Some Railway Management.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2370, 30 December 1898, Page 2

Some Railway Management.

Hawke’s Bay sawmillers complain that the. railage rates on white pine timber kills the export trade in that cheap wood and consequently in clearing the land white pine must be burned as valueless. Mr Cadman was interviewed about it and said he could not reduce the charges, because the Railway Department based them on the weight and value of goods carried. Bearing that in mind Mr W. L. Luxford weighed certain classes of goods, and in a recent letter to the Bush Advocate he gives the results. It costs 18s 4d per ton to send white pine timber to Napier, and the value is £2 per ton. But firewood is carried at 5s per ton. Kurely if it pays to carry firewood at that rate it would pay to carry white pine. It may beargued that firewood is of such low value that if a higher rate were charged it would not be carried at all. Butexactly the same argument applies to white pine, for the trade will be killed if the present charges are continued. Wheat is worth about £8 per ton, or four times as much as white pine, and much greater care has to be taken of it, as it must be protected from the weather. But a ton of wheat can be sent from Danevirke to Napier for 10s 9d. White pine would yield a profit at the rates charged on grain. Butter is worth about £B4 per ton, and specially insulated cars have to be provided, but a ton of butter can be sent from Danevirke to Napier for 245, or a little more than is charged for a ton of white pine, Wool, worth about £56 per ton, and which has also to be protected against the weather, is carried the same distance for 29s 3rd. Lastly, lime is carried for nothing at all. Mr Luxford contends that it would pay the country if white pine were put on the same footing as lime, and carried free.