STOCK TRANSPORT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21640, 4 November 1933, Page 9

STOCK TRANSPORT

RAILWAY OR ROAD

POSITION IN NORTH

APPLICATION BY DEPARTMENT

[by TELEGRAPH —OWN* CORRESPONDENT] KAIKOHE, Friday The Question of granting licences to road operators to convey • livestock to the Moerewa freezing works past the railheads at Kaikohe and Okaihau was raised at the meeting of the No. 1 Transport Licensing Authority at Kaikohe last evening by Mr. G. T. Wilson, district traffic manager, 011 the Railways Department. After referring to the necessity for conserving public revenue by the coordination of transport services and the elimination of wasteful overlapping, Mr. Wilson said it was most important, in view of the Kaikohe branch being a non-paying line, that all the t'nrific it was entitled to should be diverted to it. It had been stated that the train service was not suitable for livestock transport, but this phase of the question had been closely examined from time' to time, and the service was the most suitable, having regard to economy in operation and the requirements of the district. Diversion to Rail Urged The facilities provided for loading stock traffic at the stations were standard facilities, and were suitable, continued Mr. Wilson. The transfer from lorry to railway-truck entailed ojilv 0110 additional handling, which was not a serious matter, and was more than offset by other advantages. Animals travelled more comfortably in railwaytrucks than in motor-lorries, and the railway charges had been reduced to a very reasonable level. Mr. Wilson submitted that the authority should oxer-' cise its powers in the direction of diverting the greatest possible volume of business to the Kaikohe railway. Mr. W. Grounds, chairman of the Hokianga Dairy Company, and a member of the Dairy Produce Board, said he considered that if a farmer was situated near enough to the railway to drivo stock that was the best means Of transport, but if the stock had to be placed on a lorry there would bo less bruising if they were taken right to the works instead of having another handling by being transferred to the railway, Mr. P. G. McKenzie, farmer, of Awaroa, Northern Hokianga, Mr. W. Vickers, of Herekino, Mangonui County, and Mr. W. White, of Southern Hokianga, expressed the opinion that it would be detrimental to tranship stock from lorries to rail. Double Handling of Stock Mr. W. McAulay, managing director of the North Auckland'-Farmers' Cooperative, Limited, and of the Farmers' Freezing Company, said ho railed all his lambs to the works, but he was in a position to drive tlib stock to the station. If he had to convoy the lambs by motor-truck to the station he would follow the custom of others who trucked right " through to tho works.

Mr. R. B. Russell, Hokianga County manager, said that from the local body point of v iew, ultimate costs, including road maintenance, had Jo be taken into consideration, as Tell as the immediate net cost of tran&jpftrt. If the railway were operated to Rnngiahua the majority of the stock for the works from north of that point would be railed in preference to other methods of trailsport. Mr. G. L. Leity, manager of the Moerewa freezing works, opposed the Railway Department's application, as he considered it was generally not in the interests of the farmers to haj'e the double handling of stock. Another Point of View Mr. C. R. Cameron, manager for Da Igety and Company,- Limited, at Kai-* kohe, said he disagreed with the previous witnesses. Ho had taken out records of lines of lambs taken to the works by lorry and rail, and lines that had gone right through to the works by lorry. The records showed that those lines that had been transferred to the rail at Kaikohe and Okaihau suffered less bruising than those which were taken the whole way by road. This would be partly accounted for by the fact that the road to the works crossed the I'urntablo Hills, where the number of turns and steep-grades made lorrvcarrying rough on tiro stock. The chairman of the authority, Mr. W. Jones, said that members were fully impressed with the necessity of diverting traffic to the railway wherever possible, but they must be careful not, to create any unnecessary hardship or; loss to the farmers. The Railway Department's case had been stated very fully and would be carefully reviewed. A decision would bo given" later.