226 RAILWAY RATES AND CONDITIONS 



traders' witnesses ; and the proceedings occupied 85 days. 

 The report was presented to Parliament on 18th August, 

 1890, and stated that the Board had been unable to come 

 to an agreement with the railway companies, and had con- 

 sequently determined the classification of traffic which the 

 companies ought to adopt, and the schedule of maximum 

 rates and charges, including terminal charges, which they 

 thought just and reasonable. 



1890. 



The Railway Committee of the Chamber reported in 

 November that they cordially recognised the evident desire 

 of the Board of Trade to arrive at conclusions which should 

 be just between the companies and the traders ; they, how- 

 however, recorded their detailed objections to the classifica- 

 tion. 



Further communications from local Chambers necessitated 

 further criticisms of the proposed classification, and the 

 Railway Committee presented reports in December, 1890, 

 and to practically every Council meeting in 1891 on the 

 subject. 



In February it was reported that on 23rd January a small 

 deputation had waited upon Sir Michael Hicks-Beach to 

 present a memorial setting out their objections, particularly 

 those relating to station terminals, animal rates and Milk 

 and Dairy Produce rates. The President of the Board of 

 Trade said that he intended to accept the principle of their 

 contention with regard to terminals, and that some of the 

 other rates should be revised. 



The Provisional Order Bills to give effect to the classifica- 

 tion were read a second time, and referred to a Joint Select 

 Committee of Lords and Commons. This Committee spent 

 forty-eight days in a minute examination of the Bills, and 

 their proceedings were closely watched by the Chamber. 

 In November the Chamber's Committee reported that the 

 Bills had been somewhat improved by the Joint Committee, 

 and that though the traders had failed to secure some amend- 

 ments which they considered reasonable, yet that the amend- 



