218 RAILWAY RATES AND CONDITIONS 



When a question of principle is decided against a trader 

 the railway companies apply the decision rigidly wherever 

 it is possible to do so. But when a decision on such a question 

 is in favour of a trader, railway companies confine its applica- 

 tion strictly to his particular case. No trader, or body of 

 traders, can fight against such methods. 



The companies often put forward as a reason for not meeting 

 traders' demands the plea that the competition of other 

 companies compels them to adhere to whatever charges or 

 methods happen to be under discussion. There has been very 

 little competition in rates between the companies during the 

 last thirty years ; to-day, there is none at all. Every question 

 of importance is settled in conclave by the railway managers 

 at the Clearing House or by the directors at the Railway 

 Association. 



These are some of the reasons why the Chambers have 

 but a poor record to show in this matter.* 



The first reference made to railway matters was at a 

 meeting of the Council on 5th October, 1869,f during a dis- 

 cussion on Cattle Diseases, when resolutions were carried 

 unanimously urging that animals travelling by rail ought to 

 have an opportunity of drinking at least once every twelve 

 hours ; that water should be available at all loading places 

 of railway stations ; that cattle trucks should be constructed 

 with spring buffers and be roofed over ; and that animals 

 should not be overcrowded in the trucks. Some ameliora- 

 tion of conditions was ultimately obtained. 



The second mention of the subject was on 8th November, 

 1870, when attention was called to the exhorbitant charges 

 made by railway companies for the conveyance of dead meat, 

 and they were asked to facilitate the supply of meat to 

 populous distiicts by a reasonable reduction of their rates. 

 The Great Eastern Company replied that they had reduced 

 their rates the previous April from 20 to 25 per cent., and 



* For a full and clear statement of the traders' case, see Traders and 

 Railways, by the late Thomas Waghorn, published by Effingham 

 Wilson, in 1907. 



t Page 17 ante. 



