PERISHABLE PRODUCE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1532, 30 August 1912, Page 2

PERISHABLE PRODUCE.

ITS CABHIAGE ON THE RAILWAYS. Mr. \X. C. Buchanan, M.P., introduced to the Minister for Hallways (tho Hon. AV. H. Horrij's) yesterday a deputation of representatives of freezing ami shipping companies engaged in the export trade. Mr. IV. G. Foster addressed the Minister on various matters. He said that one thing which needed to bo effected was tho regulation of the traffic at Glasgow Wharf and King's Wharf. Another point was the lato running of trains. Ho understood that ;a good deal of the delay was caused through produce and .stock trains being ilcInjed to pick up ordinary goods. The deputation suggested that trains carrying meat and perishable produce should'not be delayed for other classes of traffic. Mr. Foster remarked that in (he South Island the .Railway Department discharged trucks at its own cost, but that such was not the case in the North Island, jie suggested that the southern allowance. should apply to the north. Mr. W, C. Buchanan paid that tho shortage of trucks complaint applied (o trucks for live steck as well as to trucks for frozen meat. As far as they could understand the probable reason for rne shortage- was not so much the number of trucks as the want of ongins power, and that a shortage of engine power had led to an undue number of engines bein* under repair when they were most wanted, in Hie busy season. There was no donor at all, also, that amongst the staff the importance of pushing fcTward frozen meat, dairy produce, and live stock was not sufficiently- attended to—that perishable goods were sometimes left at wayside stations when other classes of goods should have been delayed instead. Dairy companies wore supposed to deliver their prodnco to- the shipping companies in the very best condition—the same condition as that in which it left the. factory. Unfortunately, this was-not always carried out, and he. would be glad to furnish the Minister with evidence to that effect. Exposure to heat whilo on trucks in the summer time and in tho autumn damaged the produce. Mr. Hemes thanked ti>e deputation for putting the case before him, because the gentlemen who formed the dentation were conversant with the subject and knew the faults of the Department. He would never, probably, hear the faults from the Department itself. It. seemed to him that same of tho faults could bo easily ronifdied—such faults as dirty trucks. It seemed to him tint trucks should net be allowed to p.a out in a dirty condition, and he hop-H that tint , fault was not general. Tie would see that a proper number of trucks for frozen produce was built. Of course, they could not build them in a. day. At present it was difficult to get iron on account of tho strikes in England, and that had caused delay in the Depatment's building operations. Ten or a dozen engines rare being constructed, mostly at Addin.iton, but some at Price's works at Thames. .After dcalint: with the other points raised, Mr. Herries said that he would look into the matters.