64 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



I have compared our rates with those of other countries, and find that 

 in all cases they are higher here than they are abroad. In Germany and 

 some other countries where the railways belong to .the Government, all 

 fruit is carried by grandc vitesse at petite Vitesse rates. The French rates 

 are also lower, especially on goods for export, while the railway companies 

 in America and Canada realise that it is to 1 their interest to study fruit- 

 growers and agriculture generally. Therefore we appeal to everyone to 

 do all they can to get the matter put on a more reasonable footing, when 

 the whole nation would benefit, and even the railway companies would be 

 in a sounder position, as, by encouraging this branch of agriculture and 

 especially produce grown under glass, they would very considerably add 

 to their traffic in many other ways. We want to see them paying good 

 dividends, and that can only be done by encouraging industry, and not by 

 stifling it. 



When Mr. W. Grays, of Liverpool, was President of the Federation 

 and gave evidence before the Departmental Committee, he did so very 

 fairly, but he seemed to have in his mind that it was only necessary to 

 approach the railway companies to get what you wanted. He has acted 

 throughout on that idea, but this morning I had a letter from him in 

 which he says he wishes he could have been here, and adds : "I fear the 

 Conference will be of little avail, and that we shall be compelled to go to 

 Parliament for redress." 



Those who took an interest in the Government inquiry will agree that 

 we could not have had a fairer Chairman than our friend Mr. Boscawen. 

 Practically the whole of that Report was drawn up by him. I, for one, 

 never knew a Report spoken so well of by all the papers. But we have 

 had to contend with railway companies since then. We have had a lot of 

 matter before us, we have tried many ways, and we have come to the 

 conclusion that there is nothing for it but to get our trades considered on 

 the lines of other trades. I do not say the railway companies were not 

 justified twenty or fifteen years ago in charging the rates now existing, 

 but they are not justified in charging the same now, and at the same 

 time giving worse conditions, The " owner's risk rate " is an abominable 

 rate, and the condition that they put on, that they will not be responsible 

 unless you can prove where damage is done, utterly nullifies any chance 

 of getting redress. We cannot send a staff of men to follow the consign- 

 ment everywhere. We might put them actually into the van, but while 

 their eyes were turned in another direction someone might damage the con- 

 tents. The trade was not properly organised when the existing classification 

 was made out, and that is the more reason why we should ask for it to be 

 reconsidered now. I wish to show how unjust the railway companies are 

 to the inland markets. And I have got out some rates which affect my 

 business— tomatoes. Take Manchester to London, 28s. 10d. if " lidded," 

 54s. 8d. if not " lidded " (nearly double). Newcastle, although the goods go 

 over two lines, 36s. 9d. if " lidded," also 36s. 9c?. if not " lidded." Leicester, 

 99J miles, 38s. 5d. " unlidded," against Newcastle 36s. 9d., going over the 

 same lines, and three times the distance. These figures are here in the 

 official communication sent to me from the railway company, and anyone 

 can see them. There is no sense in this. The reason, no doubt, why the 

 rate to Newcastle is lower than the other rates is that it is possible to send 



