SERVICES CUT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 5, 16 September 1942, Page 5

SERVICES CUT

DRASTIC RAIL CURTAILMENT

TANEATUA TRI-WEEKLY

EXPRESS

As a result of the continuation of the coal strike the Rail-

ways Department hias been forced to revise the whole of the siervices throughout the North Island. The Wellington-Auck-land' limited has been cut ouit and the Taneatua service instead of being a daily one lias been reduced to the status of a tri-

weekly running on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The train Ajvill observe the usual departure times as thosie institut-

Ed in the daily service. The goocJs service to Taneatua has been even more drastically affected, the trains which usually arrive at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. having been cancelled and' also the main outward bound good's train at. 1 p.m. The only inward' goods train to Whakatane will arrive in future about 8 p.m. or later. The whole of the Whaka-

tane service car connection with Rotorua will need immediate overhaul. 50 Mile Pernii'ts Only Permits on and alter Wednesday will have to be obtained for distances of 50 miles and over, instead of 100 miles as formerly.

Any persons who have permits to travel on or after Wednesday are advised tlmt these permits have been cancelled, and Jrcsh permits will have to be obtained.

Only perishable ancl urgent goods will be accepted for conveyance by rail in the near future. All trains which have commenced their journey before midnight on Tuesday will be allowed to complete their journey and passengers will be allowed to finish their trip even if they have covered the limit number of miles. Rotorua Restrictions The "Rotorua express that leaves Rotorua at 10 o'clock in the morning for Auckland from to-day run on only Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The Auckland express that leaves Auokland for Rotorua at 10 a.m. will also run on Mondays, Wedesdays and Fridays only.

A train will leave Frankton at

7.30 a.m., and will nrrh'e at. Rotorua'at 3 p.m. The 6.30 a.m. train from Rotorua will run as usual. The Auckland train which arrives in Rotorua at 10.52 p.m. has been cancelled. A train will leave Frankton at *1.15 p.m. to arrive in Rotorua at 5.30 p.m.

The usual -1.30 p.m. train Avhich leaves Rotorua for Auckland has been cancelled, while the train which arrives in Rotorua at 11.40 a.m. from Auckland has also been cancelled. A carriage Avill be attached to the goods train which leaves Rotorua at 1 p.m. for Frank-

The only train leaving Auckland for Wellington will be one leaving Auckland at .'5 p.m., while the one train leaving Wellington for Auckland will leave Wellington at 3 p.m. There will be no train service from Auckland to New Plymouth. Not Heeded Drastic reductions in the railway services in the North Island, following the stoppage of coal supplies were announced b3 r the Hon. R. Scmple. These involved the cutting out of the Limited expresses between Wellington and Auckland, and the curtailment of other important passenger trains on the other Auckland lines to three clays a week. In a statement issued to the miners on Sunday, it was revealed that there was one week's supply of New Zealand coal and five weeks' supply of Newcastle coal in the North Island. It was pointed out that a continued strike Avould risk immobilising the defence forces to a greater degree. Mr Semple said that this statement had had no effect on the miners. The men had ignored the fact and violated every principle of un- ! ionism and by doing this the}' placed themselves outside the pale of unionism and played into the hands of the Japanese. They had treated the Government's appeal to reason with contempt and declared civil war on the civil community. Mr Webb's Statement Tracing the history of the coal miners' dispute, the Hon. P. C. Webb said it would be clear to all that there was no justification for the action taken by the men and their refusal to heed the advice of their own national organisation or to re(Continued in next column)

cognise their responsibilities and duty to the country in the hour of peril, could only be interpreted as a challenge to the State.

Mr Webb said the dispute had arisen because four pairs of miners at Pukemiro had reduced their production below the minimum wage requirements, and Avere paid according to their production. The miners refused to work as the minimum wage was not paid, and other miners w r ent out in sympathy.