ALTERED TRAIN SERVICES

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 672, 24 November 1909, Page 8

ALTERED TRAIN SERVICES

MEETING AT MASTERTON. "REASONABLE BUSINESS BLOCKED." \\V>i .TelccraDh-Bpcclal 'CorreaDoDdent.l ',-■' Masterton, 23.'V The conference- of Chambers of Commerco and-local bodies,. arranged by tho Masterton Chamber of Commerce to discuss tho proposed alterations to the Wairarapa'railways timetable, took'place this afternoon. Mr.'J. B. Moodie (president of tho Masterton Chamber) occupied the chair, and there was ah ance of about sixty delegates.

The. chairman explained that tho alterations, though-not so drastic as they had at first been led to believe, would still put tho Wairarapa service on -an unsatisfactory; basis if they were enforced. An examination of the proposals would i reveal the fact that the district 'was - not being fairly treated. The' Wairarapa and BushjiDistricts were important centres,, and were entitled to far more consideration than it was proposed to rive them. ' It 6eemed preposterous that the first mail train from' Wellington was timed to arrive in Masterton at 11JH) a.m. It; did:not give business men an' opportunity to reply to correspondence, and was inconvenient from every point of, view. Regarding trains from the north to Masterton the arrival of the train at U.4S was quite unfair to the settlers ■in that part of the district, as they could not leave again for home until 6 p.m. It was also essential to i have an. early train into Masterton from the north, as school children would bo unable to come.in until about midday, and the school hours would be half over by the time they got to. school. The first train from 'Wellington was far too slow, and should certainly arrive in Masterton at 11 a.m. Mr. Moodie then read the following motion, which had been passed at a meeting of the Masterton Chamber of Commerce that morning:— - ■'"';•. "That the attention of the Minister be called-to tho serious dislocation of business caused by the,omission,of an early morn-' ■ ing train conveying -mails from' Welling-. ■-. ton, making an apparent loss of; somo two hours.and a quarter, but really much more by reason of the awkward hour at which '■' , the first train is now timed to arrive. Also ' there/is a loss of .fully two hours of business timo, in the mail time to; Wellington, all. mails ; southwards - must now ,close at Masterton' at-about- 2.55,- whereas, , in the past; letters could be .'posted till' ~ffi.p.m.; The tediousness-of..the railway ,'journey, experienced by-Wairarapa people having business in Wellington is already intolerable, in. that it. l takes four hours and.' ■ a/half to travel, 67 miles. The. proposed • -.time-table appears to aggravate the pre;:sont. annoyance, in that'one hours less, time '■ is given . in. Wellington for those who, must .'.return- the same day. There .isOan.apparent blocking of all,reasonable-busi-ness m connection with, Masterton■ and its farming, , and other-'cnstoniers northwards, >.i as also of the scholars, attending tho Dis- : trict High School/ in that tho first train : : north arrives at Masterton at ll.fi a.m., > in place of 9.30, while the return, trains northward are inadequate for reasonable • requirements: ,Why should a fully-loaded l '', ■ train- from' Wairarapa "bo 'made, to \ do all' :, .the.local; work between Upper ; Hmtt and Wellingtonr , -

- Mr.,G.. C: SnmmercH' seconded the motion. ■ Mr. Daniell'agreed :to add to; his resolution' the. words "and consequently this meeting urges,: that > the train leaving. Wellington at 4.45- ajn., , and the, trairi-southward leaving Woodville at L25/p.m:, be retained as serving the .jPpstal' requirements, and -in the interests of education, dairying, and produce generally!" Mr. E.'Page,:Eketanuna, moved as an amendment;: "That the'3.so.p.m. train from Welling-ton''-.to Z.Mastertbn run through to WoodvillojandVthat.;the.';7.3o: a.m.. train,'Masterton- to Wellington, start, from Woodvillo;, that, the 7.50 • a.m."- train from Wellington to Woodville leave .Wellington at 7, that it and the 1.20' p.m.' I 'train from Wobdville to Wellington be express mail trains.. ■;:•'■ After discussion, .'it-was.resolved-to treat the amendment as a motion, and to,put the two-at the meeting separately, as they were not of a conflicting nature. -."/ .. -:. .. , Both resolutions were, then carried, and it was decided that the Eketahnna motion should take."precedence. . : . . . / • It was resolved that delegates from all.the local bodies and chambers of. commerce from Woodvjlle to Palliser Bay wait on t the'Minister. for .'Railways with, a view to obtaining ;the', best, possible mail, and railway facilities. ,If,it can' be ..arranged, the 'deputation; 'Minister on Monday evening next.' ..'. //■' :■:■'■■:! ') T833 HOTKTIKEKPERS'-POINT.OF VIEWv - IBj Toleßrapb.-l'rejs association.! ' "'.' w i ■.■•.,;••.';•..•:/ i..' : ,.': ;: ;' Napierj November. ~23../ ,- • 'In connection with the. changes announced .'in-'the- railway, time : table, -Mr. P.-- Moeller,irianager of the Masonic Hotel, puts the >view .'of the/travelling-public. 'Mr. Moeller;.stated-' to-day that ririder the present labour; conditions hotolkeepers wero going to bo severely taxed if the proposed new.time-table camo into'force. ;Posserigors arriving by .'tho-mail'tram at 9.20 p.m. would naturally expect hot tea; and after travelling would hardly'be'satisfied .with a cold collation. This would mean that tho. hotel staff would'have 'to-be kept 6n : duty"until ...after 10 o'clock at night, while in the morning they would have to provide; early breakfast;at 6.3(1. o'clock for ipassengers leaving by the/ express train at'.7.30..' It might be said that 6.30 6'plock was too': early ; an' hour, but "passengers -had to/ havetheir luggage on the'stafian to be'ehecked half T an-hour tefore' the train i started! ' A number of people objected to havingtheir meals on the train,-'and looked to tho hotels:to supply, them with proper refreshment when they... arrived ;'■ at their journey's end,/ arid'•; also beforo they, set out..- Hotelkee'pers out of consideration, could not ask-their staffs'-to. work long'hours, arid' it- would; riot 'pay to maintain a double staff. '^Whatever,it.costs- hotclkeepers,' however,": Mr..' Moeller; conclnded,. "you' may der ,pend that'the travelling public will bo'looked■ after," '/. • '.-'■" ■ •":■,'".:•'■ '■ . •'■.■'=■ ''/ '''■'■:■:■■"■ ■

,v' MERITING AT NBWvPLYMOUTH..;.. r • >' ; ; ' New' Ply'mouiliV'Nbvember, 23; i . ,4!' public meeting has been called to protest 'against' the -express train's arrival from \ Wellington ; being_ delayed ..to 9.20; p.m., on; the 'ground that,.' besides : causing great local:; in-' convenience', it will prevent through passengers connecting with' tha express for Waikato, and Edtorna. at'Penrose Junction. --V.!.'"-..■•-