FREIGHT ON FLAX AND TOW.

Shannon News, 17 July 1923, Page 4

FREIGHT ON FLAX AND TOW.

HOW RAILWAY JWaMBM FIXES ITS CHARGES. A PERMANENT LOAD. It is not generally known!, or at least not always considered, as far as freights are concerned, that there is a vast difference between hemp and tow and grain. .. „ - At the meeting of the executive ■of the FlaxmUlers’ Association on Friday a letter was received from the. Minister of Railways in regard to freight on flax and tow. He 'informed the asso ciation that many factors entered into the fixing of rates, a-nd before any useful comparison could be made between the charges made for the transport of different commodities, the value of the factors must be allowed for. Railway rating took into account vhe worth of the g'oods carried. Commodities of low value could not bear the same charge as those of high value Judged on this principle, flax and,tow could bear a higher rate than gt’«u,n whiclT weight for weight, was worth considerably less. Another important factor was the relation of weight to volume. Here again, the advantage lay with grain, which allowed of trucks being fully loaded. Flax an,a tow, on the. other hand were so bulky that the harrying capacity of trucks, in weight, could be utilised to only 50 per cent, in the case of flax, and 25 per cent, in the case of tow. For every ton of paying freight hauled, the department had to haul with flax 1 ton 4 cwt. of dead weight, with tow 2 tons 5 cwt., while with grain there was only 11 cwt. of dead weight. Still another factor- was the liability to

damage. Mr. Seifert said that- in spite of the Minister’s letter, it seemed that he had not considered that hemp was a product which was carried all the year round, unlike grain, which was a seasonable load. It was decided to send another letter to the Minister.