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JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Allen said, " You have made out a good case. We will reduce the rates 

 from 35s. to 25s." Why did they do it ? Simply because they found 

 that by lowering the rates it would put money into their pockets. That 

 proves that you individual growers should go to your own companies, as 

 well as approach Parliament through your combinations, and that you 

 should not be content to rest upon your oars and do nothing. If we work 

 individually, we shall at all events have done some little service towards 

 bringing about what we want. Railway companies will do nothing until 

 they are forced. But the motor services are going to bring them to their 

 senses. I hope this Conference will have the effect of enabling growers to 

 live. They were content ten years ago to pay the rates when prices were 

 different ; but as prices have gone down, I submit that railway rates, in 

 the same proportion, should go down too. 



Mr. Boscawen, M.P. : I should like to say a word upon this subject 

 Decause it undoubtedly is a very difficult one, and is of the greatest 

 importance to the future of our industry. As I have had opportunities 

 of seeing both sides of the question, I would venture to make one or two 

 suggestions as to how this question ought to be approached by growers 

 and the trade generally. It is absolutely true that the trade has 

 grievances against the railway companies, and we should try to remedy 

 these grievances where we can. But I wish to caution all people engaged 

 in the trade against taking up a hostile attitude to the railway companies. 

 I am not suggesting that this has been done in the very temperate 

 speeches we have heard to-day ; but I have heard a great deal of evidence 

 given by some people who take the line that railway companies are their 

 natural enemies. I would caution them against that attitude because I 

 do not think it is a fair attitude, and it is no good overstating your case if 

 you wish to get redress. So far as the discussion to-day has gone, there 

 is only one sentence that I would take exception to. I cannot agree 

 with Mr. Berry, whose statement " that while the railway companies have 

 gone a long way to develop imports, they have done very little to 

 develop facilities for home produce." When anyone has seen what the 

 Great Western and the Midland have done in building new stations and 

 sidings, and providing special works, he must feel that these companies are 

 now endeavouring to meet the trade — not out of benevolence, but in self- 

 interest. Of course, Mr. Berry and I do not live on the Great Western or 

 Midland, and I think even the South Eastern and Chatham are waking up 

 lately. 



What are our grievances, and where ought we to seek remedies ? 

 Taking them through and through, and having regard to the nature of the 

 services, the rates are not unduly high. By passenger train, fruit sent 

 200 miles works out at three-tenths of a penny per pound. By goods, 

 where plums are sent 200 miles, the fare works out at one eighth of a penny 

 per pound. These rates cannot be said to be unduly high. The real 

 grievance is that they are absolutely based on no principle. The 

 classification in many cases is entirely wrong. The fact is that since that 

 classification was made the fruit trade has grown enormously, and the 

 present conditions are entirely different from what they were when the Act 

 and classification were made. And that being so, what we should seek to do 

 is not so much to go about asserting that rates are too high, but we should 



