An unfortunate omission may be mentioned. In some cases there are alternative rates on the English railways, i.e., a higher rate when the company undertakes the risk of conveyance, and a lower rate when the risk is borne by the owner. In no single instance has Sir B. Samuelson taken in his comparisons the lower owner’s risk rate chargeable at the option of the consignor. Yet in Holland, for instance, the goods are carried practically at the risk of the owner. On some goods no compensation for damage or delay is payable, while on the others the compensation is limited, in some cases, to simply a return of a portion, or, at the utmost, the whole of the freight. We give a few examples of this class of errors.
The rate for iron wire packed from Birmingham to London is shown on page 29 as 24s. 4d. per ton station to station; there is no reference to the fact that there is an owner’s risk rate of 19s. 2d. per ton, collected and delivered.
In like manner the rates for agricultural implements shown in the first column of the following table are given on pages 33 & 34 of the report, although there are the special rates shown in the other columns, all notice of which has been omitted.
Special rates. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FROM | TO | Rates per ton in report reduced to station to station. | Agricultural Engines, Steam Ploughs, &c., station to station. | Machines in cases and iron harrows collected and delivered. | Machines not in cases at owner’s risk collected and delivered. |
| per ton. | per ton. | per ton. | per ton. | ||
| Banbury | London | 26/2 to 32/- | 14/8 | 24/2 | 25/- to 29/7 |
| ” | Lynn | 28/8 ” 34/6 | 19/8 | 26/8 | 27/1 ” 32/1 |
| ” | Shrewsbury | 25/4 ” 30/4 | 16/2 | 23/4 | 24/2 ” 28/4 |
| ” | Liverpool | 35/4 ” 43/8 | [114]28/6 | [115]31/8 | [116]32/6 ” 39/7 |
| ” | Bridgwater | 34/6 ” 40/4 | 24/- | 29/2 | 31/3 ” 36/8 |
| Bedford | London | 18/8 ” 22/- | 11/- | 17/6 | 18/4 ” 21/3 |
These are not the only misleading omissions; it is incumbent to mention others not less important.
In Holland bulky articles pay double the fast goods or ordinary goods rates, or as for a minimum truckload of 5,000 or 10,000 kilogrammes respectively. An actual instance of a consignment from Rotterdam to Munich will illustrate the system:—2 machines and 7 packages of appurtenances, the actual weight of which was 6,762 kilogrammes (6 tons 13 cwt.) were charged as for 10,000 kilogrammes (9 tons 16 cwt. 3 qrs.) under the conditions of special tariff No. 3. This special rate is ignored.
In almost every instance, Sir B. Samuelson has taken the lowest rates in Germany, Belgium and Holland, which are applicable only to full truckloads of 5 and 10 tons, and in some cases, viz., Belgium, to a minimum weight of 8 cwt. These he has used for the purpose of comparison with English rates for any quantities over 500 lbs.
The rate for hardware from Birmingham to Newcastle for export—206 miles—is 27s. 6d. per ton, including collection and delivery, but it is shewn as 25s. 6d. per ton, station to station, overlooking the special owner’s risk rate of 25s. per ton, which also includes collection and delivery. The German rate for the same distance (331 kilometres) is incorrectly given as 18s. 7d. per ton; the lowest station to station rate is 19s. per ton for full truckloads of not less than 5 tons, the rate for smaller quantities, including collection and delivery, being 45s. 2d. per ton.
In Belgium again, the station to station rate of 18s. 11d. per ton (which should be 19s. 4d.) is for a minimum of 8 cwt., the rate, including collection and delivery for the same minimum, being 24s. 3d. per ton.
The Dutch station to station rate of 14s. 10d. per ton (which should be 15s. 7d.) is for full truck loads of not less than 5 tons, the rate, including collection and delivery for any quantities, being 30s. 4d. per ton.