PARCELS TARIFF

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12197, 23 July 1925, Page 9

PARCELS TARIFF

SPEEDING UP DELIVERY COMPETITION WITH PARCEL AGENCIES. The special committee appointed oy the Wellington Chamber of Commrece to consider the Question of the new railway tariffs as affecting parcels yfesterday reported to the chamber as follows: — Prepayment of Parcels Freight—The railway* will he adopting With parcels a system of prepayment of freight, by stamps, which, it is claimed; will effect a great saving in accounting and simplify matters from the railways point of view. The practice of prepayment has been, made familiar in parcels post, end the railway prepayment system for parcels is in force in England and in Australia. Where freight i» to be made payable at destination, there will be a surcharge of 25,per cant., hut. since there will be a minimum charge of 8d- and a maximum of la under this head, it doe* not appear that hardship will result., We suggest that facilities be given at central Eook-iimpoffiees-as«iyeH l as at railway stations tor-; tiwr purchase -of stamps for prepayment of parcel*' freights. ; : ’ Central Collecting Depot.—ln the main centres where the railway stations are not - conveniently clos- to the business areas; consideration might be given by therailways to ft* provision of a central .depot whore Parcels may be handed in for. dispatch by rail This ’would encourage the sending of parcels by rail, and add to the traffic where this branch may not .he. patronised to any extent at the. present time. . . Facilities Available.—The institution of through booking of parcels by steamer and rail, from island to island will be greatly appreciated by the business community. This facility is now being tried out, and' is still in its infancy, and alter some further experience, full regulations trill he embodied in the tariff. The new tariff extends the parcels rail scale to 300 miles and over as against 20Q miles previously. Opportunity is given to insufo both parcels and goods if desired. The rates for the railing of pracels are on a low scale,, and it must not be overlooked that parcels sent by rail go forward by express train, whereas parcels sent by post go by goods train unless an express transit fee ia paid. Mr M. Heinemnn said the central ci-J----lecting depot would be a great advantage, as-in the South Island business, people had made' greater use of the railway owing to the stations being nearer to the business centre. Mr H. C. South thought through broking would be a useful institution, and by being able to send parcels at 5 o'clock for the south -by boat and then through by rail, the parcels would arrive in Dunedin a* nay and even two days sooner than under the old method. The parcels would he delivered at the other end for fid. It was indicated that It was not the intention of the department to provide vehicles for this transport work, but to distribute-it among carrying contractors and agencies. The report, was adopted.