RAILWAY GOODS RATES.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3562, 26 August 1920, Page 3

RAILWAY GOODS RATES.

INCREASES ANALYSED. WELLINGTON, August 23. The re-clasification of butter, choose, frozen meat, and flax is the "most important departure from the existing freight schedule as it involves a greater increase thai) 40 per cent, o'ver prewar rates imposed on other Bnes of goods traffic. The effect of classifying butter and cheese in elass D instead of E, frozen meat as C instead of D, and flax as D instead of E is shown at a glance by the following comparison, showing how the new charges will operate, on one ton of any of these eom"•modities over a distance of 100 miles. The present rate for butter and cheese is 17s '(id. and the new rate will be £1 19s 9d; meat, frozen, £] 12s Id and £2 (is 7d; flax, 17s 6u'and£] 19s 9d. Hitherto these, lines have been carried at a much cheaper rate fiian general merchandise, and they still have a great advantage owing to the poUicy of encouraging primary production, but the gap has been reduced by their fresh classification, thus the butter. freight for one ton on 100 miles has i been increased by £1 2s 3d per ton,' while class B rates, in which many lines of hardware and other merchandise are placed, show an increase of 7s (Ud })er ion per 100 miles, the former rate of one ton for 100 miles having been £2 10s 3d, while the new rate is £2 17s 9'd. The timber traffic is speciWJy encouraged by a limited in- - rense. about 14 per cent, over prewar rates, compared with a 40 per cent, advance on most classes of traffic.