AN UNHOLY ALLIANCE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 333, 21 September 1932, Page 6

AN UNHOLY ALLIANCE

FARMERS ATTACK TRANSPORT AND RAILWAY BOARBS. Christchurch, Sept. 19. "There appears to be an unholy alliance between the Railways Board and the Transport Board to exploit the primary producers," declared Mr. W. H. Nicholson at a meeting of the general committee of the Canterbury A. and P. Association. Railway charges were 590 per cent. up on pre-war charges, Mr. Nicholson said, and the farmer's income was down. Mr. Nicholson's remarks were made as comment on a letter from the Royal Agricultural Society about the Railway Board's decision not to allow the rebate on frozen ni'eat to farmers who did not rail their stock to the freezing works unless they lived witliin 10 miles of the works. It was pointed out that this resulted in a penalty being placed on backbioeks farmers who could not, because of their geographj^G position, rail their stock. Mi'. mc-holson said the Meat Board and the Sheepowners Union had already approached the Railways Board on this point, but had been turned down. He thought that all A. and P. Associations should protest. Professor R. E. Alexander said that fat lambs were a perishable product, and the slowness of rail transport had much to do with the loss of bloom on the meat. Motor transport saved this. Mr. J. D. Hall said the railways should reduce their costs, not put up freights. Mr. L. R. G. Macfarlane said that the whole trouble was that tlie rail-

ways of the country were valued at £65,000,000 and the Government was frightened to reduce. the value for fear it would damage our eredit. A month or two ago it would have been possible to buy all tlie railwayt in the United States f Ameriea for this sum. "I dont know what ours are really worth," he said. It was decided to write to the Railways Board protesting strongly, and requesting the board to make the railways more efficient instead of seeking out ways to penalise the farmers. Later, discussing the Railways Board's decision not to allow free carriage of linie to farmers wTho did not support the railways, Mr. Nicholson . said that that was fair provided the farmers had the choice between rail and road transport. "But if they are going to fix the rail prices and then cut out all competitive forms of transport tha sooner they realise they are not Mussolinis the better, or else get out into Russia and be done with it."