Page:The Economic Journal Volume 1.djvu/419

 NOTES AND MEMORANDA 397 The Comrnittee have made many changes in the classification of individual articles; but the chief alteration in the Board of Trade proposals relates to terminal charges. There are three possible modes of dealing with them: authorize railway companies to charge reasonable sums for terminal services; fix an individual maximum for station and service terminals at every station in the United Kingdom; fix a uniform maximum, based on a fair average. Lord Balfour of Burleigh and ]Hr. Courtenay Boyle preferred the third solution, not as perfect, but as open to fewer objections than the two other modes. The Joint Committee have decided that the companies may charge a reasonable sum within a certain maximum, to be determined in case of dispute by arbitrators which means in practice the first method. In other word, a reasonable sum, having regard to the services and the nature of the stations, may be charged. The customers of the companies are likely to regard this solution, with the outlook of litigation which it presents, as a sorry ending to their agitation for the last ten years against terminal charges of any kind. JOHN MACDONELL THE INTERNATIONAL MINERS' CONGRESS THE International Miners' Congress held during the month of April at Paris arose out of the Congress that met at Jolimont in Belgium last year. Ninety-nine delegates were present, representing, it was claimed, 909,167 members, but, as the membership of Continental unions is a matter of estimation rather than of accurate figures, the above total number of miners represented by delegates must be accepted with some degree of reserve. Great Britain sent 41 delegates. Mr. Thomas Burr, M.P., in his o.pening address as President dwelt strongly on the necessity of umon amongst miners, and pointed out that without self-control, moderation, and wise counsel International Federation was impossible. The burning question for the Congress to decide was the method of voting. The English representatives contended that the votes of the delegates should have weight in proportion to the number of members the delegates of each country represented. The Continental delegates urged that the voting on any question should be by' nationalities. In voting by ' nationalities' the majority of delegates from each state decides by show of hands how that state is to vote and then each state gives one vote in accordance with this decision. The result is that the smallest state has the same voting power as the largest. The question was something more than one of mere procedure. The Congress had for its principal object the discussion of a proposal for a universal strike, and the British delegates feared that if the vote was taken by nationalities, the delegates of the smaller states, who represented a comparatively small number of miners by no means thoroughly organized, might drag the miners in other states into a policy they could not approve. Eventually it was agreed to postpone the final settlement of the question. The resolution in favour of a universal strike before the 1st May was proposed by the Belgians. To the surprise of the British delegates it was found that the greatest possible difference of opinion existed on the subject. M. Basly and Herr SchrSder opposed it from the point of view of the French and German miners respectively. The suggestion