RAILWAY MATTERS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9740, 5 March 1914, Page 5

RAILWAY MATTERS.

FREIGHT ANOMALIES AND THE TRUCK SHORTAGE. DEPUTATION TOTHE MINISTER EOR RAILWAYS.

At a recent meeting of the Chambet of 'tommerce, several railway matters wero discussed .and n was decider! t« approach theM irnstero R a ih vays concerning'^ j were railway freight on wooJ g pailS n and or scouring purposes, on flax retuined to the exporter for re-drying after becoming wet in transit, stock wfggong and the ra, age on foreign coal from S port towns inland.. Advantage was taken of Mr Hemes visit to Palmerston yesterday to lay the matters before him at the Borough Council Chambers last evening TAX ON FOREIGN COAL.

Mr F J. Nathan, president of the Chamher of Commerce, informed the Minister hat to some extent the matter, to bo ots H^ f r lnm . Were departmenff ones He then went on to speak of the. foreign coal freights. The Minister would remember that under the stress of the recent labour troubles they had to go from w». i ♦ ?V. d l o ** 0 ™* 0 coal. The trouble was that they who were inland had to pay 3s extra freight on that coal to get it inland That did not seem fair, when those living at the port got it at the price of landing. Why penalise those living away from the seaport town? He thought an import tax should meet the question if it were placed on all foreign coal. Mr D. Buick pointed out that inland towns were paying extra freights on imported hardwoods, and he thought tho country should pay the same as seaport towns, especially as they must have hardwood for bridges and other things

FREIGHT ON SCOURED WOOL. Mr M. A. Eliott then referred to tho tjeight on wool brought from seaport towns to inland towns for scouring. Mr Eliott said the matter concerned the whole of the inland towns of New Zealand, and not Palmerston North individually. He pointed out in many cases the Railway Department now got railage three times over on the same hale of wool: first down from the. farmer to tho seaport for sale, secondly back to an inland town for scouring, and thirdly, back again to the seaport' for shipment. If the wool was sold out of New Zealand at once then the Department got no extra freight. Mr Eliott pointed out that a rebate was allowed on grass seed. Mr Merries: The farmers' grass seed only; the seed in not sold. Mr Eliott went on to say that the matter had been strongly advocated by Feilding, Masterton and Dannevirke Chambers of Commerce, and lie read a telegram from the. President of the Feilding Chamber, supporting the deputation. What ho asked for was a rebate of half the railago on wool so brought back for scouring. He contended that there could be no abuse if this were granted, as nobody would send wool back just to get a rebate. Further, by sending back the wool at a rebate, Mr Eliott contended more labour would bo engaged in tlte country.

Mr Eliott then referred to the. bringing hack of flax for drying when it became wefc in transit, often through the negligence of the Department. The flaxmillers, lie stared, had to pay freight on this extra railage. Ho pointed out that this was unfair, and thought that there should he a remission of the freight or part of it. TRUCKING FACILITIES. Mr Eliott then dealt with the question of trucks and th*> facilities for trucking in the district, lie said that at the present time, Wellington dealt with the lino as far as Longburn, and Wanganui northwards. If Feilding required waggons they had to send to Wanganui, and Feilding, he contended, sent out more live stork than any other station. It: was felt it, would facilitate the work of the Department if a responsible officer were stationed at Palmerston to deal with the waggons and tarpaulins also. It was felt sooner or later that it would become necessary for this district to become a separate traffic district, but at the present it was only desired to ask for the request previously mentioned. THE MINISTER'S REPLY.

Mr Herrie-s with regard to the freight question, hi' thought it had been brought, up many times. The whole question of the tariff was being gone into, and he hoped in the course of time to adjust, anomalies, but did not want to do anything piecemeal, lit did not want to nuir the whole scheme by giving concessions that might afterwards have to bt* taken back, and he had to consider the revenue. Tim engine would burn just as much coal taking the wool to be scoured at it would take when carrying it to the port. Mr Denies suggested that perhaps the Agricultural Department would give a Ik>iiu> on such wool, as scouring ir; the country should undoubtedly be encouraged, though he did not know why it should be done at the expend of the Railway Department. He said the whole question of freights and fare* was being gone into, and remarked that the Minister of Railways seemed to be the most unpopular of the portfolios. Everyone used the railways and the Department was always getting into trouble with them in some way or another. Coming to the question of a new district for truck control, the Minister said they had to ease the Main Trunk line, and had created a new district between Frankton and Marton, with headquarters at Ohakune. Wanganui was an old station and had the. workshops there, but he would go into the. question of shifting the traffic manager to Palmerston. He did not say it would bo done, but ho would look at both sides of khe question and see if there were any difficulties in the way. THE SHORTAGE OF TRICKS. Mr liodder brought up the matter of the shortage of trucks at the present time. It was a very great inconvenience and seemed to he more acute now than ever. Tho fanners would like to know whether there was any likelihood of the shortage being remedied. This week they had not been able to secure a single truck between Marton and Palmerston. and Mr Hodder commented on the difficulty of doing business under those conditions. Mr Buick said this was a universal complaint. There was a shortage all over the Dominion. It was not this Government's fault, hut was a legacy from ite predecessors. The management from Wanganui was an absurdity. Wanganui was at one time a centre, but that centre had been shifted to Palmerston. It was an absurdity to send everything to Wanganui—a wayside station because it wa6 on a branch line.

Mr Herries said they liad endeavoured to got up with fche shortage. The building programme showed a very large increase on the previous your. He had got half a million voted, practically the whole of which was for new engines and new rolling stock. The programme had been very much accelerated in regard to rolling stock, but this year the position had been very much more acute. particularly in regard to sheep. There had been such a bountiful harvest and general prosperity, and everyone desired to get his stock to the market. Either from a want of engine power or of rolling slock it had been a great strain on the Department to satisfy everyone. The Department was doing its best, and the building programme had shown a very great advance on previous years. If desired he would send an officer up to ascertain if there was anv laxitv in dealing with the trucks but he himself believed that the officers were dcin-r (.heir best. Mr Eliott agreed with the latter remark. The Minister was thanked for his presence and attention.