OUR RAILWAYS

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1395, 22 March 1912, Page 4

OUR RAILWAYS

ADVERSE CRITICISM,BY A VISITOR It is quite nn everyday thing now to hear the management of our railways condemned in unequivocal tonus. Nearlv evorv tourist who is compelled to use the Main Trunk express marvels .it the discomfort they arc asked to face, ana speak of their experiences on the trains as hours to be forgotten as soon as possible. In most other countries I ram travelling is more or loss a pleasure, liie latest gentleman to express indignation at the low standard ot comfort on the Main Trunk express is Dr. J. M. I.ovitt, of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, who is Muring New Zealand. After tho comfort of h<3 Canadian Pacific railroad (across Canada), the visitor finds our railways locking. "It was reallv a dreadful experience, he said, in reference to tho Auckland-ueJ-Huston journey. "Tho worst of it is there is another one ahead of us-lrom Christchurch to Dunodin. If wo nart known it was quite t-o bad 1 ilauot n we would have, attempted tho .New Zealand trip. In the first place, the tram was grossly overcrowdsd-thcro seemed to be twice as many people on the ex-, prc<* as there was seating accommoitation for, and always there were people sitting on the nrms of chairs ami on tno l>l at forms. This state of conation ««« liarlicularlv noticeable at meal times. The.ro wns'a little bit ot a attacked, which could not cope with the rush, and instead of gettingluncheon at a reasoimble liour, wo could not gel seats until Ihreo o'clock. AN e had (hen only been sooted five minutes during tin greater part of which time the waltei had limn telling us that this and thai was 'off.' when I was asked (o pay. at they had to prepare the ear for afternnn'n tea. I was going on to Sydney direct by the Wnrrinioo. but not being anto to get a berth wo liave to go to Christchurch and face another long journey on your trains."