DAMAGE TO STOCK.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXII, Issue 4310, 29 August 1921, Page 2

DAMAGE TO STOCK.

BRUISING IN TRUCKS.

ALLEGED CARELESS' SHUNTING.'

Complaints from different sources Have been received by the provincial executive of . the New Zealand Farmers’ Union of the damage by bruising to fat cattle conveyed by rail, allegedly caused by careless shunting and rough handling by engine drivers. The secretary of the Auckland provincial executive of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union recently stated that he and the president had interviewed the District Traffic Manager of the Railways Department on the subject, and the -latter stated that while in isolated cases bruising might be caused by the fault of the engine drivers, in his opinion most of the damage was caused by horning and faulty trucking, through too many or too few animals being placed in one truck, or through animals that were strange to one another being put into the same truck. The Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Company was also Approached, and they informed the deputation that their experience was that dehorned cattle arrived in good condition, and that the proportion of bruised quarters was negligible;.

The instances of 48 bullocks railed from Te Kuiti in good condition were quoted by the secretary, and of these 85 quarters were graded second quality on account of bruising, 47 qaurters' were graded as rejects for the same reason; also 89 bullocks consigned from Wayby, of which 111 quarters were graded second, fully 75 per cent, on account, of bruising, and 34 quarters were rejected for ‘.he same reason.

In view of these statements the Provincial Secretary advised that his executive deemed it advisable to communicate with the branches with a view to collecting information to enable the executive to take the matter up very strongly with the Railway Department. ..Irrefutable evidence of the damage was required, general statements being regarded as of no use unless supported by facts.