GOODS TRAFFIC IN BRITAIN

Southland Times, Issue 17533, 9 June 1915, Page 2

GOODS TRAFFIC IN BRITAIN

CONGKSTION AND CHAOS. QUKSTION OF TRUCKS AND TRANSIT. Interesting information regarding tire congestion of all Roods traffic by steamer and railway is contained in a letter just received by Mr JI, G. Hill (New Zealand manager for the Bristol and Dominions Producers’ Association) from his chief at Bristol (Major A. B. M. Norton, D.5.0.), who, it will be remembered, toured New Zealand during September and October of last year (says the Dominion). Kitchener is absolutely supreme in all things, states Major Norton. "If he wants every ship, barge, railway truck, horse, mule, donkey and goat in the kingdom ho will have them, and no one will say him nay, nor does anyone want to. ICveryone here realises the seriousness of the position—that our very existence as an 'empire and a free people depends on the result of this awful war. The Germans must be crushed completely, and soon, and to this end we have all, here, and in the dominions, got to submit to the powers that be. "Regarding the congestion at the various points, Major Norton admits that the Government has taken control of nearly all the available space, and that firms’ and individuals’ interests came after that of the State, with the result that there certainly is congestion. He says; This is Avonmouth, and you will say it is had; but this is simple splendid by the side of London and Liverpool. Chaos is about the only word to use for these latf.er ports. We have some stuff from Adelaide in London since the middle of March; it is not out of the ship, and that is all anyone seems to know. Then there is a question of trucks and transit. "We may he. able to get trucks, and just when we are going to load them up have, them collared by some military official. It’s no good to kick; it’s war, and there’s an end to it—•kismet.’ Then, again, we may get the stuff in the trucks, but nobody knows when it will reach its destination — everything has to stand aside for troop trains. My furniture left London on (ruck nearly a week ago, and has not turned up in Bristol yet. its somewhere on the way. ft is just impossible for you people to conceive how matters are.”