TRANSPORT QUESTION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 149, 1 September 1941, Page 5

TRANSPORT QUESTION

RANGITAIKI DAIRY COMPANY'S PLANS INDEPENDENT SERVICE! URGED

Urging that the directorate be given the necessary author* ity and endorsement to engage, if necessary, in an independent carrying business in the interests of its suppliers, Mr I. M. Withy, at the annual meeting of the Rangitaiki Dairy Company's shareholders, spoke strongly in support of a speciail notice of mo'tion for the institution of a thorough investigation! of the transport situation as it affected the company generally. Mr Withy, who was particularly conversant with his subject, traced the history of the situation from the time that the local Carriers Association sought to introduce a new Schedule of charges which had been tombatted by the local branch of the Farmers' Union so. successfully that a satisfactory compromise was reached. The intensification of the £oning system, and the enforcement of Carriers' Associations throughout the Dominion by the Labour Government all indicated a trend cowards state control of the service in some form or othe.r. Giving figures and details of the growing volume of finance spent on improving secondary and main higlrways, he said that farmers contributed .out of all proportion towards the road upkeep, yet the outlook was even worse for despite the greater efficiency of the roads, ind the rolling stock using them, {he cost was going up instead of coming down, as it should with the better class of roads. Now, if shareholders could isolate the cartage costs for a single year of the company's operations, they would be staggered at the sum it represented. Unless they were prepared to carry out their own transport, as several other companys were doing already, they would be loaded with further and ever-growing expense, the. governing of which would be completely beyond their control. If however r>Jl dairy companies were to combine in this matter they would become a strong force to* combat and possibly overcome the tendency to.wards Government control. Mr Withy contended that the New Zealand Road Alliance I'o which all Carriers' Associations were affiliated was bent upon gaining a transport monopoly, and of the two he would much rather be under State control than at the mercy of this organisation. Reading an extract of the 'Transport News' he showed Avliere the Whakatane Carriers' Association had recommended that petrol saving could be effected if the Rangitaiki Dairy Company were to* rail its butter from Edgecumbe, and the back-cartage of goods performed by the local carriers. "So you see," he said, "that they are bent on interfering with our organisation, and we don't like that.."-' To Mr Mullins' question as to what basis of share capital would be involved, Mr Withy said he was merely recommending it to the directors' and that would be. a matter for them. Mr Lambert seconded the motion and congratulated Mr Withy on the and trouble he had devoted to- the case of the company. Claiming that the step was a fairly drastic one to decide sud denljn &nd with such a -limited attendance, Mr Peter Baird said that he would like a further general meeting called before such authority was handed over to the directorate. "Let us sleep on it a while" he urged, "there are only 60 of our 700 here." Other speakers claimed that suppliers had all received copies o* the notice of motion and should be fully conversant with its portent. If they were interested they would be there. The motion was then put to the meeting and carried by a substantial majority.