§ * MR. ARCHDALEI beg to ask President of the Board of Trade, whether he is aware that five times as much toll is charged for land-borne fish at Billingsgate Market as is charged for sea-borne; and, whether, considering the enormous quantity of fish coming into that market by rail from Ireland and the great fishing centres of Great Britain, he can take any steps to remedy that grievance.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE (Mr. W. H. LONG,, for the PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE) Liverpool, West DerbyThe amount of tolls charged for fish at Billingsgate Market is a matter as to which I have no jurisdiction. I have, however, received the following statement from the Markets Department of the Corporation of the City of London:—
The rate charged for land-borne fish represents about one halfpenny for 1121bs., and for water-borne fish about one farthing for the same quantity. The toll is levied in the case of land-borne fish upon each van or machine, and in the case of water-borne fish according to the tonnage of the vessel. At the present time but half toll is levied on water-borne fish, having regard to special representations made 35 by the trade, so that when the full toll authorised by the bye-laws is again levied the result will be that land-borne and water-borne fish will, as a rule, pay about the same rate of toll, which the Commissioners on Market Rights and Tolls refer to in their final Report of January, 1891, as inappreciable.