SHEEP TRUCKS.

Feilding Star, 30 May 1907, Page 4

SHEEP TRUCKS.

A conference consisting of farmers, A. and P. Associations, and freezing companies, met last night at A. and P. Rooms to consider the sheep truck question. Mr Jacob presided. Also present: Messrs F. Y. Lethbridge, M.H.R. ; W. F. Jacob, Minawatu A. and P. Association- R. S Abraham, T. E. Jackson, .E. C. Johnston, C. Can', and H. J. Booth, Feilding; J. Cruickshank and D. Campion, Meat Export Company; H. Gillies and W. H. Tripe, Geir Company; A. E. Campbell, Wanganui Freezing Company; R. McKnight, N.Z. Loan Co.; H. McPhee and J. Strang, Carterton A .and P. Association ; J. M. Johnston, Palmerston Chamber of Commerce. Correspondence of a formal nature dealing with the sheep tr,uck question was read. Mr Jackson moved, "That seeing that the fat sheep and lamb trade is the one and only harvest for many ;of the farmers hoth large and small, ! and that it is well known that stock, ! lambs especially, must be trucked to i the freezing works so soon as they ' are fit, this meeting request the Mm- 1 i ister of Railways to provide furtheti ticks and arrange matters so tlu>t there may be no delay in immediately shipping stock to market when delivered at the railway stations." Mr Carr, Feilding, said that the trucks supplied by the Government were totally inadequate. There were thousands of she«p going from this district to Taranaki by rail. Today people with brains trucked everything. Spoaking on fat stock, he said within the last two and a half years we have got two and a quarter million more sheep and fat stock on this coast. We have a Go- ! yernment with Sir J. Ward at the ! head, v.ho advocates quick transit. j He is willing to do it at the London end, but has left no one to do the same at this end. We want more trucks no matter whether it is for stores or fats. The meeting was not called to stipulate anything about fat stock, but was here to cry out for more trucks. Wr R. S. Abraham said that the farmers' cry should be for more truck". Any one who has been in the trade knows how deficient the number of trucks are. It was impossible to conceive how the Government can stand off and see the people treated in such a manner. He gave an instance of how a buyer came down from Hawke's Bay and bought largely and could not get trucks, and as his firm had promised to do so they had to go fooling about and bear the expense of keeping the sheep until such time as the trucks could be procured. Mr Campion, Feilding, gave an instance of how he was treated in his district. He advocated more trucks for both fat and store stock. Mr GilliV-s, representing the Gear Co., said that no one suffered more inconvenienco than his company. The stationmasters did all they could, but the Department was to blame. On the Manawatu Line the trouble wa.s just the same, and times out of number they were obliged to send their sheep round via the Wairarapa. Mr Johnston, Kiwitea, said he had experience in shipping lambs for the past eight years. Live stock should have first preference over dead stock. Mr Tripe, of the Gear Company, read a letter re trucking, and said it would be far better to get information early in the day as to whether trucks were available so that owners of stock would not be put to the inconvenience of unnecessary driving and extra cost. The railway officials were most obliging, anl it was not their fault. . He gave an instance of how a company's buye-% co.iM not get trucks at Feilding, and had to drive sheep to Longburn. Time and again his company had been put to extra expense. He also read several letters in support of his statements. Mention was mack that men had sat in fhe yards waiting all night for trucks. In answer to Mr Johnston, he said that there was both a loss to the producer and the company, and especially the former. Mr Campbell, Wanganui, pointed out that when the Trunk Line was oj ened a considerable amount of traffic would take place on the line, and the Department would also have to take this into consideration. Mr Jackson mentioned that Mr Conway of his district, at Kiwitea, sold stock fo a company and had to wait some eight or nine days before his sheep could be put on the trucks. He knew for a fact that Mr Conway could have sold the sheep at a better price during that time. Mr Johnston then moved: "That it is the opinion of this meeting that a much better system could be adopted by the Railway Department in instituting at their countr- stations a system by which on the stationmaster receiving an order for trucks in writing, or by telegram, such order should be recorded, and the shipper advised at least 48 hours before he requj'res the trucks that such ordt>r will be fulfilled." In support of the above, he said that the system was at fault. In ordering trucks the farmer signs the order for a certain day, expecting the trucks to be at the station. In the event of the trucks not being forthcoming, n.* advice is sent, and consequently the farmer brings the sheep along to find that there are no trucks, a.ri has to take them back. Sonir- s\v tern should be adopted so that tlio shipper could be advised, say 48 hours before, as to whether tin; irucku were available or not. • Messrs Booth and Jackson spoi.e in support of the resolution, which was carried. Mr McKnight moved, "That in th« opinion of this meeting the delay in the shipping of stock at the various country stations could be greatly induced by the running of special stock trains at night, the return of trucks to be dealt with in the same manner." The resolution was carried. Mr Johnston moved that the resolutions carried at this meeting, together with a report of the meeting, be forwarded to Messrs W. T. Wood, F. Y. Lethbridge, Hornsby, Hogg, Ross, Stephens, Field, Remington, Hogan, and Symes, and that it be left to Messrs Lethbridgc and Wood to arrange a time for the matter to be presented to the proper authorities. Mr Lethbridge suggested that the resolutions should be sent direct to Mr McNab, Minister of Railways, and if a satisfactory answer was not forthcoming, that the M.'sH.R. oould trckle the question later. The resolution was then altered accordingly. Mr Jacob said that his idea was to send Mr Carr and one or two others, as the Minister was so used to seeing Members. Mr Carr asking who was responsible for calling the meeting, was informed that Mr Johnston and Mr Jackson were. He then asked the meeting to join together and contribute to the expense. The Chairman said that the expense was nominal, and it would be paid by the Manawatu A. and P. Association. He also intimated that the Association was willing to bear any expense to help the farmers in matters of this kind. A hearty vote of thanks was then passed to Messrs, Jackson, Johnston, and Lane for their trouble in the matter; also to the chairman and visiting delegates. — Times.