LIME AND MANURE

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20099, 1 December 1930, Page 13

LIME AND MANURE

CARRIAGE ON RAILWAYS. NO INCREASE IN RATES. [THE PRESS. Sp«clxl Service.] WELLINGTON, November 38. There has been considerable , pressure of Cabinet work since the. close of the session, and the recommendations of the Railway Royal Commission have occupied their share-of the time and attention. In this connexion the Minister for Railway* (the Hon. W. A. Veitch) made the following statement to-day:— ' Two of the outstanding recommendations of the Royal Commission that have been considered by Cabinet are. Regulation 13 Clime for manuring farm lands):; — _ , The Commission recommended that the Railway Department should receive the proposed class "F" rate for this traffic. , Regulation 41 (artificial manures and raw materials, except lime, for the manufacture of artificial. manures): — . .. . . " , The Commission recommended that, the Railway Department should receive payment for the carriage of goods carried under the provisions of this regulation at the present class "E" rate. In view, however, of the low prices of primary products and of the other special circumstances which exist in connexion with the affairs of the primary producers, and notwithstanding the urgent necessity for strengthening ■the -finances of the Railway Department, Cabinet has decided that no increase shall he charged to the users under these two regulations. In the case of agricultural .lime, the concession to the users will amount to £53,000 per annum, while in the case of artificial manures and raw material for the manufacture of artificial manures, the concession to the users will amount to £122,000 annually. Therefore, it is hoped, in view of the continuation of this valuable concession, that those who benefit by it will realise the urgent necessity of giving the Railway Department the benefit of their return business, for, after all, whatever losses finally accrue in the Department's accounts must be met by the taxpayers, who, of course, include the primary producers themselves. In view of the increasing amount of traffic in fertilisers this can be regarded as an ever-increasing .figure.