MEETING AT FEILDING.

Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 73, 22 June 1878, Page 2

MEETING AT FEILDING.

The meeting oteaw miUprppnetorsi convened by Mr Halcombe by, cir-' cular, was held at the Immigration IDe-i pot at Feilding, on;,the 17th, inst.' Thel whole of the saw; mill proprietors m the Manawatu vr&re present, -.with : the ex^ ception of Messrs. Bull' and B^Uey, w.hd were unavoidably engaged elsew;here. ' Mr Cross, timber merchant, of Wanganui, was' also presents ' . -, - : Mr Halcombe being called to the chair, .stated that he had convened the meeting m ■ the interests of those en- ■ gaged m the timber trade; which since the opening of the- railway Kne to ■ Watiganui had' begun to assume very large dimensions, and was in-his opinion capable of infinite extension. He stated." that there were now six sawmills m full i; work on! the Manchester Block alone, and three more m course rof erection^ which would be pouring m their contributions to' the general itimb^ro-traffieil ma , j^w weeks. . He further stated = that he had seen the -Son. -theMinister for Public Works upon/ J the subject of the 1 railway charges on . timber, and especially on. white! l ;pin>! timber,|T*ith ? a ! vie# to- their; reduction?- .; andvihe'' Believed that, .the G£yernmein.fc would meet ahy reasonable, request, th^T granting of which would benefit the district, and not injurious^ affect, the '■'• receipts on the railway. "He r riext" referred toi the necessity: of , combination among those interested m tike trade, to enable them to make their, own voice .' heard m the proper^ quarters. -, ' \ Mr Haicombb was then called to the chair, and Mr Cboss, of Wangantji gave '•' some valuable statistical information with regard to the requirements of Wan- ,~ ganui for timber for local consumption, -i and the prospect of an export traaexln- " der favourable conditions. ]^ /Cross ; estimated the local consumption' aY : Wanganui at about 300,C00 feet, of sawn timber per month, and : believed • that with a slight 'reduction of the 'rail-' - :- . way charges, especially on white timber, :''. tin export trade tbthe. extentbf ajac||her il ' ■250,000. or 300,000 but could be calbuk lated on. ? Mr Cross especially dwelt on the advantage to/the T timber export, trade to jbe r derived frojn -• jment enlarging the Wharf at^tfie* Bailwky^bridge lover the W^anganu^ so as to] admit r the berthing oOoijr^,, vessels at 6nco: L The" WhW^bein^l,; already connected with) the '■-, Arompho , station by a siding, timber trucks could ;. be left at Aromoho and run /down on to Z,', the wharf, w.hich would . be a saving of, carriage by the railway, and would not. entail, such-heavy charges as timber now" ,--, i being shipped from. Wangamiilhad. \ , topay. ' .',:/•';...-■'", •-'■■,) ■v-'.'--:'-"^ ;';' .."• Mr B^BTHotpMß'w was i-jin perfect ac- V cord with the last speaker, j and! Jwa^ '\ v alsp of opinion that Wanganui was thV ''! "best port of shipment, there being always steam communication j 'l beside vjjjSbw- '-. which was capable of being crossed at ;any timei ' '■■'■; ' ' ./ ;/;:ll:;_7 '„^.-:. ,^.- : 1-■ A' general ■ disrassioiiL on the. above p_ and other matters: then, tobk^piace, aid . MuustOT ot^ .Publio . W orks ,praying~^: -f V7l 1. a'reditction .of the railway . : ', ' freight on .white t pine.tl^wjcroaa. _ ; half pi^^the present charge. ' ' ~ • 2i-F6r t*he extension of 'ifie^ Wharf at^', "1 ;■•' the t Wanganui Kiailway -bridge, and, _ o i its ase for the Bhipmenf 1 of timber. '"< . • v 3; For the remission of the extra, charge '■'■ '. ' of 50 perfcenj; on; *" large ? timber," or^jj V7 ' . . if this remission be not allowed that ■ r ; the , definition of the term "large^r tipaber" be timber not less than 13 . . " inches;X ; l2.inches and 22 feetlong* .; ••. • 4. tobetflloWd forun-, ' :>■■■ v .- • loading at statioas be extended from - : . . ! ' four to' tweni/^four hours.. ■' : ';: * - '5. That' the" charge i or' ifnlpading ' at ; C wharTes be only imposed^wijeitftae : •.: . , work of unloading w done; at the,. ' ' expense of the- railwa^department." ■■■,''. The 1 bharge being at present imposed' . „ m many cases -when the unloading; ' — : from the 11 ' railway \ tracks ia tloneby ■"■' ■■ ■ the! vessels taking the limber from' , {.:. \ rtKe wharfs; •. ; .:,?'!■ h; : 'A. ':■■■■ ~:V;* y :, 6..JFol 'the remissionof the extra chargei \ t '■ now madron timberloadedat sidings,/; „ bo that the charge shall -be on the ■ . actiial mUeage' from/ the /eidingia.n4. : < r \ ';■ not w. at. present compuydfrpm^tliOr, nearest station, a charge which afc/ ' . ;preseAt'imp^sOTan'add^tidnal.freigh^- s ; r .' • f -age for three, or four miles on jilltjiej. " ; timber, sent from seven mills on th©-". -HulWay lipe. " ■■■;•. \ "■-' ■ 1: That tfierolling BtbcK and motivepower be forlhwith increased, and an. • • • * : extra train ran twice.or thrice aweek,.; ■ m order-to clearthe line, the present 7 ;•;• •' roUing Btwtand engine power ;toing;:\; quite inadequate to meet, OTeiiMthe^ present .; traffic -requ^menfs on tl^e , ' .;„ ' . line. : ? • ■ .--v - ;■•* .^ r^-^^s- '■' •■' These resolutions were carried unani- " "mously. by^ the meeting,: and an affirmation made, of Jhe; to • fbrin! a. Mill-owners Association for the : , ■ protection and,. furtherance, of ithe ftn-. t ." the^titnber' trade, ; tHe pprtauce of which may'.be.gather^dl^ fact that it .was estimatedi by ; ; those., present at the meetingj jthatiixei ,«. amount of timber likely to .becojiyeyed ; . along the railway lin>^. jr'tli^pQii-.: > cessions askfed for should be granted,'', wpuld> be not less than one million feet of sawn timber per' month, whichatthe "•'«'. moderate computation of a=value of £6 s per- thousand, would represent an ex.^ port from &e~Tffianawatu 4?sfcrfct of the value- of £72,000 per annum, -besides; , the export of file- wood/ and split ; stuff, -; which would represent a valojß of:'y I several thousand ppuridsmore.fi. ■■.■ :;i i:-. ;.l '~-i .

The memorial was placed m thehands of Mr Halcombe, m order to obtain the signature of the mill-owners absent, and that gentlemen was appointed to go to Wellington, to present the memorial to the Government.