THE RAILWAY SERVICES.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15868, 5 April 1917, Page 6

THE RAILWAY SERVICES.

PROTESTS AGAINST CURTAILMENT, IMPORTANT STATEMENT BY SIR JAMES ALLEN. iBTKCia *0 "Tint FBXSB.'*) DUNEDIN, April 4. The proposed drastic curtailment of tho railways services was tho subject of a deputation to Sir James Allen, Acting-Prime Minister, this afternoon, from the Borough Councils of Port Chalmers, West Harbour, and Mosgiel, whoso representatives made a protest against tho rumoured elimination of suburban trains after 7 p.m. daily. Tho deputation were liberal in their inferences as to the probable effects of the scheme of curtailment of train services, but tho Minister, although conserving Ministerial secrets in the orthodox way, quietly warned the deputation against jumping to hasty conclusions, and advised them to keep their minds easy about some of the rumours as to the now timetable. He was candid and emphatic as to tho reasons for curtailment, and tho unavoidable necessity for the public to accept inconveniences m order to help end this year the wretched war, and ho denounced with vigour tho "go slow'' policy of somo coal minors, whose tactics were seriously affecting tho coal supply, which was a vital factor in tho proposal to cut down the railway service. Tho Minister, in his reply, said it was, as a matter of fact, his opinion I that tho inconvenience ought to have been imposed upon tho public earlier, because it had been essential. It. was all the more essential now tho Railway Department was at the stage when a good many of tho railwaymen had gono away to the front. Tho pressure upon tho staff was very heavy on those left, and somo men had been working overtime. It was not a good thing to put too big a strain on the men wno wero engaged upon important transport service. Too severo a straip would cause inefficiency, and might lead to a disaster which tho Administration wished to avoid. Another reason was the urgent ueed of keeping up the supply of reinforcements. The deputation and the pubjic were being led into tho belief that it was possible to case down on the supply of reinforcements. He desired entirely to remove such an erroneous belief from their minds. We had reached a stage when it was absolutely essential to keep up the mazinnim strength of our reinforcements. "Unless you wish," continued . tho speaker, "that this war should drag on for another year, for another two or threo years (and I am sure the country does not wish that), wo must make it evident to the enemy that we halve plenty of men in the field and plenty to send as reinforcements. I believe it is the intention of the Imperial authorities and the Allies to try and bring the war to an end this year. Let us do our utmost to help them get rid of the nrotched thing, and secure the peace we all urgently and earnestly want. Men are urgently required. I cannot, hold out any hope of any reduction in the number of men to be sent away as reinforcements. There is another 'and a very important reason why there should be a curtailment of tho railway services. Tho production of coal has fallen in this country. The supply of coal is not what it ought to be. In order to conserve tho coal supply, it is absolutely essential (even though railwaymen have not been required for active service) that the railway service should be curtailed."