Heavy Road Cartage Uneconomic

Northern Advocate, 10 May 1939, Page 6

Heavy Road Cartage Uneconomic

—MR. J. T. B. TAAFFE

“From the point of view of the district’s welfare, I am opposed to any system of transport which would undermine or weaken the shipping service to ports an the Far North,” said Mr J. T. B. Taaffe, chairman of the Kaitaia Town Board. “The boats are essential to farming interests, on which the whole stability of the district rests, and the service they give must be continued however much may be lost in the more profitable rail and motor-truck freights.” In Kaitaia, what was more, or less a gentlemen’s agreement was ■ . reached, by which the business people were to stand with the dairy company in supjSorting the shipping company, and 101 this support were to have the benefit of lower freights. Bleeding Boat Services.

While there was no hope of any truck service catering for the dairying industry, it was not a difficult matter to bleed the boat service bypicking out the most profitable freights for transport by road. If the boats lose freight in.this way, the efficiency of the service they give must diminish, and costs must increase. The Mangamuka hills, dividing Kaitaia from the south, made a road service uneconomic for*' heavy goods handled in large quantities. There were some who would use the road service, but were glad to know that the boats were available when needed for what the trucks could not deal with. If boat freights were too high, the cause could be investigated, just as had been done in many cases of transport by road. Personally, he was 100 per cent, in favour of transport by water.