THE WAIRARAPA TIMETABLE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 930, 24 September 1910, Page 12

THE WAIRARAPA TIMETABLE.

STRONG PROTESTS IN PARLIAMENT. . .The uew time-tablo in tho Wairarapa district was the subject'of some hostile criticism in . the House of Representatives last night. ■; _■ ;. : .y /.,■ -Mi\ vßuchhriaii;.' (Wairarapa) -.remark- . od 'oil what he formed the scurvy; treats ment which his district got in the matter of railway communication.' No*one was better aware of this than tho Minister for Railways that his districtdeserved well in; every respcct andihore' particularly in regard to' its railways." These railways were, paying handsomely, and he challeng«l anyone to contradict this. And. still the service was being starved...'. .Large numbers'of ;fat cattle-: ■ were: sent;,.from the Wairarapa: to ...the. South Island, but a dealer, in; i;lie. Wairarapa had beeii informed by .Ihe .Railway Department that only two trucks of cattle.'.could , bo taken by :Jthe only train running to catch,-tho - steamer: to! ■Lj'ttelton unless' the: dealer iwas prepared' to j)ay .the: additional cost ;of. an . extra, engine to take .more , than -two' trucks pyor ■ the.- vßimutaka . Hill. ;' The? Department must recognise ■■•'that this was blocking the trade, and . that their, intimation meant'that be im:;possible. to : send; cattle from the rarapa to Lvttelton. ':' -\' • : • r : The:Prime'Minister: What is wrong ? : Mr.: Buchanan: If the hon. /gentleman does not chooso to. 1 listen; .1 think . it:, is . ah;. impertinence ■ that/.he-:'should; . make an' interjection liko. that.. Continuing; Mr. Buchanan;! complain'-, ed of ■ the rate of-' speed which trains ; leaving •■ Featherston- /for''.Wellington were, allowed to get- up. ■ Before.Tpas's-: i ; ing: the-second', crossing 'at Featherston the tram got up too much-. speed for safety;' Owing, to the' ; position of the' crossing in question,. there had been several very narrow escapes.. .'• • . .. Tho Hon. J. A. Millar said that the traii, by-whicli 'it .was asked:;the cattle : should ■be " taken, was;, fully.' taxed,' ; and : only ..'two trucks, of cattle; coukHe'.taken': oil it. They "could; not put another en-, gine on to pull ;one . truck. to Welling-' ■ ton:,,' ;Mr. '-'Buchanan: would .not; do ! this himself, and he 'had;;no : right to:expect; the Department; to do it. ; Masterton : people would have' io. do .. with ; '/their, ' •;cattle^'a's.;',wMV : ;ddn'o':.;!with: horses—that .was 'to .bring' thfem down the day' before, they .were '-shipped.' 'If thero was' .suffi- ; cient loading guaranteed the . Department would, put-on fa special.train. In 'regard-to/the, speed-;of ;the':train's,' every, driver had . definite .' instructions as to the speed lie should travel 011 eachportion of vHe knew himself -that., '.these'instructions.were not. always car;;, ried. out;' but ;ting indicators,' and, were j being.fitted ■to'vthe;.tra.ins l ,and;:;these; would; ; enable.. the;;. Department' to' keep track. of men when they went/over the. speed ; /.limit;. The . was worked out so as to allow of a fair rate of speed ' 1 being; "maintaihe3\i over, thewhole linei ,As to the! timetable,; ithe. W airarapa 'must.'realise; that itl;;was;now '"only branch lme. ; .The line still paid, but'it .did not'.'give ;a;) sufficient .margin to carry out' all the; memberj for-! the Wairarapa' .desired; should' bo done. . If the; Wairarapa; people;.liked to; forego • the" Napier and; with:.' Pal-, merston North 110 would be. prepared' \tb, go', into the, matter; again, and' give them-.;the itime-table' that suit them.' .;; ■.Mr..;/Hog'g';":(Masterton) .'said that if tlietime-table -as regards' ■.' passengers . iii"-the/.Wairarapa lino, was'' designed to cause lnconvonienco and. loss 10 . those . it. could, not /have frained.';; the Minister , was anxious to make; the • lino. as.; convenient asv possible, but if the ofj .things'? was allowed to continue'; people -would bq absolutely forced to leave the railways and get some other means of . moving about'. .® lino, was .pnly used at present, by. those who were absolutely , forced "to use - it';'-!