FOXTON WHARF CHARGES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1821, 2 May 1918, Page 3

FOXTON WHARF CHARGES.

AN IMPOSITION. ■ At a meeting of the Palmerston N. Chamber of Commerce on Monday night, Mr T. E. French' brought up the question of the sorting charges at the Poxton wharf. He said a new scale of , charges had come into force in December, and had been in vogue ever since. There was no uniformity about tliein. The Railway Department seemed to carry on its business by rule of thumb on a basis of go as you please. For instance, one small grocer had got a ton of sugar. The sorting charge on this was Is Bd. A few days later he (the speaker) received a ton of sugar. For this he was charged 2s 9d. Another man got one ton two ewt., and was charged (is 9d sorting fee. For-100 ’cases of benzine be had to pay 18s Od, but for 100 cases of kerosene he was “let off” with 20s sd. A ton of sugar bad cost Mr Horne 4s lid;' 14 cases had cost Mr Dimock 2s lOd; 3 crates of biscuits had coht another importer Is 2d. . Mr French said the whole tendency of these impositions was to drive trade from Poxton. to Wanganui, where no 1 sorting charge at all was made. He moved, “That a meeting of merchants and tradesmen interested be called to protest against the sorting charges at Poxton wharf, such meeting to be called by the president at the'-earliest possible moment, and that delegates from Peilding, Danncvirkc,. Woodville, end Pahiatua he invited to attend.” —Carried unanimously. It was pointed out that these charges were passed on to.the general public, and that impositions of this kind-tended to increase thy cost of living.