RAILWAY TIME-TABLES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 784, 6 April 1910, Page 4

RAILWAY TIME-TABLES.

Sir,—To-day the much-falked-of, much-dreamt-of, and long-anticipated improved (?) railway time-table comes into force, and, according to the views of your representative, published under the heading "Railway Time-tables," in Monday's issue of your valuable paper, the public should be more than satisfied with the sterling efforts put forth by the Minister for Railways to meet the wishes of the unfortunates who are obliged to travel by,train.

I am not in a position to say how far the public have been studied in other districts, but I do know that in the Wairarapa and Bush districts the wishes of the travelling public have been accorded little consideration, and the suggestions of locai bodies regarding requirements of these districts have, with one exception, been pointedly ignored..-This exception is the connection of a, Wairarapa train with the Auckland express—a concession for which we are truly grateful.

■: Of course, we residents of the Wairarapa and "The Bush" realise .that we are on "only a branch line"; we realise that our districts are being thrown back at least thirty years' by the drastic alterations in last year's railway timetable j we also realise that the Government must have strong Teasons' for economising, and we are loyal enough, to wish to help in the economies. For,. instance, we will not cavil at .having to pay threepence for railway time-tables; nor at riding in antiquated railway carriages transported from other ■ districts. These are minor trivialities, and we-have souls above them. But we do rise in wrath when we are compelled to travel on our local trains at the dangerous and excessive speed of twelve miles per hour. This speed' is attained by "The Mying Scotchman," a train which leaves Masterton for. the Bush at 7.45 a.m. railway time, or any time from 8 to 8.30 a.m. local time, and, according to the time-table, reaches Mauriceville, twelve miles distant, at 8.45 a.m.-railway time. We cannot all insure'our lives, and. we object to them being placed in jeopardy even to help in Mr. Millar's ' little economies."

Your representative says that farmers will be benefited by the changes-thcy will be able to visit stock sales as far north as Seilding and return to their homes in the Wairarapa in one 1 day (he should have said in one day and one night). The train' they would have to return, en reaches Masterton at 10 p.m., railway time, or any time from that to 12 p.m. local time, and the poor benighted Featherstonian would probably reach his home'at lor 2 a.m. next day. But I am wandering! What does a loss of one hour, or. two hours; or twentyfour hours, matter on "a branch line"? and what docs it matter to our economic (?) Minister for Railways if the timetable, which has been in force for the past four months, and which is still to be inflicted on the Wairarapa and Bush districts, is penalising workers, farmers, school children,: tradesmen, and, in fact, all classes of the community? , •• Thanking you in anticipation for publishing this—l am, etc;, •' . ' THOROUGHLY DISGUSTED. Wairarapa, April 1.