known. The following, however, was the origin of one of them: The millers in the Eastern counties found that their trade suffered by reason of the competition of millers situated on the Thames, who were able to obtain by water foreign grain at low rates. The former urged upon the railway companies the necessity of granting them reduced rates from London for foreign grain to mix with English wheat, and thus enable them to produce better and stronger flour than that produced by home grown wheat alone. The millers pointed out that by so doing the local industries in which the companies and the districts have an interest would be benefited, and that there would be an increased trade in foreign grain down from London and in flour up to it. Admitting the force of these arguments, the railway companies put in force lower rates. Here, as elsewhere, we find a collision of interests, and conflicting demands. These rates have recently been altered with the view of partially removing the grounds of complaint in this case; it remains, however, an apt illustration of the difficulties encountered in framing rates. Reduced rates are complained of by one portion of the public; and yet, if they were cancelled, other sections would consider themselves aggrieved. Such are the difficulties with which railway companies have to contend; bound to serve and accommodate classes at variance with each other; subject to criticism and complaint if they do not satisfy contradictory demands.

There has been much hostile comment on the conveyance at reduced rates of foreign produce and merchandise from the Continent, through English ports to places of consumption. The French traffic from Cherbourg or Havre carried viâ Weymouth or Southampton, and from Boulogne or Calais, viâ Dover or Folkestone, and the Dutch and Belgian traffic from Rotterdam or Antwerp, viâ Harwich, have been especially the subject of unfriendly remark. But the explanation of such rates is simple; they are due to no designs against the English factor. French traffic carried viâ Cherbourg may be sent direct by sea to London. In order that it may be conveyed over a portion of their systems, the London and South Western Company run steamers between that port and Southampton; and until recently the Great Western Company had a line of steamers between Cherbourg and Weymouth. In order to compete with the sea communication, the South Western and Great Western Companies necessarily fixed their rates with reference to the sea freights from Cherbourg and other ports. The distance between Southampton and London is 76 miles, while the distance between Weymouth and London is 159 miles. Of course the Great Western Company charged the same rates by the longer as the South Western Company charged by the shorter railway route. Hence the complaint that French goods were being carried cheaper from Cherbourg to London than from places in Dorsetshire, past which, when carried by the Great Western Company, they were conveyed. The obvious answer was, that if the Great Western Company did not carry at all, the traffic would be sent viâ Southampton, and that if the London and South Western Company ceased to carry, it would be sent to London direct by sea. In fact, the Great Western Company have recently given up the steamboat service, and ceased to carry viâ Weymouth; the grounds of complaint made in the name of the Dorsetshire farmers have thereby been removed. But the competition, such as it is, of French with English produce, continues all the same, only all the traffic is carried, not through Dorsetshire, but by other routes. Indeed, immediately after the service viâ Weymouth was withdrawn a new service was established between Paimbœuf and Newhaven; and by this route a portion of the traffic previously sent viâ Weymouth is now carried.

Irish produce from Waterford is carried to London by various routes: direct to the latter by sea; by sea to Bristol, and thence by rail, 119 miles to London; by sea to Milford, and thence by rail, 282 miles; and by sea to Liverpool, and thence by rail 201 miles. The rates viâ Bristol are, and must be, fixed with reference to those charged by sea, and those viâ Milford and viâ Liverpool, must be the same, or nearly so, as those charged viâ Bristol. Yet, according to the views of some persons, this competition is unfair to intermediate towns between Milford and London, and between Liverpool and London, between which intermediate places and London the rates are higher, or higher in proportion, than those charged between London and Waterford. There are complaints as to this disparity, although the competition, if any exists, would continue, even if no Irish traffic were carried viâ Milford at all.

Similar observations apply to traffic between Dublin and Liverpool. Between these cities there is daily steam communication; so that goods carried by sea to Holyhead, and thence by rail, may be conveyed throughout at lower rates than those charged for traffic for places intermediate between Liverpool and Holyhead. Indeed, sea competition influences the rates for traffic between Dublin and Manchester. Traffic is carried by sea, viâ Liverpool, and thence by rail (31 miles) to Manchester, while the distance by rail from the latter place to Holyhead is 122 miles. Consequently the rates between Manchester and Dublin, viâ Holyhead, are less than to some intermediate places.[16]

Tea imported into London may be carried by sea direct to Newcastle or Liverpool. Iron manufactured at Middlesboro’ or in South Wales can be conveyed by water at low freights to London. So, too, tin-plates may be conveyed by water from Glamorganshire to Liverpool. If the importer or the manufacturer, therefore, desires to send, or the companies desire to carry, any of those goods by railway, special rates yielding only a small profit to the companies must be quoted; otherwise the whole, or nearly the whole of such articles, would be sent by sea. Such reduced rates are complained of because of their being less in gross or per mile than those for the same or similar articles carried for the like or less distances. But grocers or consumers of tea, iron merchants or blacksmiths in inland towns, or manufacturers whose works are near the port of shipment would derive no advantage from all these goods being carried by sea at the same or even lower rates than those now charged by railway. The influence of the sea, “the great free trader” as it has been called, is vast and far reaching. England and Scotland being an island, there is all round the coast direct competition with the sea. It exists for instance between London and Yarmouth, Hull, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Leith, Aberdeen on the eastern coast; and between London, Southampton and Plymouth, and the west coast ports, that is, Bristol, the South Wales ports, Liverpool and Glasgow.

If railways in England did not compete with transport by the sea they would in many cases be of comparatively little use to manufacturers and merchants. Only by such competition do they fully minister to the requirements of the trade of the country. If all the intermediate rates were to be brought down to the level of those charged between port and port what would be the result? The companies would have to raise their port to port rates. The public would lose the benefit of rail carriage for goods sent between port and port, and the companies the profit they might have derived from such goods. Who would be the gainer?