RAILWAY FREIGHTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3564, 18 November 1926, Page 2

RAILWAY FREIGHTS.

REDUCTION URGED BY FOXTON HARBOUR BOARD. The President of the Foxton Chamber of Commerce has received the following letter from the Foxton Harbour Board: — “The Board desires to respectfully bring under your-Chamber’s notice the urgent necessity of bringing pressure to hear upon the Railway Department to reduce its freight on Class A., 8., C., and D. goods on a pro rata basis with that obtaining between Wanganui and Palmerston N. “The freight from Wanganui to Palmerston N. as per tariff hook on (he above-mentioned classes (a distance of 63 miles) works out as follows: —Class A 52/5, 8., 44/4; C., 37/8; D., 28/11 per ton, and under the reduced rate now obtaining the four classes of goods aforementioned are railed to Palmerston North from Wanganui at a flat rate of 30/- per ton, vide, Railway Trniff Book, page 04.

“The freight from Foxton to Palmerston N. as per Tariff Book on Classes A., 8., C., D. (a distance of 24 miles on a branch line, which is admittedly running at a loss to the Department, and which is devoid of traffic congestion) works out as follows: —Class A., 22/5; 8., 19/7; C., 17/2; D„ 14/2 per ton, and as there is no reduction in freight between Foxton and Palmerston N., an unfair competition is, therefore, created between the two ports, and the two lines involved.

“The matter lias already been brought under flic notice of Mr Marshall, Railway Business Agent, hut so far, little or nothing has been heard.’

“In the circumstances the Board suggests that the Chamber urge the Department in conjunction with other local authorities, to reduce its freight from Foxton to Palmerston N. to, say, 13/0 per ton, in order to bring it into line with the Wanganui reduction.”