RAILWAY FREIGHTS.

Waikato Times, Volume 110, Issue 18409, 17 August 1931, Page 8

RAILWAY FREIGHTS.

ON ROTOWARO BRIQUETTES. WAIKATO COMPANY HANDICAPPED Mr W. D. Holgate, chairman of Waikato Carbonisation, Limited, on Saturday, referring to a complaint by Mr W. Lee Marlin, M.P., that the Railway Department was charging higher rates on Rotowaro briquettes than on Waikato coal, from which they were made, said that the department took the view that as the briquettes were a high-grade fuel they should be carried at the same rates as those fixed for bituminous coal on North Island lines. The difference between the rates on bituminous and lignite coals was 2s a ton for the first 100 miles, but thereatfer it mounted in an increasing ratio, being 5s fid for 200 miles, 10s for 300 miles, and so J on. This meant that bls company was * severely handicapped in developing a market outside the Auckland Province. Encouraging New Industry. There was a demand for the new fuel at Wellington and Napier, continued Mr Holgate, but the added freight amounted to 13s and 14s a ton respectively. Even to Whangarei, a point within the province, the surcharge was 5s a ton. He had made representations to the Railway Department, and had emphasised particularly that coal carbonisation was a new industry of a kind which deserved a measure of encouragement. He had suggested that the company should be given an opportunity to develop the largest possible market in all parts of the North Island, and that when the demand for the fuel had been fully tested an equitable scale of freights might be drawn up. He had also pointed out that in Wellington the briquettes tended to replace Newcastle coal, which had been landed direct and which brought no business to the railways. Tlie department, however, maintained simply that they were a high-grade fuel and must pay more. Use of New Zealand Pitch. Mr Holgate stated that railway freight rates also made it difficult for the company to use New Zealand coaltar pitch for binding the briquettes. A certain amount of pitch could lie produced at the Rotowaro plant, but not enough for all requirements, and hitherto Imported asphalt pitch had been employed. Coal-tar pitch was procurable In Wellington at £4 10s a ton, hut the rail freight to Rotowaro was £3, making a total of £7 10s. Ho had It on the best authority that similar pilch was for sale In Melbourne, where a large surplus was produced, at about £2 a ton. Freight from Melbourne to Auckland could not well ba more than £1 a ton, and the pitch could be landed at Rotowaro by motor-lorry at less than Hie present rail charge. All this offered little encouragement to the company to use only New Zealand materials in its new industry. L