RAILWAYS PARCELS’ TARIFF.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 July 1925, Page 4

RAILWAYS PARCELS’ TARIFF.

C HAMMER OF COMMERCE EFFORT WELLINGTON. July 23. The special committee appointed by the Wellington Chamber ot Commerce to consider the question of the new railway tarilfs as affecting parcels yesterday reported to the ehand;er as follows : Prepayment ”1 Parcels Freight.—The railways will he adopting with parcels a system of prepayment ol freight hv stamps, which, it is claimed, will effect a great satiny; in accounting; and simplify matters from the railways point of view. The practice of prepayment has heeli made familiar in parrels post, and the railway prepayment system for parrels is in force in Eitain ml and Australia. Whore Height is to lie made payable at destination, there will he a. surcharge ol 25 per cent hut. since t hero will la l a minimum c|,a rgc of -‘ld and a maximum charge ol Is under this head, ii does not appear that hardship will result. W e suggest that facilities he given at central booking-offices as well as at railway stations for the jiurclm.se of stamps for prepayment of parcels freight. Central Collecting Repot.— In the main centres where the railway stations are not < onvcnionily close to the lin sines s areas, consideration might he given hv the railways to the pio\ision of a (eatral depot where parcelmay he handed in for dispatch hv rail, and add to the t radio where this I,ranch may not he patronised to any extent at the present time.

Facilities Availahle.—The institution of through hooking ol parcels hv steamer and rail Irom island to island will he greatly appreciated hv the husiness community. This laeility is null heino tried out. and is still in its infancy. and after stmv further exprnienee full regulations will he embodied in the tariff. The new tariff extends the parcels rail scale to 300 miles and over as against 200 miles previously. Opportunity is {riven to insure both parcels and ponds if desired. The rates for the railing of parcel i are on a low scale, and it must mu he overlooked that parcels sent by rail go forward by express train, whereas parcels sent by nest po by poods train unless an express transit fee is paid. Mr A!. Ileincman said the central collection depot would he a great advantage as in the South Island business people had made greater use of the railway owing to the stations being nearer to the business centre. Mr 11. C. South thought through hooking would he a tiselul institution, and by being able to send parcels at -T o’clock for the south by boat ami then through by rail, th(’ parcels could nirive in Dunedin a day and even two days sooner than under the old method. The parcels would he delivered at the other end for (id. it was indicated that it was not the intention of the department to provide vehicles for this transport work, hut to distribute it among carrying contractors and agencies. The report was adopted.