ROAD AND RAIL

Waikato Independent, Volume XXX, Issue 2304, 27 February 1930, Page 4

ROAD AND RAIL

RAILWAY RATES DISPUTE. F.A.O. ATTITUDE. (By Telegraph—Press Association). HAMILTON", Yesterday.The attitude of the Farmers' Co-op. Auctioneering Company, Ltd., toward the policy of the '-Railway "Department in respect of firms which make use of road transport as well as the rail, is more fully explained by the chairman of directors of the company, .Mr W. Soavill.

"It is, of course, obvious," stated Mr Seavill, '' that manures, including lime, are being carried at a rate deter u incd not by competition but as a resuit of the Government's decision to benefit by this means New Zealand in general and the primary producers in patticular." In common with every user of manure his firm naturally took advantage of this beneficent and justifiable action, but he could see no reason v why the Railway Department should look to the comparatively speaking few firms which handled goods of a number of classes to make good the department's losses. i Firms such as the Farmers' Auctioneering Company were in the unfortunate position that the Railway Department could bring pressure to bear on them that they were unable to pass on. If Mr Sterling should tell them that they must solve their own troubles just as he had to solve the department's, he would reply that the head of the Railway Department was in a position to apply methods in order to overcome his rivals that eould never be used between any other business organisations. Mr Seavill said he considered it inequitable that such firms as his should be used as the sticks, or one of the sticks, to beat motor transport competition x out of existence. All they asked was to be up against no greater handicaps in the conduct of their business than wore their competitors.