DAIRY PRODUCE

Southland Times, Issue 19171, 15 February 1924, Page 6

DAIRY PRODUCE

FREIGHTS AND OTHER MATTERS. DEPUTATION TO HON. J. G. COATES. Among the questions raised by members of the deputation to Hon. J. G. Coates, Minister of Railways, last evening was that affecting the carriage of dairy produce and the facilities, or lack of them, provided by the Railway Department in this connection. Mr A. H. Mackrell introduced the question and stated that those who used the railways for this purpose felt that they had just cause for complaint. From Southland 10,000 tons of cheese and 2,000 tons of butter were exported annually. Traffic in cream was non-existent seven or eight years ago, but it had developed rapidly and had now become an important industry. Those who had to transport cream by rail were not getting from the Department that which they had asked and that to which they felt they were justly entitled. They were called upon to pay substantial freights and in addition were required to load and unload their cans, or else to pay the Department for that service. Another grievance was that the Department took no responsibility. Cans were roughly handled, but if a can containing £2 or £3 worth of cream were lost, the Department gave no other satisfaction than to disclaim all responsibility. Some time ago a deputation had made representations to the Minister and to the General Manager on the subject, and had been asked to adopt a regulation providing for the secure fastenmg of all cans by locking. If the Department insisted on that regulation being complied with, it should, in its turn accept responsibility for any loss which occurred. Mr D. Rutledge stated that he desirM to voice a further complaint in regard to the consignment of cream. Many factories purchased cream from farmers in various parts of the country, but the Department insisted that each can should be consigned separately and eo for 40 cans of cream, 40 consignment notes had to be made out. although all the crean? belong

ed to the one fjfctory. The advantage gained by the Department was only a few shillings in railage. It was felt that the Department was not taking any interest in their requirements and that someone should come more into contact with them, so that if they had any grievances an attempt would be made to remedy them. The deputation also desired to ask that all dairy produce should be carried in properly ventilated trucks. They claimed that this should be given more attention and that the Department should cater for their requirements in this direction. Mr Coates stated that the chief concern of the Department was to expend the money at its disposal to the greatest advantage. He was not certain that this would be the case if the Department purchased extra trucks, which might be idle for the greater part of the time. Mr Mackrell said that factories had been | forced to use the motor lorry as a method I for transporting their produce, and the f lorries gained the additional advantage of | back loading. The Minister asked whether the factories | had been forced to use the motor lorries I or whether they had useeft them because j they found that they provided a more convenient and a cheaper service. Mr Mackrell replied that if the railway catered for the requirements of the factories and gave a better service than at present, factories might be induced to go | back to the railways. Mr Rutledge also introduced the subject of returned empties and complained that owing t 6 the unsuitability of the trucks and rough handling many of the lids came off lhe cans. They were carelessly i put back by the railway officials, with the result that farmers frequently complained that they had not received their own cans. Mr R. W. McVilly, repijring to the points raised by the members of the deputation, said that at the very outset the rates on the carriage of nii’k and cream had been reduced to the lowest possible minimum, on the ‘understanding that owners should undertake the loading and unloading of their cans. From time to time the Department’s officers had assisted in I the work wherever necessary, without any | charge being made for their services. As { the traffic increased the producers get into i the habit of bringing down large numbers ■ of cans and leaving them at the stations ! for the railway employees to handle. The ; effect of this had been that trains were j being delayed because the guard was un- 1 able to Joad the cans in time. The Go- ; vernment had frequently been urged to ; undertake the loading at a fixed charge, i but the Department had said that it was ! not prepared to impose a charge and had ; suggested that it would be better for sup- I pliers to leave one or two men behind to ' load or unload cans. As this had not been ; carried out the Department had been forced to fix a charge. So far as empties were concerned the Department put them out at stations, and from investigations he had made from time to time, he had been unable to 'definitely fix on more than one instance in which it could be said that due care had not been exercised in handling the cans. Mr le Hoyles: “Might I suggest that this [ matter be gone into between Mr Rutledge i and Mr McVilly some time to-morrow? j The Minister agreed to this course being I taken.