CARTAGE CHARGES

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 54, Issue 3892, 21 April 1937, Page 8

CARTAGE CHARGES

REGARDED AS EXCESSIVE. PROTEST TO LICENSING AUTHORITY. An allegation that the Carriers’ Associations were wielding “the bigstick” against the farming community in imposing considerably increased prices for carting was made by the Hon. J. Cotter. M.L.C., a director of the Hinuera Co-operative Dairy Company, during a hearing of an application for a license which came before the No. 1 Licensing Authority, Mr E. J, Phelan at Hamilton. Mr Cotter maintained that the Carriers’ Association had made a tactical blunder when prices were drawn up without a conference with the farming community. An agreement eculd nc doubt have been reached but now the farmers generally appeared to be of the opinion that they were not receiving fair treatment.

As the guaranteed price was a fixed P’. ice the farmers were not in a position to agree to high cartage rates and Mr Cotter considered any one section of the community could bring about its own ruin by being greedy.

“Prices for carrying have been at a fixed basis for years. Costs may have risen of late, but why the excessive rise.” he asked.

“The result will be that farmers W'ill either revert to using the oldfashioned waggon for general carting, or that the guaranteed price will have to Ise raised if the services of licensed carriers are to be employed.” Mr Phelan assured the farmers that the suggested price list of the carriers must be agreed to by the licensing authorities before they 'become fixed, and when the lists are being purged the interests of farmers will be watched.