Many apparent anomalies in railway rates arise from competition of the railways with the sea: others are the results of comparisons of the rates charged by railway companies, which must carry, if they are to carry the traffic at all, at the same rates as a company having a shorter route. Inasmuch as competition between railway companies is carried on extensively, many such disparities exist. The apparent anomaly in tin plates being carried from South Wales to Liverpool _viâ_ Stockport, near Manchester, at lower rates than to Manchester, was referred to by Mr. Johnson Ferguson in the debate on the second reading of the Railway and Canal Traffic Bill. This arises from the Midland Railway Company competing with two shorter routes between these places, and from the rates by those routes being so fixed as to meet the competition by sea; the former company’s longer route is through Stockport (not Manchester), to which latter place of course there is no export trade, and at which there is no sea competition. This anomaly would be entirely removed by the Midland Company ceasing to compete for the Liverpool traffic; but the consumers of tin plates in Manchester would not in any respect be benefited by the change. The distance by the shortest railway route between London and Bristol is about 119 miles. There are two other railway routes, the shorter of which is 161 miles; there is also direct transport by sea; and by all of these routes there is competition for the conveyance of merchandise traffic. To suit the requirements of the trade between these ports, as well as to contend with competition by water, special rates are charged. Withdraw them, and either the interchange would not take place or the goods would have to be sent by sea. Of course the other railway companies carrying between the two places charge the same rates as those in force by the shortest railway route, otherwise they would obtain no share of the traffic; and these rates are necessarily less for the throughout distance than those charged for like descriptions of goods to some of the intermediate towns on the longer route.