TABLET STATION THEFTS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1891, 28 October 1913, Page 8

TABLET STATION THEFTS.

FARMERS DEMAND RECEIPTS. A ■ serious grievance concerning the carriage of goods to tablet railway stations was mentioned to a reporter by tlio vico-president and secretary of the New Zealand Farmers' Union, Auckland Pfovinco (Captain Colbeek and Mr. A. Schmitt respectively). They stated that the practice of stealing goods .between the timo. of .their consignment in Auckland and application by' the consignee for delivery was becoming alarmingly frequent. Ab an instance Captain Colbeek mentioned that half a dozen thefts of tho kind had taken place during the past month at one flag station within twenty miles of Auckland. "Perhaps," ho added, "I should not say that they have oecurcd at the station of destination because we farmers are awake to the possibility of the goods never leaving Auckland." Recently, it was explaind, a goods train arrived at a flag station in the daylight of early morning,' and two hours later a farmer, expecting some barb wire, to the truck for delivery. But it was there, and although the truck was said to nave been tintouched up till then from tho timo of its arrival, tho Minister of Railways declined [ill responsibility on the grounds that it was possible for tho wire to havo beeiii stolen after reaching the flag station. " Tho union claims that a very simple prevontiyo to . such annoyances ! could 3e provided if tho Department would Jinpowcr tablet station porters to aclept and give receipts for goods. At ho last quarterly meeting of tho. ex■cutive it was decided to urge upon tho Minister tho necessity for so doing, ' nit- a reply has since beon received to ! lie effect that such action could not ' >e taken unless station masters wero ippninted to tablet stations. The ! mion officials, however, want to know , l 'hv porters, possessing the ability to ead and write, cannot- give and tako eceipts for goods. They do not ask , hat these officials should act as col- , rcting agents, but are content that j reights should continue to be forward f aid. They point out that at present ] city firm may consign an order t-o a ( a.g station, and advise tho customer ] hat it will proceed bv a certain train, , ut when the train reaches the station' . ho goods may bo missing, and as tiiero , s no system of giving or taking ro- { pipts 110 means exists of tracing them, j ! he consignees are, therefore, at tho , lerev of dishonest persons who may ivort their rightful course at either j ndAn application lias just been ■( sceived from tho AVaitoa branch (near c o Aroha) of the union for further re- ~ reseiitntions to be made to tho Govrninent on the matter. f