RAILWAY FREIGHTS
TRADERS PERTURBED. Per Press Association. HAMILTON, Feb. 22. Tbe declaration by Mr H. H. Sterling. General Manager of Railways, of a cnange of policy in regard to freights is perturbing the tracers doing business in a variety of lines requiring road or rail carriage. Mr W. Seavill, the chairman of the Farmers’ Auctioneering Company, which has large ramifications throughout South Auckland, stated that what Mr Sterling advocated was not equitable, notwithstanding his assertions to the contrary in that the policy he was adopting was frankly one of robbing Peter to pay Paul. Neither was it good business.'
. “If the Government engages in commercial pursuits it should do so on a competitive basis, and not take advantage of its position to ride rough-shod over private enterprise,” he said. “If the railways are rendering good national service by carrying manure, etc., at below cost, and I think they are, the department concerned should be recompensed by the Departments of Land and Agriculture. I believe this is being done up to a certain amount, and further effect might be given to this principle. This would be equitable and would be an example of the Government’s ability to take a long-sight-ed view of the matter.
“To try to make up the leeway lost on the transport of one class of'goods by taking advantage of their position by extracting it from the pockets of those who are affected by the rates ruling on other classes is ohviously unfair on the part of the department. Freights have to be reflected in tho retail price charged, and what hope would certain companies have of successfully conducting that part of their business coming under classifications A, B or C with firms dealing in these goods only, who carry them by lorries at a cheaper rate than the railways? They can consequently snap their fingers at the Railway ‘Department, seeing that the department has no way of successfully retaliating bv penalising them on goods classified under D or E.”-
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Bibliographic details
Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 75, 24 February 1930, Page 4
Word Count
332RAILWAY FREIGHTS Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 75, 24 February 1930, Page 4
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