The Railway Service

Hokitika Guardian, 26 January 1923, Page 4

The Railway Service

STRONG (THTICLSM TjY FAR,M !S union. WELLINGTON. .I:m 24. Attention wtts dmwn at to-da.v's meeting <>!' tiso Dnminiou Executive of the 1' ji('l’ioti to hit'll railway charges. speakers quoAiiifj; Taranaki, where dairy produce was charged for at the i'ato of ils 3d a ton over E> liiile.s, compared with t!se prewar charge of os 0(1. The chairman (.Mr W. J. I’olson) sail! the more one saw of the railways the more it was realised that the management was ridiculous and deplorable. A port from cargo and passengers not using i he railways, and (loots of motor ears competing successfully against them, Mr Colson said a- huge motor servile ran between Marton and Wanganui because one train (ceding the .Main Trunk service arrived a- few minutes alter the express departed, and ou the return the train lett for Wanganui a few minutes Indore the express arrived. It was time that a big noise was made about the management of the railways. Concrete instances should be collected and a. ease based oil them. The Government were improving the roads to allow ol better motor competition with the- Goteiumciit railways. Mr i.vneii said lorries were not only healing the trains in trade, but also in time. Mr Ma tbtcou argued Hint better nianagenii nt and brains were neeesS.iry! ile would like to bare suggest,<l some i niicrele reform. Mr .Marshall said an absurd anomaly va-. |hat the railways bad to keep up an expensive permanent way. "dh thousands of m-n. while the competing motor traffic onlv replaced tyres on til., vehicles and the people ol the Dominion maintained, roads which piivate lorries smashed to pieces. lurry owners bad t" repair tbe roans, they would never compete uitli tie- iadway.s. Mr Clmdwick suggested that local bodies should be asked to tax lorries. The chairman said they would be cuiihig their own throats. It came to the •si.aie Ihiug. They paid for tin roads and reaped the benefit in decreased fares. What was wanted was a more attractive railway service, and then they would reap greater hem lit. The services ol motors, said Mr Dnlrvmplc. had conic to stay, but dm collm r, was in a. liilfereilt position to land or America. The uflicials only knew lbo X’ew Zealand railways, and I h iv did not it non enough. h was ilecided to collect facts regarding anomalies ol the railway seivice and again discuss the matt, r. I).- Duxticld said the big ipiestion was whether roads or railways should be , out-ell trated upon. '1 ! !,ai: in in said lie did me went t,. condemn the Governnn el. Fc I' the si,twice had drifted. and was oil', of date .and did not c-lor for the pidilie.