15

H.-40

The question of transporting sheep to the freezing-works for the purpose of being prepared for shipment overseas is a. factor of great importance in this country. Particular attention has been paid to this branch of traffic in the development of the railway system, a number of branch lines handling big volumes of this traffic. The transfer of sheep and lambs to the freezing-works is again of a seasonal nature, reaching a peak in most districts at approximately the same time. The rail facilities for dealing in bulk with this traffic when it arises afford some justification for the continuation of a number of branch lines until it is clear that motor transport can deal economically with this traffic and more cheaply than the railways. The rail-heads of these branch lines generally extend into the middle of a sheep-farming area. The animals are transported on foot or by motor-lorry to the rail-head, and thence carried to the freezing-works. After being dealt with at the freezing-works, it is necessary to transport the carcasses, under special conditions, to the ports for shipment overseas. Here again the railways, with special facilities, are in a position to deal with this traffic effectively. The average haul from the farm to the freezing-works is in the vicinity of seventy-two miles, while that from the freezing-works to the ports or to the ship is only twenty-six miles. This short haul, which requires the provision of special facilities, is the main reason why the average revenue for meat, as shown in the annual railways statistics, is amongst the relatively high-rated traffic. The rail also acts in some localities as the connecting-link between the cattle-raising farm and the freezing-works. This traffic, in so far as it relates to the overseas side of the business, and not the supplying of meat for consumption in the main centres in New Zealand, is of a seasonal nature. It also requires special traffic facilities as well as terminal facilities for loading and unloading the stock. The dairying industry is a relatively small-scale industry in this country. The population directly connected with the industry is, in comparison with sheep-farming, relatively high. The average dairying season in New Zealand commences approximately in September, and closes about June. The highest point of activity is reached in December or January, and on either side of this period activity is either sharply on the increase or decrease, as the case may be. This movement is, of course, reflected in the traffic springing from this industry. The two principal products, butter and cheese, occupy a very important position in the flow of traffic during the late summer and autumn months. Special facilities are not required for the transportation of butter and cheese ; and this, combined with the fact that the dairying industry is in general confined to the coastal regions, is a reason why competition from the motor will be keener as time goes on. The graph appearing on the following page, which has been taken from the Railways Statement of f926, shows the swing of the seasonal movement in butter and cheese in the North and South Islands. Although these figures relate to the year 1924-25, they are quite valid for the purpose of indicating the seasonal trend. The seasonal element alters but little from year to year. Any particular season, however, may be late or early, as the case may be, but the length of the season does not undergo much change from season to season. The flow of dairy-products from the farm to the ports for shipment overseas commences with the transport over the rural roads connecting the dairy-farms with the factories. Horse-drawn vehicles are used to a considerable extent in this connection, but the motor-vehicle is being more extensively used in this field. In quite a number of districts where the roading-facilities are reasonably good, dairy companies have gone in for motor-trucks which collect the milk or cream from the farms, and deliver it in bulk at the factories. Particularly is this the case in respect of cream. Milk is a fairly bulky product, but cheese occupies much smaller bulk, and can be handled on a larger scale in so far as transport is concerned. The cartage of cream by motor-lorry affords an excellent example of the impetus given to production by the utilization of the motor-vehicle. Speedy motor-trucks have brought many outlying districts within reach of a butter-factory that was quite economically inaccessible by means of horsedrawn transport. The result is that producers in these outlying districts have been able to find a market for their cream and other kindred products which under horse-drawn transport would not have been possible. The following figures show the expenditure by dairy companies on the cartage of cream and milk in vehicles operated by the companies : year ended 31st March, 1927, £238,885 ; 1928, £281,149; 1929, £297,693. It is readily seen that the movement towards transportation of milk and cream in bulk, particularly cream, has shown a considerable increase over the last few years. With improvements to the roads and to motor-vehicles, there appears to be a very extensive avenue for sound economic development of motor transport in connection with the dairying industry. This centripetal flow of milk from the farm has its centre in the butter or cheese factory. There is a certain amount of back-loading from the factory to the farm, in respect of skimmed milk from butter-factories, and whey from cheese-factories. There is also the smaller items of actual butter and cheese.