H4 



Report on Railway Rates. 



[JUNE, 



Agriculture and Fisheries, when satisfied that the approach was 

 reasonable, should act on behalf of the trader. 



In the view of the majority of the Committee, the meaning 

 to be attached to the term " preferential treatment " in the 

 reference is that their investigations should be directed to 

 ascertaining whether there is any preference beyond what is 

 sanctioned by the existing law ; in other words, whether undue 

 preference is accorded by the railway companies to foreign and 

 colonial as compared with home produce. 



Dealing with this view the Committee find that the evidence 

 has not established the existence of any such undue preference. 



The Committee describe the remedies already provided by 

 Parliament for dealing with complaints between railway com- 

 panies and traders, viz., the powers of the Board of Trade under 

 the Conciliation Clause of the Railway and Canal Traffic Act of 

 1888 and the powers of the Railway and Canal Commission, and 

 the Committee are not prepared to recommend that any " further 

 steps should be taken, either by legislation or otherwise, to 

 secure the better enforcement of the law in the matter," as the 

 evidence shows that there has been a marked absence on the 

 part of complainants to avail themselves of the existing remedies 

 provided by legislation, and there is no proof that these remedies 

 are inadequate for the purpose. When traders wish to press 

 their complaints they, or the associations or bodies they re- 

 present, should do so by formally complaining to the Board 

 of Trade under Section 31 of the Railway and Canal Traffic 

 Act, 1888, or to the Railway and Canal Commission, before 

 whom the details could be thoroughly threshed out. The 

 Committee indicate in what respects they think the Board of 

 Agriculture and Fisheries might render useful assistance in 

 helping complainants to take advantage of the existing 

 remedies ; and the Committee also suggest that the Board of 

 Agriculture and Fisheries should issue circulars, from time to 

 time, recommending producers to apply to the railway comt 

 panics which carry their produce for the various rates at which 

 the produce they may wish to send will be carried according to 

 .the method of packing and the size of the consignments. 



Apart from these suggestions the Committee take the view 

 that agriculturists should seek to improve their position in regard 



