TRANSPORT QUESTIONS 141 



conference was duly held, and subsequently Lord Stalbridge, 

 chairman of the London and North Western Railway 

 Company, wrote on behalf of the Railway Companies' Asso- 

 ciation to Mr. Ritchie, explaining the railway position, 

 stating what the companies were doing or were prepared to 

 do, denying the existence of the alleged preferential railway 

 rates for foreign produce (" equal rates under like conditions 

 and circumstances are required by law and are in general 

 operation ") and saying, also : — 



As to reductions for large consignments, these are now given 

 by all companies, and are provided for in many cases by the 

 General Railway Classification of Goods Tariff. To obtain 

 advantage of the lower scale under these regulations it is not 

 necessary that all the goods in the larger consignments should 

 be of the same description so long as they are in the same class. 



Where the general railway regulations do not apply, lower 

 rates for large consignments are frequently conceded by the 

 companies, who desire to make known their willingness to receive 

 and favourably consider such applications. 



Combination amongst agriculturalists to increase the weight 

 of consignments is a matter over which railway companies have 

 little control, but they will gladly aid and co-operate in any 

 effective movements in this direction. 



On February 14th, 1896, the chairman, Sir George Russell, 

 several of the directors, and the leading officers of the South 

 Eastern Railway Company met, at the Cannon Street Hotel, 

 representatives of the leading agricultural societies and 

 farmers' clubs in the district served by their line who had 

 been invited to come to London and inform the company, in 

 friendly conference, what they would like the railway to do 

 for them. The chairman announced that the company 

 would be prepared to meet the requirements of the agricul- 

 turists " frankly, fairly and generously," and he invited 

 suggestions. These were freely made, and resolved them- 

 selves mainly into requests for reduced rates, the delegates 

 having previously agreed to ask the company for a reduction, 

 by 25 per cent., of the rates for agricultural produce in 

 general. At the close of the conference the delegates were 

 invited by the chairman to form a committee of twelve to 

 consult'further with the company, and, as the final outcome 



