DROVING OF STOCK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22206, 5 September 1935, Page 15

DROVING OF STOCK

damage to the roads CARRIAGE BY RAIL URGED [fbom our. own correspondent] TUAKAU, Wednesday The movement to have boner cattle transported from the Waikato to Westfield by rail instead of being driven through in large herds, causing extensile damage to the roads, was further discussed by the Tuakau Town Board, who first introduced the proposal, at a meeting on Monday. The chairman, Mr. Garnet Arrowsmith, said there were three main centres where these cattle were collected into huge herds and then driven through to Westfield. These were Morrinsville, Claudelands and Paeroa. The Paeroa centre did not concern Tuakau, as the cattle from there went by a different route to the others and were taken through Pokeno. From the other centres, however, the herds were driven down the western side of the Waikato River, crossing at Tuakau. It had been found that provided the railway could receive a full train load of 75!0 or more the transport could be done without loss at 3s 6d or 3s 7d a head. Local bodies were powerless to pass by-laws which would prevent the stock being driven through their area, and if the traffic was to be diverted to the rail it would have to be as a business proposition. It was decided to write again to the Minister of Railways asking if he would arrange a preferential rate for boner stock not exceeding 3s (id a head from Claudelands to Westfield. Opposition was expressed in a communication from the Papakura Town Board, who claimed that the railways could not carry the cattle at a profit and that therefore the community as a whole would have to stand the loss. They 4 considered a stock route a necessity.