Hokitika Guardian and Evening Star MONDAY. JAN. 8 1917 HOLIDAY TRAFFIC.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 January 1917, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian and Evening Star MONDAY. JAN. 8 1917 HOLIDAY TRAFFIC.

The holiday traffic to the Coast i increasing substantially year by year The present season seems to be Borne thing of a rsoord. This fact shonli have an encouraging effeot on th authorities in so arranging facilitie and time-tables to transport the pnb He with the least possible inconveni ence. The so-called daily service eas and west practically serves only Grey month. The authorities do not ex tend the facilities to Hokitika in ih< south, or Rsefton in the north. I thosa two districts combined am organised in a campaign to seek fail justice, probably something in reasoi might be dona for them. As it is thi railway people work in a pecaliai way. Now and again when raoi trains can be worked in, they deign ti supply through connections, but witt the increasing volume of traffic, them connections should be apportioned asi right and not as a mere conveoienoi to suit only the working of the tr&im? In o„tfcer words, the daily train ser. vice should be made to apply to th< two centres we have referred to This could be accomplished these lonj; summer days without any seriom general inconvenience, and no greal dislocation cf traffic. It is not necss sary to rnn extra trains. Existing services could be adjusted to a suitable titue-tabie, and if also the trains could be speeded up, the trains need not run so early nor so late as to seriously dislocate ordinary local traffic. This reform is long overdue. It has been promised or hinted at in many ways for months past, but the gensral embargo placed on anything affecting the West Coast seems to stand In the way, and whole communities are inconvenienced by the dilatoriness of the railway people.

Tbia delay is not countenanced by the local residents who have tried to bring the authoritiea to tfca mark by inviting the General Manager of Railways to visit the district and confer with the people. An interv : ew of this oharaoter would help to clear up matters quicker than any other means, for the district ia without a parliamentary representative, and there ia not anyone to turn to but the authorities direct. Unfortunately Me Hiley is too busy to undertake this mission, but if he oannot find or make the time himself, he could eui’oly spare some officer to personally investigate the troubles and difficulties the community labors under in legard to railway traffic. There does not seem to be any prospeot of success with the representations made till the people have a heart to heart talk with the authorities. All appeals by letter m&et with the stereotyped official replies which amount to a polite negative. Wo are satisfied that the people are not going to tolerate this treatment indefinitely, and other means will have to bs adopted to seek redress if the auhorities are not dispos-

ed to give even courteous attention to requests from the district. Westland hasalltco lorg suffered from its isolation. Now when it has facilities for coming into its own the Government officers fail to nse those conveniences for i he public good. Th.'e is both ungentßuas and unbusinesslike, reflecting seriously oa the administration and its desire to give

the diet riot that fair deM which Premier Measey promised when the Member for Westland went forth to fight for the Empire.