THE RAILWAY DEPARTMENT

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIV, Issue 1, 3 January 1910, Page 6

THE RAILWAY DEPARTMENT

PILINC4 UP TRUCKS

"The people canot deal with the wool,'' remarked Mr S. F. Whitcombe, District Railway Traffic Manager, when asked for an explanation of the position. "About 300 trucks were piled up. The Harbour Board cannot deal with it and the merchants have not the facilities. The consequence was we had to'take some stand. We had to advise the people that we could not take the wool, that it was no good bringing it to town. They were only using our trucks for storage and sticking up every line. The wool has been coming in so fast that the consignees could not deal with it. It has been, coming in extraordinary fast this season and in much larger quantities than before. We cannot put away all the wool that has been brought- in. We can take a little, but nothing much. If we took more it would block all ordinary work." Mr Whitcombe also pointed out that the wool had come from Auckland, Wanganui, and other places at a distance, and unless opportunity could

be given to return the trucks there would be a block in the traffic at these places for the want of rolling stock. The blame primarily lay at the door of the consignees, who were unable to handle the wool on arrival.

Asked whether the department would provide more accommodation for woolj Mr Whitcombe said that this was a matter which was for the Minister for Railways to decide.