RAILWAYS RATING POLICY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20961, 26 February 1930, Page 10

RAILWAYS RATING POLICY.

UNFAIR COMPETITION. CRITICISM BY MR STERLING. The general manager of railways (Mr H. H. Sterling), interviewed regarding the. statement made by Mr W. Seavill, chairman of the Farmers’ Auctioneering Company, of Hamilton, in regard to the railways rating policy, said he was quite at a loss to understand Mr Seavill’s idea of equity and sound business. Tt was the very opposite of equity that the Farmers’ Auctioneering ~Company should send its high-rated goods by road, while continuing to send low-rated goods by rail; yet this was what it was doing. Mr Seavill had said business should be carried on on a competitive basis. Even accepting his own statement in this they still had to consider what, was fair competition. The present action of the company was obviously unfair to the Railways Department. Every business must use every reasonable means in its power to protect itself. There could be no possible doubt that the action that had. been taken by the department was justified from every point of view—equity and sound business. It was unfortunate that Mr Seavill’s company had, notwithstanding every effort of the department’s officers to prevent its doing so, adopted a short-sighted policy in its relations with the department.