RAILWAY CHARGES.

Evening Star, Issue 23298, 21 June 1939, Page 12

RAILWAY CHARGES.

TO THE EDITOR. Sic,—Mr A. Hall uses hull a column of your valuable space in a vain endeavour to draw a distinction in principle between the action of the Hailway Department in raising fares and freights to meet rising costs and the act' n of those engaged in private business in raising their prices to meet rising costs. The question of percentages is beside the point, as evidence has already been adduced to show that Government departments in certain instances have raised charges other than fares and freights by precentages as high as have been alleged in the cases of private businesses. Some of MiHall’s comparisons are built on unsound premises, and he advances opinions rather than facts. He states; “ Butter was, I think, 9d or 10d, and is now Is 6d.” Note the “ I think,” and also that the former price is for low-grade farm separator butter and the latter for the first-grade factory product, the price of which is now fixed by the Government. If a similar basis of comparison is used by Mr Hall in the other instances quoted little importance can be attached to any, 1 have not Mr Hall’s faith in the ability of the Price Tribunal to stem

the rising tide of prices, departmental or otherwise, and mayhap events in the Railway Department during tho next few weeks will go lo show that tho attempt is mere “ window-dressing.”—l am. etc., TitAvni-LKii. dune 21.