Irish produce from Waterford is carried to London by various routes: direct to the latter by sea; by sea to Bristol, and thence by rail, 119 miles to London; by sea to Milford, and thence by rail, 282 miles; and by sea to Liverpool, and thence by rail 201 miles. The rates _viâ_ Bristol are, and must be, fixed with reference to those charged by sea, and those _viâ_ Milford and _viâ_ Liverpool, must be the same, or nearly so, as those charged _viâ_ Bristol. Yet, according to the views of some persons, this competition is unfair to intermediate towns between Milford and London, and between Liverpool and London, between which intermediate places and London the rates are higher, or higher in proportion, than those charged between London and Waterford. There are complaints as to this disparity, although the competition, if any exists, would continue, even if no Irish traffic were carried _viâ_ Milford at all. Similar observations apply to traffic between Dublin and Liverpool. Between these cities there is daily steam communication; so that goods carried by sea to Holyhead, and thence by rail, may be conveyed throughout at lower rates than those charged for traffic for places intermediate between Liverpool and Holyhead. Indeed, sea competition influences the rates for traffic between Dublin and Manchester. Traffic is carried by sea, _viâ_ Liverpool, and thence by rail (31 miles) to Manchester, while the distance by rail from the latter place to Holyhead is 122 miles. Consequently the rates between Manchester and Dublin, _viâ_ Holyhead, are less than to some intermediate places.[16]