The Feilding Star. "TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1889. "Our Railways"

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 79, 24 December 1889, Page 2

The Feilding Star. "TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1889. " Our Railways "

The " Three Wise Men " who control the New Zealand Railways may certainly be given credit for doing their level best to make the lines pay, but they cannot lay claim to any right to be .praised for trying to make them popular. The particular shortcoming , to which we now refer is the made- j quacy of the' carriage accommodation ' provided to convey the number of ' passengers travelling on this section. Asia case, in point we may mention that on Saturday last open trucks had to be used at this station, into which first and second class passengers were indiscriminately huddled, aud thus subjected to all the inconveniences of cramped sitting room, the smoke and sparks from the engine, and, last but not least, the risk of being jerked out onto the metals, and either killed or maimed for life, all for the waut of the exercise of a little foresight on' the part of the authorities. Surely the Commissioners ought to know by this time that during the Christmas holidays, the numbers. of the travelling public are enormously iucreaoed, and that the number of carriages should be augmented to carry them. People do nol like the neglect shown in this respect, and are apt to resent it. Already we hear of a projected line of coaches to connect Feilding with Palmerston, and we are quite certain that with tbe rapid advance of settlement here such an enterprise would be most profitable, besides being popular. As regards the crowding of the trains people should be protected against themselves, and no tickets sold when the carriages are already full ; nor should any train be allowed to leave a station when the . carriages are so crowded that. persous have to stand on the platforms. Yet these events happen every day.