HEAVY TRAFFIC FEES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 May 1939, Page 8

HEAVY TRAFFIC FEES

POSSIBLE EFFECT ON ENGLISH MARKET. DAIRY FARMERS’ POSITION, (“Times-Age” Special.) If the heavy traffic licence fees are not removed as far as dairy farmers are concerned, will the New Zealand cheese market in England be lost? According to Mr W. Wilson, who lead a deputation from the Wairarapa branch of the National Dairy Federation at today’s meeting of the Wairarapa South County Council, it will. Mr Wilson contended that if small cheese factories were forced to close down —and it seemed as if several would—then larger factories would result. With this would come home separation, and consequently the cheese production would fall. The result would be that New Zealand's market at home would be lost. “For some time the Farmers’ Union and various dairy authorities have been moving in this direction and eventually the Hon. R. Semple agreed that where local bodies did not enforce the law, the traffic officers would be instructed not to take action,” said Mr Wilson. “It seems very hard that as soon as the farmer obtains an efficient means of transport for his milk he is penalised,” said Mr Wilson. “On the whole the farmer only uses his truck for taking milk to the factory whereas others are obtaining their living on the road,” he said. Mr Wilson was* supported in his remarks by Mr P. Brazendale, who also stressed the point that the county was not building horse roads. Why, therefore, should the motor vehicles be penalised. It was decided to hold the matter over until the next meeting.