Part 9

Page 703
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This transcription is complete

and work from some other depot, when, if I had received proper notice, I could have worked the business at less cost from a more convenient depot. In order to avoid delay for the man who wanted the truck from Northam I might be put to some expense in order to procure the necessary wagons. The recent arrangement by which the trucks are ordered through the agents has certainly concentrated that branch of our work in a better way for us. It is more satisfactory from a transport point of view. It also means that the applications for trucks pass through fewer hands and this makes the business more effective. We are dealing with a few individuals instead of a large number.

10157. With regard to demurrage, are your laws like those of the Medes and Persians?—No. In the event of an application we take all the pros and cons into consideration, and if a man has a reasonable case we do not penalise him. There is a tendency on the part of a good many people to make warehouses of our wagons. With regard to the complaints made as to the handling of goods in Perth, I consider that Mr. Keane's evidence was most unfair to the Railway Department. During the Christmas week he refers to he waited on me and asked if we could give him delivery of his perishables at a faster rate than we were doing. I told him he could have all he wanted and he got it. It is out of all reason that freights should be handled by the antiquated method that is at present adopted by these people. If men create a big business and conduct it in this way it is neither satisfactory to themselves not their customers. There must be some different system adopted in the handling of this produce. In order to satisfy their customers, when these get no returns, these people turn round and blackguard the Railway Department, which is most unfair. No doubt we have our shortcomings but our intentions are good, even if we do not always succeed in carrying them out. The criticism levelled at the department was most unfair. I was on the spot during that Christmas week, and the gentlemen who made the strong complaint came to see me after the trouble had eventuated through their own shortcomings. I told him he could have all he wanted, and to suit him, and others with him, opened the sheds at 4 o'clock. Certainly our facilities there are not all they might be for the handling of a large volume of business. We have fresh plants cut and there is a good scheme under consideration for moving the traffic in Perth, But it is held up on account of the war. (The witness retired.)

WILLIAM LORD, Chief Traffic Manager, sworn and examined:

10158. By Mr. CLARKSON: Is the quantity of rolling stock available in the Railways at present sufficient for all purposes?—Yes. We are in the happy position just now of being able to supply all our orders. We have been able to do that right through the busy season, especially as regards the wheat and phosphate traffic. The only difficulty we have had this year is in regard to the supply of sheets. This has been brought about owing to the scarcity of canvas, and to the Commissioner being unable to secure all his requirements. What with cargo sunk and the inability of the manufacturers to meet our orders, we have been unable to get sufficient sheets to transact our business, with the result that there has been serious inconvenience to our customers. We were rather successful so far as the phosphate business was concerned. Messrs. Cuming Smith & Co. were rather good in the matter of consigning their orders without sheets, on the condition that, in the event of any damage taking place, we were to return the damaged consignment free of charge, which they would re-treat and re-issue, and which we were to take back to its destination also free of charge. That arrangement assisted us materially for the time being. Furthermore, the damage has been very small indeed. Latterly we have been able to meet the demands in full as regards sheets. We had to adopt somewhat drastic measures in order to bring about a release of the sheets from the farming districts. We had to enforce the regulation by which, after the expiry of eight hours, we could insist upon the uncovering of the vans and release of the sheets, so that they could be again used for tonnage consigned to the agricultural areas. By that means we were able to meet our orders in full so far as sheets were concerned. Never at any period during the rush season were we short of vehicles. At times we were in a tight corner due to the inability of our customers to release the wagons. This was due sometimes to a scarcity of labour or to insufficient stacking space, and on one occasion to a lumpers' strike. These circumstances brought about a temporary tightness with regard to our rolling stock. The inconvenience was not caused through our harvesting insufficient rolling stock, but the inability of our customers to release the trucks within a specified time. We have more than sufficient rolling stock to meet our demands for some time to come. The real cause for the delay in shifting wheat from some of the country stacks was owing to the inability of the Wheat Scheme to release their wagons at the port. To-day there is a large amount outstanding against these people for demurrage, totalling thousands of pounds. At times we have had as many as a thousand and 1,200 trucks that our customers were unable to release. We had the rolling stock, but it was not available. The wet weather also hampered us very much at the time, and we had a lot of that during the busy season. Many of our wagons could not be released on account of the weather. It is not fair to say that we had not sufficient rolling stock, because, as a fact , we had sufficient but it was not released for the causes that I have mentioned. I might draw your attention to the position which existed in 1914. We had a record harvest then, and the business was handled satisfactorily. The 1912 season was also a record one, and there was not a single complaint from anyone. Since then our increases in the matter of rolling stock have been substantial. There was very little demurrage. In 1912 there was a fairly good run of shipping, and they kept within the bounds of their tonnage. Occasionally we had to penalise agents for a little demurrage but that was the exception. In 1914 the demurrage was somewhat heavier, but that was the first year of the war.