RAILWAY PERMITS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 291, 4 September 1919, Page 3

RAILWAY PERMITS

DEPARTMENT'S EXTRAORDINARY ■ ATTITUDE SYSTEM ABUSED z

Recent regulations issued by Che Hailway Department provide that all persons desirous of travelling 011 the railways must bo in possession of a permit authorising the journey. That the system is not restricting .traffic to the degreo anticipated, and that the Railway Department is not utilising its full discretionary powers as to "whom permits should be issued is illustrated in the following cases which have come under notice._ One c(ise i<s that- of a returned soldier, and the circumstances are particularly regrettable. Within the last three weeks a red ohevroned man returned from the front, wearing three wounded stripes. Prior to volunteering he sold his home in Auckland, brought liis wife to Wellington, and left her with her mother. On his return he was granted leave prior to discharge, and was given a railway warrant. He decided ou a trip with his wife to Auckland, but when they arrived at tho Thorndon siation they met ■with a point blank refusal from the railway officials in refipsct of the wife 3 application for a permit to travel. Under no circumstances could sho travel for pleasure, even though slie was travelling with her soldier husband, whom she had not seen for over four years. "Hie only condition upon which eho would be allowed to accompany her eoldier husband was that she produced a doctor's certificate intimating that 6ho was ill and was travelling for health reasons. This she could not comply with, and tho soldier then applied to the local Keturned Soldiers' Association .to sse if that body, could assist him. " ' "The General Manager's office informed me," said ilr. E. J: 1?. Aldrich (secretary to the Wellington Returned Soldiers Association), "that they would not issue a permit for Unyone to travel for pleasure. Tiio soldier,\ who has not yet used ni» railway pas?,\asked the railway officials if they vrouki 'tako it back and mlow him to liavo it again when the railway restrictions were lifted. I was informed that this could not be done.' Continuing, Mr. Aldnch said that the soldier was very upset, and said that lie would not go away from his wife again. There was nothing else sor him io do 'but to forgo tho privilege his ticket gave him and remain; in AVdlinston. His wife had been ill, but not eufnciently ill for a doctor to say-' that a change was nee®the courso of the conversation Mr. Aldrich had with an official at tho. General Manager's ofiioe, the <]wcial said: "You must understand that we have gone out of our way to show consideration to our soldieie." . Tho association views strongly this attitude of tho Railway Department, and while it has made every effort to endeavour to obtain a permit for.this soldiers, wife, it has been confronted at every turn with a point-blank refusal. As to the system of issuing permits, au instance illustrating its weakness happened at Palmoraton iSorth on Monday. On arriving at the station at five _ minutes to 1 o'clock on Monday rooming a would-be traveller found n queue of about °0 persons waiting to obtain permits. Ihe train which most of tho people desired to catch was the one due to leave ror Wellington at 7 o'clock. Tho man issuing the permits was seated at a fniall table, and inquired of each person hie destination, liis name, and the reason for the journey. In most casrs the answer was "Business in Wellington" or "Going to work at Wellington." Tho permit was issued without more ado, and then a ticket was purchased. As the traveller entered the platform a guard who was standing within five feet of tho man issuing tho permit, chenkcd tho piece of paper and said "All rij,'ht. In this particular insUmco the tram was delayed fully ten minutes thro-igh Uie issuing ot permits. The system illustrated how easy it was for anyone to secure a permit. It is not, apparently, nccessnry to produce any documentary evidence (o substantiate tho statement that th) trip was a business one.