OVERCROWDED TRAINS.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2594, 16 October 1915, Page 3

OVERCROWDED TRAINS.

Sir, —I lave just returned from ■Wellington after seeing the grand march past of our noble sons. The military part of the function was most inspiriting, and a sight never to be forgotten. The ludicrous and really deplorable ■bungle of the issue of tickets cn the wharves, to next-of-kin, unfortunately caused not only great inconvenience, but real suffering bodily and mentally, to •many relatives, and I hope uublic opinion on this point will be freely expressed. I beg through your columns to draw attention to another matter in connection with this memorable event, and that is the overcrowding of tho trains from and to theWairarapa. The first train from Masterton to Wellington on .Saturday arrived at Carterton much overcrowded—in fact it must have been apparent to everyone of ordinary common sense that the train left Masterton in a 'crowded 'statej'-'Hiid-without" seating room being provided for passengers joining on the way down. Hie consequence was that a- constant scramble for seats was waged all the way to town. To-day, Monday, I joined tho first train for Wairarapa at the Lower Hutt—due to leave' there at 8.9 a.m. —and I found every carriage, both first and second, crowded to the limit of endurance and discomfort. As proof positive_ of these statements, three extra carriages had at the last minute to be added to a train that had only commenced its journey from the City, and then the train was crowded. Surely if the heads of the Traffic Department anticipated traffic for a sufficient, volume to justify them in issuing cheap excursion tickets,, then it should he someone's business to see that folk are not herded together, and put to discomfort for. want of carnage accommodation. At race times everything is subordinated to raco trains, and the whole of the ordinary traffic scheme is upset to pander to the so-called noble sport; but when parents and relatives are using the lines to see the last of their dear, brave sons, why then they can either take their chance of getting a seat in decent comfort or just stay at home. —I am, etc.,' SERIOUS.