King Country Chronicle Wednesday, March 4th, 1914 SHORTAGE OF TRUCKS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 648, 4 March 1914, Page 4

King Country Chronicle Wednesday, March 4th, 1914 SHORTAGE OF TRUCKS.

The position disclosed in the holding up of sheep intended for market in consequence of railway trucks being unavailable is calculated to stir public indignation to a high pitch. The ineffiency of the truck supply to cope with the stock traffic on the railway has long been known to the Depart-

merit, but in spite of strong and oftrepeated protests on the part of tbe farmers the railway authorities have paid Rmall attention to the growing needs of an important section of the community. The Department in its desire for economical administration appears to be wonderfully adept at discovering insurmountable obstacles to the carrying out of essential improvements. This pronenesß to find excuses instead of displaying initiative, and a desire to meet the urgent requirements of expanding settlement, has at length culminated in a position which is probably unprecedented in the history of settlement. The spectacle of settlers being forced to keep thousands of marketable sheep on their farms; of ottaerß inspired to impotent anger at seeing sheep intended for market cooped up in any available holding paddock near the railway; of still others who have bought in the market being forced to wait a week, with sheep continually losing condition, and consequently depreciating in value, all because of the departmental bogey that trucks required in the busy season will be lying idle in the off season. Such methods and such business ideals are unworthy of even a Railway Department which is apparently more concerned about its economies than about endeavouring to meet the requirements of the public. The truck question has developed into a matter of such importance to the eountry at large that the authorities cannot longer afford to ignore it. However anxious they may be to banish trucks from the departmental mind they can rest assured that the people whose business so largely depends upon getting stock to and from market will not allow the matter to rest. That groat individual loss should be inflicted on the settlers as a result of departmental incompetence is a preposterous state of things which cannot be allowed to persist, while the drawback to settlement, and to the country in genera] constitutes a menace to progress which cannot be lightly regarded. Unfortnately, those who have suffered individually have no redress in which to find recompense for their loss, but they may rest assured that the combined voice of the public will be heard on their behalf, demanding that reasonable facilities will be afforded by the Department in future.