CONFERENCE ON FRUIT GROWING. 



63 



large amount of all traffic that pays the railway companies, not high prices 

 on a little, and I contend that it is to the interest of the railway companies 

 that our trade should be fostered in every way possible, especially as it is 

 taking the place in many districts of other branches of agriculture, which are 

 now no source of revenue to them at all. As an instance of this injury 

 to their own interest, I will mention the facts in relation to the Channel 

 Island traffic. At one time the South Western Eailway and the Great 

 Western Railway competed for this, and went to very great expense in 

 building large and fast steamers in a most extravagant manner ; they then 

 combined, and not only raised the rates, but instituted a shipping charge 

 of Id. per basket on all produce. To this the growers objected and used 

 every endeavour to get it removed, with no effect. The charge amounted 

 to at least £10,000 per annum. Seeing that they could not get any relief, 

 and that the industry could not stand the extra tax, the growers combined 

 and last year started a shipping company of their own, which has already 

 earned £20,800, all taken away from the railway companies — with as 

 good a service. The result is that, now they have lost a lot of traffic, the 

 raihvay companies have taken off the iniquitous charge, while the growers 

 have learned that they can be independent of them. 



The Channel Island growers are in a better position than inland ones, 

 having an open route on the sea, but they feel the difficulties arising from 

 railway combination as soon as they touch a port, and they are taking 

 action to compel the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway to give 

 them rates from Newhaven to different markets, which they would 

 probably be glad to give, were they not influenced by the other lines. In 

 taking up an attitude of this kind they are not only putting difficulties in 

 the way of a national industry, but in refusing traffic at a reasonable rate 

 they are unfair to their shareholders, and it is quite time the whole 

 question was reconsidered by the Government. At present they are able 

 to cripple our trade sufficiently to counteract any benefits arising from 

 legislation in other directions. I grant, in some cases where it suited them 

 to do so, they have given facilities, but there is no guarantee that they will 

 not be taken away again, and for an important national industry to be at 

 the mercy of a monopoly is certainly unfair. 



Our Federation have a case in hand now on behalf of the Lincolnshire 

 Potato-growers, where the rates were raised 2s. per ton through the 

 combination of the different railways running there. Land was taken and 

 potatoes grown on the calculation of the freight which had been in 

 existence for fifteen years — while this increase means about 15s. per acre 

 tax on the whole area affected. Again, it is no use for landlords to grant 

 cheap rents if the railway companies can step in and impose an extra tax 

 like this. The enormous increase in our trade should lead to a decrease 

 in rates, and there is no reason why whole truckloads of our produce 

 should cost more for haulage than other goods. The companies treat fish 

 very much more liberally, knowing that it would be water-borne if they did 

 not ; but if they can bring trucks of fish from Inverness to London at 

 about 50s. per ton passenger train, they should not charge over double for 

 our goods, and in addition 4s. 2d. per ton cartage from a railway depot to 

 Covent Garden while they carry fish from the same depots to Billingsgate 

 for 2s. Qd. 



