DROVING OF STOCK

Waikato Times, Volume 117, Issue 19606, 19 June 1935, Page 2

DROVING OF STOCK

ROUTE FROM WAIKATO.

MANUKAU OOUNTY DISOUSBION.

ENGINEER TO REPORT,

AUCKLAND, Wednsday,

Further reference to the proposal to provide a special stock route between the Waikato and the Westfield saleyards and freezing works was made at a meeting of the Manukau County Council yesterday. The chairman, Mr F. M. Waters, outlined two schemes suggested by the Franklin County Council. He said •that although it had been decided at the conference that the engineers of the two county ‘councils should confer and endeavour to submit a plan of a definite route, he had njade it clear that the Manukau County Council would not give serious consideration to the scheme unless the maintenance cost was spread over the entire area. ■‘The motor traffic on the Oreat South Road has proved a nightmare to drovers and the hard nature of the roads has severely damaged their beasts,” said Mr Waters. “I have been told that the cost of droving is about 2s 6d a head, as compared with over Gs by rail. It seems an extraordinary thing that the Railway Department cannot compete with droving. Cattle are now a big enough loss without adding this further burden.” Mr J. Luke suggested that special slock trains could be run and pointed out that the average mob comprised about GOO beasts. This would requlro about 50 trucks and should prove profitable. Mr C. 'S. McCallum stated that a concrete road would be necessary to prevent the route from becoming a quagmire during the winter months. The county engineer, Mr J. R. Page, was authorised to co-operate with the engineer of the Frankton County Council in making a further report.