CATTLE BY RAIL

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21214, 10 September 1940, Page 4

CATTLE BY RAIL

MID-WEEK CONGESTION SPECIAL SERVICE FOR BONERS MORE TRUCKS BEING BUILT With reference to a communic*tion from the Waikato County Council concerning the damage done to roads in the county as a result of large mobs of cattle being driven to the freezing works, owing to a shortage of railway trucks, the Minister oi Railways, the Hon. D. G. Sullivan, informed the council by letter received at to-day’s meeting that the movement of cattle throughout the North Island during January, February, March and April was exceptionally heavy. The Auckland Province alone recorded an increase of more than 13,000 head of cattle and calves railed during those months compared with the same period of the previous year. Week-end Boner Transport When the demand Tor wagons was greater than . the number available, preference was given to the transport of pedigree stock, dairy cattle, «nd fat stock, stated the Minister. Arrangements were being made for any boner cattle that could not be transported during the middle of the week to be handled at the week-end, when there was usually an ample supply of wagons available. If necessary, special trains were run on Sundays. Provision had been made in the current rolling stock construction programme for the building of 200 cattle wagons for the North Island. Work on these was proceeding, and the Minister was hopeful that a number of additional wagons would be placed in traffic before the next busy season.