BEER BOTTLES AND EXPORT CHEESE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1065, 2 March 1911, Page 4

BEER BOTTLES AND EXPORT CHEESE.

AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY,

An extraordinary story of how a portion of a shipment of cheese missed tho steamer for Africa has been told to a Dominion representative. A Woodville company received an order lor seventy crates ol cheese which were to bo shipped to South Africa by tho tridays steamer, via Sydney. Nino days before u was necessary for the chceso to bo 111 \\ clliujjloii the Woodville company ordered (no timber for tho crates from a Carterton miller. On the day following the order the miller telcgrap'ncd to tho Woodvillo company: "Cases railed yesterday, should reach you to-dav." That afternoon, the story continues, iho Woodville dairy manager went down to tho \, oodvillo Railway Station to receivo tho goods. They had not arrived, but tho manager was informed that they should certainly put in an appearance that night. On inquiry that evening tho Woodville manager was informed that owing to tho cheese crates not taking up a whole truckful of space they had been placed 111 a wagon which was used in tho pick- } n 8 np of empty bottles in tho Masterton ' dry ' area lor railage to the Mangatmnoka brewery, It had never struck tho Woodville dairy manager that tho collection of "dead marines" in tho Masterton electorato had assumed such important dimensions that it was placed before the shipment of a big staple industry, and ho was disposed at first to treat tho matter as a joke. "It is no joke," said tiie statiomnaster, "your cheese crates aro 0,1 tho truck which is collecting bottles somewhere betwccu Mostorton and Mangatnmoka, but at any rate tho stuff should bo hero to-morrow (Friday). Tomorrow (a Friday) was then fixed as the ante of arrival and as that left him almost a clear week to get tho consignment ready, the manager accepted tho position. 011 Friday evening lie was informed by tho statiomnaster that the truck had not arrived, but that if he liked to pay the expenses of a telegram, the Department would find out where it was. Tho manager paid and was informed that tho truck was at Mauricevillo and that it should arrive in the Woodville district at an early date, Saturday passed, Sunday Monday, and then Tuesday. On Wednesday the truck had reached Hukanui, and th® Woodville manager was told that he could get ready for his consignment that evening. Ho engaged a lorry, and obtained permission to have tho railway station gates open so that ho could have access to the yard when tho train arrived at midnight. He also wired his Wellington firm to expect the goods on Thursday night. Tho Wellington firm thereupon engaged a lorry to take tho stuff to the cold storago works 011 its arrival. When the Woodville manager, went down to the railway station lie received it disappointment j tho crates had not come. The stationmaster stated that ho had given instructions for the bottlo truck to come straight on to Woodvillo from Hukanui, discharge the cheese crates and then return to Mangatainoka. Tho crates arrived at Woodvillo on Thursday, nine days after they had left Carterton, 58 miles away. All dispatch was made in packing, but tho whole of the cheese did not get to Wellington till midnight on Iriday, several hours after the. departuro of tho Sydney boat. Tho Wellington firm which handled tha produce states that tho South African buyers are very particular about dealings being done punctually and in a businesslike way. For this and other reasons any muddle about South African trado is very annoying. Tho particulars of the case were placed before tho Railway Department, but no reply has been made.