256 OUR ENGLISH LAND MUDDLE. 



of agriculture — with tables of figures showing 

 that agricultural goods from Canada to Liver- 

 pool cost less in transport than from inland 

 England to Liverpool. In Ireland, too, it was 

 pointed out to me on good authority, and with 

 some backing of facts, that the railway companies 

 were beginning to show their practical interest 

 in the revival of agriculture by coming forward 

 to claim an unduly large share of its profits. 

 A case for the nationalization of the railways has 

 been founded, both in England and Ireland, on a 

 comparison of the rates charged for agricultural 

 produce with those of other countries. On the 

 side of the railway companies, when their officials 

 are met with these arguments, it is urged that 

 the comparatively high rates for agricultural 

 produce are the consequence and not the cause 

 of agricultural depression ; that it is not possible 

 to carry small and irregularly arriving parcels 

 at the cheap rates profitable in dealing with a 

 large and regular volume of traffic ; that there is 

 no legitimate comparison between the mileage 

 rate per ton of a wheat train on the Canadian 

 prairie with the mileage rate per ton for carrying 

 a few bags a few miles in England ; that in the 



