MUST BE SOLVED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 153, 30 June 1937, Page 12

MUST BE SOLVED.

WASTEFUL TRANSPORT

BOBBY CALF TRADE.

IMPORTANT CONFERENCE. Over sixty representatives of interests concerned in the bobby calf ,trade met in conference in Auckland to-day to discuss proposals for the control of the industry. Mr. E. J. Phelan, the No. 1 Transport Licensing Authority, who convened the conference, presided. During the morning of the Important groups involved, the carriers and the buyers, met separately to consider a scheme of collection submitted by the Licensing Authority, and a combined conference was held this afternoon. ' Addressing the preliminary conference, Phelan said the time had arrived when a genuine effort should be made jto arrive at a solution of the disr .organised condition of the bobby calf trade, and this was the more urgent, as a new season was about to open. He .had therefore invited the meat-buying concerns, the carriers, the farmers' organisations, the Railways and Agriculture Departments, the county councils and the Society for the Prevention of •Cruelty to Animals to be represented. "Appalling Conditions." "From my observations," said Mr. Phelan, "I am satisfied that the conditions in the past have been appalling and that there is the utmost*justification - for serious attention to this | problem.

"Points which require to be dealt with are the purchasing of calves by the carriers, particularly - the mt thods. of buying adopted owing to the keen competition for calves, and matters relating to transport." - Mr. Phelan suggested that the aim should be to release the carrier from any other duties than those connected with transport- This was desirable, as the Act provided that the carrier should carry "without choice or preference," which could not be expected while he was bound to an individual firm. The system in the South Island, where a conservative basic price was paid to the farmer immediately the calves were taken, was mentioned by Mr. Phelan as worthy of consideration. He said the calves were later auctioned and any profits were, distributed among the suppliers. It was made clear that the powers conferred under the Transport Licensing Act gave authority to deal with matters of transport only, and Mr. Phelan said the conference should recognise the need of overcoming the existing difficulties so that the transportation side could be effectively dealt with. Problems to be Solved.

• Among the problems to be solved, stated Mr. Phelan, were the excessive wear and tear of- roads, the duplication of services, much unprofitable operation bv carriers, wide fluctuations in the prices paid to farmers for calves due to the imperfect conditions of competition between buyers, the unftfir responsibility placed on the drivers of trucks or lorries used in the collection of calves, by requiring them to act in the capacity of buyers' agents, the waste of the drivers' time in approaching and bargaining with farmers, and the embarrassment arising from an influx of temporary goods service licensees to act. on behalf of the individuafbuying firms. Calf Pool Proposed. The scheme proposed to the conference provided for the establishment of a bobby calf pool and for contracts to be mades with the carriers' association for the bringing of all calves into the pool's depot by drivers, who would collect only from farm gates. Payment was proposed on a conservative standard 'price, based on weight, followed later iby a distribution to the farmers of all profits remaining after expenses had been met. It was stated that the cartage rates should be agreed upon between the pool and the carriers' associations and approved by the Licensing Authority. In fixing the personnel and representation on the pool it was proposed that the Department of Agriculture should have authority. * As to the distribution of calves from district-depots to abattoirs and the location of depots, the conference was asked to make suggestions for the guidance of the Departments of Agriculture, Railways and Transport. The carriers' associations, it was proposed, should be required to guarantee adequate trucks, with weighing apparatus. and with partitions. By the adoption of this scheme, it was contended, the present difficulties would be entirely removed.