RAILWAY SERVICES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 57, 30 November 1917, Page 6

RAILWAY SERVICES

COMMERCIAL MEN IN PROTEST.

"What is wrong with the "women of this country?" asked Mr. G. J. Anderson, M.P., wliou the- lack of a through express between Christchurch and ]nvercargill was being discussed at the conference of .the Associated Chambers of Commerce. "The Railways Department tells us that it cannot run an adequate train service because somo of its men. have had to go to the front. Why cannot their places be filled temporarily by women; as has been done in Great Britain There are plenty of women who would be only too glad to volunteer for the work if they were given the chance." Mr. Anderson ai;d other delegates said that the withdrawal of the; through express between Christchurch and Invercargill had inflicted very great loss and inconvenience on the business men of the South Island, who had to spend two days on a journey that ought to be completed in one day. Mr. L. H. Collinson (Palmerston North) said he believed the seat of the trouble was the State control of the New Zealand railways. The Government ran the railways very badly indeed. It showed no proper regard for the requirements of the business community and the public generally. A private company would never think of treating its patrons in the way the Government treated the users of* the railways. Other delegates mentioned the withdrawal of tho night trains on the suburban liiifs, and protested that the Railway Department had fcHiitrarilv and unnecessarily forced neople out of the suburban nroas into the overcrowded ritios. An enormous amount of inconvenience bad been imposed on the public ,without any sound reason.