ADVANTAGES OF RAILWAYS. 



14. A part of the cost of transport consists of the interest on the 

 cost of production chargeable for the time elapsed between the 

 departure of the article from the producer and its delivery to the 

 consumer. This element of .price is clearly diminished in the exact 

 proportion to the increased speed of transport. 



But increased speed of transport also operates beneficially on 

 commerce in another way. Numerous classes of articles of pro- 

 duction become deteriorated by time, and many are absolutely 

 destroyed, if not consumed within a certain time. It is evident 

 that such articles admit of transport only when they can reach the 

 consumer in a sufficiently sound state for use ; various classes of 

 articles of food come under this condition. 



While the Houses of Parliament were occupied with the numerous 

 railway acts which have been brought before them, a great mass 

 of evidence was produced illustrating the advantages which both 

 producer and consumer would obtain by the increased cheapness 

 and expedition of transport which railways would supply. It 

 was shown that the difficulties attending transport by common 

 roads affected, in an injurious manner, the grazier who supplied 

 the markets with veal and lamb. Lambs and calves were generally 

 sent by the road ; and when too young to leave the mothers for so 

 long a time as the journey required, the producer was obliged to 

 send the ewes or cows with them for at least a part of the way. 

 This also rendered it impossible to send them to market sufficiently 

 young, which it would have been advantageous to do, that the 

 mothers might feed off earlier. 



15. But, independently of this, the animals of every species driven 

 to market on the common roads were proved to suffer so much 

 from the fatigue of the journey, that when they arrived at market 

 their flesh was not in a wholesome state. They were often driven 

 till their feet were sore. Sheep frequently had their feet literally 

 worn off, and were obliged to be sold on the road for what they 

 would fetch. Extensive graziers declared that, in such cases, they 

 would be gainers by a safe and expeditious transport for the animals, 

 " even though it cost double the price paid to the drovers." 



Butchers engaged in large business in London proved that the 

 cattle driven to that market from considerable distances sustained 

 so much injury that their value was considerably lessened, owing 

 to the inferior quality of the meat, arising from the animal being 

 slaughtered in a diseased state ; that the animal being fatigued 

 and overdriven " became feverish, his looks became not so good, 

 and he lost weight by the length of the journey and the fatigue." 



16. It was shown further, that even steam-vessels, when they 

 could be resorted to, did not altogether remove this objection. Cattle 

 arriving from Scotland in steam-vessels are found in London to be 



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