142 



Report on Railway Rates. 



[JUNE, 



a period of susceptibility, death may follow as a result in a 

 certain number. 



It has yet to be shown whether drenching- methods will suc- 

 ceed with the other diseases of the group, but the evidence, so 

 far as it goes, tends to show that not only is this the case, but 

 that immunity may probably be secured against two or more of 

 therh at the same time. 



- REPORT ON RAILWAY RATES. 



The Committee appointed on April 22nd, 1904, by the Board 

 of Agriculture and Fisheries, " To inquire as to the rates charged 

 by railway companies in Great Britain in respect of the carriage 

 of foreign and colonial farm, dairy, and market garden produce 

 from the ports of shipment, or of arrival, to the principal urban 

 centres, and to report whether there is any evidence to show that 

 preferential treatment is accorded to such produce as compared 

 with home produce, and if so what further steps should be taken 

 either by legislation or otherwise to secure the better enforce- 

 ment of the law in the matter " have now presented their report.* 



The Committee, after reviewing the evidence, proceed to dis- 

 cuss the meaning to be attached to the expression " preferential 

 treatment " used in the reference. The view of some of their 

 number was that their investigations should be limited to dis- 

 covering whether there is or is not prima-facie preference 

 accorded to foreign and colonial as compared with home produce 

 under the existing system of the conveyance of agricultural 

 produce, and to offering suggestions for remedying such condi- 

 tions if they found them to exist. 



Dealing with this view first, the Committee recognise that 

 inasmuch as lower or so-called preferential rates and greater 

 facilities are accorded to produce, whether home or foreign, pre- 

 sented in certain volume with certain regularity and in certain 

 shape, and in so far as produce so presented is almost entirely 

 foreign and colonial, these lower or preferential rates and greater 

 facilities do in practice constitute preference or advantage to 

 foreign and colonial produce. ^ is a port, (7 is a market, B is 



Report [Cd. 2959], price 5d. ; Minutes of Evidence [Cd. 2960], price 2s, iid. 



