A few details as to the law and practice on this subject in Continental countries may be useful. And, first, as to Germany. When the question of the introduction of a new tariff for the German railways was under consideration, it was agreed that in previously fixing the railway rates, sufficient consideration had not been given to the expense incurred at the sending and receiving stations, irrespective of the distance the traffic was carried. The result of the calculations which were made was that those expenses should be estimated at 12 marks per truck load of ten tons. This was accordingly adopted as the standard figure for all goods carried in wagon loads, while for small consignments the charge was fixed at 20 marks. The addition of those normal allowances to the rates on traffic to be carried short distances would have considerably increased the charges previously made. It was accordingly agreed, as a compromise, to graduate the terminal charges for short distances; the graduation being simply the means of avoiding what might have been considered a large increase in the railway rates, in consequence of the adoption of the “reform tariff system.” These terminals represent the working expenses at the forwarding and receiving stations, the labour of receiving the goods from sender, marshalling or shunting the trucks to the sidings set apart for the delivery of the goods, and also the expense incurred by railway companies for stationery and clerkage; but they do not include the expense of loading and unloading, except in the case of _Grande Vitesse_ and “_Piece Goods_,” They vary from 10d. per ton in full truck loads of 10 tons, to 2s. per ton of general goods, and in the special tariff classes, which include minerals, from 7¼d. in full trucks of 10 tons to 1s. 2½d. per ton. In Belgium there is a fixed charge of 1 fr. per ton of 1,000 kilogrammes for the use of station and for clerkage; but it does not include loading and unloading, or booking, counting, or advice of arrival of goods, for all of which services extra charges are authorised and, in fact, made. This is practically a terminal charge. In Holland the terminal charges vary from 1s. 2d. to 1s. 6d. per ton in the truck load classes, and 2s. 6d. per ton in respect of ordinary or “_piece_” goods in quantities of less than 5 tons. In the latter case the cost of loading and unloading is included in the terminal charge, but not in the truck load classes. In neither case are weighing, counting, stamping freight note, labelling or advice of arrival included. For all of these services extra charges are made.