Inland Transit/Cheetham2
Mr. H. Cheetham, in continuation.—p. 96.
3. What is the market-day at Manchester?
The principal market-day is on a Tuesday.
4. At what time does the mail arrive at Manchester?
At four in the afternoon.
5. Do the foreign letters arrive in time for the market?
All the foreign letters arrive at a time when the market is over.
6. If the mail could be expedited six hours, would that be a great advantage?
It would be a great advantage in this respect: all the country manufacturers who attend the market, the foreign letters not coming in, in time to be delivered that morning, are obliged to stand over until next market-day; the country manufacturer sometimes loses the order, and it is obliged to be given to a Manchester manufacturer.
7. Has this circumstance for a long time been the subject of complaint?
Very much so.
8. If six hours were saved in the communication between London and Birmingham, do you contemplate that great advantage would result to Rochdale, Halifax, Bradford, and Leeds?
Yes.
9. Have you also a great communication between Manchester and Glasgow?
A good deal.
10. The saving of time between Birmingham and London would be a saving of time between Birmingham and Glasgow?
The Glasgow mail leaves Manchester an hour after the London mail comes in.