THE NAPIER EXPRESS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2526, 29 July 1915, Page 3

THE NAPIER EXPRESS

•A DINING-CAR ASKED FOR.

Mr. G. Hunter, member for Waipawa, lias been urging on the Minister of Railways, the necessity of putting a refreshment-ear on the Napier-Welling-ton express, and last week he placed a question on the order-paper relating to tho matt-er. In his reply yesterday, the Hon. W. H. Herries Eaid that tho running of a dining-car on the NapierWellington section was not justified under the Existing circumstances. Tho trains are timed so as to- commence their journeys_ and arrive at their destinations iu time to enable passengers to obtain dinner, and .their wants en route are well catered for. by refreshment rooms which are provided at reasonable intervals. The experiment of running dining-cars on the Napier-Wel-lington expresses was tried four years ago. Tho cars were very poorly patronised, and the earnings wore insufficient to pay the actual cost incurred in providing provisions and the wages of the men. Frequently the running of the cars involved the Department in the additional expense of attaching a second engine. to the trains. Under theso circumstances, ho regretted that ho could not agree to again place dining-cars on the Wellington-Napier expresses. Mr. Hunter said that he did not consider the Minister had given a favourable reply. When the experiment was made some years ago it was made in such a way that it was almost certain to bo a financial failure. Ho believed that it would now prove a success, and it would be a great boon to tho people travelling on the line. It had been found from experience that tho Locomotive Department was one of the hardest to move, for it had taken years to get tho train journey to and from Napier accelerated. He did not despair of getting something done. Mr. J, Vigor Brown (Napier) said that tho dining-car would be of groat value to passengers coming from Gisborne, who often did not get_ time to have their breakfasts at Napier. The least that could bo done was to give the car a trial for three months. Dr. M'Nab . also supported this suggestion. Tho Hon. W. H. Herries said that the question of dining-cars was not satisfactory. Very few of . them paid when there was only one meal to be provided. He understood tho exijcriment on the Napier lino was made in a fair way, but ho promised to again look into the matter.