RAILWAY FREIGHT CHARGES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVII, Issue 21529, 16 December 1939, Page 8

RAILWAY FREIGHT CHARGES

Source Of Complaint Removed Special Truck Rate Abolished Advice was received by the Timaru Harbour Board yesterday from Mr G. H. Mackley, generalmanager of Railways, that the anomalies in railway freight rates, which it had been claimed reacted to the disadvantage of the Port of Timaru, had been further rectified by the cancellation of the special Christchurch-Timaru truck rates as from December 4. "With reference to the representa- I tions that have been made by the i Board from time to time regarding I railway freight rates.” wrote Mr Mack- ! ley. “which it was claimed were react- | ing to the advantage of the Port of I Timaru. and further to the discussion ' that took place between the Board's j Mr G. R. Lee and our commercial- j manager on July 22. 1938. and the sub- | sequent discussion between the lattr I and the chairman of the Board. I de- ! sire to inform you that the anomalies j complained of have now been rectified. “As you probably know.” continued Mr Mackley. “it was necessary for us. 1 during the past years, to introduce a number of special or local rates in order to safeguard our revenue as far as possible against intensive and uneconomic road competition, but an undertaking was given to your Board and other Timaru business interests that when the time was opportune the whole position would be reviewed, ’n this regard I may say that the revision of the scale of charges presented n oportunity to give effect to this, and you will find that the position complained of was. in the main, connected by the provisions of the revised publication which operated from July 1 last. Situation Changed “The circumstances obtaining at the time," concluded Mr Mackley. "were such as made it undesirable to inter- ! fere with the Christchurch-Timaru j truck rate, which had been the chief source of complaint by your Board. I The situation, however, has since changed, and I am pleased to be able to inform you that it was fom.d prac- 1 ticable to cancel the truck rate as from December 4. The undertaking given to your Board on more chan one occasion that this would be done has therefore been carried out, and I hope that the measure of standardisation of railway rates that has now been achieved will be beneficial to your port and to the business community of Timaru.” “On many occasions,” remarked the chairman (Mr W. T. Ritchie) in his review of the Board's operations for the past 12 months, “the annual reports of the Board have commented unfavourably on the incidence of local railway freight rates which have for years operated against the best interests of the trade of the Timaru harbour. It is with pleasure that iam able to report this that a major revision of the railway tariff has removed nearly all the anomalies, and as a result a substantial benefit should accrue to the Board and the district as a whole.”