London and North Western Line

from London to Manchester. I propose to divide this 186 miles into twenty-two stages, these I would fix at each town of 3,000 or more inhabitants. Reckoning on the basis of the population as it was located in 1882, and starting from London, the stages would be placed thus: 1, Harrow; 2, Bushey; 3, Watford; 4, Boxmoore; 5, Berkhampstead; 6, Tring; 7, Leighton; 8, Northampton; 9, Rugby; 10, Nuneaton; 11, Atherstone; 12, Tamworth; 13, Litchfield; 14, Rugely Junction; 15, Stafford; 16, Madely; 17, Crewe; 18, Sandbach; 19, Wilmsboro'; 20, Cheadle Hulm; 21, Stockport; 22, Manchester.

I propose to have only two classes of passengers (first and second), and to make the charge 4d. for first, and 2d. for second class, for the whole or any portion of any one of these stages. As regards goods traffic, I propose to reduce the classification to four classes, with an additional one for dangerous goods, my contention being that there is no need whatever for the present complication which has been brought about simply in the effort to extract from the users of railways 'all that the traffic will bear.' Parcel traffic and season tickets would also be arranged on the same basis.

It will be seen that, in arranging the above system of stages, no regard whatever has been paid to the mile, the idea being, as previously stated, to regulate the charge by the density of the population the stages pass through. We take no account of mileage when we post a letter or despatch a telegram, or start on a sea voyage, why should we when we take a railway passenger-ticket or forward a ton of goods? I propose to readjust the stages after every census is taken. This, if no alteration were made in the stage rate, and the number of stages were increased, would of course increase the through rate, but it is manifest that if the number of stages were increased the page 36 stage rate could be proportionately decreased, and thus the through rate would remain the same.