BACK-LOADING

Hokitika Guardian, 8 March 1930, Page 2

BACK-LOADING

TRAINS TO WEST COAST

REDUCED RATES WANTED.

CHRISTCHURCH, March 6

The question of urging upon the Railway Department, the adoption of special back-loading freight charges for certain goods sent from Christchurch to the West Coast was considered at last night’s meeting of the executive of the Canterbury Progress League. The chairman (Mr G. M. Hall) said that while he was on the West Coast recently he found that many of the farmers imported hay for their stool; from Canterbury, and it occurred to him that possibly the trade in hay irfig-ht be considerably increased if the railway freight charges were reduced. He suggested that the matter should be referred to the league’sRailway and Transport Committee, with a view to communicating with the West Coast Committee.

Air R. H. Webb expressed the opinion that in taking up the question ol backing freights the league would boon dangerous ground. It was, he considered, rather a delicate question, as if back-freiglits were granted on the West Coast line, other parts of the Dominion would ask for similar treatment.

The chairman said lie did not know of any other part of the Dominion where a similar position existed as that on the West Coast line. It was the usual thing for long trains of empty trucks to go from: Christchurch to the West Coast, and it would bo in the interests of the Railway Department if the goods traffic to the West Coast was increased. In the North Island there was a big timber trade from the centre of the island, but the position there could not be compared with the coal trade from the West Coast.

Air AV. K. Al’Alpine expressed the opinion that the time was opportune for the league to go into the whole question of back-loading freights to the West Coast.

Air Climie said there was nothing

now about the matter of special rates. They already existed between Tinian, and Christchurch, between Hokitika and Grey mouth and between Napier and Wellington. They were introduced with the object of the railways competing with the steamer services. The agitation in regard to special backloading rates Christchurch and the West Coast some years ago might have been successful if it had not been for the opposition of the Greymouth people, at, he understood, the instigation of the Greymouth Harbour Board. It seemed that the Greymouth people

at the time measured the progress of the district by the Harbour Board returns, and not by the railway returns, lie thought that the time was now opportune to bring the matter under the notice of the General Alanager of the Railways, because, if they showed him that by a reduction in the rates on certain goods the traffic on the railways could be increased, lie believed that Air Sterling would introduce those rates without hesitation. It was decided to refer the matter ‘o the Railways and Transport Committee for consideration.