THE WAIKATO MEAT TRAFFIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7782, 30 October 1886, Page 3

THE WAIKATO MEAT TRAFFIC.

[BY TELEGRAPH.PRESS ASSOCIATION." Hamilton, Friday. * Mkssrs. Maxwell, Hudson, and Uoom, of the Railway Department, have been here today, aad have been discussing the dead meat railway traffic with the Mayor, Mr. W. A. Graham, and othsrs. It will be remembered that at the recent meeting held at Hamilton, to which many of the leading Waikato grazers were invited, Mr. Hudson stated that the concession in the oharge for freight which the Railway Department was prepared to make in the case of dead meat was to charge at the rate of one-eighth of a penny par lb. To-day those who met Mr. Maxwell argued that the freight should be the same as charged for live cattle, which is 37« 3d per track, and each truck will carry seven head of jcattle, and as these average about 800lbs each, a truck of live oattle carried for 37a 6d would weigh 56001b5, whereas it would only take (36001 of dead meat to make the same amount of freight afeone>eighth of a penny par lb, Some little discussion took place as to whether the concession to make the frieght one-eighth of a penny was sufficient, those interviewing Mr. Maxwell urging strongly that in the case of establishing a new industry suoh as this the Kail way Department might well give every facility, as they would reap a large indirect benefit in rendering settlement prosperous, and at the same time be at no extra cost in sending 56001 bs of dead meat for the same rate of freight as charged for live oattle; indeed, that the cost would be less, as the dead meat was the easier handled of the two. A considerable amount of discussion arose as to the difference between the concession granted and that asked for; and Mr. Maxwell, who appeared to be anxious to aot in a fair and liberal spirit in the matter, expressed himself as unable to state positively whether a truck would really carry as much weight of dead meat as of live oattle, as it is well known that the dead meat has to be hung in the trucks, and one piece must be kept from contact with the other. He telegraphed to-day to Wellington to ascertain the weight that is carried in » five-ton track on the Middle Island lines, where a considerable quantity of dead meat is owned in this way. One satisfactory fact was elicited in conversation, and that was that the meat takes no damage in the transit in the South where it is carried a greater distance by rail than between Hamilton and Auokland. It appears to be pretty well understood that if a truck, calculated to carry five tons, can be had for 37s 6d, for tie conveyance of dead meat between here and Auokland, the important slaughtering industry proposed will go forward and be warmly taken np by the Waikato stock-keepers; but on the railway concession rests, it. is feared, the actual difference between profit and loss. Mr. Maxwell, it is believed, Will look at the matter in a bu^jpess-like but broad view, and will do what he can towards fostering the agricultural interests in this important I matter, for it really means the lifting of farming in Waikato out of ; its : present 'de- | pressed condition, and in that Case a largely increased railway goods traffic, both up aad down, . ~...