RAILING LAMBS

Southland Times, Issue 22733, 8 November 1935, Page 6

RAILING LAMBS

CHARGES OF BRUISING. DEPARTMENT’S CO-OPERATION EMPHASIZED. The question of the bruising of lambs during transport by rail was referred to the chairman of the New Zealand Meat Producers’ Board (Mr T. A. Duncan), at a meeting of Southland farmers which he attended yesterday witli a request that the board should do what it could to have the position remedied. Mr R. Sim, chairman of the meat and wool committee of the Southland Provincial Executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, introduced the subject, saying that lambs were often bumped from one end of . the truck to the other. It had been suggested, he said, that the trucks should be padded, and he. thought that would prevent the bruising. “The Railway Department is losing business at present,” he said, “and it is in its own interests to do something about it. It is difficult to get very much done locally, and if the board would take up the matter we would give it every support.” “The same difficulty was experienced in the North Island,” said Mr Duncan, “but it was found there that the department was so keen to get as much business as possible that it was possible to make local arrangements that were entirely satisfactory. It is not a general complaint in the North Island. The department is viewing very seriously the competition of lorries and it would do almost everything, except reduce charges, to keep business.” The board would do all it could, but he felt sure that any reasonable requests would be met very adequately locally. The chairman (Mr G. Hamilton) said that lorries were divided to carry 15 to 20 lambs in each compartment and it was possible as a result to avoid bruising to any extent by careful driving. It was not possible, though, to avoid bumping on trains, and he thought that a light gate across the middle of the truck would meet the position to a large extent. Mr Duncan referred again to the willingness of the department to do anything reasonable to keep its business. “It will not reduce its charges, though,” he said. “So far as the North Island is concerned, at any rate, I think the charges are too high. They are still nearly double the pre-war rates and the business has increased greatly. Apart from that, however, the department will do anything to meet lorry competition.” Mr Sinl said the local officers of the department would be approached on the subject.