Correspondence.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3066, 25 April 1881, Page 3

Correspondence.

FREIGHT CHARGES ON THE NAP[ER RAILWAY.

I To the Editor of the Daily Telegraph.] Sih,—lf I had termed it freight Bwindles I should have been nearer the mark, for a stranger to the rules is surrounded by pitfalls, into two of which I have lately stumbled. A truck load of heavy posts arrived at the Napier station some weeks ago on a Friday night. My letter of advice was delivered to me on the following Saturday morning, on receipt of which I went to the station and promised to remove them the same afternoon or early on Monday morning; but on Monday morning, just before the drays came, these heavy posts were all thrown out, necessitating extra expense in loading drays, and a charge was made by the railway of, I think, 8s 4d, or about 4s per hour for a laborer's time. Now I have just dropped into another of the pitfalls ; I purchased a lot of shingles at Maktoka, and twenty thousand came in a truck, for which the freight was £2 13s 4d; a second lot five thousand came, <md the freight is £1 8s 4d or within 25s of the charge for the full truck. On complaining lam cooly told I should have enquired. Why, Sir, IshouldaßSoon have thought of asking my tailor if he wanted as much for a coat as for a full suit I put the case to a friend. He smiled, and such a smile, and quietly told me that I have been lucky to fall into ODly two of the pita prepared fcr the uninitiated. I am satisfied on one point, that it is cheaper to import from Auckland by sea than from Makatoka by rail. — I am, &c,

Napier, April 25, 1881. [Opportunity should be taken of Mr Maxwell's visit here to lav all such complaints before him.—Ed. D.T.]