COAL CARTING

Southland Times, Issue 22097, 18 August 1933, Page 8

COAL CARTING

LORRY OWNERS’ ACTIVITY. QUESTION OF WEIGHTS. Some sidelights on the coal vending business as conducted by lorry owners were forthcoming during evidence taken before the Transport Board yesterday. The matter was brought up when applicants in the Ohai and Nightcaps districts were asked what were their rates for carting coal from the mines to Invercargill,, the figure ranging from 14/- to 17/- per ton. The lorry owners stated that they bought the coal at’the mine and made no profit on the actual sale of the coal, being content with the revenue derived from, carting it. Railway Department representatives, however, suggested that at least some of the lorry owners made a profit on the coal by reason of the fact that at the mine the coal was delivered to them on a measurement weight, but was sold by them on a deadweight basis, this giving them a gain of approximately half a ton. An applicant explained that at some mines two boxes went to the ton and at other mines three boxes. The coal was not weighed on scales, but its weight went by measurement, there being a regulation packing of boxes. “Yes, and by measurement the lorry owner gets 2 tons 14 cwt at the mine and when it is weighed in town it is 3 tons scwt,” said a railway official. “Tire inspector of weights and measurements is going to get on to us,” volunteered another applicant. “In future we must weigh our coal, not take it out by measurement.” “The carters have to get an extra half-ton out of it to make up for the cut prices for transport,” said the railwayman. The chairman of the Transport Board asked whether it would not be advisable to stipulate that the coal be sold by deadweight, not by measurement. In reply an applicant said it would make it very hard to sell coal to farmers if this were enforced. “The law makes it compulsory to sell by deadweight,” said the railway representative. “The lorry owners could combine to get a weighbridge put in at’ Ohai,” said the chairman. “Would that solve the problem?” “It would solve some and create others,” was the reply of a carter. A solicitor volunteered the information that there was just as keen competition among mine owners as among lorry owners. Were it not for the half-tom extra there would be nothing in it for the carters. In the course of further evidence it was revealed that not all the lorry owners bought and sold the coal for themselves, some delivering it to depots on contracts for cartage.