In Belgium, also, differential rates are charged between certain places for export and for local consumption. The following are a few illustrations:—

For
For Export Local Use.
From To——————————
10 ton lots.
per ton.		10 ton lots.
per ton.
CoalMons AntwerpFrs. 2·91 4·62
Jemappes ”3·04 4·67
Charleroi ”2·81 4·58
Fountaine l’Evêque ”2·81 4·58
Bar Iron and Girders Liége ”4·70 6·65
Charleroi ”4·57 6·39
Marchienne ”4·54 6·33
per 1000 kilogrammes.
Window GlassCharleroi ”6·30 8·28

Neither private companies nor the State railways are permitted to make concessions of any kind, or to depart from the official tariff in favour of any particular firm or carrier. All general or special tariffs must be approved by the Minister, and published in the official paper, the “Moniteur.”

On the Prussian railways the maximum rates shewn in the tariff are actually charged. But exceptions are made where trade requirements, competition, and other similar circumstances appear to necessitate a departure from the official rates. It is not considered that railway companies are, in general, bound to adjust anomalies in the carriage charged for traffic arising in different districts, for one and the same destination, by reducing the rates from the more distant sending station. But for the sake of uniformity the rates are so adjusted if, for any reason, exceptional rates from any particular district have been adopted, and if they are lower than from intermediate stations nearer by rail to the same destination.

In Germany under the “Seehafen Ausnahme Tarif,” there are a very considerable number of special rates. For instance, the rate for grain from Bremen to Cologne, a distance of 324 kilometres, is 12 marks, while from Hemelingen, which is short of Bremen by six kilometres, to Cologne (318 kilometres) it is 15 marks 50 pfenning. For the purpose of stimulating the traffic from the Rheinisch Westfälischen District with the German North Sea Ports, viz., Emden, Leer, Papenburg, Bremen, Bremerhaven, the competition of the rates to the Dutch ports, to which the Rhine affords a cheap water conveyance, had to be taken into consideration. Accordingly from Essen to Bremen, 254 kilometres, the Amsterdam rates, which are lower than the tariff rates from Dortmund to Bremen, 237 kilometres, were adopted, although the traffic from Essen to Bremen has to pass viâ Dortmund, which is 17 kilometres nearer to destination. In another instance the German State railways give a rebate of 5 marks per truckload for coal exported from Hamburg.—“For consignments of coal for Hamburg and Harburg a rebate of 5 marks per 10,000 kilos. is made when proof is given that the coal is destined for export to Trannaine, places outside of Germany or for the German Baltic Ports.” In other words, a rate of 5 marks less is charged to Hamburg for coal for export than to the same place for coal to be consumed in the town.

Exceptional Tariff No. 2 consists of special rates for goods traffic between stations of the Royal Elizabeth Railway, &c., and Gustavsburg. They, however, are only in force during the period when vessels can ply on the Rhine, for instance:—For “Stückgut” or piece goods from Vienna to Gustavsburg the transit rate is 7m. 24pf. per 100 kilos. 1st class, and 6m. 60pf. 2nd class, and the local rates are 8m. 11pf. 1st class, and 7m. 73pf. 2nd class.

The effect of these special rates is to secure the traffic to the Bavarian State and Hessian railways, and prevent its passing over the Prussian and Dutch railways. The Rheinisch Westfälischen private railways grant contract (Abonnements Special Train) tariffs for the conveyance of coal from the Ruhr district to Nederlandish stations in fixed consignments of at least 200 tons, and not exceeding 300 tons. The adoption of these rates has principally been prompted by the competition of the water service on the Rhine. They include haulage to the sidings or depôts; and they are granted only to traders who contract to send at least once a week for one year a consignment of from 200 to 300 tons to Nederlandish stations.

Thus it will be seen that in Germany the carriage of traffic in large quantities is charged at special or reduced rates. A similar principle has been recognised in this country also. It was held by the Court of Common Pleas, in the case of Nicholson v. Gt. Western, that “Clause 31 of the Railway and Canal Traffic Act, 17 and 18 Vic., is not contravened by a railway company agreeing to carry at a lower rate, in consideration of a guarantee of large quantities and full loads at regular periods provided that the real object of the railway company be to obtain thereby a greater remunerative profit by the diminished cost of carriage, although the effect may be to exclude from the lower rate those persons who cannot give such a guarantee.” The effect of such a system, however, has been complained of by smaller traders as favouring the larger ones; and in this country, it is not in practice generally acted upon.

The basis of through tariffs between Germany and other foreign countries is the normal mileage rate to the German frontier; but with the view of encouraging the export trades, reduced rates are charged in favour of international traffic.

The Dutch are also desirous of developing their transit traffic; and with that object so called “exceptional rates,” based upon lower mileage rates than the ordinary tariffs, are charged from places of production in Germany to the Dutch ports. Thus, there are “exceptional rates” for, amongst other things, heavy iron and steel goods from manufacturing towns in Westphalia to Amsterdam and Rotterdam, and they are as much as 37 per cent. lower than the ordinary rates. These German-Dutch rates are invariably lower than the ordinary rates to inland towns lying between the forwarding station and the port. The following are some of the exceptional rates in force, compared with the ordinary rates to inland towns for shorter distances:—