RAIL TRANSPORT RESTRICTIONS

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24160, 20 January 1944, Page 4

RAIL TRANSPORT RESTRICTIONS

SCHEDULE OP GOODS TO BE CARRIED

EFFECT ON FARMERS

Restrictions on rail transport in the South Island, introduced this week to conserve stocks of coal, were discussed at a meeting of the executive of the North Canterbury Farmers Union yesterday. A report was presented by the secretary (Mr A. E. G. Lyttle), who was appointed to represent the union on a special committee set up by the Chamber of Commerce in connexion with the restrictions. The following schedule issued by the Railway Department was read to the meeting by Mr Lyttle:— “Conveyance of Goods Traffic: —The following will be accepted for transit: (a) military equipment and stores of all descriptions; (b) materials for use in defence construction; (c) livestock traffic—to be strictly limited to animals required for slaughter (livestock other than animals for slaughter will not be accepted for carriage); (d) lime and manures for agricultural purposes, consigned direct .to farmers, and chaff for feeding livestock, but the quantities must in every instance be limited to the minimum to cover bare necessities: (e) chaff, animal foods, and fodder; (f) lime, salt, and meat bags for freezing works; (g) lime for tanneries and gasworks; (hj) hides and skins—green; (i) posts, stakes, wire, seeds, and agricultural machinery consigned direct to farmers; (j) natural manures; (k) returned empties (such as fish boxes, fish casks, butter and cheese boxes, etc.) to be used for conveyance of foodstuffs and other essentials; shocks for making fruit cases, butter boxes, cheese crates and casks: (1) foodstuffs such as meat (fresh and preserved), fish, bread, flour, sugar, jam, tea, coffee, etc.; (m) household requisites such as kerosene, soap, lamps, brushware, etc,; (n) milk, cream, butter and cheese; (o) machinery and supplies for freezing works; (p) grain (for immediate gristing), potatoes and other vegetables and fruit: (q) coal, coke, and firewood; (r) household furniture and effects of persons moving but not new furniture; (s) benzine and other motor spirits, oils, and greases for lubricating purposes; (t) frozen meat and wool consigned direct to ships* for shipment; (u) rabbits for freezing and canning; (v) beer, wines, and spirits; (w) oil for spraying purposes; (x) gas in cylinders for welding purposes, repair parts for motor vehicles, agricultural machinery, etc.; (y) travellers’ samples, limited to lewt; (z) waste paper and waste rubber. Any other articles of a similar description under the headings (a) to (s) inclusive. Building Materials “Goods accepted for carriage ex coastal shipping will require to conform to the above restrictions. In cases of any other traffic offered which appears to be of an essential nature, district officers may exercise their discretion in the matter of accepting or declining it, after fully satisfying themselves by inquiry as to the position, except that should such traffic involve additional train-mileage, it must not be accepted without first obtaining authority from head office. In respect of bricks, sand, cement, iron, steel, hardware, timber, and building materials (other than for defence construction) such traffic is not to be accepted unless required for some essential purpose. In this connexion, district officers will require to keep in touch with the local representative of the Timber Controller. The Timber Controller, Wellington, is being requested to instruct his district officers to co-operate with the Railway Department, so as to ensure that only essential materials under these headings will be railed.”

Commenting on the restriction on the carriage of livestock, Mr Lyttle said that the Railway Department was aware of the difficult position in which farmers had been placed by the weather, and was prepared to give them consideration.

Mr H. C. Wild said the position had been left very much "in the air” over wheat. Farmers would have to keep their wheat on the farm. “The keeping of wheat is not an insuperable handicap," said the president (Mr A. M. Carpenter). He felt sure that the department would do their best to meet the farmers over livestock and other matters, but the position would need to be defined week by week. Transport operators would assist as far as possible in the cartage of store sheep.

The danger of losses through fire if wheat were stored on farms for indefinite periods was emphasised by Mr F. J. Farquhar. There would be serious fires if rain did not come soon, he said, and it would be “pretty hard” to sec valuable crops burnt. The wheat should be removed from the farms in the interests of safety.