THE CARRIAGE OF RACEHORSES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 19898, 16 September 1913, Page 5

THE CARRIAGE OF RACEHORSES.

(By Telegraph.) (From our Special Correspondent.)

CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 15. The deputation consisting of Si;r Geo. Clifford, feart. the Hon. J. D. Ormond, Messrs Bidwill, Buckley and Miller, appointed by the New Zealand Racing Conference, which waited1 on the Hon. the Minister for Railways in July last and urged upon him the necessity for making better provisions for the transit of racehorses to race meetings, and fo,r providing an improved type of horsebox, lias been notified by the Minister (through the president of the Racing' Conference) that very strict instructions have been given to> the department on the subject of the cleaning of stockwaggons, and the department is fully alive to the necessity; but that during the busy season owners of horses prefer to have their waggons supplied before being cleaned rather than have any slight delay, and it is not always possible to clean the trucks as thoroughly as during the slack season of the year without causing delays in the fulfilment of the, orders received. In cases wher© it is known that the animals are* diseased, special cave is taken in connection with the cleaning and disinfection of the trucks by which they were conveyed. Every effort wlil b© made to prevent the supply of dirty stock waggons, instructions" were Riven some time ago that each horsebox was to be provided with ta colza roof lamp and if particulars can be supplied of any instance where a horsebox has not been so equipped, the Minister will have the matter investigated. The department's officers have had drawings of the horseboxes in use on tli3 Western Australian and Queensland railways carefully compared with those in use in New Zealand, and the only apparent advantage in the boxes in use in these two Australian States is the provision of a double roof and water tank and cushioned seats in the groom's compartment. It is suggested by the Minister that the Racing Conference should submit particulars: of liny improvements and alterations which they consider necessary to the horsebcxes at present in use. when the matter will be again referred to the department's officers. Wdth reference to th© representations of the deputation in regard to the conveyance of racehorses by special trains, the Minister states that provided owners will all combine and give a load of 25 boxes or 50 horses the department will run a special train if convenient for the conveyance of horses from Christchureh- to Dunedin or Dunedin to Invercargill. The reply of the Minister also states that racehorses' traffic is one of the most unremunerative classes of traffic that has to be conveyed by rail, partly owing to the fact that it has to be conveyed in specially constructed waggons, which cannot "be had for other classes of traffic, and as a .general rule the waggons have to travel* long distances empty^ while for the greater pan of the year they are lying idle. The President of the Racing Conference has communcated further with th© Mini&ter, pointing out that he rather demurs to the statement.that racehorse traffic is unremunerative. inasmuch as it is vital to a very profitable and consequential traffic a fact which the railway returns must verify, and that the proposal of the department to run a special train on the terms mentioned is prohibitive, and suggests that the minimum T>e altered to a combined load of sixteen boxes or thirty-two horses. The Minister has replied that the department is prepared to reduce the number to forty horses or twenty fourwheeled waggons.

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