Inefficiency Lost Railway Monopoly
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ARAILWAY pig-traffic monopoly that broke down was mentioned during the hearing of an application before the Yorkshire Licensing Authority, at York, on Monday. The application, by Messrs. A. Dennis and Sons, of Mahon, for the regrant of an A licence for nine vehicles, was opposed by the L.N.E. Railway Co.
It was stated that the applicants work included the collection of live pigs and the distributionof bacon for the Yorkshire Bacon Factory at Norton, Maltoh. Formerly, the L.N.E.R. handled all the factory's pig traffic at an agreed charge.
Mr. J. D. Dennis, manager of the applicant firm, said that he collected pigs from a wide area and, in some cases, called for a single pig. His flat rate for the carriage of pigs under contract with the factory was Is. 4d. an animal for 30 miles, Is. 9d. for 40 miles, and 2s. for 41-50 miles.
Mr. H. F. Allen, secretary to the company managing the factory, said he had had a bitter experience of railway transport, in connection with the handling of the factory's pig traffic. When the railway company had a monopoly, there were many instances of late deliveries and the factory lost customers. At one period, the railway was five days in making a delivery to the customer. , By employing the applicant firm, the factory could load up with bacon at Norton by 7 a.m. on Monday and deliver at Manchester by midday, and two hours later in Liverpool. The earliest delivery by rail was Tuesday morning. The railway company had occasionally collected ohe pig at a time, but the charge was exorbitant.
The reason for transport by road, instead of by rail, was not altogether a question of cost. The producers did not like to deal with the railway.
Mr. F. H. S, Ward, secretary to the Yorkshire Bacon Factory and to the North Riding Farmers Union, said that he was one of the people who negotiated the decision with regard to the haulage arrangement when the railway monopoly broke down. If the L.N,E.R. had offered the services and facilities which the factory was able to obtain from the road haulier, the factory would even then have accepted the railway rate of is. 9d. per pig for a 30-mile radius.
Decision was reserved.