§ MR. JACKS (Stirlingshire)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that, in spite of the Railway Companies' statement that they were revising their rates so that the increase should in no case exceed 5 per cent., the rates on potatoes from Cockburnspath to Dunbar, a distance of seven and a-half miles, has been raised from 1s. 8d. per ton to 2s. 11d. per ton, or 75 per cent.; whether he is aware that the farmers in that district depend chiefly on their potatoes to pay their rent, and that this increases of rates equals 10s. per acre increase in their rents; whether he is aware that the Railway Companies give preferential rates to foreign potato growers; and whether, considering the disastrous results of these two factors, he can see his way to enforce a return to the old rates, and to prevent the Railway Companies giving any preference to foreign as against the Scottish grower?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. MUNDELLA,) Sheffield, BrightsideI am informed that the rate of 2s. 11d. per ton for the carriage of potatoes from Cockburnspath to Dunbar has been reduced to 2s. 6d. The company assure me that they do not give preferential rates to foreign potato growers.