"OUR FINE RAILWAYS."

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1031, 21 January 1911, Page 13

"OUR FINE RAILWAYS."

Sir, —In the interests of the travelling public. I should like to. draw .the attention of the Baihvuy Department to" an apparent negligence 011 tlie part of some of their officials. It seems that 011 the Wellington-New Plymouth train, northwards, carriages are sometimes withdrawn at ArKmoho. 10 should be the duty of the guard to notify passengers if tho car they arc iu is to bo withdrawn, but this is not done, and. the result is that frequently the passenger for New Plymouth finds himself at the last moment- minus his carriage, - and with the added inconvenience of having to jump aboard any car without his luggage. This has happened on several occasions. Curious to. relate, tlie same experience befell 1110 to-day on the NapierWellington express south' at Palmerston North. I was doing somo writing in my-carriage, and with my materials opened up. I got out to cat somo lunch, and shortly afterwards was astonished to sea an official carrying my stuff along tho platform. 111 responso my inquiry, he stated that .my carriage had been taken "off. Now, tho guard had never said a word to rae that the carriage was to bo taken off, and when I remonstrated with the porter who had taken my luggage from the train, that individual appeared to think that he was being unjustly treated. My things were dumped down anyhow, and then when I further remonstrated with another official that man had the crass stupidity to■say that I should have been in tho.car when it was moved off. In response -to. my further interrogation: as to whethei; .a man was .permitted to eat at train stopping places,. this official . said nothing. , I often wonder why the.Eailway Department does not mnpolv more tactful officials, instead of stupid blunderers, who only attempt to bully when their - faults aro exnosed. One other tiling—for a dirty, evik-melling lavatory, commend me to the lavatory ill the birdcage car of to-night's Napier express—l >111, etc.," TRAVELLER. Wellington, January 19.