HEAVY RAIL TRAFFIC.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 114, 15 May 1924, Page 7

HEAVY RAIL TRAFFIC.

SHORTAGE OF TRUCKS.

SIX STEAMERS DISCHARGING. ! BUSY TIME AT STATION. I A temporary shortage of trucks has been met with on the wharves, owing to the fact that six large steamers are discharging inward cargo, and the demand for railway transport for all purposes,, has been un.usually heavy during j tbe past fortnight. At the King's wharf the steamer Omanii is discliarging telegraph poles and coal, and this being a mixed cargo has been more difficult to work on that account. Loading operations are also being pnt in hand, as the steamer is to lift a big shipment of timber for Sydney at this port; and about 110 . loaded trucks are now in the yard ready for ■ shipment to-morrow. When these are ! emptied the position will be considerably improved. 1 The steamer Tremorvah, which has I been at the King's wharf for over a fortnight, putting out a large shipment of suiphur from Texas has required special trucks to carry on her work; and the I same applies to the Waihora, which 1 is': discharging Nauru phosphates at the I Central Wharf. The Tremorvah is exI pected to complete discharge tomorrow; but the Waihora, which has put out about 4000 tons and has another 2500 tons left to unload, is not likely to complete until next Tuesday. A cargo ot guano, part of which, is being discharged at Auckland, arrived I from Walpole Island by the' steamer ; Kakapo, but the shortage of trucks made iit necessary to put tue guano in the j shed when the vessel started work this morning, and motor and horse vehicles were requisitioned to remove it. Other large steamers working inward cargo today included the City of Birmingham, which sails at 4 p.m., the Kaiapoi, and the Ulimaroa. Besides heavy traffic at the wharves the Eaihvay Department has had exceptionally heavy traffic to cope with at the goods sheds, amounting to between 180 and 200 wagons a day, which is at least fifty per cent more than the average. On top of this an acculumation of sleepers and telegraph poles on the wharves has added to the congestion of

traffic But it is expected that the next few days will relieve .the position and, in the meantime, the Department is distributing the trucks as evenly as possible.