Railway Trucks Wanted.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 81, 26 March 1914, Page 5

Railway Trucks Wanted.

WHANCAMOMONA KICKS.

ANOTHER YEAR’S MUD FEARED.

For the past two winters the Ohura Hoad in the vicinity of Whangamomona has been a veritable sea of mud. This summer, however, the position was faced strongly and a loan and a good Government subsidy put heart into residents. A contract was let for breaking the necessary metal,'.and r everything seemed to be as merry as the proverbial wedding bell; but now, when tin weather is just breaking up preparatory to settling down t steadily in the damp season, the hopes of residents are damped. For, with the crusher going along nicely at Tania and good teams of men and horses doing excellent work on the spreading at Whangamomona, the Railway Department notifies that at present three trucks a day is all that can be spared for carting the Whangamomona County’s metal from Tariki. It is feared that this rate of delivery will seriously delay the contract, making it probable that it will have to he suspended owing to rough weather. -JWitlr the prospect of facing another season of mud staring them in the face, the township residents have bestirred themselves; and at its meeting on Tuesday the County Council decided to make further representations to the Government on the matter of the shortage of railway trucks. THE ENGINEER’S REPORT. The Engineer (Mr E. 0. Robinson) reported: Haulage'of metal to Whangamomoua: As instructed, in company with Mr J. B. Hine, M.P., I went to Hawera on the afternoon of February 25th last, and on the train coming back to Stratford! waited on the Hon. James Allen with reference to the above matter. He offered to wire to his colleagues but advised us strongly to proceed to Wellington to lay our case before the Minister concerned. We accordingly went down on the 26th, and on the 27th waited first on the Minister for Public Works to enlist his support and then, with him, on the Minister for Railways. The latter would give us no definite reply before consulting with his departmental officers. Later in the day we again waited on him, and he then informed us that while he could promise us nothing definitely he would do all in his power to help us, and in conclusion asked us to keep him advised by wire of the progress of events. Since then, matters temporarily improved, but soon drifted back to the three trucks per day. The Minister was advised by wire, and his replies are attached hereto. On his recent trip through Taranaki the Minister was again waited on by the contractor concerned, the member for the district, and the Stratford Chamber of Commerce, and was fully acquainted with thp seriousness of the position and all the details, so that it would appear that all that is possible has been done to push matters from our side. It transpires that the shortness of trucks is not the only, or, in fact, the chief difficulty. At the present time there is a very large amount of ordinary merchandise being hauled, and the engine employed on the line is only fit to cope with this, let alone extra traffic, such as metal; haulage. The Ministerial remarks throughout have been to the effect that from the Department’s point of view it is harck ly fair to expect metal to be hauled at a rate representing practically a loss when ordinary goods for which a full rate is paid have to wait. From our point of view, however, the position is most serious. The Council was fortunate enough to secure two of the best contracting plants available, capable of putting through the contract at a fast rate. Now, these men are thoroughly disorganised, and with 'nothing like the amount of work completed that should have been, considering the excellent season wo have had.

The telegram from the Minister for Railways, mentioned by the Engineer, was as follows:—Owing to abnormal rush of ordinary traffic regret Railway Department unable supply Tariki with more than three waggons per day- for metal supply. Will he increased as soon as practicable. OPINION OF COUNCILLORS. Cr. Bacon sriggested that, seeing that the season was so advanced, the Council should consider the advisability of paying extra freight on the metal and getting it in by special train.

The Engineer said the extra cost would work out at about 2s 6d per yard. The Chairman said the rate would he prohibitive. Or. McCutchan said the position showed that tne control of the railways was inadequate. In answer to Cr. Cleland, the Engineer said metal carting by railway was always unsatisfactory, but he had never heard of such a bad case as the Council’s.

Cr. Bacon asked if some resolution could not be passed.

Tihe Chairman said the Council had already done almost everything possible. Mr McCutchan suggested that a resolution he forwarded to the Premier, stating that as other Ministers had failed to give satisfaction the Council desired to approach the fountain-head.

Cr. Bacon said it was a shame that the Public Works Department had

destroyed the road and that now, when the Council was straining every nerve to get the road repaired before the winter, the work was being held up by the Railway Department. He moved in the direction suggested by Cr. McCutchan. Cr. McCutchan said the trouble was that Ministers did too much junketing about the country speechifying. It would ho better if they could shut their mouths and get on with the work before them.. Ministers should have impressed on them the prospect before women and children in the County, who had put tip with hardships for the past lifteen years. He seconded the motion on condition that a clause was added stating that the Ministers of Public Works, Finance and Railways had already been approached on the matter. This was accepted by Cr. Bacon, who also stated that if the ordinaryrate was paid on the metal it would cost 18s per yard. The Council could never agree to pay such a sum. Mr McCutchan said the extra rate would increase the total cost of the work by £IOOO. The Premier should bo informed that for the past two winters the road had been almost impassable, the mud reaching to the axles of vehicles. The motion was carried.