RAILWAY RATES

Feilding Star, Volume 3, Issue 319, 21 July 1925, Page 5

RAILWAY RATES

PROPOSED. INCREASE ON t FROZEN MEAT 1 DISASTROUS TO FEILDING WORKS. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RESOLUTION. ‘That this Chamber respectfully desires to point out to the Railway Board that the proposed increase in the rate for the carriage of frozen meat will have a disastrous effect on the Feilding Freezing Works and other works similarly situated in country disdistricts, The Chamber therefore urges that no increase be made in the present charges for the carriage of frozen meat.” The above resolution was unanimously adopted at a special meeting oi the Chamber of Commerce held last, night for the purpose of considering the proposed amendments in the railway tan’ll'. -Mr W. K. Cart hew, President of the Chamber, said the Committee had dismissed the new tariff and had appointed a sub-committee to further examine it. The sub-com-mittee had drafted the motion which |,e'now proposed. -Mr Cartliew pointed out the seriousness of the position for Feilding- The new rale, if adopted, would penalise the local works to the extent of.several thousands ol pounds, while the seaboard works would lie on the old looting. It would be doubtful if the local works could carry on under such a handicap. There were great advantage* in having the farmers’, stock killed and Irozeu at works in their own district, besides developing 1 country industries. The motion was seconded by -Mr

Fitzpatrick. % Mr A. H. .Knit-oil asked did the

freezing company or the exporter pay

the freight.? -Mr J. G. Coblie (Chairman of the Feilding Farmers’ Freezing Co.) said i t depended on the arrangements made. In the case of tile Feilding works the local company paid all the

railage. JMr GV Bailsman, asked whether the resolution included pork and bacon. The President: Yes. .Mr G. Bartholomew would likm the moiion to be worded diflereniiy. I'hey all wanted reductions he wanted a reduction on the timber rates, hut where was the Railway Board to get ibe necessary revenue? He thought they should suggest an increase on the eairiage ol live stock. Mr Fellow : What about stores?

Mr Bartholomew admitted lie war not fully conversant with the subject M r Gobbe hoped the Chamber'wouk not adopt Mr Bartholomew’s suggestion, which would affect freezing companies generally. It would he ;

mistake to suggest any increases to the Railway’ Board. Mr Button asked what would the increased charge on Irozgii meat amount to so tar as feilding was

concerned ? Mr Cob lie said the Feilding Freezing Co. would be affected to the extent of nearly L‘3ooo. Mr J. B. Tin gey Imped the rnoLiot would be carried unanimously, as i matter of justice to the country dis t riots.

Mr Bartholomew and Mr Button said they would both support tbe motion. MR COBBE EXPLAINS. Speaking.in detail on the whole question. Mr (.'ohhe saul it would he difficult to overrate the serious nature of the Railway Board’s proposals in respect to tin* carriage ol nica. insofar as those proposals alleet the inland works. ' Practically all thi inland works at present operating belong t,o the farmers, and were built in order to protect iarmors and enable them to get market values for their stock. Our local works are of great value to the farmers and to the town. During the height ol the season the wages and salaries paid amount to about 111000 per week. 11l addition, the farmers get better prices for their stock than if there were no (Works operating here. He was reminding them of these lactis in ordci jo show what a serious .matter h

would he for the whole district, ii the Railway Department imposed a tarill on our frozen meat which would have the effect of closing our works. In pre-war times the rate Horn Aorangi to Wellington was 29s 3d pel ion, under Clast, Dd. Later it "as transferred to Class C, at 33s -1(1 pc i ton. Tbe next change was an addition of 25 per cent to this 33s -Id. and this was followed by an advance to 40 per cent on 33s -Id. Alter strong representations bad been made by the Meat Control Board on account ol the changed condition of the meat trade, the rate was reduced to 33s -Id pins 10 per cent., at which rate it stands to-day. and is equal to 40 pci cent, over pre-war rates. The proposed rate is 33s 4d plus 40 per cent., which is equal to -78 per cent, on pre-wai rates. The present- rate from Aorangi amounts to .1964 ol one penny per lb; the proposed rate is .25 of a penny. This would mean on out past season’s killing an increase of nearly £2700, or, with the increased railage on coal, it would probably exceed £3OOO. .

During the past year freezing rates have dropped to such a low point that

if, is exceedingly hard to make ends meet; in fact it can only he done by the strictest economy and the most careful attention to by-products. In the case of the Feilding works, if the railway tariff be altered as proposed, the Company’s directors will have-to meet at once and decide whetlioi t.ho\ will face an almost .certain loss, or shut: down the works.

So far as heel) concerned, even if the works were kept open lor the killing of sheep and lambs, the Companv""could not-kill cattle. In order to keep the beef trade our Company has been freezing heel at such a low figure that it. would be impossible to can-v on if the proposed tariff were

adopted. To show Llic weakness of the argil

meat in favour oi an increase in lates. said the speaker, T shall read the reason given bv the Department and published in the Dominion ot the 21th .(lino, which reads as follows: At the time that the concession was granted the value of prime beef for export was :L7b per lb, while at present- it is about bd per lb. representing an increase of 33 1-3 per coni." The day that statement was published the allover price of New Zealand prime beef in London was I 1-Bd, and during the pant lew weeks it, <>» at least one occasion, touched 3jd.-'.

Tlio most galling S'onture of Llio whole business is that, the proposed 'tjirilf. if adopted, would, owing to live slock being earned nL present rales, anlonnitioal l.v drive tlie olO.it lioo/.illg business into the hands o!

the big city proprietary companies, who have their works on the seaboard, with tiie inevitable result that in a few years the farmers’ works would disappear and the proprietary companies could lix what- prices they wished for the farmers’ stock. I mav say your own• Company, as well as other farmers’ companies, are puttine: up a big light, against any increase. The proposals were published on Juno 24, and oil the. morning of the 2bill the local Company's position was put before the Railway Board. Personally, I can hardly believe that, any Government, and more especially a Government on which farmet s are so fully represented, would deliberately adopt a tarilf which would min formers’ freezing companies and enrich big proprietary concerns. to the serious loss of the man on the land and to the detriment of the district in which the farmers’ works are located. (Applause). The motion was then'put and carried unanimously.,: