TRANSPORT OF VEGETABLES

Chronicle (Levin), 3 September 1946, Page 2

TRANSPORT OF VEGETABLES

ROAD LICENSE APPLIED FOR At a sitting of .the No, 2 Transport Licensing Authoiity (Mr. A. G. Skoglund) , held in Levin ycsterday, ihe Macfariane Transport Company applied lor additional .transport liceiises to carry vegetables from the market gardens in the Otaki district to the Wellington

market. , ^ Mr. C. V. D.ay, who appcared lor the company, said that the grovvers objected to the present arrangement whercby Messrs. W. Capper and Son raiied vegetables to Wellington. They wanted road transport all the way. The Macfariane Transport Company was asking for additional liccnses m order to do this. john Davenport Avery, secretary of the Otairi Commercial Growers' Association, said in evidence that it was the imanimous desire of the growers to have road transport. It was essential in the transport of vegetables that they were not liandled excessively, and that they were transported quickly. The only suitabio transport ior them was by road. The growers felt that if the vegetables could not be taken by road. Ihe only course open was to have the road liccnses reviewed. Victor Bcrtelsen coilfirmed Mr. Averv's evidence. He said that the rxcessive liandling the vegetables reeeivcd on the railways hastencd ilieir dcterioration. Since the growers refused to use rail transport the applicants had provlded adecjuate servicc. However it was the slack part of the season, and in fhc flusli extra transport would be required. A rcpresentative of thc Chinese growers also gave evidence supporting the granting of the license. Mr. Bertelsen was called again. being requestcd by Mr. G. Capper, of Messrs. W. Capper and Son. Answering Mr. Day, he said that it was true that Otaki growers raiied vegetables north. and they did dolfriorate. lnexperienced railway p iriers caused most, of the damage. Mr. Day: If you had the choiee bctween rail or road transport. which would you take? — Road. every time, Mr. Skoglund asked If it were not t '-ue thef. some vegetables were sont to Wellington, and t.hon brought back to Levin and retailcd there. Witness said that it was so. Mr. Capper said in evidence that There • had been no cosnplaints from thc growers untll thc train was late in Wellington one morning. He had seen the railways about it. and the troubie was that the truck was not marked "perishablo" on its arrival in Wellington. His driver had marked it in Levin. He suggested that th'ere had been some underhand work aiong thc line. It had happened on a number of occasions. He had told the growers at a nmoting in Otaki that he would not go back on the road. Two Chinese growers liad complaincd to hira when the Growers' Association ceased to use the railway serviee. They had been told by the Growers' Association not to use Capper's serviee. To Mr. Day. he said that there was uo suggwstion that iVTo c r"* '* - lane's had been responsiblc for the removal of the markings on the railway trucks. In siimming up, Mr. Skoglund said that he w*uild reserve his dofTsiun unt.il he was sure whether or not Cappers would go bark on | to the road. If they would not, I some transport woulcl have to be found.