TRANSPORT OF STOCK

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20639, 20 August 1941, Page 3

TRANSPORT OF STOCK

ROADS AND RAILWAY CO-OPERATION URGED A renewed complaint of competitio.from road operators in the carriage o. livestock, particularly sheep an. lambs, is made by the general mar. ager of railways, Mr. 3. Casey, vi hr annual report. This competition is making inroad into railway revenue over routes r. in areas where the department ;r vides and maintains ample sc '• and facilities to meet al! the rruo able requirements cf the lire?: industry. Mr. Casey states. A recent analysis of ra: - . sheep traffic shows that the the 2000-odd sheen waggons \ r vice are fully employed Ur ' eight weeks cf the year and ■xvar i railway shcepyards are used ■* > on a fraction of their capacity. Dcrpit this, other interested parties centum tc demand further railway .ns ilit c for the carriage of stock. Owing to the highly seasonal nntur of stock movements and the lar r -_ amount of empty running involved the carriage of sheen and lambs i one of the most difficult promblems c national transport, the report continues. The department approachc this particlular aspect of the genera rail-road problem in no spirit c parochialism, but with the keen desir to co-oneratc with the road transp:.: industry, which, it is freely admittc ■has a valuable part to play and cr offer a superior service to that cc th railways in particular cases involvin short hauls. However, it. is contended the intone competition of the last two rr thr r years will in the long run be hnrmfr to the national economy, since a lore sum of public money is invested railway livestock facilities on vivv the present return is very smr.il. Tiv disability will continue Unless the c* tensive "rights of road operators respect of sheep and fat lambs r eliminated or curtailed in order 1 pave the way for a greater and mor sustained use of the railways.