APOLOGY SOUGHT

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19902, 3 June 1936, Page 8

APOLOGY SOUGHT

RAILWAYS UhDER FIRE. BUSINESSMEN'S CRITICISM. “COMMERCIAL IMMORALITY." (By Tc]engh.—-Press Association.) \\'.-\NGANL’I, Tuesday. Resentment is expressed by the Railway Department as the 0111001“ e of a comment made by the president, Mr A. S. Burgess, and other members. at a recent meeting of the \Vansanul Chamber of Commerce, deprecatlng the Railway Department‘s commercial methods. At a meeting last night a letter was read from the department asking for an apology and the chamber decided to reply suggesting that the department should make further inquiries into the position before taking the extreme step of \\'ithdrmving its representative from the chamber. The department's letter stated that no representative would be present at the quarterly meeting; and the department's representative stated that he had been instructed by the general manager to advise that until such time as an apology was forthcoming the department would not he represented at the meetings ‘ The president said he did not think an apology was necessary. ‘ The department’s prectloe 0' t clvlng a low rate of frelght to one firm without extendlng It. to 1 others was commercial lmmorallty. ‘ It would not be tolerated by a ‘private firm, He added that it“ the railways had their way they would strangle trade in \Vanganui anti the general merchandise man was being absolutely persecuted. Other members of the chamber suggested that the matter be (liscllSSed when the general manager visited \\Vanganui and a motion was passed ‘expressing the opinion that the busi‘nessnien of \V'anganui had a legitimate grievance against the department as ‘far as freight was concerned and they were surprised at the attitude of the tdepartment and felt that further in!quiries should be made by the department.