STOCK TRAINS.

Waikato Times, Volume 99, Issue 16653, 19 November 1925, Page 6

STOCK TRAINS.

AND SHORTAGE OF TRUCKS. CONFERENCE IN HAMILTON. The Waikato stock buyers, auctioneering representatives, and freezing works reprsentatives discussed with Mr. 11. Welsh, commercial agent for the railways, the \loading and movement of stock in Waikato. The meeting was of opinion that a special train should be run from Frankton to Auckland each night during the height of the season, as they were satisfied that sufficient stock would be offering to warrant such an innovation. Mr. Welsh pointed out that the Department ran special stock trains at present, and promised to go into the matter of the possible extension of the service with the District Traffic Manager. A bitter complaint was made by the auctioneering reprosenjative of the delay in securing trucks at sheep fairs. During the discussion the informa« tion was given that sheep fairs had been fixed as follows in Waikato and King Country for the coming season: February 9, two fairs; February. 10, two fairs; and one each on February 10. 17, 18 and 19.. In replying to the complaint, Mr. Welsh pointed out that while the Department was not always able to supply trucks, from various . causes, the prime reason of the shortage was the action of the auctioneering firms themselves by fixing dates without reference to the fact that there was not a surplus of trucks of the type required, and that by fixing ' fairs as above —four in two days—it naturally followed that the first two fairs would probably absorb all the available trucks, with the result that the others would experience a shortage. Mr. Welsh appealed for closer cooperation between the companies and the Department in future. The company representatives admitted that they had not considered this phase of the question when fixing their dates, but would do so in future.