THE RAILWAYS

Evening Star, Issue 17086, 3 July 1919, Page 4

THE RAILWAYS

BTT&ffSTDE PEEEZEtm WORKS STOPPING. MILMIBN ABOUT TO CLOSE BOWK. OAMARU AND IFVEBCARGCLL MUST SUFFER.. Owing to the refusal of the Railway Department to carry live stock to fsaasgiug works., tihe New Zefltatd RoMgeirafoing Company are faced w&tth the neeeasifey of having to discontinue operations ai Burnside until fuatHhor notioa. The manager, (Mr Barker) states that owing to the shortness of the notice which ho received from the Grovennmeinlb and the stringency of tihe resfcrfeikms, be has no alternative bat to close till© works at Burasido, -width. are almost entirely dependent on the railway service. Tb» cessation <*£ woslc will affect between 100 and' 150 men. The stock in 2mnd to-day was pj-actioa-Hy killed out this afternoon, and a toge number of tihe hands were to be tfoen paid off. The works will resume a® eooro as the railways give relief. The Miiibum Limo and Cement Company juts oisb in trouble over the railways. Their limo quarry at Dumbatfk cannot get the raw material away owing to the railway communication being stopped, and it is ts\e present intention to close down on Friday, -thus throwing 32 hand* out of work. The Mlbuxn quarry is soil working, but on a restricted output, a« the wiMwiays will only carry Kmo to farmisro. "Wrhh Biis ehortags of raw material it is probable that tihe company's cement works in Dunedin will fa-ayo to close very shortly, and if so this will involve tihe suspension of 55 liands. Dunedin has for a considerable tiro© been the distributing port for huge quantities of cargo for Oamaru and caugill. Thousands of tons of all sorts of <goods from England and America., including even bar steal and rails, have boen taken out of the big ships noro anu sent on by rail. Most of such goods had to qo by' rail, since there was only one small steamer on the Inveroargill trade. Aa an examiiple, the Waitomo last December ,put out for Oamaru and Tiniaro about 800 tons of corosaoks alone. The port of Otago hias benefited by such distribution, and to the loss of revenue by tlLe cessation of the railway communication has to be added the vexation of the resident*! an jftie places mentioned. _ The newspaper proprietors are feeling the dislocation severely. The ' Evening Star' has ihiad to put on a motor service to E'vansdaile, with sub-services from there to m-oro ddsfaunt places, and also estaljlis'h a Bervice between Milton- and Bak.lu.fcha. Mr J. B. Waters (president of the Chamber of Commerce) has received the following reply from the Minister of Railways : " Received your telegram urging that rabbitsldns consigned by rabbiters be carried under the curtailed railway service. Your representations axe noted and will have consideration." ONLY BUSINESS PEOPLE TRAVELLING. A Press Association wire from Wellington nras thus : Inquiries at tho railway stations bear out tihe supposition that travellers by train are now confined practically to those who must ocroe to or leave Wellington on business, Longdistance pleasure traffic appears to have ceased almost- entirely. RACEHORSES SET OUT TO WALK. This morning Mr L. C. Hazlett's racehorses for tQi© Waimate meeting were started to walk all -tlio way in easy stages, and they will probably walk from there to Ghristohnrtih. Luk© old times! DAYLIGHT SAVING SUGGESTED. ■ A Napier telegwrm says: The Chamber of Commerce discussed the train curt-ail-ment. It was resolved to urge the department to cany full loads of goods, not on the present li?t for provided the cdal consumption was not increased- It was also decided to -urge business places to open at 8.30 and close at 4.30 p.m., in order to help the situation. The chamber supported the Wellington Philosophical Society's resolution re making New Zealand time 12 hours ahead of Greenwich.— Napier ■telegram. RAILAGE of building material. A Wanganui wire reports : —The local branch of the Society of Carpenters and Joiners wired to the Minister of Railways pointing out that the prohibition of the railage of 'building material is a very serious matter to the building trades, and suggesting to the Minister to substitute building- material for liquor. MAIL SERVICES FOR CANTERBURY. A Christchurch P.A. message says : The Canterbury Progress League have stooped into the breach in regard to the curtailment of postal services, and have started special motor services for the morning carriage of mails. All routes will maintain a daily service throughout the province.