TRANSPORT OF GOODS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17457, 29 April 1920, Page 6

TRANSPORT OF GOODS.

THE CARRIAGE OF FOOD. MOTORS TO BE . USED, BLOW TO THE FRUIT MARKET.

Every effort is being made by local firms and business houses to meet the inevitable disorganisation of transport caused by the strike. Motor services are being arranged wherever possible, and meat and milk v?il} be brought to the city iii this manner, The' greater portion of Auckland's milk (supply conies front districts already served by motor traffic, and it is not thought that the curtailment of supplies by rail will very seriously affect the position.

One large firm is making arrangements to keep, its many stores throughout the province supplied, and will run a motor service from Auckland to Tuakau, and a launch service down tie Waikato River, by which goods will be distributed to practically every district in %he Waikato. The northern part of the province will be served in the same way, the only inaccessible point being Wellsford, the road to which point is considered <.oo heavy for motor traffic The company is also ento arrange a for the delivery of individual orders to farmers and stations.

The head of a leading wholesale firm stated that arrangements were being made for a motor service for the carriage of goods as. far as Pdkekohe and Tuakau. If the position grew serious, a motor service would also be run to Onehunga, and goods would be sent by steamer to HelenfiviDe and Dargaville. This, however, was not immediately contemplated. With regard to the carriage of goods already accepted by the railway, the Department will give delivery as opportunity permits, or, in the caae of perishable "goods, will return the same to the consignors. No further goods will be accepted for any station. "There is not a peat quantity of goods in the sheds at present,' observed one merchant yesterday, " but I expect there will be a tremendous congestion immediately«the Department takes delivery again. .Merchants are continuing to pack as usual, in readiness for the resumption of traffic, and everyone will try to get hie goods down the moment the trains are running again." The fruit and produce market will probably be seriously affected by the strike. Hie bead of a well-known firm of auctioneers stated yesterday that several thousand cases of apples were on the way to them from various districts, intended for cold storage, but ii was not known where the cases were now. All Tuesday's fruit, and produce, intended for yesterday morning's train? would be taken back and resold to-day. " The worst feature, from the fruit and produce viewpoint, is the effect the strike will have on the country districts," he said. "Auckland is well off; in fact, there will probably be a glut here, for it ie the distributing centre for the province, but the inland towns down the Main Trunk will be left entirely without fruit. We were expecting to send down large shipments of oranges from the Flora to-day, but this will be impossible. Some of the country districts will be able to secure a few apples and peats, but no oranges, lemons, figs, grapes, or other fra't."

The difficulties of local firms will be shared in equal measure by the fruitgrowers, particularly with regard to crops of apples and pears, which are now rapidly maturing, and of which a large quantity was intended for cold storage. The necessity for providing an emergency service "for the carriage of cream to dairy factories is one of the most important results' of the railway strike. A very large quantity of cream is conveyed j rail to the factories owned by the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company, Ltd.. throughout the Waikato, King Country, and adjacent districts. The company has arranged an extensive motor service", which will carry the cream to the factories from various collecting stations. With the exception of one or two isolated districts, all the supoliers have been provided for. The company states that the stocks of benzine and other material now in hand are sufficient to keep the service running for a fortnight. Special arrangements have been mad<s for the distribution of the Heeam> by motor services south and north of Auckland.