RAILWAY ULATIONS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 9, 5 October 1918, Page 8

RAILWAY ULATIONS

Sir, —From time to time, in every part of tho country and in nearly every paper appear letters from grumpy, dissatisfied people airing some Grievance

in connection with the much-abused! and never-commended New Zealand railways. This avalanche of letteri usually comes to light at race times, at . holiday at returning troops ' times. Now, "me rnisere," that it should be my sad lot to do so. I must burst forth even at this moment of only normal stress, ...and state my case in the , fond, but hardly-to-be expected, hope, that Mr. Hiley,. or one of his highly-paid and will take pity upon such as me, ■and confer happiness where now is oiilj gloom and dissatisfaction.. I have small son of ten. At various prescribed dates he goes schoolwards per medium of the Auckland express. The law allows me to go as far as the sta- , tion, but the regulations do not allow me—short of buying a ticket to Palmerston—to see him off froni the platform, and the last memories I carry away with me are insurmountable barriers and hostile-looking officials. Now, ■ boys of ten think of many things other than things present, and have a habit of leaving their most vital possessions behind, and sometimes perhaps themselves behind and their goods and chattels in the train. lam outside the barrier and cannot help. My 'feelings can only be understood by those unfortunates who have shared them. On previous occasions 1 have managed to influence apparently adamant officials, '■ but yesterday my "reserves failed me., , and from outside the harrier, filled! with vindictive''thoughts*''against rail-1 ' way officialdom, I watched, or rather, heard, the train depart. i ' .

Now, Sir, far b& it from me to suggest a remedy, but that a remedy is nossiblo is surely obvious to all who have travelled in Europe, in America, or for the matter of that in any part df the. world other than our own inimitable New Zealand.—l am, etc., MATER.