TRANSPORT DIFFICULTIES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1801, 14 July 1913, Page 4

TRANSPORT DIFFICULTIES.

MOKE FROM THE KING COUNTER Hrom Mangawhae, near To Kuiti, tho following :— 2. No. On account of bad roads th« cost of haulage to and from tho railway' station is very high, from .£2 to ;C5 a ton in the summer for distances ranging from 1G to 30 miles. In tho winter it is any* thing up to ,£8 a ton. Fat sheep have to be sold early in tho winter before thq roads got .impassable, and%o wo lose tin benefit of the best prices. 3. No. It-is a common occurrence tc order trucks for a certain date, drive stock to trucking yards, and find Uierq are no trucks available, and hove to wait sometimes soveral days. ]n tho moan* timo tho stock, especially fat l&nbs, aixj going back very fast. The stock are cruelly bumped about in the trucks through dlieer carelessness on the part of tha engine-driver, when starting and stopping his engine. Another complaint wo have is the charging of demurrage. A settles living 20 or 30 miles away from a station orders, say, a truck of timber. Possibly it comes a. day or two before lie expects it, and ho finds lie has to pay JJI or od demurrage. Then there is t'lio Question of excursion fares. Very few settlors cai} got: away at Christmas or Easter on ac-t count of busy times; cheap fares in th<J winter would suit most farmers. i. No. Theso districts have been settled, from eight to fourteen years, and wo only, liavo a wooklv mail service, which ar« rives in the district on tho Friday and does not return until the following Thursday, a disgusting service. Tho tele* phone servico is fairly satisfactory. 5. No. The agricultural shows benefit l-Mib towns, not tho farmers. 6. Yes, in a few cases, but settlors seem indifferent about seeking advice from thq Department. 7. No organisation whatever. 9. No. Labour prefers to stay near tha towns, where pleasure is to bo had. 10. On tho whole, yes. Tho wagos for all lnbour is good, averaging from £3 to' ,£4 a week. In somo cases tho conditions of living nw not of tho best. _ ; 11. For thoso districts tho most import taut things for the. betterment of country lifo are:—(l) For tflio Government to find: money to low) to settlers for metalling iwids and to subsidise tho loan, (2) Tq givo bettor mail ecrricee.