WEIGHT OF GRAIN SACKS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 745, 18 February 1910, Page 8

WEIGHT OF GRAIN SACKS.

; :THE ..MINISTER.. : .'(By Telegraph.—Press ;Assp"ciation.)';'; : ;■'!"',. •'.';:.::' '-,'..: ./Dunedin, February:.'l7.'; ; : .To-night- a .."Daily .Times" reporter waited upon, the'.Hon..::J.; A; Millar, Min-ister-.for' Railways,', concerning -the-pen-alty/ imposed .by the' Hallway 'Department for 'overweight, grain'sacks..-';'-The Minister'said: that for':many years the : . excessive weight'of wheat-nut /into sacks, had been' under consideration,--and :it was I settled; that v 2001bsL :be'a. fair-freight.'-At a-conference' of; the; executive: of: the "Farmers". Union it was - decided:'. that 2001b5..' was; fair weight, plus :.weight of .bag, which-'made 2031b5,, and in addition 1 -31b's.'of' wheat, making a total ■weight .of, 2061b5... This, was'agreed to as being ample" allowance 'for- any : irregularity- •:. of - scales.' -■ By allowing, an.'.increase.'.of' even 31bs. it meant that; the: hundreds .of., tons' :bf. grain were being";carried-;'.by the.fßailwayVDepartment.:for .nothing v -.but.the. : Government .were.quite:'prepared ;to do.:that; soUohg, as the..weight; was. confined; within the .limit of-.2061b5"i., In regard-,tti' the;,par rticular; case of- which complaint was made, in. October aqd' 'November: last: quantities: .of .'grain .-.were.;-railed-, from\consignors in the Oamaru:.,district to -Invereargill. .and- the..weight':of 'sacks' varied'.:from : -a: -minimum; of 1221b5.. to a maximum of 2291b5.-*..lt was 'clearly/evident'that "no 'attempt, had; beeti' ; niade" to. coinplywith the;; regulations'; apd therefore ■: the. -pen-, al.ty > ol;. four.'-, times the ''freight; was: iniiicted;',.;The reason for making the fine four times' the;-freight, is to 'practically insist.upon;sacks containing only .the stipulated: weight..-'Since' the 'beginning 'of. January .instructions -.were ■ given that the-overcharge.;,was,;bniy to be; enforced in respect, of sacks: weighing, over 20Glbs. gross..' ; A;'fortnight' ago'', another, case,; again: from.. the Oamaru ' district' to" Invereargill, was brought under notice,'and in': this; case .there; were three' trucks' of, grain, in one of, which the; sacks weighed. 2041b5., in .another: 2071bs;;';and■ in the. other. 2061b5. per. sack,. Instructions. were given that:the" penal charge: was only to bo levied'on.'the one truck that'exceeded; the'maximum'".of-2061b5. ' , ,':,'.'':

..Grain Farmers' TJniori.'.and grain, dealers'haiihad this matter pro-; :minently v 'underfth'eir;.' notice., fbr.inearly; seven. years,' added., the]:. Minister,';.':'and 'therefore there was;no reasonable'excuse for the carelessness, displayed. in'.'connection with : .thev: weighing/. If" th'e'De-: partmerit. did'not make':a fast ■rule; ! in respect;to. these sacks they, would -again get. back to •the';' same .'old . sys- ; 1 ;--' l ':."-.-v"'- .' '",'■'."'' ;■'"•.':'';:"•.''■•., :';'