The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, MAY 20, 1898. A PENINSULA WANT.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume XLIV, Issue 2267, 20 May 1898, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. FRIDAY, MAY 20, 1898. A PENINSULA WANT.

It has been long notorious that the train arrangements for carrying stock from Little Kiver to Addington are exceedingly bad for our breeders. Thanks to the energy of some of our leading settlers the yards have been put in better order by the Government, but it is certain we are at a great disadvantage from having no stock train on Tuesday.

There has been much talk over the matter at Addington, and the result has been the issue by Messrs. H. Matson and Co. of the following circular to the Peninsula breeders .—

" The question of the present tra. ; n arrangements from Little River, as directly affecting the stock owners on Banks Peninsula, has for several years been a matter of discussion by a Jarge number of fanueis, and has interested all those who send stock to Addington. The salesmen engaged in the business are fully aware of the serious disadvantages arising from the want of a Tuesday's stock train. At present stock have either to be sent on Monday, and practically starved till Wednesday, or by early train on Wednesday morning, arriving at Addington at 10.30 while the sales are in full swing, and consequently there is no time to properly draft or classify stock, and farmers' interests are greatly prejudiced thereby. The fat cattle sale is generally over before the train arrives. The amount of fat stock on the Peninsula is increasing, and it is a most surprising thing that a Tuesday's stock train has not been running for years past; proving this is another instance of the old adage, that what is everybody's business is nobody's business. At the request of many of the graziers with whom we do business, we have been requested to bring this important matter under your notice, and to invite your cordial and active cooperation m this movement. A petitior. to the Hon. the Minister of Railways has been piepared. Ihe geiieiai opinion of "what is wanted is a bietial train leaving at, cay 12 o'clock omj second and tebt Tuesday in the

month during the busy season, which takes in the months of October November, December, January, February, March and April. Then for May, June, July, August and September a similar train running on the second Tuesday in every month only. 'Ihis would be quite sufficient to meet the present requirements. In addition to the actual loss incurred by the owners under existing arrangements, a word may be said on behalf of the stock drovers and those who have to do the trucking. At present they often start at 4 o'clock in the morning, using lamps, and have to haul and shut the trucks, the railway authorities not even providing a horse for this work. We feel confident this subject has only to be properly represented to the Government to ensure the necessary alterations." All who know anything on the subject, must agree that the proposals are reasonable and the want urgent, and we agree with the issuers that if united action is taken it must lead to satisfactory results. Our member took a great interest in the improvement of the stock yards at the Little River station, and will be certain to urge our just claims in this new direction if the settlers generally take up the matter. We hear that that tried farmers' friend, Mr. Bruce, the president of the Farmers' Association, and also one of his enthusiastic coadjutors, Mr. George McKay, of Pigeon Bay, have undertaken to get signatures to a petition asking the Minister for Railways for a Tuesday's stock train, and we hope every one who has any intere&t in stock will take care his name is on the list even if he has to take a little trouble to place it there, for as we again repeat, the want is urgent and immediate. Another matter in connection with stock sales in this district has lately been receiving farmers' and dealers' attention, and that is the order of the sale at the Head of the Bay Yards. It is said that the sheep should be sold first, as buyers of both sheep and pigs naturally want to get away a good deal earlier than purchasers of cattle. No doubt the directors of the Peninsula Sale Yards Company will give due consideration to this matter, and there is little doubt the proposed alteration must be an improvement, and tend to increase the number of sheep entered in these yards, which are certainly at present ridiculously small when compared with the capacity and importance of the surrounding country.