RAILWAY COAL FREIGHTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13845, 3 September 1908, Page 3

RAILWAY COAL FREIGHTS.

—Does the present . (Sovornmont

the Auckland province to wait till the CHirajv - tunnel is finished; and'then lower tie friiighfe v; on coal to suit the Canterbury '; province,; just the same as - the conditions ruling ini-i-, grain the North Island practically has no' l grain. . Are we, as Now.,Zeal»MMiei»,; goings to.eee our kauri timber ; taken to' Sydney, and Adelaide,• and usod ;up ' wfaob-: G sale, to suit the Australian States, and then, to make the round trip • pay to bring over* v •from , Newcastle coal { for, Auckland, ' Gw-< § borne, and Napier,' to take . the place of W.ii- :' kato? Why should we burn foreign coal when; Taupiri coal should bo burnt, and! At the least employ an :i extra 1000 ' men at the /H mines? • I understand the coal freight from' w Newcastle; is "Is; 6d per ton, : and the ship-'z owners , have to dig ■. same i out of , the ship.' The coal freight from j Taupiri is 16s■ 8d perl SI ton, and the railway ; only supplies ' power ;• for haulage. : The ship ? takes any tknaf upj ■■] to a fortnight, and 1 the. rail ; journey shouldc ; take only two ihourajf pith, at night. It ■ i*. ■ no use Sir JosephiWaidf talking about short. % age of power. Why ■if houlds any railway) $ engine rest for 16 houra out of :the": 24- be-. 1 cause three men ' have v r done eight hours*? f! work. ; The Railway' Department am get j> plenty, of . men if they - trill only work •as »ny| | private firm would. ;:: Now,, let the : Depart- % ment. lower the freight o:a " coal • to; half («yj , 3s 4d per ton). ; Sir Joseph Ward' is groat ' on lowering the postage jon letters or any improvement connected . with' the ,; Postal ; 7>o-j ; partment or the Pacific f cable. Let hiajtl.f turn a leaf in his book, and' giv® .men? J that earn"' their living "by 'the? sweat of theiii brow more thought, and not ihe eonding aut 1 this money that should bo kept in ?Aucuandf I to Newcastle. ' John'Johnsow» j-r? [ • Onohunga. •. . :} >j