§ MR. THOMAS SHAW (Hawick, &c.)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the action of the London and North-Western and North British Railway Companies, with reference to the rates for the carriage of milk from Plumpton Station to Hawick, whereby the charges have been raised from 1d. per gallon to 10¼d. per gallon, being a figure 2¾d. per gallon in excess of the price of the milk, and so exorbitant as to threaten the immediate stoppage of the milk supply of Hawick from Plumpton and district; and whether he will make such representations to the Railway Companies as will bring about the abandonment of the new and oppressive charges and the resumption of the former rate?
§ MR. MUNDELLAI have been in communication with the London and North-Western Railway Company on the subject referred to by the hon. Member. There can be no doubt that this extraordinary charge was made, but I am happy to be able to state that a rate of 1d. per gallon has now been adopted for the traffic in milk from Plumpton to Hawick, which will be applied retrospectively to the traffic that has been passing latterly.