HEAVY DEMAND

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26463, 17 May 1947, Page 6

HEAVY DEMAND

CARRIAGE OF STOCK' TRANSPORT LIMITATIONS PROBLEM OF FEEDING Urgent demands for meat for the United Kingdom have produced an unusual burst of activity at a time, which would normally be regarded as the “ tail end ”of the season. This trend has been accentuated by the lateness of the season, and the transport of quantities of stock has necessitated a nightly service—with the exception of Saturdays—of three north-bound special trains, comprising some 100 trucks. , There appears to have been a certain amount of speculative buying, stock originally consigned to Burnside being diverted to northern works in the event of the local works being over-supDlied. In such instances, despite the" short notice given, Railways Department officials have endeavoured to supply the necessary trains, but a serious shortage of staff, particularly in the, locomotive branch, restricts very considerably the facilities which can be offered. Sheep Shunted Aside Instances in which hundreds of sheep have had to be .retained in the trucks, which have been shunted on to spur lines until rail space to other markets, or some type of pen or grazing accommodation has become available, are stated to have occurred. While it is obvious that such detrimental treatment would not be given to fat sheep unless it. was unavoidable, the fact remains that sheep have been kept for comparatively long periods without food or water and in cramped conditions. The non-availability of extra trucks is stated to be the reason for the reduced demands of a major northern buyer this week, and the result was to leave a large consignment of trucked sheep on the spur tracks at Burnside. The Railways Department could not give any assistance in re-routing the sheep to northern yards, and consequently their disposal has been a matter of reconsignment in part in the established night trains and dispersal into vacant pens awaiting killing. The inability to provide special trains at short notice, as was possible 10 years ago, is .a matter completely beyond the control of the Railways Department. In common with all forms of employment, the department is below strength in most branches of personnel, especially train crews.' In addition, depletions in locomotives and rolling stock resulting from the war, combined with the heavy added freight burden which has been placed gn the railways by the absence of the pre-war schedule of coastal shipping, have made the running of extra trains a matter of great difficulty. No Simple Solution Wheh stock is not required at the point to which it has been consigned, the responsibility for its disposal lies with the firms handling it. The Railways Department is responsible, for delivery to-the place of consignment; but unforeseen re-routing arising from market speculations, fluctuates, or other contingencies can only be complied with within the limitations imposed on tb4 railways by staff and equipment scarcities. , A major problem arises such cases in the care of the stock. With cattle, it is a comparatively easy matter to make arrangements for any necessary feeding and watering, but sheep are ih a different category. SPCA officials have interested themselves in this question, but there would I appear to be no easy solution. Railways Department officials state that the policy is to cut down the time in which sheep are in the trucks to the minimum, but on long hauls it is often impossible to reduce the overall transit and handling time from the runs to freezing works to- less.' than several days. Fortunately, sheep are less susceptible to such treatment than cattle. I: