k 



TRANSACTIONS OP THE SECTIONS. 199 



as a basis ; 50 per cent, additional may be charged for 50 miles, and proportionately 

 for 40 miles &c., witii reductions for delay. 

 Such charges should yield, the year after their adoption, — 



s.d. £ 



40,000,000 1st class 18 miles at 1 8 each 3,333,333 



80,000,000 2ud „ 14 „ 1 „ 4,000,000 



200,000,000 3rd „ 10 „ 6 „ 5,000,000 



Additional one-third passengers, Ist-class express . . . 555,555 



„ one-fourth „ 2nd „ 250,000 



„ one-eighth „ 3rd „ .... 156,250 

 Luggage not now charged — 



1st class 333,333 



2nd „ 200,000 



3rd „ 100,000 



320,000,000 passengers would pay 13,928,471 



Whereas at present 280,000,000 pay 13,917,840 



Against the additional cost of canying 40,000,000 persons may be set oft': — 



First, the greatly accelo-ated increase of travelling which would follow. 



Second, goods-trafiic which would accompany increase of travellers. 



Third, the undoubtedly equitable claim for abolition of railway-duty amount- 

 ing to £448,000 for last year, but which must be imposed imtil fares are read- 

 justed. 



Goods- traffic now exceeds the passenger- traffic in income, having been in 1868 : — ■ 



£ 

 33,9.34,393 tons merchandise paid*. . . .11,760,614 



72,698,825 tons minerals paid * 6,066,824 



Live stock 618,946 



18,446,384 



Two companies dominating the Lancashire district carried 22J per cent, of the 

 weight 251 per cent, of the distance, and received 29 j per cent, of the freight of goods 

 and minerals. The conformation of Lancashire explains this : 2,782,582 persons 

 only growing 41,535 acres of wheat, but although within an average distance of 25 

 miles from Liverpool, charged as if 75 or 100 miles from the Scheldt, are obliged 

 to pay the increased charge levied upon their food, nearly half the wheat imported 

 into England and Wales in the last cereal year having entered the Mersej"- ; the 

 monopoly reigns imchecked. For example, Bristol to Birmingham is 94 miles, 

 wheat is charged 8s. lOd. ; Livei^pool to Sheffield, 76 miles, the rate is 15.s. 



The monopolj' power is argued for upon the ground of enabling railway com- 

 panies to compensate districts labouring under natural disadvantages ; thus, by 

 charging persons near to Bm'ton a higher rate on beer, they are enabled to send 

 it long distances under cost. The terrestrial providence system may go with the 

 paternal government theory. The second argument is that goods are now carried 

 much more cheaply than before railways were made, to which the answer is 

 obvious ; so they shovdd, the cost of transport being reduced. 



Again, the companies do not exceed then- tarifls, and it is open to the public, or 

 was, to see they are reasonable. The answer is, the tarifts were formed in igno- 

 rance, and although intended to protect the public, signally fail ; whilst Parlia- 

 ment has reserved to itself a right of revision, and these quasi corporations have no 

 other raison d'etre than public utility : already the courts of law will enforce the 

 concession of uniform charges to all persons, and places should be similarly treated. 



The great argument for high rates is that the total capital shares and loans is 

 £425,161,506, gross receipts £35,226,866, and net receipts £18,092,091 is only 4| 

 per cent. To this it may be replied, much of this money is borrowed at 4 per cent. 

 Secondly, no such amount of capital has been expended, fictitious shares, issues of 

 stock at 50, 60, and 80 per cent., bonds granted at their face value, but for 



* In the accounts for 1869 these items are carefully omitted or confounded, so as to 

 withhold the needful information. 



