SOLDIERS ON TRAINS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2826, 18 July 1916, Page 5

SOLDIERS ON TRAINS

TROOP "TRAINS NOT FOR USE OF CIVILIANS.

A.number of soldiers who returned to Jrentham Camp from leave in the city 11 i r;ll ' n on Sunday night wore called -upon by the guard to pay an extra shilling. ■ Tho reason given for this wasthat tho soldiers' tickets wero only available by troop train which left at 9.15. lor somo time past this extra, chargohas been levied on tho 10.3j p.tn. train from Lhmbton on weeknights, similar reasons bein; given by the Hailway "Department for doing <r,. A"- number of complaints Jbaro' Jbeen made by civilians who wero not allowed' to travel to town on troop trains on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Tho civilians referred to had urgent business in town, but, (although, their soldier relatives wero able to leave Trentham early in the afternoon, thoy were compelled to tfait till nearly five o'clock before being ablo to do so.. One iustanco was that of a mother who arrived from the south on Sunday morning, find vent out to the camp to visit her son. H« obtained leavo to return to town with Tier, too lato to catch the 12.35 p.m. train. The next on the time-table was fho -1.50. A troop-train left at' 1.40 p.m., but the sfcationmaster could r.ot allow' hor to travel by it, though, it is said, there was roiim in tho cL'icorc' carriage..,. These ni:>s£<ers wero referred !o tho Railway Department by a ■Ho.Mf.sios reporter. At tlio samo tlm.o it'was askeil whether the difference between the eoMier's fare and the ordinary civilian fare was paid by the Department of Internal Affairs. Tho reply given was that an adjustment was made by the Department of Internal Affairs. At the samo time, tlm soldiers' tickets were, strictly speaking, only available by troop trains. The ineii were allowed to travel on a s number 0? regular trr.ins, but it was necessary, for traffic rf.-isons, 1o their travelling by certain trains, leaving immediately before troop trains. The extra shilling was charged to deta' tho promiscuous tiso of tlcso trains, to tho inconvemonoe of civilian pasMngers. If u man. had special reasons for using these ordinary trains ho could |My the_ Is. and travel first-class. 'As lo the civilians using rroop trains, this was absolutely forbidden, bewmsfi there was no proper accommodation forthem. Officials, ft was stated, Lfid no discretion in the matter'." It' was the Department's desire to meet the wishes of tho cainp authorities os far «s possible, and thero was no indication of nnyM'niiuro in tills rcspect.