Interview with the Railway Commissioners.

Southland Times, Issue 12459, 24 November 1892, Page 2

Interview with the Railway Commissioners.

A deputation from the Chamber of Commerce, consisting of Messrs G. W. Nicbol (president), R. F. Cuthbertson, H. Feldwick, G. C. Tothill, and C. Rout (secretary) waited on Messrs MuKerrow and Hanuay yesterday forenoon and brought a number of matters under their notice. IXVERCARGILLDCTNEDIN EXPRESS. Mr Nichol said that the first matter to which he would refer was the importance of shortening the duration of the journey between Invereargill and Dunedin. To the present hour of departure from Invercargill there was no serious objection, as it was most important to conserve the interests of the country settlers by enabling them to reach town before the departure of the express. It was felt that 'the time had. arrived when this traffic should have the same consideration as was accorded in the caseof the ChristchurchDunedin express, and it was suggested that the suburban services near Dunedin might be dealt with in such a manner as to permit of the expresses running without calling at a number of stations at which they now stopped, within a radius, say, of 15 or 20 miles of Dunedin. This would have the effect of shortening thft journey by at least an hour or more. If the time table could be so adjusted as to permit of the express > trains crossing at Waipahi or Clinton, as formerly, it would be a very great convenience to the travelling public, enabliiig passengers from the South wishing to join the Tapanui service to do so, and through passengers to reach Clinton at a convenient hour for lunch, reaching Dunedin also at the ordinary dinner hour. — Mr MeKerrove said the time had sjarcely arrived when the suburban traffic could be dealt with in the way suggested, and in any case, the matter would require great consideration. Mr Tothill suggested that the departure of the Tapanui train might be delayed till the arrival of the express at Waipahi from Invercargill, but the Commissioners could not see their way to agree to this, on I pointed out. that travellers from Invercargill could reach Tapanui by leaving here by the early train. Mr Feldwick called attention to the late hours at which the expresses reached Dunediu and Christchurch, and said that a good deal of satisfaction existed regarding the present arrangements in this respect. Mr Hannay said that the existing timetables appeared to work well, and were greatly appreciated for the facilities which they afforded in the matter of correspondence, giving practically through communication with the North Island. WOOL RATES ON THE TATANUI LINE. Mr Nichol pointed out that the rates on wool from Tapanui to the Bluff had not yet been made according to mileage, and a note was made of the point. . THE KINGSTON LINE. The fact that the Kingston railway was still treated as a branch line was next mentioned, the opinion being expressed that the time had arrived when it should be treated as a main line. — Mr McKerrow said that the rate did not apply to produce, but only to merchandise, and pointed out that before last harvest the Commissioners had reduced the charges on coal, sheep and produce coming this way. This had been recognised as a great boon to the settlers. RATE ON UYK AND DEAD STOCK. Mr Cuthbertson said that the rate for live stock over short distances was out of all proportion to the charge made in the' case of long distances. There was no objection to the latter, but the charge for short distances was exceedingly heavy, and the Department lost a good deal of business in consequence. Whether it would be possible to earn a larger amount of income by low<riug the charge he was not in a position to say, but judging from a general knowledge of the facts he thought the Department would benefit by a reduction in the rates for distances under 100 miles. The number of sheep taken by road was largely in excess of what ought to be the/vise. With regard to dead meat — frozen or being conveyed for the purpose of being frozen — the fact of its being carried under clasa. U made the charge almost prohibitory. From Mataura to the Bluff, a distance of 49 miles, the charge for carrying a sheep, frozen or to be frozen, was, as nearly as possible, eightpence. The total cqst for slaughtering, freezing, shipping^ etc., was very little more than double what was oharged for>t&e railage of a stogie sheep.

Special vans had to be provided in the case of live as well as dead stock, and he did not see why there should be such a difference in the charges. He urged that the rates on live stock for short distances should be reduced, and that dead meat should be placed in a lower class. Mr McKerrow questioned if any reduction that could possibly be made in the charges for live stock over short distances would much increase the number of sheep carried by rail, at all events duriog certain seasons. At present, with so much grass along the roads, and in a level country like this, fat sheep could be driven 50 miles at a cost say of 2.jd per head, as against 7d per rail, and the Department could nob possibly reduce it to anything like twopence halfpenny per head. Sheep driven by road, however, necessarily lost somewhat in condition ; this might be represented by 3d or 4d per head, so that to drive Bheep by road was, as nearly as might be, as costly a»i to send them by rail. In railing dead Btock this had to be taken into account — that although the department charged eight pence for a certain distance the waggons haul to return empty. It was true that special vans had to be kept in reserve for live and dead stock alike, but in the case of dead stock the vans were only used at intervals. A ship came into the Bluff and the vehicles would be in requisition for two or three days, and then they would stand idle for a considerable time. The Commissioners recognised that the frozen meat trade was one of the main industries on which tho colony relied, and they desired to foster it, but at the same time they could not see their way to make any material redaction in existing charges. Mr Cuthbertson pointed out that there had been- an extraordinary increase in the traffic in dead meat during the last few years, but he was not aware that there had been any reduction in the charge since the initiation of the frozen meat indußtry here. Mr McKerrow Baid they would only be too glad to reduce the rate if they could see their way to do so. WEIGHING GRAIN. The weighing of grain and other produce was the next matter mentioned. It was pointed out by Mr Nichol that except in cases where grain was weighed at private sidings, sellers were paid on the railway returns, and instances had been reported where discrepancies had occurred between the actual weigh ts*and those given in the railway returns. The errors might be less than might be expected considering the enormous traffic over the weigh-bridges,and the rapidity with which the work was done, but it was important that it Bhould be done with the greatest possible care, and the public couid not a»k more than that from the Department. The retaring of the trucks, for instance, could only be done periodically. Mr Tothill said that in what he had to say od this subject he did not w ish to blame the Department in any way. He only wished to see if some different system of weighing could not be introduced. The buyers of grain paid the selleis on the railway returns, whether these were actually too high or too low. In the case of a merchant dealing with the railway for a year, his average might come out pretty near the mark at the end of the year, but a farmer with, perbnps, only one transaction in grain during the twelvemonths, might suffer severely from an error in weighing. — Mr McKerrow remarked that in Canterbury the buyers accepted the weights taken by the threshing mill owners. The deputation pointed out that the conditions under which the work was done wou'd in some casea militate against absolute accuracy, and that if it was carried out under the authority of a Government department it would give more satisfaction. — Mr McKerrow said that the weighing by the Department was solely for the purpose of charging freight, and if them wa3 a pound less or more it did not matter. The mechanical difficulty in the way of taring the tracks day by day, in fact for each load, would be insuperable during the grain season, and the tracks, they would admit, varied as much as lewt. They tared the trucka frequently so as to obviate this difficulty as far as possible, but the weighing of |the grain by the Department, as a basis of settlement be* tween buyer and seller, was very rough. I Mr Tothill said that that was all they could buy and sell on at present, and he suggested that the Department might take steps to improve the system, even if they had to impose a higher charge. It would be very expensive to do it on private sidings. Mr Hannay said that no matter what charge was made the work could not possibly be undertaken during the busy season — the delay would be too great ; and Mr McKerrow added that they would exercise all the care they possibly could in connection with the jveighing of grain. Mr Whitcombe, Traffic Manager, mentioned that all grain arriving at Invercargill for the Bluff during the day was weighed over night, careful and accurate men being engaged in the work. HAULAOE BATKS. Mr Nichol called attention to. the charges for haulage and unloading at the Bluff, pointing out that the Department charged six shillings for the same work that carters undertook for 7.— A note was taken of the matter. CHARGES ON PRIZE STOCK. Mr Nichol said that Mr Sutton had (hr&vrn attention to what he considered an anomaly in connection with the carriage of prize stock. If, for instance, 20 sheep were taken to a show, and one was sold, full rates were charged both ways, and the owner thus lost the concession granted where the consignment was returned unbroken. Attention was promised to the matter, and the deputation, having thanked the Commissioners, withdrew.