SHEEP AT ADDINGTON

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23891, 9 March 1943, Page 6

SHEEP AT ADDINGTON

Sir,—At this time, when the Railway Department is working to its utmost limit in the handling of stock, and the scarcity of staff, suggestions to the department rather than criticism may prove beneficial to both farmer and department. It is evident that more stock are offering than the department can handle, especially on the north line; and it might be beneficial to all if freezing companies were to be discouraged from using Tuesday as a trucking day during the month of March. I, too ; was the victim of last Wednesday, the 24th ultimo, rather more serious than Mr Blackmore's experience. I trucked half a truck of fat lambs and half a truck of fat ewes at Phoebe at 3.30 p.m. They arrived at Addington the following day at 12.30 mid-day. The fat lamb sale was over and the ewes at a considerable disadvantage. Will the traffic manager please tell me who is responsible for this delay, which involved financial loss incurred through deaths and the sheep not being placed in their correct category?— Yours, etc., C. G. ABBOTT. Cheviot, March 3, 1943. [ln reply to this letter the District Traffic Manager (Mr G. H, McLean) said there was already a fairly drastic restriction on loading to freezing works on Tuesdays throughout the season, and any further curtailment would result in disorganisation and idle time at the works. The train which conveyed Mr Abbott's sheep was delayed because of the late arrival of the inward train at Parnassus, and because of heavy shunting. A good deal of the shunting delay was caused by the train having to lift at stations stock which should have been loaded for earlier trains Mr Abbott's sheep arrived at Addington at 9.45 a.m. on the Wednesday (not 12.30 p.m. as stated). On the day in question there was a heavy yarding at Addington and discharge at the saleyards was continuous from Tuesday night until about I p.m. on Wednesday. Any delay after arrival at Addington was not the department's responsibility. A representative of a stock and station firm said that on February 24 the late arrival of trains meant that men waiting at Addington to receive stock during the I mght were idle, causing a rush on the Wednesday morning. A representative ol a freezing company agreed with Mr McLean s. statement about the inadvisability of curtailing further loadings on Tuesdays.]