FARMERS AND RAILWAYS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 135, 9 June 1932, Page 21

FARMERS AND RAILWAYS.

HAVING IT BOTH WAYS. Stripped of all irrelevancies, the innual conference of the Auckland Provincial Farmers' Union did pass a resoution condemning the Railways Board tor suspending work on certain lines and railed on Parliament to resume control of the railways. Put plainly, the policy of the farmers and the Farmers' Union in regard to the railways is one of "take ill and give nothing." They want the railways to carry manures (the purchase of which, by the way, is subsidised by •he State) at unremunerative rates, but they refuse to send their produce to main ports by the railway if they can ?ave ft few shillings by sending it other■vise. Certainly produce is being delivered at these main porta at lower -ates than obtain on the railways, but it must not be forgotten that in almost every instance it was the railway that ,'ompelled motor and shipping companies 10 reduce freights. Motor concerns cannot compete with the railway manure tariff. Slag and other manure is actually transported from the Auckland wharves to Whakatane West (a distance of 233 miles) for 14/ per ton, which works out it .71d, or less than three farthings, per mile. Mr. Robinson will probably tell me that slag can be landed on the wharf it Whakatane at less than 14/ a ton, but it was not so before the advent of the railway, and if the East Coast line is closed, as it undoubtedly must be if jrcater patronage is not forthcoming, i'armers may expect a return to the old freight charges. Another important concession is that given by the railways on the carriage of lime, which is carried tree up to 100 miles, and after that at oeppercorn rates. In times of drought ind flood, stock are transported on the railways at no cost to farmers, and there are many other concessions which ;pace does not allow me to enumerate. [ believe that these concessions are greater than those given by the national railways of any other country, but if Mr. Robinson knows of greater he should name the country. In asserting that if the railways do not pay, it is the fault of those in charge, Mr. Robinson is not quite fair. He knows better than that, ind he also knows that farmers are withholding remunerative business from the railways. He asks, if they do, who has * better right? lam not disputing the farmers' right to send their produce to oort by lorry or coastal boat, but if they do they should not be granted any concessions in freight on manures or lime used to increase production, and non-paying lines should not be kept open for their benefit. They cannot have it both ways, and the spoon-feeding is being carried on at the expense of others who have as much right to live in this !ountry as the farmers, who have apparently convinced themselves that their elass is not only the backbone of this fair land, but the whole outfit—to use i convenient American term. Such •gotists need to be undeceived. Yes, the railways have been freed from political control all right, as witness the board's rirmness with Farmers' Union deputations, which come, like Oliver Twist, ask:ng for more. Mr. P.o'oinson has not inswered my inquiry as to where the Country party stands in this matter. T. S. HICEEY,