‘Carriers face ruin’

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33741, 14 January 1975, Page 3

‘Carriers face ruin’

(A’.Z. Press Association)

HAMILTON.

Road carriers say that they face ruin if the big central North Island sheep trek is repeated and if farmers go ahead with planned cattle drives to avoid cartage costs.

“The livelihood of rural carriers* depends upon farmers’ work —- fertiliser and bulk livestock cartage are by far the most important,” says Mr C. Clare, secretary of the Waikato Road Transport Association. “In the last nine months there has been a big cut in fertiliser .work; and livestock cartage, because of falling sheep and cattle prices, has been cut by as much as 30 per cent.

Local authorities throughout Waikato will be urged to introduce by-laws controlling stock movements on highways and roads.

Moves to ban cattle movements through Hamilton streets will also be taken shortly. At present the City Council is unable legally to prohibit such movement although it can designate stock routes and conditions. The legal moves are aimed at controlling herds which Central Plateau and Waikato farmers are planning to drive on foot to the Horotiu Freezing Works in the autumn.

Traffic and local authorities are concerned that mass cattle and sheep drives would create traffic hazards and pollution problems.

However the senior vicepresident of Waikato Federated Farmers (Mr W. R. Storey) says that transport costs from the farm are the only charge fanners have any means of by-passing. Farmers would co-operate in lessening nuisance to other road users. But banning stock would mean some animals would be slaughtered on the farm for economic reasons — with a resultant loss of income to the nation. “Farmers are concerned that rural carriers, along with aerial topdressers and

other farm service industries, are being forced out of business through no fault of their own,” Mr Storey said. An improvement in farm profitability would be little use if the farm servicing structure had collapsed.

Award to plumber.—Mr T. W. Dolman, a 21-year-old Gisborne plumber, has been awarded the Bank of New South Wales travel bursary for an 11-month working visit to Australia. The award recognises his excellence in trade certificate examinations. Employment and board have been arranged for him in Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania.