“EQUITY IN BUSINESS'’

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 906, 25 February 1930, Page 16

“EQUITY IN BUSINESS'’

NEW RAILWAY RATES DEFENDED MR. STERLING’S ANSWER Press Association WELLINGTON, Today. The General Manager of New Zealand. Railways, Mr. H. H. Sterling, interviewed regarding the statement made by Mr. ~W. Seavill, chairman of the Farmers’ Auctioneering Company, of Hamilton, in regard to the railways’ rating policy, said he was quite at a loss to understand Mr. Seavilje’s idea of equity and sound business. It was the very opposite of equity that the Farmers’ Auctioneering Company should send its high-rated goods by road, while continuing to send its lowrated goods by rail; yet this was what it was doing. Mr. Seaville said business should be carried on on a competitive basis. Even accepting Mr. Seaville’s own statement in this respect, they still had to consider what was fair competition. The present action of the company was obviously unfair to the Railway Department. Every business must use every reasonable means in its power to protect itself, and there could be no possible doubt that the action that had been taken by the department was justified from every point of view of equity and sound business. It was unfortunate that Mr. Seaville’s company had, notwithstanding every effort of the department’s officers to prevent its doing so, adopted the short-sighted policy in its relations with the department. _______________