SPECIAL RATES ON FOXTON RAILWAY.

Shannon News, 13 September 1929, Page 3

SPECIAL RATES ON FOXTON RAILWAY.

MINISTER DOES NOT SEE THE

NEED. Lately the Foxton Harbour Board has been exercised over the question of securing a preferential railway rate between Foxton, and Palmerston N. To Tuesday's meeting of the Palmerston Chamber of Commerce the Harbour Board secretary forwarded a copy of a letter received by Mr J. Linklater, M.P., from the Minister of Railways on the subject. The Hon. W. B. Taverner states that the matter has been carefully considered, but it has been concluded that the circumstances do not justify the institution of such rates. The special rates operating from Wanganui have been made to meet special circumstances existing in.regard to the transport of goods through that port. Similar circumstances do not exist at Foxton and the department would not be justified in instituting special rates from the latter place in the absence of those circumstances.

As regards the question of Foxton as a port of entry for goods to Palmerston North, the Minister pointed, out that It present the total charges o* goods of classes A, B. C. and D through Foxton were cheaper than through Wanganui and it could scarcely be eontended that the failure of Foxton to obtain the trade was due to the operation of any special rate applying to Wanganui. He regretted being unable co meet the request. The chairman (Mr M. H. Oram) considered the reply of the Minister was not satisfactory. He stated there were circumstances which existed at Wanganui and not at Foxton, but he carefully omitted to say what those circumstances were. The rates from Foxton were cheaper, naturally, because of the shorter distance. The Harbour Board's complaint was that there was a special rate from Wanganui working against Foxton. The letter was received.