RAILWAY CONCESSIONS SOUGHT.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1525, 22 August 1912, Page 8

RAILWAY CONCESSIONS SOUGHT.

'te aro station. ITS RETENTION URGED. Delegates to the Fruitgrowers' Conference now sitting in Wellington waited upon tho Hon. W. H. Herries (Ministei for Railways) yesterday to ask for a number of railway concessions in the interests of their industry. The deputation wks introduced by Messrs. G. Witty, M.P., and A. Harris, M.P. Mr. J. G. Motuitt (Nelson) said that, tho deputation desired the Government to inaugurate a through booking system, so that fruit might be conveyed to its destination with a minimum of delay. Mr. J. (Waitemata) asked that » van for tho carriage of soft fruits should be attached daily to the Main Trunk express. Mr. F. Sisson (Canterbury) brought up the quostion of the rates charged for tho conveyance of timber for fruit cases. Mr. A. Whito (Eawke's Bay) presented a. petition from farmers and fruitgrowers in Hawke's Bay, asking that goods should be delivered at To Aro instead of Thornldon. Tho petition also asked that the mail train from Hawke's Bay should run to Te Aro. If tho Minister caused a goods shed to bo erected at Te Aro the petitioners would be very grateful. j Mr. Witty,- in supporting the requests of the deputation, said that an instance had been brought under his notice in which it cost lis. to transfer trees valued at 18s. from one island to the other. Mr. Harris said that the concessions asked for would benefit the Railway Department and the general public, as well as the fruitgrowers. The Minister in replying said that it was the desiro of the Government to en-

courage a rising industry like fruit-grow-ing, and he also desired as Minister for Railways to meet everybody in an amicablo way. There was some trouble about ways and means, and also in regard to the weight, of trains on the ' Main Trunk line. However, in regard to that, the Government intended to put on two expresses shortly on the Main Trunk line, and ho would inquire of his Department whethor it would bo possible to put on a van for fruit on one express. • Throughbooking had not been lost sight of. The Government was still in negotiation with the Union Company on the subject, but there were great difficulties in the way. A day or two previously he had had a conversation with the general manager of the Union Company (Mr. Holdsworth), and the latter had instanced a number of difficulties. One was that the Railway Department and the Union Company had different methods of computing freights. The Department carried goods by weight, and the Shipping Company by measurement. He did not know whether this and other difficulties could •be got over. Mr. Holdsworth, however, had declared himself in sympathy with tho proposal, and he (the Minister) would instruct his olfioers to again consult with the Union Company. It was a question what quantity of goods would go through if 'the system were established. Naturally, heavy goods would bo sent round by sea, and only light goods would be ■ booked through. If the fruitgrowers could • give some indication as to the quantity of goods they would bo likely to send • through, it would be of assistance to tho Department. i A member of the deputation said that > this indication could not well bo given, i Tho only thing to do was to establish tho I system and givo the growers a lead. Then i the trade would grow. , The Minister said that ho was quite • prepared to believe that the trade would ) grow, but they did not want to start a , system if no one was likely to take adi vantage of it. He hoped that the negotiat tions with tho Union Company would I come to a successful issue. Ho believed in tho system of through-booking, both for goods and passengers. In regard to - the freight: on timber for fruit-cases, ho , would consult his officers. Some of tho . regulations cited by Mr. Tonar seemed t to press rather unduly, and if anything

oould bo done to give relief! it would be done. Tho trouble was that he was beset on all sides. All Ihe railway officials minted increased wages. Farmers and others wanted more concession?, and the general public expected him to make the railways pay. He had gone down to have a look at To Aro station on the previous day with scimo of the railway engineers, C and if possible a cheap goods shed would '' be erected there. The Department could j 1 not put up anything that was at all ex- ' pqnsivo. There was an agitation in this (l town against To Aro. The Chamber of i: Commerce had been saying that the line o should bo taken up. ilo was not going i ; to do that, because, he believed that if (; trade could b» encouraged on the To Aro line it should be. The Department had estimates for a goods shed at To Aro, tho cost of which would run into thousands. They 6imply could not think of this. The state of the money market at Home necessitated strict caution in expenditure. But if anything could bo dono by erecting a ( cheap shed, it would he done. Mr. ITarris thanked the Minister for receiving tho deputation. A cart isn't much use without a horse. Neither is there any advantage in possessing a Milking Machine unless you have a dependable engine to provide the necessary driving power. Some dairy farmers who have "fallen in" with. their engines aro inclined to be unnecessarily pessimistic regarding machine milking. However, til© success of a Milking riant is largely a matter of the right power, and where "Anderson" Oil Engines oro used thero t is optimism in tho farmer's heart and t bigger profits in his pocket. "Anderson" * Engines aro made in Now Zealand with a perfect understanding of the Dominion's v special requirements. They are splendidly t

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