THE MAIN TRUNK LINE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 62, 6 December 1907, Page 8

THE MAIN TRUNK LINE.

! . CARRIAGE OF MAILS. . J . (BY TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) .. ' I • Auckland, Decomber 5, • . Prior to leaving Auckland yesterday, Sir , Joseph Ward., made a statement regarding 1 the Main ■ Trunk line as tho future mail, routo between Auckland and ■■Wellington. Ho , said ho recognised that the train tiinetublo would mean 'the sfcoppago of tho mails for tho South Island in Wellington for about 1 twelve hours, as this train would reach Wei-. • lington at 8 . a.m., . while the ■ Lyttelton j steamers did.not leave .-till'evening,'but at , presont tho volumo of business did not warrant putting on a special steamer. Perhaps, i later on, it might; be found more convenient ■ to start' tho train from Auckland some hours later than was the present, intention, but that would moan travelling tho greater partof the following day. The alternatives woro to lpavo at mid-day and arrivo at 8 a.m., or to depart at 10 p.m. and arrivo.at 6.p.m. I It. was a question.as to.which was tho inosi i convenient, but the service would adjust , itself after tho start was made ' i A Wollington . gentleman, who recently i travelled to Auckland via tho main trunk , line, says that the trip is a highly enjoyable ;, one, and instead of resenting the twenty-' i eight miles coaching between Ohakuno and •; Itaurimu, he considered it added a pleasant , : novelty to the journey. The coach trip is' ~ made on roads which, at the present time of , j the year, are in splendid order, and which I traverse a district rich in scenic glories. ) While delighted with tiio now route for ! traversing the North Island, our informant • is not so enthusiastic over tho train arrange-' ! monts that at present exist. Tho two hours' t stoppage at Marton and tho long and apparently resultless waits at many of the stations between laihapo and Ohakuno were, to him,' somewhat incomprehensible. If "tho time-' table were re-adjustod, it would, ho'thought, be possible to reach Tamarunui the first' I night out from Wellington. The party who , , made the journey with our informant ail took ~ out four-weekly tourist railway tickets, which - wcro (necording to tho text),' " available for t four weeks over all North Island Government - railways," and which cost £4. They woro 2, rather surprised when thoy learned that they , had to pay 7s. 6(1. extra for travelling over i those sections—from Mnteroa to Ohakuno on ■ the one side, and from α-vaurimu to Tamarunui on tho other side of the divide—that so far have' not been taken over by the. Railway Department, aiid are still controlled by the Public Worlcs Department. In addition " to this, the five-hour coach journey costs 14s. 1 each way, so that instead of'the bare travel- " ling expenses costing the £i, the return trip cannot be done under.£6 3s. roturn.