SHORTAGE OF TRUCKS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2137, 1 May 1914, Page 4

SHORTAGE OF TRUCKS

.'. AX OIfFICBt 'EXPLAJS'ATION/ ■ j " An ai-ticld pfttHished recently m the 'Sydney Ship.jhsg List- comments s.evefoly uj»<.Mi tlii; elibiiago of i'ailn-ay trucks at ports, aiid ' iijs..tar.i.c>s the (),etehti<iii of tlip g-feajtier Claii •MatliesoTi at'Lytte-ttoii froniAiiril.t to April -20. ifiiortaga' of tfnoks wfts tlift' trouble, it. is stated, ami it is added ; 'that D.tjicr ships hfiyq been detiiined hi ] a simtlar way, '-'It is bo vise wakiiig : exfl.t!.ses thai the trucks are required fov rtiißf traffic," the article ennetades. "New 'Zealand depends npoiV sts-'jorK-s to iioejS tilings moving, a.itd if vessels , ' arc tied up in' this mamiersoi.neo-ui»wii:! liave to pay tl|<s piper in thq Imigfrni,. If a port dopeluk' ivpon tnteks. as. its rnelttts of .fesding-aiid disdinrging cargo, it slioiiW surely seo.-thni tiro arfi : supplied to tie ships to enable ;th-eii) to disektrgij. aw] lend, otherwise ■ivh.it use is the port? Ships carry Kfiotls from one port to ■ alvothfii' as freight, imd were never meant te W I warehouses for t|e_ accommodation of I we/a thi'Mrgh the shortage of -trteks." When thfi'maiter was refeitred yeste.r;4a.v to tlic Rail iv'ays Pepartmefit, the i.following official< rejoinder was made.:—' ! "Itf reJiJreJioo to the atiove cerapiftiirfc,' ■ami also. tVgMwrftf question of t-rncks, is; is recognised, that whenever t'haro is a glut -traffie and heavy demands at 'the fsajno time for kiic'k's to Jiairl traffic to and from the cqun;try the difficulty inevitably arises. "In respect-.to the Clan Ifatiiesen, : it must be terne in mind tliftt .she was at fiyttelton duruig Easter tin-it'., when very heavy traffic Tins, in the •orduvaj-y ■ cottvso, to. be- dariii \rith, and: tlve neco.Ssity arises for utilising bogey ,■ trucks for passenger waiis. Special jjrovision had also to be wiide j H ewwefttrau with .tho large military catip in the Cantfefr 'titrry district, whfc'ji, oi ! cour-sa, jlfl : eetr'd Wagoii suppliers in Caiiterbiiry. EliiWnating Sundays and 'Ijolidays iront tlie; tuito the Clan Matheson wfti at Ij,Vt?,: ielten, and taking Into cijiisidyraiioii ■ the very special citcuiHstalices oxwtiu.g during that periotlj iJiero is not a g.feat deal .to cavil at iii tho matter of dis* patch. ' -.'■.' "It is the i-nvariq-Ulo ipfflfrtwe to do everything .pfl&siiile 'to hastifii tlio dispatch <if- vessels from this ports, but where a difficulty arises and tlm full re*,Quiri.'moiH3 of the shipping traffic can' not- ?lc! nwt, prcfere-Ma is, -of cpu-rsg),. given to timetable, .boats. , . "The 'difficulties iii regard to- frilly, meif-ting tlus of shipping' at all times, it is eiaimed, are not confined to Now Kaaland, iut wiM.bo'feiind in every railway system wjuoli.-lras a ■lavfic shipping teslttoss to deal with, as well as the'heavy land traffic, which, ■lins inaiuly to be dealt witli in 'rushes' at different' sessous of tho year."