RAILWAY RATES

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 139, 10 December 1930, Page 18

RAILWAY RATES

FURTHER INCREASES

CARRIAGE OF COAL

With tho object of building up tho revenue of the Railway Department, the Government has decided on further tariff increases. Tho increases, which were announced in a special "Gazette" issued on Monday afternoon, arc mainly in lino with tho recommendations of tho Royal Commission, although in certain cases slight departures have been made in order to meet representations which have been mado to the Minister of Railways (the Hon. "W. A. Veitch). Rates on brown coal havo been increased as follows: —Up to 200 miles, 11 per cunt.; from 200 to 230 miles, 11 per cent, to 13 per cent.; beyond 250 miles, flat increase of 13 per cent. These rates avo slightly below the rates recommended by the Commission. It is estimated that they will return to the State an increase in revenuo of £65,000.' The concession previously granted to local bodies in reference to tho carriage of road metal has been removed, and this action, it is estimated, will lead to an increase of £29,000 a year in revenue. The Commission recommended that the concession should bo removed, aa it failed to see why tho Department should be called upon to carry road metal at aii . uureniuncrative rate. .The rate on imported timber, except hardwood poles, has been reduced to tho same level as that for local timber. Certain minor alterations have boon made- in the rates for imported coals, goods manufactured from cement, and bulk, goods such as gravel, chaff, hay, and lime. At the present time tho regulations make reference to imported goods and goods of New Zealand manufacture, different rates being charged for each. Under tho new regulations no such preference is made. . A change has been mado in tho regulation dealing with empty cases for the carriago of fruit and shooks for the manufacture of fruit cases. This has been necessary owing to the alteration in rates for local and imported, timber. At: present this regulation makes provision for the carriage of New Zealand timber only, but imported timber and New Zealand timber used in tho manufacture of fruit; cases will now bo charged the same rate. Similarly, in accordance with the Commission's report, the charges for tho haulage, handling, sorting, and transhipment of imported and local limber have been made the same, imported limber charges being higher under the present tariff. A further amendment makes provision for an increase by 11 per cent, on brown or soft coal from tho coalproducing areas north of Auckland to Opua, Oncrahi, and Kaikohe. An increase of 10 per cent, has also been'made on coal at present charged at local rates from the coal mines to Westport for shipment. Similarly, in tho case of coke from Granity to Westport, the railage charges have been increased by 10 per cent., as also have those on coal and coal dross consigned from Conn's Creek to Waimangaroa. At the present time there is a local rate of 7s per ton on coal ex ship at Picton for Grovetown or Blenheim. This rate has been increased by 11 per cent. | An alteration in the regulation covering the South Island main lino and branches increases the local rates on coal for shipment from the various coal mines in the Grey Valley district and Beefton to Greymouth by 10 per cent. A similar increase has been made in the case of coke, clay, and bricks--from - Bruwier-_t.o Greymouth and also;..on coal -from- Dunollio to Runanga. - .