TRAIN SERVICES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3046, 5 April 1917, Page 6

TRAIN SERVICES

FOR SOLDIERS ,& SUBURBAN

DWELLERS

PROTEST AGAINST CURTAILMENT.

CONGESTION IN THE CITY

DISCUSSION IN THE COUNCIL

Protests against the curtailment of troop trains and of ordinary suburban' train services.were made by the Wellington Gity Council last night. Tlio Mayor submitted as the first

business of the evening tho following

resolution: "That in the opinion of this council the curtailing of railway facilities for the soldiers in camp, will bring about - greater congestion in places of accommodation in the City, impairing the efficiency of both soldiers and civilians; this council strongly urge the Government to reconsider their proposals/' Mr. Luke, said that those people who knew "Wellington as well as

members of the council did, must realise that the curtailment of soldiers' trains, .assuming that this would mean that the soldiers would get overnight leave in consequence, would cause exeat congestion in Wellington. Available accommodation in hotels and boarding houses was often severely taxed now, and the position would be much worse if the Government persisted in cutting out troop trains to earr.y soldiers' back to. the camp after they had been in the city on leave. The congestion would be aggravated when transports 'were about to leave, or when ships returned with wounded soldiers, at. which times there were in tho City many relatives and friends of the men. He did not think it was proper that, under tl-. general plea of efficiency the privileges of soldiers about to leave New Zealand on active service should be ' restricted. Ho thought the council should also bo urged not to curtail suburban services to such an extent- as to force people trom the suburbs into the Citv, which was already congested. Councillor W. H. P. Barber, seconded the motion, and congratulated the Mayor on having introduced it. Tho policy of tho Government was to re-

lease junior men in tie Railway Department for military service, Lβ said, but Iβ feared that it would not be possible to promote efficiency by curtailing suburban services. By letting away the railwaymon tho Government would hamper other, industries just as essential. There were- hundreds of families living iir tho Hutt Valley, members of whom had to come to Wellington for business. Tho National Efficiency Board had suggested to the council to make use of women as workers. He would suggest, that the Railway Department could easily usewomen as clerks and ticket inspectors. He agreed with the Mayor that the cortailing of troop trains and the grant of long leave- to soldiers would causo serious congestion in Wellington city. For the .sake-of tho, soldiers the council ought to protest strongly. They had made great sacrifices, and they ought not to' be denied their little relaxation

"Tho' Railway Department seems to be affected with the worst form of hysteria," said Councillor J. K Fitzgerald. "They havo shown a lamentable lack for the soldiers and tho citizens of .Wellington." Hβ strongly supported tho motion. Councillor G. Frost said that ho wished to support tho motion. Ho had been informed >that day that the houso agents of .Wellington had been besieged with inquiries from suburban residents who, felt that they could not any longer stay in tho suburbs if the services were to be restricted.

Councillor W. H. Bennett, supporting the motion, said that ho hopod that the authorities would reconsidor their decision regarding Easter leave for some of tho soldiers.

Councillor J. Hutcheson said that everybody was the champion of. the soldiers, quite rightly, and he did not propose to speak on that question., Ho urged strongly, however, that the effect of the Government's proposal to curtail suburban services would prevent a, lot of overtime work, which was now possible. ' Councillor M. F. Luckie said hs was convinced that tho Railway Department had cone far beyond presont requirements in. its proposals, and that, in view of'the storm of indignation that had arisen, the scheme would never como into operation except in air ex-

tremely modified form. He thought it very unfair to malvo such, changes in train running as would seriously reduce the value of properties in the suburbs. Many houses in the suburbs must be emptied by.the reduction of services. He suggested that the Railway Department had not given the matter duo consideration and wero proposing to cut out not only unnecessary, but necessary trains. It .was quite true, no doubt, that the -public would have to put up with inconvenience, but they were,-being asked to put up with unnecessary inconvenience.

Councillor L. M'Kenzie, supporting

the resolution, said that it appeared to him that the unfortunate business arose out of the fact that there was a disagreement between one Government Department and another. And now~ the public were asked to suffer! ,He had. been informed that the Department had done little to organise its freight traffic. While the Government bought all the meat from the freezing works,. it was still a fact that sheep were being»railed from Wairarapa to the Wanganiri works, and from Hawke's Bay-to Wellington. Councillor A. Veiteh said that lie was prepared to stand alone in withholding support from the motion until he had heard, something of the other side of the question. People should not object to little inconveniences inconveniences which were not comparable with those being suffered on the other'side of the world. We had snf- j fcred so very little in Now Zealand | Ho protested against the passing of the resolution without hearing what had to be said .on the other the question. ■ ■ .

Councillor A. H, Atkinson said he agreed with very much that had been said in support of the motion, but he also associated himself with what Mr Veitcli had'said. It seemed to him that the greater part of the railway scheme was entitlsd to the highest possible.commendation. Thero was no country in the world where the noncombatant had done so little and suffered so little as in New Zealaud. It filled him with shame to read what our representatives were saying in the Old Country of tbe sacrifices that the people of New Zealand were proud to make, when those sacrifices were not one per cent., not decimal ono per cent., of those that British, people were making to win tlia war... It-was exceedingly unfortunate, he thought, that when the Government came down with a scheme .of retrenchment the council should take no account of tho merits of the scheme, but merely fasten on some points which, were likely to givo rise to inconveniences. He took it that.the council must approve of the stoppage of race trains, of tho extra, expresses, and the' abolitioiii of excursion fares —everything in the way of luxury and extravagance. He would suggost.to the Mayor that ho should introduce his resolution with such meidg as these; MThat while heartily

supporting the Government in its proposal to cut down unnecessary tram services"

The Mayor accepted the suggestion, and _ the motion as so amended was carried.

Later in the evening the Mayor referred to the effeot of the stoppage of Sunday trains on the Sunday milk supply for the city. It would not be possible, he said, to have milk brought from Otaki by train, and it would have to be brought by motor-wagon. On the other line a motor-wagon would have to run not , only from Feathcrston, to Tipper Hutt, but from Featherston to the .city. The farmers had approached him with a suggestion that the trouble might be got over if the Board of Trade could be induced to vary its award to allow an extra halfpenny per gallon for Sunday milk, and had made the alternative suggestion that the city should provide for the carriage of milk. He had told the farmers that he thought they should themselves pay for the services of tho motor-wagon, a charge of £10 per Sunday. STATEMENT BY SIR JAMES ALLEN PUBLIC MUST PUT UP WITH IT Bj Telegraph—Press Association. Dunedin, "April 4. Sir James Allen (Acting-Prime Minister), replying to a suburban deputation protesting.against the curtailment oF tho railway services, particularly in the evenings, said that the publio must understand they had reached a stage when they must put up with inconveniences. There was no getting away from it at all, and all they could look for in tho matter of railway services was arrangements to meet their absolute essential needs. No consideration could bo given to pleasure, sports, or theatres. The only curtailment practicable meant a big cut, in order to avoid double shifts, and it was impossible to worli tlieTsfaffs tpo much overtime and thus impair their efficiency. Sir James Allen condemned vigorously the miners' go-slow policy, and said he hoped the country would be behind the Government in putting a stop to it. The coal supply was a serious factor in the curtailment of the railway services ■ f ■