CARRYING BUSINESS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 261, 2 October 1936, Page 5

CARRYING BUSINESS.

RAILWAY COMPETITION. CHRISTCHURCH COMPLAINT. Per Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 1. Allegations of unfair competition by the railways were made to-day before tlie committee of inquiry into the taxi and carrying business by a representative of the Master Carriers’ Association. The association also asked that all carriers licensed in the city be compelled to charge the rates adopted for its members. T. J. S. Young, manager of the New Zealand Express Company at Christchurch, gave the committee a list of the rates observed by the members of the association, these being based on the assumption that a 44-hour week would be made valid. If the week’s work were reduced to 40 hours, the rates would probably have to be increased. There were several ownerdrivers outside the association who were not bound by its rates, hence the association would like its rates made binding on all carriers. These rates showed very little advance on those adopted in 1924. The public had been treated very reasonably. Witness described as unfair competition the action of the Railway Department in undertaking certain work previously carried out by private carriers. The delivery of railway parcels was at one time let by tender to carriers, but on the last occasion when tenders were called the Post and Telegraph Department secured the job. Another matter which hit the carriers hard was the practice of the railways in undertaking furniture packing and removal, and the free collection of parcels destined to be carried by tbe railways.