What the Railways Have Done 389 



handling and of clerical work, and, therefore, an increase in 

 working expenses, without a proportionate gain in revenue. 



The vast majority of traders in the country seem content^ 

 to live " from hand to mouth," ordering only just what they \ vO^ 

 want from day to day or from week to week, and depending 

 implicitly on prompt delivery by the railway whenever they 6^* 

 need fresh supplies. Thus we get such conditions of trade in 

 respect to general merchandise (distinct from minerals and 

 raw materials) as are suggested by the following table, showing 

 the total tonnage of traffic dealt with, and the average weight 

 per package handled, at the goods depots mentioned : 



AVERAGE WEIGHT 



TOTAL OF TONS NO. OF PER PACKAGE. 

 DEPOTS. HANDLED. PACKAGES. Qrs. Ibs. 



Broad Street, London . . 906 23,067 3 4 



Curzon Street, Birmingham . 1615 51,114 2 *4 



Liverpool Stations . . 3895 79,5 13 3 26 



London Road, Manchester . 1341 28,277 3 22 



How this small-parcel-at-frequent-intervals arrangement, 

 so convenient for a large number of traders, increases the 

 work of the companies in a greater ratio than it increases their 

 receipts is shown by the following typical figures, worked out 

 by a leading railway company in respect to the comparative 

 increases in traffic receipts and number of invoice entries 

 respectively at four large stations on their system : 



INCREASE IN 



INCREASE IN NO. OF INVOICE 

 STATION. YEARS COMPARED. TRAFFIC RECEIPTS. ENTRIES. 



A. .. 1899 and 1906 .. 2-93 .. 40-0 



B. .. 1903 1907 .. 574 .. 28-46 



C. . . I9O2 ,, 1905 . . 10-36 . . 22-0 



D. .. 1902 1905 .. 14-33 .. 24-3 



The tendencies in the direction of repeat orders for small 

 consignments are no less prevalent in the case of raw materials 

 and bulky commodities than in that of general merchandise. 

 The cotton-spinner has frequent consignments of cotton, in 

 quantities sufficient to meet immediate needs, rather than less 

 frequent consignments in greater bulk. The average builder 

 saves yard expenses and cartage by ordering from time to time 



