FREEZING COMPANIES & THE RAILWAYS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1592, 8 November 1912, Page 8

FREEZI NG COMPANIES & THE RAILWAYS.

.STRAIGHTFORWARD CRITICISM. THE REMEDY PROPOSED. ; Some straight-out hiutsns'to whnt .-is required of the. Railway Department,-t'd' meet the rcquirements-of. the .freezing companies/of-to-day.is.-given in a-general . report issued by the Associated•: . ■ .-A orth Island Freezing Companies 'of New Zealand. . 'The' report (which was framed m July)~states"that .the ;present, railway, facilities are- totally inadequate to .deal -expeditiously, and properly with the con-, veyaike' of frozen meat, chiefly owing to the apparent shortage of wagons and engines.' The report contains tho following scheduled recommendation, arrived 'at wheh the Associated Companies • were ;ih .conference in Wellington:— ': V: l. r V.H. Wagons: As at present, constructed, those wagons are cxpensivo to work..' All trucks of this class-built -in f.iitiire should be provided with two doors at th'e.side. ''. ."•'-■■•'•" •' 2. ]{. j N. Trucks: These are £p constructed that they are capablo of carrying only 20 casks of -tallow or pelts, therefore pre'-; eluding the freezing companies from obtaining the .'concession.'on ten-ton lots. ,3. Wagons for conveying. frozen meat long .'distances' should : be fitted at both ends with suitable ports" for the purpose, of circulating cold; air' through'such trucks. ■■'■"'•'".' •!-. The Railway Department often delivers meat trucks at tho : freezing /works in a filthy condition quite unfit to re : ceive the meat. A strong protest therefore, should be entered/against this.. practice, and the imperative necessity for having trucks properly, cleansed and put in a condition fit to-receive frozen meat previous to delivery of the trucks at-the freezing ..works urged upon the Railway. Department. . •'■.-'-;.-. 5. That the. Railway Department-be. approached with ■ regard;- to '• the general shortage of trucks. This applies to both meat wagons and'also" stock trucks apppr T entlyV as; sometimes a long rake of live stock-trucks is. left on the freezing company's siding with instructions to have the trucks discharged in'a period of time' of insufficient duration to allow the work to'be. done. 6. The .hiicks generally .are too .frequently in a. bad state of repair! '. The present insulation requires -/improving; the horns-of the nuts for fastening th(j doors require to be made longer; the'packing -roUnd the doors is; sometimes .-so meagre that it db.es not- exclude; the Aip light, whilst the hand 'brakes', are; oftei so inefficient that they are almost useless • 7..-There is : ah of haulagi power available at loading times, causiiis vexatious delays in the delivery of ffozo'r moat to the steamers, 'and a sffecia' shunting engine is required on the - whatl during loading operations, to be lised ex ; cl'usi'vely for/-shunting meat'.' wagons, Further,' a-.', responsible. -railway- : officei should b,e:'in attendance dd'riiig-, loadifig .operations to regulate- ,the traffic ,on Glasgow.and.King's Wharf. T. : ■ •'■ 8.; In cases where meat .'is brought long .distances,- it should be given precedence over, local meatin' being.placed;aldngside "tne'i;sKip,.--'.'•"■.'■';';■' ■'-.-'v-' '■:-'■'■■'::■>'■'■''■ ■■'. Tho-conference, referred to above also expressed the opinion that too much stress cannot be laid on.the great cost to ship'and''shippers;'' and • this "confusion caused-by,the frequent' late r'jmAihg''of trains both; locally aid long distances. •