DIRTY RAILWAY CARRIAGES.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20107, 10 December 1930, Page 17

DIRTY RAILWAY CARRIAGES.

TO THE EDITOR OP TUB f.l«-i» Sir, —Kindly grant me siwcn in which to bring to light appalling railway travelling conditions which 1 hope may be remedied by a little publicity. Journeying from Queenstown to Lumsden this week, I took train at Kingston.. entering tho grimiest, dustiest firstclass compartment imaginable'. The train had* hut shortly arrived, and 1 noticed the seats had yet to be reversed, this condition still prevailing on completing the journey a couple ot hours later. In turn I inspected every chair, hoping to find some clean spot in the carriage in which to seat myself, my search being in vain. I interviewed the guard, expecting at least either to be given a duster or have the necessary dusting done for mo. To my amazement the laconic reply I got to my enquiry was that no duster was available and that the nearest approach to one was his own pocket handkerchief. Realising there was nothing for it but to make the most of a bad job I removed the dust from one chair with my own garments much to their detriment, and later, hoping to cleanse my hands, I was disgusted to find on reaching the lavatory, even lo«s an attempt at"cleanliness there. Tho dirty soap lay in its filthy container looking as though it had remained so for months on end, and the general accumulation of dust and dirt in the whole cabinet was such that T dare not set down on the shelf or anywhere the belongings which I carried with me T returnd to my seat, my hands unwashed, realising there was no alternative, and firmlv convinced th.it for the re.=t of my tour in this country 1 would elect motoring as mv means of travel nnd not set font inside a New Zealand train again.—Yours, etc., TOURIST. Manapouri, November 29th, 1930. [An official of the Christchurch Railway Traffic Department, to whom the above letter was submitted, stated that it was the practice at all starting points to clean the cars thoroughly, and to have them in a fit state to take the road. In connexion with the particular case cited by the correspondent, the official could make no statement, as Kingston was beyond the sphere of his control, but he said be could give an assurance that upon tho publication of the letter the complaint would b© investigated from Invercar-gill-l