Railway Rates and Charges 341 



than ever on the part of the traders. The advantages of a 

 uniform classification were fully realised, and the traders 

 naturally did not object to the fact that (as stated in evidence 

 by Sir Henry Oakley, in 1893), from thirty to forty per cent 

 of the existing rates had been lowered. But they did object 

 most strongly when they found that certain of the rates had 

 been increased. 



It was explained by some of the railway companies that, 

 owing to the vast number of the rates involved, and to the 

 short time between the passing of their Rates and Charges 

 Orders Confirmation Act and the ist of January, 1893, when 

 such Act came in force (the period in question being in some 

 instances not more than about four months), it had been 

 impossible for them to complete the revision of their rate-books 

 by the date mentioned. The class rates were ready, and what 

 had happened was that these had been temporarily substituted 

 for the special rates when time had not allowed of the latter 

 being duly revised. 



On the other hand it was alleged against the companies 

 that, apart from any question of shortness of time for their 

 revisions, they had sought to adopt a policy of recoup- 

 ment, specially low non-competitive rates having been raised 

 to the new maxima with a view to counterbalancing the 

 decreases. 



While the plea of the companies in respect to shortness of 

 time was abundantly warranted, the counter-allegation of the 

 traders would appear to have been not without foundation, 

 in view of the fact that the setting of increases against the 

 decreases was defended by the companies on the ground that, 

 being corporations based and operated on commercial prin- 

 ciples, they were bound to see that their revenue did not 

 suffer, while, it was further pleaded, they were still charging 

 no more than the rates which, having been expressly sanc- 

 tioned by Parliament, were, presumably, reasonable. They 

 gave the assurance, however, that the rates were still under- 

 going revision, and that the increases made were not necessarily 

 final. They further undertook that no increases should be 

 made which would interfere with trade or agriculture, or 

 diminish traffic, and that, unless under exceptional circum- 

 stances, there should be no increases at all which exceeded by 

 five per cent the rates in force in 1892. 



