RAILWAY RATES

Evening Star, Issue 22383, 6 July 1936, Page 1

RAILWAY RATES

DiFEOTIAL ANOMALIES [Psa United Piiess Association.] TIMARD, July 5. Replying to a deputation from th* South Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, which placed before the Minister of Railways the serious position regarding the Strathailan street railway crossing, Mr D. G. Sullivan said the Government was facing the question, but there were a good manv technical difficulties in the way. The Government N was prepared to make the necessary financial provision in order to eliminate many bad railway crossings, but the chief drawback at thn present time was that there were insufficient draftsmen and designers. They had told the department that they wanted men, even if it were necessary to secure them from overseas. The department could not carry the liability of eliminating crossings and putting in overhead bridges, but the Government as a whole was disposed to face the question in a, generous way.

The deputation also protested against the injustice done to Timaru by differential rates. The Minister said that he_ had not been happy regarding the differential rates which the department was forced to adopt to meet the merciless and rer lentless competition from land and sea. If a policy of differential rates were not introduced the railways _w-'!d have been wiped out. The Minister said it was hoped, that the new poucy of co-ordinating the transport services as affecting rail, road, air, and perhaps later the seaways, would result in many of the existing anomalies being done away with.