For Iron Wire packed from Birmingham to London the rate is shown as 24s. 4d. per ton; the actual rate is 28s. 4d. per ton, including collection and delivery. Apparently 4s. per ton has been deducted for cartage at both ends; that is merely 2s. per ton for cartage in London, although the cost of delivery in such a city as Brussels would be 4s. per ton.
Similar remarks apply to the rates for unpacked iron wire from Birmingham to London and Manchester, which have been treated in the same way.
Cotton Goods from Manchester to Oxford.—The rate shewn on page 32 is 42s. per ton, station to station; the correct rate, including collection and delivery, being 42s. 6d. per ton, so that 6d. per ton, or 3d. per ton only at each end, has been apparently allowed for collection and delivery.
Woollen, Worsted and Stuff Goods from Bradford (Yorks) to Norwich.—The rate shown on page 32 is 41s. per ton, station to station, while the correct rate, including collection and delivery, is 41s. 8d. per ton; 8d. per ton being apparently allowed in this case for the two services of collection and delivery.
General Machinery from Leeds to Newcastle.—The export rate is 12s. 6d. per ton, including both collection and delivery, but 11s. 6d. is shewn on page 33 of report; that is, 1s. per ton only has been deducted for the two services of collection and delivery.[113]
These errors make many of the comparisons valueless.
A still graver error has been repeatedly committed. Notwithstanding the remark (page 19) that the cost of collection and delivery has been deducted, Sir B. Samuelson has in numerous cases assumed British rates, which include either collection or delivery, and in some cases both those services, to be station to station rates, and compared them as such with station to station rates on the foreign lines. Here are a few examples of this class of mistakes.
General Machinery.—Leeds to Hull, the export rate of 12s. 6d. per ton is shown on page 33 as station to station, whereas it includes both collection and delivery.
Though all the following rates for Butter include collection and delivery, they are shewn on pages 38 and 39 as station to station, viz.:—
| s. | d. | |
| Hull to Manchester | 21 | 8 per ton. |
| ” Birmingham | 21 | 8 ” |
| ” Leeds | 13 | 4 ” |
| Newcastle to Manchester | 23 | 4 ” |
| ” Birmingham | 21 | 8 ” |
| ” Leeds | 14 | 2 ” |