RAILWAY SERVICES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 276, 18 August 1919, Page 7

RAILWAY SERVICES

THE SAWMILLERS' APPEAL

AN OFFER OF FIREWOOD

' Eepresentatives of the sawmil'lers interviewed the Prime Minister and the Min-. jster for Railways on Saturday with reference to the curtailment of tho railway service. The deputation was headed by' Mr. W. J. Butler, president of the! New Zealand Sawmilling Association. It was introduced by the Hon. D. 11. Guthrie (Minister of Lands) and Mr. W. H. Field, M.P. , . Mr. l'W said that the deputation had come to urge tihe teriousneis of tie situation that had arisen from the curtailment of tho railway services, and to make certain suggestions. There was an impression abroad that the rroiiblo was not due solely to the coal shortage, but also to the fact that the railway railing «tcck was out of repair, and unfit to cope with hivulage requirements. . The speakers', who represented sawmillers in both islands, said that they had come to urge bhat an effort should be made to improve tho present position. The sawmilling industry was'threatened with almost complete dislocation owing to the withdrawal of railway facilities. The curtailment of the sen-ices was attributed officially to the shortage of coal!, and the miller? were prepared to siipply, free of cost, wood for use in firing the emrinee required to move timber on the railways. They considered that adequate quantities of such firewoods as rata, matai, maire, and twa.were available. Tho speakers stated that the millers were setting, up committefe in their various district to deal with tho situation as far as possible, and a meeting was to be hold in a few days to decide whether the mjfe should closa ■ down or not. The millers had been keeping their men on and stacking timber, but space had become exhausted, and unless some relief were obtained soon there would be no alternative T?ut to close down. On the Main Trunk, liiio nlone over 2000 men were employed; half of them wero married, and if thev were to bo thrown out of .work,it-would be a disaster. Stress was also laid on the urgent demand for timber for buildings for returned soldiers and- others throughout the Dominion, and it was pointed out that the cessation of supplies was 6eriou£% affecting the allied building trades tiiroughout the countrv.

The Prime Minister, in reply, assured the deputation of the Government's desire to restore the carriage of timber at the earliest possible.moment, and when the Australian strjke was settled, which ha hoped would be in a few days, the Government would resume timber haulage. He was hopeful that they would not have to' wait many days. Mr. MasFey also assured the deputation that the rcCling stock is in very good order, and the reason that so many wagons are now in the workshops is that advantage is being taken by the Department of the reduced service to see that the .rolling stock is put in thorough repair.

Mr. Hemes also said that the want of coal was the sole reason for the curtailment, and the position was largely due to Hie. epidemic and the strike in Australia. Firewood, he had 'been informed, could not he used without alteration to the engine boxes, but .he would look further into this matter. He thn.nVft'l the millers fnr their generous find 'helpful attitude throughout. AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT , COAL AND TIMBER. A statement was made by Mr, E. W. M'Villy, General Manager of Kaihvays, on Saturday, in regard to a criticism of the Eiiihvay Department's . policy contained iii a telegram received by the Prime Minister from Mr. l<. W. Smith, "in reference to the statement that the Department has refused to rail timber tJ .provide bad; cargo for vessels bringing coal from Australia, I may say that there is evidently a misapprehension as to the position." said Mr. M'Villy. "Some weeks ago application was 7nade to the Department to rail a largo quantity of timber for the Inga, which was bringing coal for the gasworks at Wangamii. The Department was- not then in a position to convey tho timber, but subsequently arrai.'fjed 'to run a 'special' with 100,000 feet when notified that the vessel was ready to take n tim'ber cargo. Up to , the .present no notification to that effect has been received, and, aa is well known, ( tho Inga is still jying at tho wharf at Cnfblecliff, Wanganui, with several hundred tons of coal on board, which the waterside.rs refuse to unload.

"The Uaihvay Department is unaware of any intimation having been Riven by shipowners that they would bring coal to New Zoalnnd on condition that tlipy obtained back loading of timber: On the contrary, Australian agents dealing with shipping business in n lar.se ivav were unable, through inability to nlif.iin bottoms, to accept a firm offer of the Railway Department for the conveyance of a large cumntity of coal from" Australia ,fo Kmv Zealand. It is- understood that me ."hips that were chartered were of t.ho Cnig Cinp, which are at least partly manned by non-union , labour, which fact has cnined considerable difficulty over the handling of their cargoes. Botli the Joan Craig and the Inga have experienced this rhffifulty since their arrival at Now Zealand ports.

.. Ph? Department's position hns been placed before representatives of the. eawTiiiHinisr industry on sevnnl occasions' recently, and mem'bers'of the hsfc deputation themselves as being satisr> "d Hint l.lin Department wasdoin? overyt.biinf po?.~iblp.under (lie present circumstances. ■Refiu-e.nce was mads at that interview to the case of the Inca."