THE POSITION AT HOME 67 



their transport from point of despatch, the said total requir- 

 ing to be covered by the market receipts before there can be 

 any question of profit on the sale. 



No one suggests that the rates for the transport of foreign 

 produce should be raised in order, as it were, to " protect " 

 the British farmer against the foreigner ; but there have been 

 suggestions that the rates charged to the British farmer 

 should be lowered. 



To this it has been replied (1) that the railway companies 

 cannot afford to charge the same rates for small consignments 

 of produce, collected from wayside stations, inadequately 

 packed, and involving a proportionately higher cost for 

 transport, as they charge for large consignments carried 

 under the most economical conditions from the point of view 

 of working expenses ; (2) that these differences in charges do 

 not constitute an undue preference ; and (3) that the railway 

 companies already have on their books lower rates by which 

 British producers can send if only they will, where necessary, 

 combine their consignments so as to make up the specified 

 lots in respect to which these lower rates are available. 



Combination brought about through agricultural organi- 

 sation should allow of greater advantage being taken of 

 these existing opportunities, and also — when the facilities 

 thus already available have been exhausted — place the 

 associated producers in a better position to offer representa- 

 tions to the railway companies in regard to other matters 

 on which they may desire to make their views known. 



There is the more need for such combination for transport 

 since in dealing with markets where competition — whether 

 foreign or home — often reduces the chances of profit to a 

 minimum, it may be of no less importance to secure the 

 lowest possible railway rates than it is to effect all practicable 

 economies in production. 



Scientific Marketing. 



Regarding agriculture in the light of a business enter- 

 prise, much — though not everything — must needs depend 



f 2 



