CARRIAGE OF TIMBER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15549, 5 March 1914, Page 8

CARRIAGE OF TIMBER.

FREIGHTS FOR DISTANCES.

[by TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Wangartti, Wednesday.

In discussing the anomalies of railway charges and the question of rates charged for carrying " shorts," or timber under Bft in length, Mr. W. Veitch, M.P., who is an ex-railwayman, contends that the Auckland Provincial Industrial Association should supply the Department with information as to how much of this timber is available, how much is likely to be used, what it is produced for, and how much the retail cost would be.

Mr. Veitch said that if it could be shown ! that this timber was going up in smoke, I and that it could be profitably used and j sold at a reasonable figure, then the Department would know whether the request was reasonable or not. The Department must make certain sacrifices for the commerce of the country, but the Department could not bo asked to do too much. Preference was given to large towns, as against places«like Wanganui. The freight from the Main Trunk, above Marton, to Wellington, a distance of over 150 miles, was cheaper than from ihe Main Trunk to Wanganui, a distance of only 34 miles. That was a matter the Chamber of Commerce could very well take in hand and try to remedy. The railway freight for long distances was an enormous loss to the country.