GREATLY NEEDED.

Wairarapa Age, 29 July 1936, Page 4

GREATLY NEEDED.

A PUBLIC WEIGHBRIDGE IN MASTERTON. ACTION BY THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. Masterton Chamber of Commerce yesterday set up a committee consisting of Messrs A.. B. Wood (president), G. ‘ L. Thomas, D. B. Curry and H. M. Boddington (secre tary) to convene a conference of representatives of local bodies and other interested parties to consider the question of securing the installation of a public weighbridge in Masterton. Mr. Wood said a public weighbridge in Masterton was greatly needed. Hj had himself been associated with something like a dozen efforts to secure this necessary utility. Ih view of all the produce that was handled here, the lack of any means of securing official and authoritative weights was beyond understanding. The weighbridge at the Masterton Railway Station was for railway and not public use, and in any case merchants in Wellington did not accept railway weights, but' insisted on having Harbour Ifbard weights. The installation of a weighbridge would be of value to farmers as well as to business people in the towns. At present there was great confusion over weights and a considerable amount of ineenvenience resulted.

Mr. Boddington said Mr. E. M. Hodder, who was unavoidably absent, had suggested that the most convenient place for a weighbridge would be adjacent to the County Offices) where it could be controlled by a member of the office staff. Mr. H. H. Daniell observed that his recollection was that a weighbridge possessed by Masterton a good many years ago was used frequently at first, but less frequently as time went on. It was later removed to the old Gasworks in Bannister Street, and finally was sold because it was not long enough to take a full-sized lorry. Mr. Daniell suggested' that possibly weighing machines of the type used by traffic inspectors might serve instead of a weighbridge.. It was suggested that except where a lorry could be weighed before and after loading, difficulty might arise in ascertaining exact weights on account of such factors as variations in the amount of petrol and water carried, tire wear etc.

Mr. G. L. Thomas said he looked upon a weighbridge as a public utility which should be sponsored in the first place by local bodies. If it were decided that the installation was needed by the district as a whole, pressure could be brought to bear on the bodies concerned; At present, for want of weighing facilities, wool was carted by the bale and similar conditions obtained in regard to the carriage of other commodities. If a weighbridge cost £l,OOO, interest at 6 per cent, on that amount would be only £6O a year. A public weighbridge was maintained in Palmerston North. It did not pay its way, but was regarded as a necessary public utility. Mr. D. B. Curry observed that a very small rate would meet the cost of a weighbridge. It was decided, as stated, to convene a conference to go into the matter. The Farmers’ Union has already indicated its support and appointed delegates.