TRANSPORTING SHOOKS

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23001, 22 April 1940, Page 3

TRANSPORTING SHOOKS

REPLY TO PROTEST OF FRUITGROWERS DELIVERY BY RAIL INSTEAD OF BY ROAD A reply to a protest about changing the means of delivery shocks of fruit case timber to fruitgrowers which was made at a meeting of fruitgrowers on Wednesday night was given to “The Press” by Mr T. H. Langford, Transport Licensing Authority No. 3. Mr B. T. Turner it was reported said at the annual meeting of the Canterbury Fruitgrowers’ Association that the price of cases to the grower would necessarily go up if the delivery was required to be made by rail. Sawn timber is at present delivered direct from the mills to the fruitgrowers, but by a new regulation introduced last September, goods cannot be carried by motor-lorry further than 30 miles when there is a stretch of 30 miles of open railway line that could be used, Mr Langford explained. Though the regulation has been in force since September of last year, it is just now beginning to have its effect in practice. ■ “Some ancillary operators have already had their licences granted and are able to carry, on as previously, others have been restricted, and some applications have been refused in their entirety,” said Mr Langford yesterday. “Some sawmilling companies applied for licences, and I made extensive investigations into their operations as well as into the effect any restriction would have on the fruitgrowers and other industries. I have framed licences which, while to some extent they depart from Government policy, will permit of shocks being delivered to fruitgrowers without any increase in cost. “I took the view that a mill that was between 30 and 40 miles distant from the consuming point and five miles or more from the nearest railway station should be in the same position in the matter of supply as a mill situated slightly less than 30 miles away and therefore should not come within the scope of Section 17; 1939 Act. I therefore permitted them to travel 40 miles against open Government railway. “The Loburn orchards are 27 miles distant from Christchurch and at least two mills in this city, are suppliers of shocks. One miller informed me that he had no intention of increasing the price of them. “The Hororata mills can still service the Loburn orchardists, as the distance' by road, rail, and road is greater by one-third than the shortest road route available.. If the millers'had to rail the shocks it does not necessarily follow that there would be a price increase. If there was, it would be a matter for investigation by the Price Tribunal.”