Railways Welcomes Two-port Loading

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31500, 14 October 1967, Page 14

Railways Welcomes Two-port Loading

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, Oct. 13. The General Manager of Railways, Mr ,L Thomas, today answered allegations by a member of the Otago Harbour Harbour Board (Mr P. J. Scott), at a meeting in Dunedin on Thursday, that the railways , would need more waggons to carry the increased tonnages of meat to Timaru and Bluff next year, when new arrangements for two-port loading were put into effect. “On the contrary,” said Ml Thomas, “the railways will not require additional waggons. So far as we are concerned, the new arrangements will lead to a much improved utilisation of the existing fleet of insulated waggons. “At present, these waggons spend much of their time Idle, and a considerable amount of empty haulage is necessary to meet fluctuating requirements in different areas. The greater, regularity of loading possible in all weathers at Timaru and Bluff will lead to much more efficient use of transport equipment.” Mr Thomas said most rail movement of meat was of an overnight nature. It mattered little whether the haul was for 10 miles or 100 miles or more. He sow no problems to providing prompt and efficient transport for the meet from works to port over the longer distances. He dismissed the sugges-

tion that “special low rail ' freight costs envisaged in the ’ trial” might be uneconomic, 1 and that these would be an 1 additional burden on the Consolidated Fund x or the tax- I payer. This would, not be so, he said. The negotiations be- < tween the Railways Depart- I ment and the Meat Board, in i fact, could well lead to very i welcome additional net i revenue for the railways be- i cause of the improved regularity of loading and the better utilisation of waggons. < In instances where lower 1 costs per ton-mile were obtained, appropriate rates would be charged, taking the lower operating costs into account These rates would ; be fully economic to the Railways Department. From a transport point of view, Mr Thomas said he was perfectly satisfied that the arrangements for increased concentration of meat exports through the all-weather port facllltles at Timaru and Bluff would lead to much more efficient use of transport equipment and consequently lower costs to the country.

Fitters* Cour»e.—Messrs A. D. Smith, C. D. Mitton, A. J. Didham (consumer fitters) and W. G. Mclvor (gas fitter), all from the Christchurch Gas Company, will at- ; tend a five-day gas fitterj’ i course in Wellington next l week. The course has been . organised by the Gas Assort- ■ ation of New Zealand and will be attended by about 30 . tradesmen.