Commercial Branch Activities
Stray Notes on Strayed Traffic
Wanganui District

The Taranaki roads are the best in the Dominion, a fact which has made more difficult the task of the Department in regaining the traffic lost there to motor transport. But the road competition was also very severe further south, notably between Wanganui and Marton, Feilding and Palmerston North, and between Palmerston North and Wellington. After exhaustive investigations as to the quantity of traffic being carried over the road from Wanganui to Marton, Feilding and Palmerston North, and as to the rates being charged by the lorry owners, our rates were cut below those of the opposition and an extensive canvas was undertaken in an endeavour to win the traffic back to its proper channel, the State-owned transport system.

The results have been very gratifying and the train traffic from Wanganui to the towns mentioned has been growing steadily, with a consequent increase in the revenue and an easing of the burden of lorry traffic on the roads.

The lorry owners of Palmerston North who had been running in competition with us between that town and Wellington, decided about a year ago to form an Association and to act as feeders to the Railway instead of competitors. They had found that long distance runs were not a payable proposition and invited representatives of the Department to meet them and discuss the question of transport. Several meetings took place and eventually the Association agreed definitely to act as feeders of the Railway.

Prior to this, special cut rates for benzine had been instituted from Wellington to stations as far north as Marton and Woodville, from New Plymouth to stations to Patea, and from Wanganui to stations to Marton. The primary object was to eliminate the back loading for the lorries and the results have more than justified the reductions in rates.

Every effort was made to secure the butter and cheese output from factories, meetings of Directors of Dairy Companies being attended and the claims of the Department urged. Reductions were made where necessary to secure the traffic and in many cases the stipulation was made that the benzine traffic for the Dairy Factories should be placed on the rail.

An extensive canvass was undertaken for the wool traffic, woolgrowers being personally interviewed and quoted through rates from wool sheds to destination. The wool traffic in the Wanganui district already shows a large increase over last year.

The passenger traffic has also been exploited, and where a demand existed, Sunday trains were run. The Sunday trains from Hawera to the New Plymouth beaches and from Palmerston North to Foxton have been well patronised and very much appreciated by the public.

The steps that were taken to arrest the flow of traffic from the Railway have been fully justified by the results. The Wanganui district revenue is about £45,000 to the good compared with last year and apart altogether from this there is a very fine relationship existing between the public and the members of the Railway Service to-day due to the loyal, obliging and efficient way in which the Railway men have carried out the policy of the Department.

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