On the Prussian railways the maximum rates shewn in the tariff are actually charged. But exceptions are made where trade requirements, competition, and other similar circumstances appear to necessitate a departure from the official rates. It is not considered that railway companies are, in general, bound to adjust anomalies in the carriage charged for traffic arising in different districts, for one and the same destination, by reducing the rates from the more distant sending station. But for the sake of uniformity the rates are so adjusted if, for any reason, exceptional rates from any particular district have been adopted, and if they are lower than from intermediate stations nearer by rail to the same destination. In Germany under the “_Seehafen Ausnahme Tarif_,” there are a very considerable number of special rates. For instance, the rate for grain from Bremen to Cologne, a distance of 324 kilometres, is 12 marks, while from Hemelingen, which is short of Bremen by six kilometres, to Cologne (318 kilometres) it is 15 marks 50 pfenning. For the purpose of stimulating the traffic from the Rheinisch Westfälischen District with the German North Sea Ports, viz., Emden, Leer, Papenburg, Bremen, Bremerhaven, the competition of the rates to the Dutch ports, to which the Rhine affords a cheap water conveyance, had to be taken into consideration. Accordingly from Essen to Bremen, 254 kilometres, the Amsterdam rates, which are lower than the tariff rates from Dortmund to Bremen, 237 kilometres, were adopted, although the traffic from Essen to Bremen has to pass _viâ_ Dortmund, which is 17 kilometres nearer to destination. In another instance the German State railways give a rebate of 5 marks per truckload for coal exported from Hamburg.--“For consignments of coal for Hamburg and Harburg a _rebate_ of 5 marks per 10,000 kilos. is made when proof is given that the coal is destined for export to Trannaine, places outside of Germany or for the German Baltic Ports.” In other words, a rate of 5 marks less is charged to Hamburg for coal for export than to the same place for coal to be consumed in the town. Exceptional Tariff No. 2 consists of special rates for goods traffic between stations of the Royal Elizabeth Railway, &c., and Gustavsburg. They, however, are only in force during the period when vessels can ply on the Rhine, for instance:--For “Stückgut” or piece goods from Vienna to Gustavsburg the transit rate is 7m. 24pf. per 100 kilos. 1st class, and 6m. 60pf. 2nd class, and the local rates are 8m. 11pf. 1st class, and 7m. 73pf. 2nd class.