Wheat (1) - Part 3

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the Wheat Belt. This trouble does not occur at stations where a resident staff is found.

5546. By Mr. HARRISON: Would the farmers at unattended sidings know of your instructions?—Yes, we have labelled the wagons in the manner described and the Westralian Farmers were notified through the Wheat Scheme to cease loading. Such difficulties had they got us into that 2,000 wagons were under load with wheat, and I had to stop the phosphates to the country in order to prevent the wagons going into those sidings. The wheat business is only 14 or 15 per cent. of our total traffic, and if they were allowed to continue loading wheat without regard to the discharge, they would have the whole of our rolling stock under load with wheat.

5547. By the CHAIRMAN: It suggests that the Westralian Farmers were trying to send the wheat into depots as early as possible?—Yes, their object appeared to be to get the wheat into the trucks.

5548. And the delay was at the depot?—The principal delays, yes; they had not the facilities for discharging which they had at North Fremantle, and the weather was also a factor.

5549. Can you make any suggestions?—I think the policy of one firm loading and another body responsible for the discharge is quite wrong; it follows that the individual loading has but one desire, namely, to get rid of the wheat, with the result that heavy demurrage charges are incurred and we are put to considerable loss. Demurrage to us means idle plant staff, and costly running. Our demurrage account against the Wheat Scheme was very high, and the way the wheat has been moved has increased our operating costs considerably. We waived over £2,000 on one demurrage account. Every assistance was given to the Railway Department by both the Westralian Farmers and the Wheat Scheme.

5550. You think the dual control is bad?—Yes, the object may be the same, but the two parties have different interests.

5551. We were told at Geraldton in regard to demurrage that owing to there being trains only on certain days of the week, and to there being a large number of trucks sent in, it was impossible to unload them in the time allowed without paying demurrage, although the trucks would remain there for some days?—Geraldton has a pretty clean sheet. The demurrage paid there for the whole of the period from January to the end of July was only £41 16s.

5552. It is claimed that there should be no demurrage there at all?—We run the trains when there is sufficient wheat available on the spur lines or branch lines.

5553. Are these special trains?—Yes. It sometimes happens that the loading would not be ready for us. We could not run out to get half a load. I do not think there is anything in the argument. The Geraldton demurrage account shows that they were not debited to any extent.

5554. We understood that there were no special trains running in the Geraldton district?—There would be a certain percentage of special trains.

5555. By Mr. HARRISON: A special train would mean that a full load would go into Geraldton in one day, and to cope with that an increased staff would be necessary?—A full train at Geraldton is a small thing. On the spur lines only a light load is carried.

5556. It would set up an unusual condition for a full train load to come in in one day?—It should not do so; the ordinary trains would bring in loads on certain days and specials on others.

5557. By the CHAIRMAN: What is your opinion as to the manner in which the country stacks have been built?—This year they have not stood as long as in previous years, but they appear to be so well built.

5558. Did you notice any difference between the Westralian Farmers' stacks and the others?—I do not see any marked difference. I have been to all the sidings but made no special examination of stacks.

5559. By Mr. HARRISON: If Geraldton requires a staff for unloading a large quantity of wheat and that is not maintained every day, when they get the full train load in it seems to me special labour must be required?—If they get a special to-day, in all probability that will be the only train they would get. It would possibly be brought about by the fact that the ordinary trains coming in from the branch lines would not be running on that particular day.

5560. Do you think that demurrage at Geraldton would have arisen from conditions of that kind?—A little of it might be due to that cause.

5561. Do you think that lighter material could be used in covering the trucks in place of tarpaulin?—I would not say so. These coverings get rough usage.

5562. You do not find wheat as rough as other materials, such as cases?—It is not customary to sheet wheat anywhere in Australia. Wheat has usually been carried through the summer months. No railway services provide for the covering of wheat. We would have to double our normal supply of tarpaulin if we did that. It was never necessary to do it before the war, and since the war we cannot get canvas at anything like a reasonable price; we lost two shipments through submarines.

5563. Has it come under your notice more particularly this year that wheat has been longer in transit?—I should say that is so. The discharge at the depots has not been as rapid as at North Fremantle.

5564. Would that cause a delay further back in the country?—Yes.

5565. I suppose you have noticed the serious damage which has been done to wheat carried in trucks during the wet weather?—I have noticed quantities of wheat that has become wet through being exposed to the rain in the trucks and also in the stacks.

5566. Have any special cases been brought to your notice as to the damage in transit by the Railway Department as common carriers?—Nothing special that I know of.

5567. Your railway would be exempt under owners' risks?—I should say so.

5568. The Scheme would have no claim against you for wheat damaged in transit?—I think not.

5569. Is the Railway Department responsible for the sites selected for stacking wheat at the various stations?—No. We have certain lands available, and if any agent or owner desires to lease a piece of them they can have it on application. We take no responsibility. The responsibility devolves upon the owner or agent, and they can take the land or leave it.

5570. The railways have nothing to do with the putting in of sound foundations for receiving the wheat?—We did something in that direction in times past and charged a small ground rental.

5571. Do you still charge rental?—No.

5572. Was your ceasing to charge rental a reason for not running any risk of liability?—No.

5573. Have you had any complaints from the Scheme for non-delivery of dunnage during last season?—I know of one. The flooring at Spencer's Brook was not quite ready for the receiving of wheat when they were forwarding it. That was only a matter of a few days. The work was being done under contract with the Public Works Department. There was no delay caused by the Works Department; the material was at the depot in good time.

5574. The small outlying country sidings state that they had to put the wheat on the ground for lack of dunnage. The Railway Department is not responsible?—The railways do not supply dunnage at the various country sidings.

5575. By Hon. R. G. ARDAGH: Is the large amount of demurrage charged against the Scheme due mainly to the fact that unloading is unsatisfactory at the depot?—The unloading is not in proportion to the loading by senders in the country. Loading is more rapid in the country than is discharging at the depots. The difficulty is to control the loading in the country so as to coincide with the discharging at the depots. Where you have independent bodies working with different objects this is the result you get.

5576. What mode of transit from the country sidings to the depots would in your opinion be satisfactory?—We have always had too much wheat available at the depots for men to handle. That is the best evidence as to whether we have brought the wheat in or not.

5577. By Mr. BROWN: Were two or three shifts worked at the depots in unloading?—I think as a general rule the men work the day shift only, plus overtime.

5578. There would be trucks standing overnight which might have been unloaded during the night?—Yes, if the men worked at night.