102 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



whole of it remains in the country for re-expenditure, mostly in 

 wages of other industries in some form or another. 



But the most serious effect that this course of procedure has 

 is the deprivation of the people of the large supply of vegetable 

 and fruit foods that would be raised and available for consump- 

 tion if the railways faithfully carried out the engagements made 

 by them, upon the faith of which the privileges they now possess 

 was accorded to them. 



Meanwhile, good service may be done in another direction, 

 which would, in any event, result in preventing the continual 

 extension that is taking place of the condition of things 

 from which we suffer. The great difficulty that presents itself 

 in attempting to carry out any reform for the general good is 

 the plea that is set up by the railway companies of the rights 

 conveyed to them by their Acts of Parliament, which Acts they 

 every year apply to have extended and increased. So large are 

 the rights thus continually assigned to them, that in 1887 they 

 required an addition to capital of no less a sum than ^^17,628,000 

 sterling ; and it appears to be a very great oversight to allow 

 these continual and large additions to be made to our railway 

 system without making some provision for relief in the direction 

 in which it is so urgently required. Granted that the railway 

 companies have some rights in their existing Acts, that can be 

 no reason why those conditions, which are now found to be 

 detrimental to public interests, should be continued in the new 

 Acts they apply for every successive session ; on the contrary, 

 the occasions should be utilised for obtaining some relief from 

 our difficulties. 



To enable arrangements of a beneficial character to be made, 

 and ensure the establishment of a system that would render 

 nugatory the efforts of the railway combination, and result in the 

 establishment of reasonable rates for home-grown produce, it is 

 advisable to pass such a general Act of Parliament as would 

 enable local authorities to provide open spaces for use as markets, 

 and to make connections with railways in their several districts, 

 so that trucks with produce could be run direct into them, and 

 their contents disposed of by the owners without incurring the 

 cost of loading or unloading, and thus defeat the right to charge 

 for terminals, unnecessary services, &c. Also to enable local 

 authorities to make auxiliary lines or tramways in their several 

 districts, such lines or tramways to be in connection with the 

 railways, over which they should have running powers. 



Collections of farm and garden j)i'0(i^ce would thereby 

 gradually be formed from each area, and could be despatched by 

 the producers to the markets, and be disposed of direct to the 

 retailers or others. 



A market of such a kind in each quarter of London would 

 bring the whole agricultural population of the adjacent country 



