FEATHERSTON CAMP

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2797, 15 June 1916, Page 5

FEATHERSTON CAMP

« : INCONVENIENT SITE FROM KAILWAY VIEWPOINT. Complaints have been made to the Minister of Railways lately about/the time taken by the troop trains on the journey between the camp and Wellington. v In the House yesterday Mr. Herries said that the placing of the camp at Featherston liad always been opposed by himself and the Railway Department. / From a military point of view, the site ,' of the Featherston Camp was iio doubt an excellent one, but from the Railway Department's point of view it was a most inconvenient site. iLid the camp been in the Manawatu district it would have been irnioh easier to servo it from a railway point of view. Mr. Veitch: Were you' not consulted on the matter? ' Mr. Herries: Tho Department was con- • suited, and we warned the Defence Department that we might not be able to always satisfy its requirements. Mr. Poole: They are too • headstrong, ifr. Herries: Military considerations, of course, must tako precedence. The Railway Department, however, is doing its best, and I think that we are giving a very good service. , Mr, Poole: Five hours is too long. Mr. Herries: It is a veiy difficult proposition to tackle, especially as wo have onJy six of tho special engines used os the Riinutaka incline. In regard to Sunday trains, Mr. Herries said that tho policy of the Department was to discourage the running of trains on Sundays. The employees of • the Department, whilst they never objected to doing Sunday work' for the benefit of Soldiers, were disinclined to do moro wonk, in connection with ordinary excursion trains on that day. He thought that in this aspect'the views of the employees should be mot as far aa possible. . ,