THE RAILWAY SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 726, 27 January 1910, Page 8

THE RAILWAY SERVICE

COMPLAINTS FROM THE, WAI- -'] RARAPA.' '■'; ■ .. Dissatisfaction over t.'lo present management of tho railways is becoming very acuto in the Wairarapa district (writes our travelling correspondent), and it appears'that unless matters are ■ remedied very soon, tho public,will manifest its disapproval in very: strong, terms. Last Saturday a train with five engines was stuck in one of the Eimutaka tunnels, tor an hour, through ono of. the locomotives breaking 'dowiu'lt. is reported on very'good, authority that during the time the passengers' were imprisoned in tho thnnel, - there was a species'of pandomonium; Tho train commenced to run backwards,...iud, 'in the nightmare ot screeching brakes and . poisonous fumes,' some of the passengers wore nearly driven frantic. Women and. children screamed and.fainted, and four stokers pr.eugine- ■ driver's werb rendered senseless by the gas 'fumes.'.'. Eventually " the' train ,was taken out of the tunnel in'sections. : .

Tho irregular running of the traius has been a regrettable feature, oftho'.administration since December G, wheu the new ,time-table was started, but it-is not -generally' known that the AVollingtoniNapier express call and lias made up a loss of an hour.'between Woodvilla anil Napier. The other, morning: a train , was timed to leave Masterton at' a certain hour for Wellington, but did not depart until twenty minutes '■ later.: Complaints were.made by passengers on.the Wellington- Wairarapa train .which.' arrived .in Mast.erton on .January 25, about 8 p.m. It is pointed out that there is an insufficiency of .station accommodation in Wellington, and there is no, shelter for passengers .who'.wish, to leave'; by this particular, train. Then it is stated that on January 25, the train. gulled up. at Kaitoke|mtli all .its evil-smelling -sneeptrucks, opposite, the refreshment rooms, while the passengers' : cars were against .the station' lavatory.' It is also said that the rough manner ia which this train coupled'. up at..Wellington,' made somo of the_ passengers imagino that there 'was Several children ."were thrown oIF their feet. In-connection with this matter- (our correspondent con: tinues), I had a,, similar experience on the 5.10 -p.m.-Palmerston' North-AVoodvillo train. Thero. were several very distinct jumps and jerks, as if there wero a collision. A number of passengers rushed out of. tho 'cars.,.. The rough system of coupling up-is' very evident, on many of thei: mail' trains.. ~..'. ; ~ ,;'.."...

Coming .back to : the.railway' traffic in the Wair'arapa, things .aro' said to bo in. a very- bad.. way at ; Itasterton., The trouble appears to be ' over, 'the -sheep-, trucking facilities. ..Thero is.no provision for: yarding'sheep ,at :.the one time,: ihtende'd'Torj.,consignment, ..both. north and! south. , '. Therei is only', Tho stock, people;and, the, Ifastcrton.': A.- , ahd';.-'.'.P.'.' Association have been .'agitating - for'..: a> year, with a view of bringing about .the desired change,' but 'apparently without success.. With: an idea of showing itself willing; the Department, in.a burst of energy, nino.months .after the ..agitation was commenced, cut- down ' soino "docks' which were growing'where", a new' fp'n'cq ; of the yard... was to 'be, erected. : Tlio Department ;tbeh slept over, the business,:' Srcsumably. with the idea of, giving the ocks a.chance, but. now in' responso'tp further :agitation, it actually laid ,'. tbe| posts, foi-.the now : fence. -At .the present ■ rato of progress,. it is.calculated that/tho! shecpyards. will be completed about -the same, tiino, as the German Dreadnought scheme,',in 1912. ... . ■'. " ■ ..' - •' ,'

Then .again, it is contended that there', is: au. insufficiency of.,sheep -trucks.'.' This can be understood,'.but consignors shbuld' bbiiufonned of the fact, iii order-:to : save their staff, trouble aud :theniselv.6s ■ expense. Tho other' dnyi'sixty trucks wore ordered for\Masterton. 'Six men were put on to truck tlio. sheep,, commending at 1. o'clock|.iu the' morning.". They fount! .that'there vrere only.sixteen''trucks'i The remaining sheen, instead, of being railed, away, starved in the, yards.' These sheep were freezers. Tho~.othor' day forty or fifty trucks of sheep.had to be left at Masterton, because the, train which should have taken- them: was already too heavily overloaded. : '.'.■■■'•■':»'■'. :.-..'':. .•■'. . Finally, in order to show tlie wonderful progress' (?) mndo in travcllinc in this twentieth century between ' Wellington and 'Masterton;: ifvJS"-- pointed, out thattwenty., years ago. the .morning train- from Wellington- nrrived/in Jlasterton '.earlier than'. it''docs' , 'now;'' It is contended,i in Mastortbn that the''''delation of the Eimutaka is of vital importance to both tho Wairarapa.and Wellington. Year , by year,, traffic on the Mnnawatii lino must increase, and Wairarapa merchants hold that that lino'should, be, eased as much: as possible..; ;'. . ; ..'," ",v ; .'.--' ' :•-/'■ r--.':'-; , '-'-

; ■'■.. ATTITUDE OErALMERSTON.; . '/ ; (By TclcgraphHSpecial- Correspondent.) :"•'.'• ■' '" Palmerston' North; , 'January-20., ' A,isp'epial meeting 1 of,;the Council, of tho Palnierstoh Chamber of-".ComiiiCTC.e-was lipid this afternoon.: The president: (Captain Haydbn) : occupied,the chair. Tho : question before tbo' meeting' was the present, railway time-table; Mr. J; M.'Johnston, submitting' a ■ statement in . reply to tho report supplied .to the press'by the ,Hon.J. A., Millar. .After :■ discussion' tho following resolution, proposed. by Mr. Johnston, was carried:, "That as. tho Napier Chamber of Commerce does liot now consider it necessary to havo a daily; communication-with.New Plymouth .as supplied by the present railway service, this Chamber is : prepared to. support the iiew -proposals of the Napier Chamber :'of, Cominerce, and-, to • strongly press; for .nn early.-. connection between Masterton ;and Waipukurau and Palmerston North, tho fa-aiu to arrivo at tho latter town 'iio't late than 11 a.m.". ,' ",