FARMERS’ TROUBLES.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 14136, 9 June 1919, Page 4

FARMERS’ TROUBLES.

RAILWAY MISMANAGEMENT. GO-SLOW AND DIET OX THE WHARVES. The manner in which fat stock arc carried by rail to the freezing works was the subject of a discussion at the Farmers’ Union meeting on Saturday, when Mr Pearce registered a very strong complaint as to the handling of the stock with special reference to cattle. He had recently personally investigated the methods employed by the Railway Department and found that the manner in which the stock was being treated was scandalous. The speaker complained strongly of the delay which occurred in the transit and blamed the shunting at wayside stations as a cause for the animals being knocked about. The trucks wore out of date and there was not enough room for the animals in them. When the trains wore shunted, the beasts turned round and lost their footing and the others trod on them. A recent consignment sent by the speaker from Featherston had depreciated £3 or £4 per head by the time the beasts reached the works. In one truck one beast was dead and five were down, I while the rest were a mass of congealed ! jelly and blood and practically useless ! for freezing purposes. On He other ! hand some which had arrived at the works from Featherston were in perfect condition which showed what could be done by careful handling and that the fault lay with the Railway Department. Mr McLeavey said that the way in which the stock was treated was a scandal

Mr A. Buchanan said the same thing had often occurred with his pedigree stock, and he had asked when possible to have them placed near the passenger cars to avoid shunting. He considered they should have special stock trains which could run say. once a week, and farmers could be advised of the time of tl#dr running. It was decided to ask the Railway Department. to remedy the present scandalous method of carrying stock on the railways in view of the serious loss incurred in transit through delays and shunting. It wn.s also dociclod to sond tnc roselution to the sub-provincial executive and to ask other unions to co-operate in the matter. Reference was also made by Mr Pearce to the lack of freezing space. The speaker said he was satisfied that the trouble lay with the labour laws. One freezing works capable of dealing with 5000 head per day was only putting through 2000. He also spoke of the delay in loading boats complained that the men on the job did not work hard enough. He had only seen one man “sweating” on the wharf and ho wms selling newspapers. There was plenty of space to spare but a lack ot good men to kill the stock and load it. Ho also advocated better facilities for loading frozen meat from the tram to the boats and complained of the present method of dumping the moat on the

wharf. . , The speaker was supported m this by Mr Hubbard, who stated that he bad aeon slings of meat dumped on the Wellington wharf, which was apparently unswept, with the result that the carcases were much damaged.