§ In reply to Mr. MACLURE,
§ SIR MICHAEL HICKS-BEACHYes; Sir. The Board of Trade have fixed £50 as the fee to be paid by every Railway Company depositing a revised classification of merchandize and schedule of maximum rates The fee is fixed by Rules made by the Board of Trade under the provisions of section 35 of the Railway and Canal Traffic Act, 1888, and the money will be applied as an appropriation in aid of the expenses arising upon the settlement of the classifications and schedules. I have already dispensed with part of the fee in certain cases, and I will carefully consider any application coming from a company who are bonâ fide unable to pay without detriment to their creditors. But it must be remembered that the labour and expense of settling a schedule does not vary with the size of the company, and that £50 is not an unreasonable sum to ask from any solvent company for the work performed.