RAILWAY TRUCKS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19888, 27 March 1930, Page 12

RAILWAY TRUCKS.

FARMERS' COMPLAINTS.

DEPARTMENT MEETING

SHORTAGE.

It was made clear to the Railway and Transport Committee of the Canterbury Progress League yesterday afternoon by the Railway Business Agent (Mr P. Pawson) that the Department was doing its best to meet the demands for trucks whjch occur during the stock and grain seasons.

Mr G. H. Judd said that he realised that the Department was doing all it could to deal with the position, but there were delays in getting stock to the Addington saleyards, which caused a great deal of inconvenience. He had recently had some stock drafted which had had to wait for a fortnight to get as far as Addington. There was a shortage at present, and he made the suggeston that a conference might be held with the stock auctioneers with, a view' of avoiding the annual ewe fairs clashing with the sale at Addington. He considered that fat stock should take precedence over stores. Mr Pawson: You are unfair. (Laughter.) Mr W. Goss: You should not make fish of one and flesh of another. Is Trade Expansion Being Met? Mr Judd went on to state that in his opinion the Department had not kept pace with the expansion of trade in Canterbury. Had it made provision to-meet the increased trade with the West Coast in the last two years? be Mr G. A. Maginness thought that the farmers were to some extent to blam«» for this for keeping their ewes for as short a period as possible before mating them. _ "I do not agree with that, said Mr Judd, adding that he thought the position could be met if the auctioneers arranged the dates of the ewe fairs differently. , „ _ . In reply, Mr Pawson said that one of , the first jobs he undertook when appointed to' his present position was to look into the Addington market. He was inundated with complaints concorning truck shortages* 'He obtained returns as to the quantity of stock loaded, and suggested l tßat the trains should be run more frequently to meet the position, many of them having been overloaded. Stock trucks had been left for days standing, not being turned over as quickly as should have been the case. Finally, the Saleyards Company had been induced to agree to continuous loading, in consequence of which stock was got away expeditiously from Addington.

The Peak Period. The Department had endeavoured to get ewe fairs spread over a certain period, but farmers wanted them held at a fixed time. This year, however, the Department had got da quite well in this respect, but it should not be forgotten that there was always a peak period to be taken into consideration. The Department was generally able to meet the present position, but conditions were changing owing to evolution in the farming industry. However, the Department was building trucks to meet the conditions, and 100 deckers had been placed in commission this season. There had been very little forward wiling this farmers wanting to sell at once. This had made it harder for the railways to carry the freight that came its way. The conditions Ijad also changed so far as grain was concerned. The a(pjre&d over-a long, period, but to-day -tfipfcrs an&ffelnders dealt .with crops quicHy/ Then, again, grain used to be- carted away .by horses, whereas lit the 1 present moment - a farmer ,'coul^'get 2000 sacks 'shifted in, « day. These changes had come too rapidly ,for the Department. Another, factor in,tfie shortage fluertiorijWas the Australian coal strike, .which n*d. jre-i suited in a big demand -for .West Coast coal"; during the summer."' The arrival .of overseas shipping also increased' the difficulties of the Department in the busy season.' To-day there was a. free exchange of trucks between all districts of the South Island-, and more; rolling stock was being constructed. The throughj goods train on the Invercargill line had; "assisted , the position,'as also 'haS'the inauguration of a night'goods train on the Midland line.