;6 



Railway Rates. 



[may, 



i. Conveyance of Small Parcels of Farm and Dairy Produce, 

 2. Aggregation of Mixed Consignments. 

 Lord Onslow is glad to take note of the assurances given by 

 the Companies as to their general policy in these matters, but 

 he desires me to observe that the information before him goes to 

 show that the practice of the various lines is by no means uni- 

 form, either as regards the rates charged in respect of the 

 carriage of small parcels or in cases in which consignments are- 

 aggregated, eg., when two or more farmers make up a truck 

 load of sheep between them, or a number of horses are con- 

 signed at one and the same time. Lord Onslow trusts that 

 these matters will receive further attention at the hands of in- 

 dividual Companies, in order that, so far as is practicable, 

 agriculturists may have no reason to complain that they are 

 receiving less favourable treatment from one Company to that 

 which would be accorded to them elsewhere. 



3. Loss and Damage of Produce conveyed. 

 Lord Onslow believes that the decision of the Companies that 

 they will consider on their merits, in a friendly way, any cases 

 of total loss, proved pilferage, or mis-delivery, will do much to 

 remove the sense of hardship which from time to time arises 

 under this head, and he desires me to express his appreciation 

 of the policy adopted in the matter. He would, however, 

 venture to hope that such instructions may be issued to the 

 various subordinate officers concerned as will secure the adminis- 

 tration of the concession in a liberal spirit and with as little 

 complication and difficulty as may be practicable. In this con- 

 nection Lord Onslow desires me to take the opportunity of say- 

 ing that he has recently received very numerous complaints as 

 to the unsuitable, and even insanitary, conditions under which 

 milk is from time to time conveyed. It is not necessary for him 

 at the moment to enter into any detail on this subject, but' the 

 Companies will recognise the serious results which must inevit- 

 ably follow the carriage of so sensitive an article as milk in un- 

 cleanly waggons, or with commodities likely by their character 

 to affect it deleteriously. He would earnestly invite attention, 

 to the subject, and would suggest that definite instructions 

 should be issued by the Companies to their servants with 



