FREIGHT ON SHEEP.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 203, 7 April 1905, Page 2

FREIGHT ON SHEEP.

(to the editor.) Sir, —Your last issue contains a letter from Mr Mason re th© freight of sheep between Kawhia and Onehunga, and some statements that are, in part, inaccurate. Aa three inaccuracies

Friday, April 7, 1305

may mislead some consignors unacipainted with the shipping busineca here, I write this reply. T’> freight charged on grown sheep b Jleen here and Onehunga is Is each add on l&mbe 9d each. Any sbipo«-*aviDg a largo namber to send lOOO o* more) can at any time arrange for a concession on the'above by makftg application to the Manager, Auckland, and further every effort would be mode io give quick despatch, either by special trip of steamer, or by employing the Wanganui boat on her up trip. The wharfage charged oa sheep at Kawhia is Id each for the first 50, and |d each for any number over that. I am told on good authority that ths wharfage at Onehunga is Id per sheep all round, but as I ham this ai second hand Ido not vouch for it. I shall be in Onehunga to-morrow and will find out and in your next correct Ibis statement if it is wrong. This would make the cost of freight and two wharfages Is l|d for grown sheep and for lambs, not calculating the very small fraction. Re prepaid freights—Out freight from Kawhia, of all classes, have always, as at present, bean payable here, but in 20 years I recollect no shippers of wool or sheep wishing to do so; they have always found it most convenient to make tne consignee pay. The Company’s ru’e re pre-paid incoming freight is thk s Tbat merchant, or large, or other consignors forwarding roods to K • whia, from whom tbe amount of freight cap ba readily collected by tbe head office, ehould pay the freigl t. When goods are sent from a diatanre from the port of sbipiaent. or wn.n the freight cannot readily be collected by bead office, then the freight acd charges should fca made payable in Ku whia. As ro ihe unsuitablene-«« of tb<i Kia Ora (or shipping stock : Mort Kawbiaites who have travelled by hit know that on a beam sea t>be had an uncomfortable trick of roiling. Tbe alte'ations now being made on her aie expected to effect coosideruble improvement in this respect, otherwise she is a good and powerful sea boat of kef class. The three sht»ep out of 2UU that Mr Mason says were crippled in his last consignment are not shown to have b en damaged on tbe steamer. I have known of many consignmei,ts of sheep, b >th in and out, witoont a single sheep being crippled or hurt. Che percentage of lass between driven sheep and shipped ebeep is in favour of the latter, and more particularly is this so in tbe case of lambs, while ! tbe condition in which sheep, and e • P“Cially lamb?, reach the Auckland market is still further in favour of the ship. As to the sen evoe in Mr Mason’s letter, I am inclined to hmk, that tbe fact that his last clearing sale of steep did not go by steamer had less to do' with tbe rate of freight, or the accommodation afforded by the Kia Ora, than that he sold a mixed loi to a Waikato buyer who could see his way to handle them to better aevantage by driving them to the Waikato, than sort them up here.—Yours, etc , A. E. LANGLEY, 2 Agent N.S 8. Co.