A STRAIGHT QUESTION.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 169, 17 July 1919, Page 7

A STRAIGHT QUESTION.

PUT TO MINISTERS. DAIRY FARMERS' DEMANDS. MUST HAVE SOME RELIEF. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.; HAMILTON, this day. Further telegrams have passed between Mr J. A. Yovmg, M.P., as representing the Waikato dairying interests, and Ministers in regard to the critical position that exists in consequence of the railway restrictions. Yesterday, Mr Young received the following telegram from the Hon. A. M. Myers: —■ "In Teply to your telegram of even date, I have conferred wth the Minister of Railways, who informs mc that the has intimated to you that, if you hold a conference with the manager of railways in Auckland and submit a definite proposition covering the subject matter of yours under review, the same will have his careful consideration." The following reply has been sent to Mr ~Myers by Mr Young: — "I note your statement that the Mininister of Railways informed you he had intimated to mc that, if I hold a conference with the manager of railways in Auckland and submit a definite proposition covering the subject matter under review, the same will receive his careful consideration. There must be some mistake about that statement, for on the Bth inst. the non. Mr. Herries wired mc as follows: 'Your suggestion re conference- of the Auckland district traffic manager with the executive of the South Auckland Dairy Association at Hamilton will have every consideration.' It is eight days, and I have had no intimation from the Minister of Railways as to the result of the consideration of my suggestion. The treatment of the dairy companies is not a personal matter of mine. It is a serious question of fa/r----rcacliing public interest. I would point out, however, that since July 2 specific applications have been made to the Railway Department for acceptance of certain classes of dairy-factory requirements for transport and delivery, and have been declined by the Departmental officers in accordance with their instructions. Some of these applications have 6ince been referred by mc to the Minister of Railways, and in every instance Mr Herries has regrettgd the Railway Department cannot carry the goods on account of the shortage of his coal stock. A committee has been appointed by a public meeting representative of the Farmers' Union, Chamber of Commerce, and South Auckland Dairy Association to further the claims of the dairy industry to the transport of essentials, and this body will prepare a schedule of dairy-factory requirements needing railway transport. QUICK RELIEF DEMANDED. 'T put this question straight to yon and to the Minister of Railways—do you genuinely desire to give quick relief to the co-operative dairy companies in the matter of transport of urgentlyrequired machinery and materials to enable them to deal with the new season's milk supplies, which are timed to come in about the end of this month? The midwinter months, Juno and July, are the period in all dairy factories for annual overhaul, repair, and extension of machinery. I cannot believe that both of you desire to do other than relieve the strain of the situation. Therefore why does not Mr Herries send his traffic manager at the earliest possible moment to Hamilton, which is the administrative centre of the South Auckland Dairy Association, to confer with the executive? The importance of the issue warrants this consideration. WHY THIS TEMPORISING? ''Also, why do you not say right out, without all this delay and temporisation, you will supply to the Railway Department the requisite coal for the haulage of essential machinery and plant to save a great industry? The cooperative companies are mainly concerned, one of which manufactured products to a value of about £1.250,000 last year, and the other £650,000. and both of which must provide machinery and plant to deal with an estimated increase of raw products in the form of milk and cream of about 15 per cent, over last year's supplies. You, as a business and financial man, will appreciate what this means. Therefore, may I beg of you to act quickly, and help the Minister of Railways with a few tons of coal to help the co-operative dairy companies to get immediate haulage for the equivalent of one-third of a loaded goods train. Please let mc have the names, professions, and addresses of your Coal Advisory Committee, as asked for yesterday.—J. A. Young.'' I REPLY BY MR MYERS. The following telegram from the Hon. A. M. Myers was received by Mr J. A. Young. M.t*. last, night: 'Must received j your te'egram of even date, and in reply desire to state that the Hon. Mr Herries, Minister of Railways, stated to a deputa-! tion this afternoon that he recognised the dairying industry was of vital im-j portance to the Waikatq, and intimated that if representations were made in I regard to carrying requisites for essential industries he was prepared to con-| sider same. I have made a full state-' ment in to-day's papers of the coal' positron. In reply to your special in- 1 quiry, members of the Advisory Coal! Committee until the armistice was signed: I were: A. H. Mills, director of the firm of Murray-Roberts, of Wellington; Alex. Mcintosh, late superintendent Dalgety and Co., Ltd., Wellington; and George Wilson, late of Ait-ken and Wilson, merchants. Wellington. At the present time' the chief executive officer of the departi ment is Mr J. Gunn, of Wellington. Mr Gunn is a man of many years' experi-j I euce in the coal-mining industry and | was recently sales manager of the State Coal Department. In addition, the mem-J bers of the Wellington Coal Trade Com-! j mittee. whose names and addresses are !as follows, also advise mc on any matters in which I desire to seek their assisi tance: A. S. Collins, secretary of G. 11. j Scales, Ltd., Wellington: W. W. Gibson, manager of J. Mill and Co., Wellington; jW. Goudin, Jun., of Goudin and Sons, coal merchants, Wellington, and A. Hamilton, branch manager, Westport Coal j Company, Wellington."