CHAPTER VI. 



TRANSPORT QUESTIONS. 



It will have been seen, from what has already been nar- 

 rated on pp. 93-4, that the real beginning in England of the 

 agricultural co-operation movement, as known to us to-day, 

 was the invitation extended in 1895 to Lord Winchilsea and 

 other representatives of the agricultural interests to meet 

 Lord Claud Hamilton, the chairman of the Great Eastern 

 Railway Company, and various officers of that company, and 

 confer with them on the general relations of the railways and 

 agriculture. Prior to this conference, it would seem, Lord 

 Winchilsea's efforts were mainly directed to the idea of 

 securing Parliamentary action ; and it may be assumed that 

 it was Lord Claud Hamilton's strong argument in favour of 

 co-operation among the agriculturists themselves, in order 

 to supplement thereby what the railways could or would do 

 in their interests, that led to the movement taking a more 

 practical direction, and one that, notwithstanding initial 

 disappointments, was eventually to result in the widespread 

 acceptance to-day of the co-operative principle. 



Railway Policy. 



The action taken by the Great Eastern was followed by a 

 general movement on the part of the leading railway com- 

 panies in the direction of affording greater facilities to the 

 agriculturists of the country for the transport of their 

 produce. 



It led, in the first instance, to the President of the Board 

 of Trade, Mr. Ritchie, inviting the chairmen of railway 

 companies having their termini in London to confer with 

 him, on January 30th, 1896, concerning the question of 

 facilities for the distribution of agricultural produce. The 



