COST OF CARTING BOBBY CALVES

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 168, 17 July 1937, Page 9

COST OF CARTING BOBBY CALVES

TRANSPORT AUTHORITY MEETS OPERATORS VIEWS OF EXPORTERS ALSO HEARD Because they are facing increased costs, carriers participating in the collection of bobby calves this season aro asking for additional remuneration for their services. Whether they will get it, however, will depend on tho verdict of the transport licensing authorities which are looking into the matter to see if the increase is justified. Iu Palmerston yesterday Mr P. O. Skoglund, No. 2 Licensing Authority, discussed the problem with representatives of the operators and exporting firms, who came from as far afield us Taranaki, Wanganui and Wairarapa. Mr Skoglund observed that in the past charges had varied considers,bly in the various districts, governed by tho distances involved and number of calves carried. The prices had varied from 9d to Is 6d. Mr Skoglund intimated that after he had heard the representatives ho -would proceed to Auckland and consult with Mr E. J. Phelan, who was conducting a similar mission in tho Auckland province. Mr S. McDowali, speaking for the Feilding branch oi the Transport Alliance, said the present system was that the various export interests were buying in competition and arranging their own transport. It was, therefore, mainly a matter of who got to a farmer’s gate first, and it was on record that a lorry would rush past a gate where only one calf was waiting to get to another further on w 7 here there would be more. As many as four carriers would be seen operating over one route in tho Manawatu, and this was quite ridiculous. Mr McDowell produced figures which were illuminating: —2000 calves for 1540 miles of running, 3010 calves for 4320 miles, 3000 calves for 5280 miles, 3207 calves for 2616 miles, 4000 calves for 4400 miles, 1132 calves for 2330 j miles, 998 calves for 2556 miles or 2J miles for every calf collected, 1100 calves for 2300 miles or a run of two miles for each calf collected. In one case an operator had collected only 24 calves in 105 miles and his greatest collection over the same route was 62. One firm had calculated that it had cost them 5.45 d per vehicular mile to collect calves, or in other words, they had lost £9O during the season on the business. No transport firm could afford to make such a present to the industry'. The only paymeut that would meet the circumstances would be one tied on a mileage basis. Ho knew the export interests were adverse to such a procedure, but the facts were that it cost Is 2d a mile to operate a vehicle. Mr P. O. Skoglund said that from figures supplied tho Department, it had been deduced that vehicular mile costs were as follows:—Up to 4J-ton truck, 8.92 d; 4$ to 5 tons, 9.68 d; 5 to 5i tons, 10.17 d; 5i to 6 tons, lO.OGd; 6 to tons, 10.16 d; 6J to 7 tons, 10.67. 'Mr Skoglund added that ho did not consider the figures at all accurate, but .even if 20 per cent, were added, the I figuro would not be more than Is. Mr McDowali drew attention to increased petrol, garage and other costs of recent date and sai.l no reliance could be placed on last year’s figures. There was a charge of Is 3d a mile for the cartage of other stock where there was no stopping and starting between farm and works, so that that figuro must bo considered the minimum for calves, where tho lorries stopped at nearly every gate. The speaker also thought some remuneration was due tho carrier who had to spend some timo at each gate making cash payments for the calves. Mr McDowell pointed out that the question of cartage charges was closely interwoven with other questions, such as zoning of areas. Mr Skoglund, interrupting Mr McDowali, said he only wanted to deal with the cost of carting at the moment, leaving the other question, which he realised were vital, to a later period. The carriers had sec down the price for the season at 3s 6d and it was his job to discover if the increase was justified. Mr McDowali read a communication from the Hastings operators asking for 3 s 6d per mile. It was stated that there were only two firms buying in the ! district. Where Competition Not Beneficial I Mr Skoglund observed that in the Manawatu it seemed competition had i increased the price of carrying rather 1 than reduced it. Mr W. T. Stanton (Taranaki) pleaded j a similar case to that presented by Mr j McDowali. Their operating costs last y'car had been IOJd, but this would be } increased at least 25 per cent, this season. The speaker also emphasised j that collecting calves was a slow job and so labour costs were higher. Representations from Southern. Hawke’s Bay were for Is Gd per mile j for November-July inclusive and Is 4d ! per mile for August, September and October. Returns showed that at the . beginning of the season one lorry had gone 50 miles for one calf and another 81 miles for three calves. Mr E. W. F. Gohns (Wanganui) j quoted a lorry running 4600 miles for 3957 calves, which worked out at loss than 6d per mile. Mr Skoglund: Why do the carriers do 'it? Mr Gohns: Well, unless there is a satisfactory price this season they won’t. He added that the operators of "pirates” had been partly responible. Competition wa so keen in the Wanganui district that one firm, ho understood, was offering benzine free. Another firm had offered Is 6d until it heard that this conference was to be held. Anything less than Is Gd was not gonig to pay the operators. Mr Gohns regretted that tho conference had not been called earlier so that the operators could have been zoned. Mr Thomas (Wairarapa) said operations in his district had started at Is a head but competition had reduced that figure. He agreed that Is 6d was not too high a demand on account of the j bad methods employed in collection. J 1 Were the districts zoned probably a profit could bo shown at Is. Would it not be possible for the buying com-