercy of the carrier. It was fear of this to a considerable 

 extent which caused the State to interfere in the working of railways 

 generally throughout the United Kingdom. There will not therefore 

 be uncontrolled amalgamation. There may, however, be controlled 

 amalgamation. There is good ground for believing that there will 

 be. The Department is moving in that direction. It was given 

 power to deal with the question of transit generally, and to appear 

 before the Railway and Canal Commissioners on behalf of the 

 farmers, and it has done both. Before long, the Department will see 

 that it is necessary to go further than it has yet gone. More and 

 more pressing representations will be made as agriculture re\aves 

 and as competition grows more keen. Then it will be seen that the 

 limit of reduction in rates under present circumstances has been 

 reached. Rates must remain at a figure which will enable the 

 Directors to pay a dividend. It will be apparent that further 

 reduction could be made if the Companies were amalgamated and 

 the entire system controlled by one body. There will then be 

 amalgamation under State control, — an alternative the more easily 

 accepted since the Government has already advanced money for the 

 construction of Irish railways and since the Department has already 

 endeavoured with some success to control them. The amount of 

 State control will depend upon circumstances. If the same result 

 can be got by less rather than more State control, then there will be 

 less. If, on the other hand, it is necessary that there should be more, 

 even to the taking over of the railways altogether, Ireland will not 

 hesitate. Certain it is that the railways will not be allowed to 

 stand in the way of the revival of Irish agriculture. 



When the farmers combine and send their produce in bulk and the 

 Railways amalgamate and run at a minimum of cost, Ireland will 

 be a serious competitor to us on this side of the Irish Channel and to 

 her foreign rivals, for the Irish Railways will be able to reduce rates 

 below the level of rates in either Scotland or England and to some- 

 thing like the level of rates in Continental countries. Thev will be 

 I* 



