TRAINS AND MAILS

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 277, 17 August 1921, Page 5

TRAINS AND MAILS

• i EFFECT OF REDUCED SERVICES. i The reduction of the railway services has interfered with the carriage of mails tn some districts. Branch lines that used to have daily trains both ways have to be content now, in certain instances, with tri-weekly services. The through express on the South Island Main Trunk line is running only three days a week, and some other trains that used to carry mails have been omitted. The changes involve a curtailment of mail services. Tho Postmaster-General (Hon. J. G. Coates), answering a question on this subject yesterday, said that his Department would adapt its services to tho now time-table. Ho was not prepared to incur extra expense in the carriage of mails at the present time. If there were existing motor services on routes affected bv the railway reductions, ho would bo prepared to consider the advisability of making use of such services, but he had no intention of making arrangements that would involve .substantial increase in expenditure. Tho Government had reduced the facilities offered to users of the railways in tho interests of economy, and ho would he defeating its intention if he proceeded to provide expensive substitute services for postal purposes. Tho Minister mentioned that the payments made by tho Post Office to the Railway Department for the carriage of mails are annual payments based on tho mileage of tho various lines. They do not depend upon the number of trains run on tho lines, and the reduction in services, therefore, will not mean a saving fo the Postal Department in this respect.