RAILWAY COMPETITION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19135, 2 October 1936, Page 9

RAILWAY COMPETITION

COMPLAINT BY CARRIERS EVIDENCE AT INQUIRY RATES CHARGED IN CITY (Per Press Association.) CHRISTOHURCH, last night. Allegations of unfair competition by I the Railways Department were made I to-day before the committee enquiring into the taxi and carrying business by a representative of the Master Carriers' Association. The association also asked that till carriers licensed in tho city be compelled to charge the rates adopted by its members* Mr. TV J. S. Young, manager of the New Zealand Express Company, Christehureh, gave the committee a list of the rates observed by the members of the association, these being based on the assumption that :i 44hour week would be 'made valid. If the week's work was reduced to 40 hours, the rates would probably have to be increased. There, ivere several owner-drivers outside of the association who were not bound by the rates; hence Ihe association would like its rates made binding' on all carriers. ...These, rates, showed very little advance on those adopted in 1!)24, The public had been treated very reasonably. The witness described as unfair competition the action of (lie Railway Department in undertaking certain work previously carried out by private carriers. The delivery of railway parcels was at one time lei by tender tn carriers' but, on the last occasion when tenders wore called, the Post and Telegraph Department secured (he job.

Another matter which hit the carriers hard was the practice of the railways in undertaking furniture packing and removal and the free collection of parcels destined to be carried by the railways.