COMMISSION AND INQUIRY

Matamata Record, Volume XIX, Issue 1790, 10 December 1936, Page 6

COMMISSION AND INQUIRY

T.T.T. LINE Controlling Orders-in-Coimcil Amendment Sought by Company The inquiry into the application by the Taupo Totara Timber Co., Ltd., for amending Orders-in- Council to the existing authorising Orders-in-Council under which the company’s tram line from Putaruru to Mokai is conducted, and the commission appointed to inquire further into the operation of the line, commenced their conjointly-held sitting in the Putaruru Courthouse on Tuesday. The referees for the inquiry and commissioners were Messrs. A. J. Baker, chief engineer of the Public Works Department, H. Valentine, assistant general-manager of the Railways Department, and G. L. Laurenson, chief engineer of the Transport Department and ActingCommissioner of Transport. The Taupo Totara Timber Co., Ltd., was represented by Mr. M. North. Others appearing were the Matamata County Council (Mr. M. E. Fitzgerald), Cr. ;K. S. Cox, on behalf of settlers in the Tokoroa riding of the Matamata County, Mr. W.' Leary* on behalf oi Messrs. McGowan and Scott, timbermillers, Mrv P. L. Guillard, on behalf of the Guil-' lard Putaruru Building Stone Co., Mr. C. S. Dalgleish, Agricultural Department Fields Instructor, who appeared at the request of the Tokoroa farming community, Mr. W. T. Morrison, representing the State Forest Service, and a number of Tokoroa settlers who were present to give evidence if required. * The applicant sought authority to change the route of part of its line in accordance with prepared plans, surveys and specifications submitted, the changed route to be included in the authorising O’rders-in-Council; also amendment to various existing clauses regulating construction detail and specifications, and amendment to the scale of charges for freight carriage. The proposed new scale of charges comprised a rate of 10s per ton up to 10 miles for general goods carried in closed trucks, with a rate of • 9d per ton per mile • from 10 to 50 miles; a charge of 8s per ton for 10 miles for general goods to be carried in open trucks, with a rate of 6d per ton per mile up to 50 miles; timber cartage per 100 super feet as follows: 0 to 10 miles, Is 9d; 11 to 20 miles, Is 8d; 21 to 30 miles, Is 3d; 31 to 40 miles, Is; 41 to 60 miles, lOd; a total for the while distance of 6s 6d; split posts, per double bogie waggon: 0 to 10 miles, £7 ; 11 to. 20 miles, £3 ; 21 to 30 miles, £2 10s; 31 to 50 miles, £2; a total of £l4 10s for the whole distance; goods not otherwise specified to be charged as for the first schedule in 5 cwt lots. The company further sought to charge for manures at two-thirds the rate for whatever class they belonged. It was explained that the application had been delayed until recently when the Supreme Court had ruled that the company was the responsible local body under the Act and was therefore entitled to make the application. The order of reference for the inquiry and commission empowers these to determine whether the application' should be granted, whether in the event of it being granted what modification (if any) to it should be made, and what (if

any) restrictions and conditions should be imposed. A large amount of detailed submissions in writing were made to the commission by several of the interested parties, including the applicant, the Matamata County Council and Tokoroa settlers. Among these were the applicant company’s accounts in connection with the working of the line, detailed camparisons with the New Zealand Railways working and revenue accounts and detailed tables of costs. These produced involved and often lengthy discussion. A large mass of evidence was submitted generally and the sitting was a long one.