To what extent does the law really require equality? The Railway and Canal Traffic Act, 1888, enacts in substance that a railway company shall not make any difference in the treatment of traders which shall amount to an undue preference. It permits the grouping of places situated at various places from any point of destination or departure of merchandise, provided that the distances shall not be unreasonable, and that the rates charged and the places grouped together shall not be so grouped as to create an undue preference. Now, in this legislation there is no definite or tangible principle. The Legislature has not really made up its mind how traders should be treated. It simply says that any preference given to one trader over another shall not be undue, but the interpretation of the word undue is left open. The prohibition of undue preference only applies to the actions of one company on its own railway, and, therefore, covers but a small part of the matter. A trader desiring to have his goods sent to some market which is prejudiced by the competition of goods carried to the same market from some other place by some other railway which, for some reason or other, good or bad, gives better treatment to its customers--a prejudice far more likely to happen, in fact, than one arising from differences in treatment on the same railway--is not protected or assisted by any legislation. The question may be asked whether national railways would or could cure this somewhat indefinite position? If railways were nationalized, would it not be necessary, and would it be practicable to settle the principles to be applied in treating different districts in competition with one another? At present there are no principles if the districts are served by different railways. If one railway serves two districts, the law provides that such railway shall not mete out unequal treatment so as to constitute undue preference, whatever that may mean, but if these two competing districts are served by different railways, the law shrinks from any interference.