RAILWAYS AND COMPETITION.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR.") SIE,-1.11 your article of February 25th on "Railways and Competition" you say : "Competition is in the last resort valuable, because it is the chief, if not the only, begetter of public convenience," and "Companies cannot successfully kill competition without an Act of Parliament." You com- pared the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway and the South-Eastern Railway with the London and South-Western Railway as an example. As a resident in Exeter, I will give you some facts and figures to confute your statement. Previous to the London and South-Western Railway going to Bristol from Exeter, and by that means competing with the Great Western Railway, the rate of goods was 5s. per ton, it is now 5s. 6d. To Bridgewater the rate was 2s. 6d., now, with competition, 3s. 6d. ; to Crediton, formerly Is. 9d., now 2s. 6d.; to Newton St. Oyres, is. 3d., now Is. 9d.; to Morchard Road, 2s. 2d., now 4s. All goods local to Exeter are quite 20 per cent, over the Great Western Railway charges. You will see by this that competition in this district has not benefited
the community.—I am, Sir, &c., H. BARTLETT. 19 Haldon Road, Exeter, February 27th.
Previous page
