CORRESPONDENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 28 December 1922, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE

- -• RAILWAY TRAFFIC BETWEEN EAST AND WEST COASTS. (To the Editor). ; Sir.—The leading article in to-day’s' i issue of your paper regarding the ! traffic arrangements botwcien the East | and West Coasts on Friday and Saturday hod is grosslv niiskaiding. It, I it; well known to everyone that the i railway through the Otira tunnel is 1 not open for traffic and further that} j the Railway Department is in no wry j responsible for the running of the

co.’iclk's hot ween .Arthur's Pass and Dtira. Tint couches have accommodation for approximately 180 passengers, ami so that they will not ho overloaded at holiday times a daily train service is arranged between Christchurch and Arthur's Pass and Otira and Oreymontli instead of the K'gular Tuesday. Thursday and Saturday service. It is found in practice that the trains on ! the regular train days carry the bulk") I of the tnillie—the Monday, Wednesday I and Friday trains are not availed ot m i the extent they should hr. However, ! the Railway Department cannot d'» I moro tlian provide the necessary railj way facilities for the people on which , ) ever day they elect to travel. When ' ! there is heavy tnillie over the Pass ! the coaches are invariably Into, e.spcc--1 iallv at Christmas'and Raster, ami in j eonse<|ueneo the train from Otira. is i late in leaving, waiting the arrival ot { th« coaches and mails. On Saturday j i last the train leaving Otira. had 2*>T j ' passenger* aboard, a number of whom had to walk over tlie Pass on account i of sullieient coach accommodation not | being available. This and the Into : running of the coaches caused tue train from Otira to he delayed until j 7.t0 o.m. So that no inconvenkmce | would he coused to local passengers, i the. usual 7.0 p.m. train from Clrcy- : mouth Lo !iow< was maintained and an : additional train to convey the ovcrltviid ; pass-angers left, (Ireymonth for H iss . eight minutes alter the arrival ol the | train from Otira. I With regard to perishable goods j tr. ni the Past Const, the quantity rt- ! relived at Arthur’s Pass during hist ' week was more than could he coped with In- the carriers. The conveyance of goods between Arthur’s Pats and j Otira. in entirely a matter between list consignees and the carriers. I.util the Oinnel seat,ion is ready and open «>r : traffic, people obtaining goods from the : |,; a st Coast must make their own arrangements for transit between Arthur’s Pass and Otira, There has been no lack ot foresight nor has there been any failure on the part of tint Railway Department to doal with any traffic offering. * Yours etc. E. CAMERON, District Traflic ’(Manager, Greyifionth, Dec. 27th, - [Thq onnplnifif of the horse own-

ere. whp travelled across the ranges on Friday Inst was that they were “grossly misled” by a notice ait Sockburn stating that gear, feed, etc., were to he brought through the tunnel. On arrival at Arthur’s Pass tho expectations were not realised, and it cost the owners pounds sterling to have their impediments brought over the hill. It is realised, apparently .that at Christinas and Easter tho Pas, traffic is abnormal, aHd the point is that the Government should rise to the occasion, and reduce the inconvenience to the public to a minimum by arranging to bring goods through the tunnel. At present there is no work in the tunnel, and the- extra staffing to run small trucks through, carrying luggage mails and perishable goods would” he an immense boon to the public, and do something in a practical way to relieve the congestion which causes so much loss, and intensifies kite isolation the district has suffered from for so long. U*» experience last week is just another example of the disabilities the Constlabors under, hut we can expect at least that next Christmas wdll sea a changed condition with the thro rig i railway in complete operation. It is „„lv fair to say that as far as looal railway traffic on the Coast » concerned, the management has mat o most reasonable efforts to cope with it. and if the Government wouW. give the same consideration to the throug service the public would hc complaming less—if at all—Ed. ’G. J