BOBBY CALVES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22775, 8 July 1937, Page 13

BOBBY CALVES

EATES FOR TRANSPORT FIXATION BY AUTHORITY FAILURE OF CONFERENCES MINISTER'S ANNOUNCEMENT Following on the failure of buyers and carriers to reach agreement on a new general schedule of charges, the prices to be paid for the carriage of bobby calves will be fixed by the transport licensing authorities concerned. Mr. 10. Phelan (Auckland) and Mr. J. P. 0. Skoglund (Wellington). Mr. Phelan said last night that when he had secured complete data from two further meetings to be held at Te Awamutu and Auckland on July 14 and 21 respectively, he would fix the rates for the Auckland district. Explaining that the industry was worth £500,000 to the Auckland Province, where it chiefly Operated, Mr. Phelan said he had met the buyers and the carriers and subsequently both parties, together with representatives of the farmers, had discussed the question without reaching agreement. Now that it was decided the authority should fix the rates, he was asking operators to continue their services under the old conditions until the new schedule of charges had been announced, in order to avoid any interruption of collection. Outline by Minister

In a statement from Wellington yesterday. the Minister of Transport, the Hon. I?. Scinplo, said that now that all licensed goods services were required to observe standard driving hours, to pay award wages and to maintain their vehicles in a reasonable condition, the carriers were asking that the prices for bobby calf collection should bo increased to enable them to fulfil the conditions of their transport licences. "It has been decided that the fairest course for all concerned will be for the licensing authorities to fix the prices to be paid the carriers for the collection," said the Minister. "They will immediately proceed to hold public sittings to consider representations from all interested parties. Seven days' notice will be given in the press of the time and place of the hearings. "All aspects will be fully investigated," concluded Mr. Scmple, "and the price will be fixed 011 a basis that will enable the carriers to fulfil tho conditions of their licences, while, at the same time, every care will be taken to ensure that the farmer is not exploited." Chaotic System Beference to the chaotic condition of the present system of collection was made last night by Air. A. .T. Sinclair, secretary-manager of the Te Awamutu Co-operative Dairy Company, Limited. He said it was quite common to seo four or live lorries collecting on the same road for competing firms, and, with seven or eight exporting firms operating in the Auckland Province at the moment, others were keen to enter this business if collection facilities could be given. The obvious solution was for dairy companies in each district to take immediate steps to rationalise the system of collection. It would be necessary under such a scheme to enter into contracts with the local master carriers' associations, and it had been estimated that if overlapping ,could bo kept within reasonable bounds a saving of 30 per cent could be effected in the overhead cost of the purchase of calves.