TRANSIT DELAYS.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 May 1920, Page 6

TRANSIT DELAYS.

BETWEEN NEW PLYMOUTH AND INLAND TOWNS.

At a meeting of tihe Hawera Chamber of Commerce on Friday, a letter from the Railway Department was read, in which it was stated that the delay and difficulty in the despatch of goods exship at New Plymouth to inland towns had on several occasions been the subject of close inquiry. Occasional delays did occur, but it was not admitted that the Railway Department was responsible. The principal cause of delay was the shortage of labor. A case was mentioned in which only half the requisite wate • side labor was available for unloading two ships. On another occasion a ship which arrived on February 25th could not berth till the 28th. In the interval a number of inquiries were received at New Plymouth as to the reason why goods ex this ship were being delayed by the railway. A similar position occurred when goods were short shipped from t!k> forwarding port. As recently as last month 573 packages were, owing to adverse weather conditions, short shipped from Onehunga on one occasion, and as consignees had advice of the supposed shipment there were numerous telephonic inquiries for goods not yet delivered to the railway. The Department was fully alive to the necessity for turning over its waggon stock as rapidly as possible, and to enable this to be done special efforts by working overtime were being mad-; as circumstances demanded. In reply to Mr. Cumming, who asked if the president knew what had been done at tihe meeting at New Plymouth on Wednesday in regard to shipping, Mr. Lynsky said he had not seen the report. Mr. Dixon said that all the ports were bad, and he did not think the trouble was due to the Railway Department. He : met his chief trouble in Wellington, ■ where there was a good deal of delay in transhipping to Patea. The president said the difficulty at Wanganui was the shortage of storage. Mr. Gillanders: The delay in forwarding goods ex-ship from New Plymouth has given cause for complaint for the past ten years. The secretary said it had been explained to him that the delay was often caused by the goods getting so mixed up in shipping that much time was taken up in sorting them after arrival. Mr. Hooker moved- that the Railway Department be written to and asked for an explanation of tflie delay at Wanganui, and that a copy of the letter from the | Farmers' Co-op. be enclosed. [ Mr. Dixon said it may be that ths Harbor Board was to blame. Mr. Cumming thought they should i communicate with the Chamber of Com- : mcrce a£ Wanganui and try and learn ! who was responsible. Mr. Hooker: Blame some one and he will soon find out. The' president: We want to get to the bottom fit this matter, hut it is a question of wlio we rihould approach. The motion was carried.—Star.