THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 1906.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8172, 4 July 1906, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. WEDNESDAY, JULY 4, 1906.

The allegation that the British farmer is handicapped by preferential treatment afforded to foreign produce by the railway oompanies is declared by the report of the Department Committee of the House of Commons set up to investigate it, to be untrue on the evidence submitted, and in arriving at this con-, elusion the committee have some interesting remarks to make on the apathy of the agriculturist. The committee find that Parliament has recognised the principle of charging lower rates for long distances on

goods sent in large quantities and closely packed, and it is the reoog tuition of this by foreigners that gives them the advantage. "The difficulty of the borne producer is that while foreign traffic is always sent under such conditions as to obtain the advantage of the lowest rates," says the report, "home produce is so often sent in small quantities, and consequently fails to obtain the benefit of the special rates which the companies have put in operation with the objeot of inducing ,the home producers to send their produce, or to combine to l send their produce, in larger quanti tiei and better packed," In short, it ia largely combination whiuh has enabled foreign oroduce to be imported into England to the disadvantage of the local product, and until the British faimer 00-operates and sends his stuff to the towns in large quantities and packed so as to give good loading in the trucks, he will continue to suffer. The railway companies say they are willing to give every assistance to co-operation, but their efforts so far have had but little success, owing to the apaiby of the farmers. The Great Western Railway issued thousands of pamphlets to British farmers, pointing out the reduced rates for large consignments, with disappointing results; little advantage was taken of the SouthEastern and Chatham and Dover lines' offer of 10 per cent, reduction for loads of over two tons, and 15 per cent, reduction for loads of over four tons, the growers, far from combining, in many cases, dividing their own consignments and sending the parcels to different salesmen. All complaints would at once cease, one goods manager said, if agriculturists would adapt themselves to modern requirements, add paok, grade, and concentrate their produce for the market so that it could compete with the properly graded and packed foreign produce. The committee find that there has been a marked absenoe of desire on the part' of the complainants to avail themselves of the adequate remedies , provided by legislation, and they are not prepared to recommend that any further legislative steps be taken to help the home farmer when be will not help himself.