BULK DEPOTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25202, 15 May 1945, Page 7

BULK DEPOTS

fertiliser delivery SUPPORT BY RAILWAYS 1 think, with you, that the bulk distribution of fertiliser and lime will have the desired effect of eliminating the pressure on our waggon supply at a time when other commodities fully engage our attention," stinted a letter hom the General Manager of Railways, Mr J. Sawers, which was received at a meeting of the Auckland District Council of Primary Production yesterday. The council in March suggested that to overcome the bottleneck in distribution of fertiliser bulk depots should be established at strategic points throughout the Auckland Province, where fertiliser could be stored during the slack periods to be available to farmers when they wanted it. Mr Sawers raid that the proposal was on similar lines to installations the department had in mind for the handling of lime and about which information had been collected regarding deliveries to stations in the South Island. 1 shall be very pleased to learn that the National Council of Primary Production has approved of the scheme," he continued. "Needless to say this department will he only too pleased to assist in any way possible the furtherance of a scheme such as this which will spread the use of railway waggons and obviate vexatious delays which are unavoidable under existing conditions." 1 1 his is a very pleasing reply to our report," commented the chairman of the council, Mr R. C. Clark. He said that it was rather disturbing that the national council had not replied to the district council's letter of two months ajj;o. The meeting expressed concern at the lack of attention given to the letter on a subject which was believed to be a vital matter affecting production, and decided to draw attention to the favourable reply from the General Manager ol Railways. Information regarding the amount of fertiliser and lime awaiting collection at country railway stations in the Auckland district vvas contained in a letter from the district traffic manager's office at Auckland. The information was requested by the council owing to complaints that farmers were not unloading trucks as quickly as they should. The letter stated that there were 4.3 tons

of unclaimed fertiliser among ten of the 'Country stations and 15 tons of lime among three stations. The position was not as serioi s as it had been a few months ago. The council decided to refer the question to the relevant area committees with a view to finding the owners of the unclaimed consignments. A report on complaints regarding the collection of fertilisers from one company at West field was made by the secretary of the council, Mr W. Alexander. He said that there had been a misunderstanding in the first few days of the collection, out the difficulties had since been overcome. STANDARDS INSTITUTION ' VALUE OF ORGANISATION (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Monday At a reception in Parliament Buildings. Sir Percy Ashley, until recently chairman and now vice-president of the British Standards Institution, and other members of the British textile delegation who are visiting New Zealand. were welcomed by the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr Sullivan. The Minister paid a tribute to the institution, which, he said, had made an incalculable contribution to the development of trade and industry and through standardisation had achieved vastly increased production, without which the war could not be brought to a successful conclusion. Sir Percy had established and maintained an organisation through which its counterpart, the New Zealand Standards Institute, had been brought into being and effectively developed, much to the advantage of the Dominion. Sir Percy, responding, said the British organisation was resuming its work on the standardisation of dairy requisites and equipment and would be glad of the active collaboration of the New Zealand Standards Institute in the standardisation of farm machinery generally, which was being undertaken in England at the request of the Department of Agriculture. The British Standards Institution had reason to he proud of its own achievements and also of the healthy offspring it, found in the New Zealand Standards Institute. Some indication of the importance and the significance which attached to standardisation in Britain was shown by the acceptance of the presidency of the British institution by Lord Woolton. Minister of Reconstruction.