§ MR. COBB (Warwick, S.E., Rugby)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the 403 Great Western Railway Company charge a rate of 6s. 10d. per ton, for brewers' and distillers' grain from Burton-on-Trent to Solihul, and that for the same goods from Burton-on-Trent to Marston Green, which is about the same distance, the London and North Western Railway Company charge a rate of only 4s. 1d. per ton; whether he is aware that the tenant farmers in the neighbourhood of Solihull are much hampered by this action of the Great Western Railway Company; and whether he will ask the Great Western Railway Company for an explanation as to this large difference; and if they are prepared to reduce their rate to the same amount as that, of the London and North Western Railway Company?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. MUNDELLA,) Sheffield, BrightsideI am informed that the facts are not as stated in the question. The Great Western Railway do not go to Burton-on-Trent. Inquiries have been made, and it is shown that no brewers' or distillers' grains have passed from Burton to Solihull either this year or last. The Great Western Company, however, assure me that if any trader wishing to send such traffic will communicate with them, they will try to arrange with the other Companies interested a fair through rate.