The NEW RAILWAY TARIFF.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1828, 25 March 1884, Page 2

The NEW RAILWAY TARIFF.

TO THE EDITOK. Sib, — Will you kindly allow me space for a few remarks re the changes in the railway tariff :— I use the railway to a considerable extent, seldom having less than 200 tons of produce and manures carried on it in one year, winch must bo my c tense for protestnig again->t Hie increased rates. In addition to what I have genei. illy sont by the railway I had intended tins year to get a steam pie»s and so utilise my straw and that of sumo of my neighbours by sending it to Auckland m a pressed form, where it generally commands a good price; also, closer and oaten hay. After making all enquiries as to freight and prices in Auckland, I had made up my mind to order a press, when to my disgust I find that instead of paying £1 19s for a truck as I should have had to do before the recent alteiations, the freight will now be £4 Gs for prefaced hay or straw, thus knocking the whole thing on the head, as it would be simply madness to attempt to send any down at the present rate's and. the farmers near Auckland can still afford ti> laugh at us in the Wiukato having to waste our straw and at being debarred from sending clover or oaten hay. I have estimated that by using a steam press 500 tons would be sent to Auckland annually from Te Awamutu alone, which at the previous rates would have meant something like £250 in freight, which amount, of course, will now bo lost to the railway. It is neither just nor reasonable that all enterprise on fhe part of the farmers should be thus thwaited, and really, it beems to be the careful study of each successive head of therailway depattment how to accomplish that object best. I need not refer now to any other item in the railway taiiff, it being one of those things which is fearfully and wonderfully made, but beyond a doubt it is getting from bad to worse, and the sooner the Government either sell the railways altogether, or else put them into hands competent to manage them, the sooner will the fanning community, at any rate, derive some benefit fro in them. I see that the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce has taken the matter up, and at a largely attended meetiug resolutions were passed deprecating the changes in the tariff. Could not the Auckland Chamber of Commerce do likewise, and perhaps it might be a good thing if an influential public meeting were called in this district to see if some resolutions could not be passed protesting against the piosent tariff, which I think is almost certain to lesnlt in loss to the Government and in injury to the community. — I air., &c., John HurcHiNbON. Orakau, Kihikihi.