1.—9.

(H.) —Cape Government Railways.—Goods Rates.

(J.) —Examples of the Rates charged for Goods carried upon the New Zealand Railways and the Railway Rates authorized by Act, in the State of Illinois.

I wish to put in as evidence the following extracts from the papers before the Committee:— (From Mr. Vaile's Circular of sth April, 1883.) Freight Fares. "The freight tariff for general merchandise now in use it is almost impossible to understand. First, there is a schedule of 15 classes, then 34 different scales for ' small lots.' Then, again, local rates, &c, &c, and then to explain all this mass of confusion there are no less than 748 alphabetical references, besides special references so numerous and complicated that I have utterly failed to master them. I suggest reducing all this to 4 classes only. "Trucks for horses, cattle, sheep, calves, pigs, goats, hay, straw, and firewood, Bs. per truck. " Minerals, bricks, clay, sand, and coal, 2s. per ton; anything under 4 tons to be charged as merchandise. " Timber, 6d. per 100 superficial feet or fraction of 100 feet.

24

"iles 10 20 50 100 200 st class, per ton ... Ind class, „ Ird class, „ kain, „ joal, „ ]oal, in 24-ton lots, per ton s. d. 9 4 7 0 5 7 5 7 5 7 1 8 s. d. 16 10 13 1 9 4 9 4 9 4 3 4 s. d. 37 4 28 0 18 8 18 8 18 8 8 4 s. 74 50 35 35 35 16 a. 8 4 6 6 6 8 s. a. 130 8 91 6 65 4 65 4 65 4 33 4

25 Miles. 50 Miles. 100 lies. Railway. New Zealand. Illinois. New Zealand. New Zealand. Illinois. Illinois. Per ton. Per ton. Per ton. Per ton. Per ton. Per ton. Agricultural implements, set up Reapers and binders, horse-powers Beer, in casks Beef, fresh Bonedust „ 2-ton lots Cheese, packed Coal, in carloads of 20,0001b. (8 tons 17cwt. 2qr. 201b.) s. a. 41 0 20 6 14 11 20 6 11 3 s. d. 14 6 12 8 12 8 12 8 10 10 5 8 12 8 3 10 f 5 8* 1 4 4f 10 10 16 8 20 10 16 8 16 8 10 10 5 8 s. a. 57 10 28 11 19 7 28 11 14 0 s. d. 26 10 22 11 22 11 22 11 17 5 9 10 22 11 5 11 f 9 10* 1 7 St 17 5 31 6 39 5 31 6 31 6 17 5 9 10 s. d. 76 6 38 3 24 9 38 3 18 8 ■s. d. 41 6 33 7 33 7 33 7 26 6 13 0 33 7 10 1 ( 13 0* 1 10 2f 26 6 49 8 61 8 49 4 49 4 26 6 13 0 18*8 4 8 23**4 5 8 30**9 7 4 „ 4-ton consignments 11 3 | 14 0 I 18 8 „ , less quantities than 4 tons Dry goods, in boxes Furniture, loose .. „ packed Groceries Guano .. „ in 2-ton lots .. .. .. ... Hides, dry, loose .. „ dry, pressed in bales „ green, less than 1,0001b. „ green, 1,0001b. or over Iron — Hoop} Sheet} Galvanized, packed} „ loose} Hoop, sheet, galvanized (packed or loose), releasea .. „ „ „ in carloaas Piping, cast „ wrought „ cast or wrought, in carloaas Portable engines .. „ upright boilers Sugar, maple „ other than maple .. Tea .. .. .... Threshing-machines Wheat, in carloaas of 8 tons 7cwt. 161b. „ in 5-ton loaas Millstuffs ana other grain, 20,0001b. (8t. 17c. 2q. 201b.) minimum Ditto, 5-ton loaas 11 3 20 6 41 0 20 6 18 8 14 11 30 9 20 6 18 8 14 11 [ 20 6 [ 14 6 I 10 10 ) 12 8 14 0 28 11 57 10 28 11 23 4 19 7 (43 4 J 28 11 1 23 4 (19 7 I 28 11 I 26 10 [ 17 5 22 11 18 8 38 3 76 6 38 3 30 9 24 9 (57 5 j 38 3 1 30 9 (24 9 I 38 3 [41 0 26 6 33 7 11 3 7 4 as above f 10 10 I 14 6 as above | 14 6 | 14 6 14 0 9 10 as above f 17 5 1 26 10 as above I 26 10 j 26 10 18 8 12 0 as above f 26 6 (41 6 as above j 41 6 j 41 6 I 11 3 I 14 0 I 18 8 7 4 30 9 20 6 18 8 11 3 20 6 20 6 8 1 11 3 6 10 16 8 14 6 6 4§ 6 4§ 6 4§ 9 10 ( 43 4 | 28 1 f 23 4 t 14 0 28 11 28 11 9 9 14 0 8 3 31 6 26 10 9 8§ 9 8§ 9 8§ 12 0 ( 57 5 1 38 3 j 30 9 t 18 8 38 3 38 3 11 6 18 8 9 10 49 4 41 6 13 10§ 13 10§ 13 10§ 11 3 6 4§ 14 0 9 8§ 18 8 13 10§ * Imported. t Native. for loading and unloading is included. 1 Illinois Company's r; [sk of dami i-ge by wet. §Fo: purposes of comparisc m allowance