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Hauliers' case highlights beet tare trouble
Page 60
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THE maximum weight regulations in force in the Republic of Ireland since 1963 provide that the gross laden weight of a lorry with a front and rear axle only may not exceed 16 tons, with three axles, 22 tons and with four axles, 27 tons.
The Beet Hauliers' Association Ltd. sought to have beet exempted from the regulations. The Association's main grounds for exemption was that it is very difficult to assess the weight of a load of beet due to the variations which can occur in weight due to tare. For example, if a load of beet with 5 per cent tare weighs 10 tons, the same size load of beet with 25 per cent tare will weigh 12 tons, and in an extreme case, the same size load will weigh 15 tons. Tare is, of course, the soil, rubbish, etc., which is found in every load of beet and which can vary greatly with weather conditions.
The first prosecutions under the regulations were heard in Mallow, Co. Cork, district court recently. All 14 defendants were members of the beet Hauliers' Association and the prosecutions all related to loads of beet brought to Mallow beet factory during December 1966.
Sergeant P. J. Organ, who prosecuted, agreed that it would be difficult to estimate the weight of a load of beet.
Mr. Al Kelly, BHA chairman, gave evidence of the Association's previous efforts to have beet exempted from the regulations, and said that in 1963 it succeeded in getting the Department of Local Government to agree that where the gross laden weight in the case of beet was not exceeded by more than one ton, no prosecution would be taken. Mr. Kelly said that his Association intended to make another approach to the Department to get a bigger tolerance for excess weights in beet due to tare.
District Justice Buckley agreed that there was no apparent intent to flout the law, and stated that he was anxious not to impede any negotiations the Association intended to reopen with the Department.
All the cases were marked Proved.