RAILWAY ADMINISTRATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 April 1919, Page 5

RAILWAY ADMINISTRATION.

INJUSTICE TO MEAT WORKS. Mr. W. A. McCutchan complained at Whangamomona on Tuesday that the railway administration in the district was not satisfactory. A lot of stock from the district was trucked to the Smart Road works, and settlers were put to considerable loss and inconvenience through delay in forwarding trucks, particularly alter they had been advised that the trucks would be available on a certain day and they had brought their sheep or stock considerable distances. He also complained of the injustice meted out by the Railway Department, to the Taranaki Farmers' Meat Company, which was compelled to pay £4400 towards the cost of alterations at Smart Road station, the Government itself paying £937 for improvements which would ha< been necessary without the estal " *..iicut of the \yorks. He considered this was subversive of the declared policy oi the railways, whicA was that railways were to be regarded as the adjunct of settlement and the development (?f its resources, rather than to earn revenue. He understood they were satisfied with 3i per cent, interest. It was the duty of the Department to provide facilities to cope with the business offering, and he pointed out that the freezing works had paid £4BOO freight the first year, and this year would pay over £7500. The company wanted redress. It was a co-oper-ative concern, and at one time twelve directors had guaranteed £200,000 to the bank. They now wanted to increase the works so as to' manufacture lanoline, manures and certain extracts that now went down the drains. They had made representations on the subject to the Minister of Railways, and they wished the Ministers present to, if nece»sary, place the matter before Cabinet. Hon. Sir William Fraser stated that he would'bring the matter under the notice of his colleague, the Minister of Railways, which was all he could promise.