SORTING CHARGES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2632, 13 September 1923, Page 2

SORTING CHARGES.

DISCUSSED BY PALMERSTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. At the monthly meeting of the Palmerston North Chamber of Commerce held on Monday the Minister of Railways wrote in reference - to the charge made by the Railway Department for sorting goods at Foxton. The Minister traced the past proceedings in this connection including a conferencejbetween isters and a joint deputation frouT 4 Wanganui and Palmerston North in May, 1918, and the decision of the Privy Council in the litigation between the Railway Department and Messrs Hatriek and Co., Ltd. The latter, the Minister contended, was not a test ease affecting Foxton as well as Wanganui. * The decision of the Privy Council implied no judgment as to the merits of the sorting charge, which the Government had decided it was fairly entitled to make. In future sorting charges would be paid at Wanganui as elsewhere, the legality of the procedure having been settled by legislation during last session. The necessity a for waiving the charges at Foxton a in order to place that port on the a same footing as Wanganui did therefore arise.—After reviewing | previous correspondence on this matter, it was decided to refer the Minister’s letter to Messrs Goldingham and Beckett, Ltd., who had originally asked the chamber to take up the matter. The Foxton Harbour Board advised that it had discussed the question of excessive sorting charges at Foxton, and urged the chamber to co-operate in the movement to have chambers of commerce within the board’s rating district appoint delegates to interview the Minister for Railways, with a view to having a reduction affected. —It was decided to co-operate with the Foxton Harbour Board in the matter.