IMPORTANT REDUCTIONS IN RAILWAY RATES.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 442, 1 February 1890, Page 2

IMPORTANT REDUCTIONS IN RAILWAY RATES.

- • . ■ — The heavy rates of canbge under which agricultural producers baye Üboatod tor years pasi are now, tq mrdcrgo ctroslde-j

able amelioration in consequence of a step of considerable importance which has just been taken by the Railway Commissionets. 1 The cost ofycorrjajp ;tq a market has hitheri,o been so serious that it has not been worth the while of ’farthers to cultivate ;T>ut''unJer the new’ rates the Commissioners have reduced tlierchaiges to as low a point as they con go at present. These charges are certainly a great stiide in the dilution of assisting the farmers. Tlie n ,v rates fcal.e effect from January 1, 1890. They practically amount to a reduction of 10 per cent during five months of the year, and of 20 per cent daring the remaining seven months. The rstes are ns follows ; 100 miles, 9s 9J per ton, 9s 9d per ton in 6-ton trucks ; 200 miles," 16s lOd per ton, 14s 7d per ton in 6-ton trucks ; 300 miles, 21s 10d p<v Con, 18s ;10 ipi r ton in 6 jOR tracks ; 4 > milesT.! 26s 10*1 per ton, 22s 4d per ton, iv 6ton trucks. In Victoria the corresponding ra'es are : 100 miles, 9s 4d ; 200 miles, IGo 4d ;3C 0 miles, 19s. In South Australia the rates are, 100 miles, 13s 7d; 200 miles, 21s lid ; 300, miles, 80s 3d ; 400 miles, 88s 7d, In Queensland tlie rates are—loo miles, 10s 5d ; 200 miles, 14s 9d ; 800 miles, 16s 8d ; 400 miles, 18s 9d. Tiie new rates, as fixed by the Railway Commissioners, are as follows: From September 1 to January 31 ; 100 miles, 9s per ton—Bs Sd per ton in sixton trucks ; 200 mdes, 14s 6d per ton—13s 6d per ton in six-ton tracks ; 300 miles, 19s per ton—l7s 2d per ton in six-ton trucks ; 400 miles, 20s 8d per ton—l s lOil per ton in six-ton trucks, From February 1 to August 30 ;—IOO miles, 8s 6J per ton. hi six-ton trucks ; 200 miles, 12s 2d per ton, in S'x-ton trucks. The, reason for the difference in the rate of reduction is to be found in tlie fact that generally during the busy season—that is, from; the bugining of September Jo the end of Januaiy, there is plenty of traffic irom the country to the 'seaboard, and the trucks a e consequently kept pretty well filled ; but during tlie remainder of the yea:.a considerable number of ti ucl s are returned empty from the country. Tlie,lowered' rates will necessarily occasion a 1 oss of several thousand pounds at first to ilie railway revenue, but it is anticipated that, this will ultimately become mo.e than compensated by the increased traffic thus created. Tlie ieduced Elites apply only to grain sent from the country to the seaboard. 'lt is anticipated that one lesult of the concessions made by the Coinniissioiieis w 11 be a largely extended area under wheat eultivaHon. Accord nig to tho GcVe.hihent StetistitMaa. tlte total cbii3umj>t‘oi», of ivhent in New Soutii Wales in 1888 was 7,909*4 04 l ushelij of wliieh only 4,18(),298 bushels weie grown in i the colony;: f Teat Ing 3,722,806 bushels, to be bbvyilted irom cisewhere. lit. tliat ye Mr ,\v.eimporfea Hour to the v valfiij of ana giain an 1 pulsetp liid valud 0f ■£ 564,504, forming a t.stu! t>| '£ 1,197,299. This will show idie to which we fall short <»f producing sufficient for our own uquirements, and the reduced rates adopted by the Commissioners should aid materially,not only hi augmenting the quantity of grain produced in this colony, out also in laying tlie foundation of an export tratle in the same. It may be added that the lowered iates apply not only to wheat but also to maize, flour, bran, pollard, meal, millet seed, beetroot, .potatoes, etc. At |present we import and vegetables to the value of over £200,000 per annum. In 1888 we produced 6*458 tons of potatoes, leaving 52,239 tons to be imported.—Svdnev Mail.