RAILWAY COMIC OPERA MISMANAGEMENT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 252, 12 July 1918, Page 6

RAILWAY COMIC OPERA MISMANAGEMENT

Sir,—Tho Hon. W. IT. Heme.', General Manager Colonel Hiley, *Jhisi' Cleric M'Villy have issued notice to the shareholders (t he general public) I bat their railway.; for the future would he of n* little use to them and would collect, as little revenue as possible. Also lhat_whafc ute the shareholder would be allowed to them 'would bo made as difficult as possible as a medium of quick and efficient. travelling and for transport goods. The shareholders must no longer expect them to "fill the bill" or "deliver the goods.'' I am an experienced railway man, having been in railway employment in various purls of the world, including '-lie New Zealand railways, for over seventeen, years, and have been using the railwaysfor travelling and goods transport for tho last fifty years.' I have never in all that time seen such muddling 'us is exhibited by the railway mismanagement by UlO N.Z.-R. Department at the present; lime. Gilbert and Sullivan, great comio opera artists as they undoubtedly were, havo been completely outdone by the Department. Yesterday at Lambton Station the Wairarapu 7.50 a.m. train was aloneside the platform, and on approaching the station booking dfice door I founts the place blocked by Inuulireds of peoplei to use their own -.auwiy (rain,, but the regular bookirg office door v. a?, blocked, and I was told that I &ould not. enter unless I wished to fio to leatneih" ton or boyond. I said I J™*' therstou ticket, waa admitted, aii lwhilo waiting for my turn a pi'eyiouiS pui cl - asked lor an Upper Hutt ticket. L ■ told he could not got a ticket foi th.it station. Ho then asked for one k1 Mangaroa, and the ticket him. I bought mine lor leatheiston anil walked out afle/ the prevmsjmrchafi-i who turned and asked me, y - anything good for to-day s wJ--J like myself, was going to the 1 rei itow races. I was fortunate enough to ablf to tell him that I tho«l.t that m pick for the Hack Steeplecnase was Arl ineton and Ifaster Hamilton mr the Wellington Steeplechase, ami Coalition and Detroit foi the Pai liamentary Handicap (not bad anyhow), and we entered the twin an . "ot to TJppei Hutt in due course, had | pleasant walk back through slushy roads and footpaths to Ireiitham C °S S go back to Lambton Station: Whili waiting for the train after I got m> ticket t saw some hundreds <4 visitors to Tre.ntham lined up around a small box booking office ;n the .oadna> without anv shelter from the rain, wait" in'io get tbeir tickets to iso their ownrailway tr-ain. The bos not i opened till after L left, and I rna told T)y o™ of the unlucky ones that hundreds woro unable to get tickers as the issue allow, ed had nm out. Then foero was a rusW by tho disappointed ones for inotoi-caiSr. niotov lorries, and any other kind_ of>onverftneo to get to the races. .Tuot 11111 V lhe° pun7 S hnimit 1 fiT the punishment fit tho crime ■ _ p' nave had the New Zcalwd Ba partment mis-managers in -heir mnw.a o> The matter is very serious Sir. and it is time that the waste of avenue, time, and the general publics inconvenience oame to an end. What ia the object of it ill: Shorty ness of hands? Kotl Vo-e- wtchrng? Maybe I But I think it is truckling to a, few well-moaning, but misguided individuals who do?t or wont that people who thin* fron» them will have their own 'vay if it onlj depends on their own puree, no rnattei what the prico is. ltevenue is badly wanted, and , ba s' 6 /. B p e ' l t veaterdav without the cost of a cent, as one if not two, military trains oamo up to Trcuthani and cou' 1 ha/e for tlio ooiu'oyanco of the iacin o liublic to use their own. railways and pav for tho use. The £ List be made to Mderetand H at the 'Government, who.We finally to blatae for any Lepartm jntal