THAT SPECIAL TRAIN

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3128, 5 July 1917, Page 6

THAT SPECIAL TRAIN

MR. MASSEY EXPLAINS "TWO BASELESS RUMOURS" "I wish to refer to a matter in which I am' , personally concerned," said tho Prime Minister in the House of .Representatives yesterday. "A statement has been made repeatedly during the past week to the effect that on our arrival in Auckland the Finance Minister and myself, not satisfied to travel by the ordinary train, ordered out a special train for our own use and benefit. The story has-been growing in the telling. I asked the General Manager of Railways to provide me with a statement of the facts,: and I have to-day received a report which 1 propose to read to the House."

Mr. Massey read the General Manager's statement which was to the effect that the special'train had not been ordered by the Ministers, nor had it been run for their convenience. Since the reduction of tho train services, tho single daily express between Auckland and ■Wellington had carried'a maximum load under ordinary conditions, and the addition of extra carriages had always involved tho use of a second engine, with its stall... A train of twelve carriages constituted a full load for one engine, and whenever an English mail arrived in Auckland a second engine ha<l to be attached to tho express in order to provide for the extra mail car. ' The steamer from which the Ministers landed had carried a mail ns well as passengers, and the Railway Department had found it necessary to use nineteen cars on that <lay. Two engines could have hauled these cars in a single train, but in accordance with the general practice on the express runs the Department had preferred to divido the tr|un into two parts. The second train followed the first train closely, and the arrangement did not involve the use of an additional engine or the employment of extra stair other than ono guard. ■ "We did not ask for any special train, added Mr. Massey. "We intended to travel by the ordinary train. But the Railways Department informed US that it would be convenient to run a second train, as the Department was in the habit of doing when the-traffic wns specially heavy. The second train was put on. and we .-travelled by it. ■ ' "There is another statement I wish to mention. A southern newspaner reports the statement of some individual to the effect that T/clrow house allowance durin" the whole period of my absence from Wellington. Anything of the sort wouldhave been impossible. I called tho'atten-. tion of the Treasury to the statement, ' and my secretary has received this report: 'T have to advise you that the Prime Minister is not paid house nllowaucc He occupies a Ministerial residence. Consequently it follows that during his absence from New Zealand no payments for house aUmvano" wprp made" to him or were due to Win.'" Mr. Mnssey added Ihnt .he had not thought of ffivinc up the Ministerial residence during his absence. Fn certainly would not have done so. Hn had retained possession of the house, and house allowance at the rate of j>2oo a voar had been deducted from his salary. He hnd thought it. desirable to refer publicly to.the two baseless rumours.