§ Mr. JOYCEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been called to the fact that on the 28th August Mr. E. Gibson, of Limerick, sent a bag of salt, two hundredweight, value 6s., by the Great Southern and Western Railway Company to the Cork and Kerry Creamery Company, at Kilmore, county Kerry; that the manager of the creamery refused to receive it as it was damaged in transit, being sent in a fish wagon and wetted by fish brine, and wrote to have another bag sent by passenger train as he was short of salt; and to the fact that the railway company 889 charged 9s. 4d. carriage for two hundredweight, the distance being 45 miles; and, if so, will he say if the Board of Trade proposed to do anything, by legislation or otherwise, to protect traders from such charges as tend to cripple traders?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. Churchill)I have communicated with the railway company on the subject, and am informed by them that as the second consignment was sent by passenger train, the charge, which was made at the rate of ½d. per lb. for a distance not exceeding 50 miles was correct, and that they are dealing with a claim for the damage stated to have been sustained by the first consignment. Railway companies are under no obligation to carry goods other than perishable by passenger train and the charge made does not seem to be in excess of the usual rate when such goods are so carried.