RAIL TRANSPORT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 39, 15 February 1945, Page 6

RAIL TRANSPORT

RESTRICTED USE

"CONTINUE FOR SOME WEEKS"

"I think we can look forward to railway restrictions for some weeks yet," said Mr. F. Gembitsky, district traffic manager of railways, at today's meeting of the council of the Auckland Cnamber of Commerce. Mr. Gembitsky pointed out that coal stocks were at present depleted, and the policy of the Department was t accumulate reserves before lifting to difficulties with regard to the booking of seats, Mr Gembitsky informed members that it was not possible to give any guarantees, as only one express was running to Wellington, and there was no prospect at piesent of the service being increased. Those who had urgent reasons for travelling were accommodated wherever pos--51 Asked why the Department did not return to the permit system, Mr. Gembitsky said that it was being considered. Investigations of tne priority system were being made in Australia and England. The Department did not like the permit system because it was regarded as unsatisfactory. Applications for seats had been accompanied by hundreds of doctors' certificates which he classed as "useless." He believed that the public did not appreciate thes number of seats that were available on an express train. . Referring to the question of goods. Mr N. B. Spencer pointed out that there was a large accumulation of waste paper in the reclamation depot. He said he had been informed that under the restricted goods service this could not be dispatched to the mills. , Mr. Gembitsky, in reply, said that the railways had arranged to take sufficient paper so that there would be available space for storing incoming supplies of waste. Perishable Goods Unaffected "There are no restrictions as far as perishable goods are concerned— for instance, butter and cheese, said Mr. Gembitsky. He pointed out, however, that the railways could not handle all the livestock, and road transport had to be called upon. The average tonnage of goods railed from Auckland daily totalled 1200, and as an indication of the quantity now being transported, he mentioned that on the first three days of the current week, 972, 784, and 914 tons had been railed from the city. The average number of consignment notes received daily ranged from 3500 to 4000. The consignment notes received in the first three days this week totalled 2358, 2735 and 2954. These figures indicated that the outward traffic was being stepped up, taking into consideration the question of coal supplies. Referring to the recent railwaymen's strike, Mr. Gembitsky said that, from the public point of view, the strike echo ceased when the men returned to work, but from the railway viewpoint that was not the case, for at that stage coal reserves were drawn upon. The middle districts and Wellington had faced a coal shortage and had been in a worse position than Auckland. On the suggestion of Mr. Gembitsky, the council decided that the railways advisory committee should function again.