1909.] Board of Trade Railway Conference. 305 



conclusions arrived at by the Conference, together with a 

 number of memoranda prepared for the information of the 

 members. Among the subjects dealt with are two which are 

 of special interest to agriculturists: — (1) the machinery for 

 settling disputes between companies and traders, and (2) 

 owner's risk rates. 



Machinery for settling Disputes between Railway Com- 

 panies and Traders. — Throughout the discussions of the 

 Conference it was urged by the representatives of the traders 

 that some simpler procedure than that of the Railway and 

 Canal Commission should be established, not only for the 

 purpose of discussion, but, if possible, for settling complaints 

 arising under the Railway and Canal Traffic Acts with re- 

 gard to rates, charges, and other matters. 



It was suggested that the proceedings before the Railway 

 and Canal Commission were costly, and that the procedure 

 was framed too much upon formal judicial lines. The re- 

 presentatives of the railways were not unwilling to agree to 

 some modification, and they suggested that the object of the 

 traders might be attained by a preliminary procedure before 

 the Registrar to the Commissioners, who, if desired, might 

 receive the assistance of assessors, and whose decisions 

 should be final if so agreed ; the whole procedure to be of a 

 more informal character, following the practice of the Com- 

 mercial Court, which has proved so successful in the High 

 Court of Justice. 



After communication with the Registrar, the Conference 

 agreed to recommend this modified procedure in the hope 

 that it may result in the establishment of a cheap and satis- 

 factory tribunal for the settlement of many of the questions 

 arising between railway companies and traders. 



The detailed scheme of the proposed procedure for cases 

 which the Railway and Canal Commissioners have power to 

 determine on complaint being made by a trader under the 

 Railway and Canal Traffic Acts is as follows : — 



1. Notice of claim to be sent to the Railway and Canal Commission. 



2. Unless otherwise agreed, the parties to attend before the Registrar 

 for the purpose of settling procedure. 



3. The parties may agree that the case shall be heard — 



(a) by the Registrar, 



(b) by the Registrar with assessors, or 



(c) by the Commissioners. 



