258 OUR ENGLISH LAND MUDDLE. 



mon wealth is 1*28 pence for distances up to 

 50 miles, and '44 of a penny (less than a half- 

 penny) for distances of 500 miles. This repre- 

 sents about from one-sixth to one-tenth of the 

 highest freight rate. Thus the highest freight 

 rate average for the Commonwealth is 7*28 pence 

 per ton-mile for ordinary goods ; the agricultural 

 produce rate is 1'28 pence. For distances of 

 500 miles the highest freight rate is 4*52 pence 

 per ton-mile ; the agricultural freight rate is 

 •44 of a penny. Of course the disparity between 

 the highest freight rate and the agricultural 

 freight rate is partly due to the fact that a ton 

 of wheat is easier to handle and to carry than 

 a ton of, say, groceries or furniture. But there 

 is a very marked disparity in the carriage rate 

 between consignments of the same traffic-char- 

 acter when one consignment is of agricultural 

 produce and the other is not. It is a deliberate 

 disparity, and is intended as a subsidy to the 

 farmer. One may find traces of the same policy 

 of agricultural concessions in other State rail- 

 way systems of the world. They are interesting 

 to note, if not as examples to copy, at any rate 

 as instances of the various bounties to the farmer 



