RAILWAY AFFAIRS

Hokitika Guardian, 17 October 1923, Page 4

RAILWAY AFFAIRS

MEETING OF CANTERBURY COMMITTEE. CM R 18TC] IF I! CII . Oct. 10. A meeting of the Cmtorlmry District Railway Commit tee sol up by the Progress L.wgw: was h.-hl testerday afternoon. fbeeut: .Messrs 11. Holland iCliuirmuub J. B. .Mitchell (Distiict Traffic .Manager of Railway.l W. H. Nicholson and J’. R. Ohmic. WEST COAST D'AFSENgUT: ■-"EE VICE. Y\ Eirir.gk-tii&i! in !,■ course of a letter apologising for absence. said:— ‘T intended to sugge-i that the i oinmiftee should recommend the Railway 1 )epa 1 1 meiti to run the < hri-t----cliureh-G iey uiiiii ill train ro and front Hokitika (at least during I lie suiuuiei). citing ii a In -1 lime table between Grey omul b and Hokitika. This i- in view of tin- motor competition and the tourist traffic. There will also be the Hokitika Exhibition traffic It r a time 1 1 1 i - summer. Tim delay and changing ol trains at Gi.-vinoiub teferied lo at a previous meting would be ict out. Tourists are pretty sure lo | refer the mottos to the pivcnt train service - wil li t lie G re.) ininilh tri ulile and the slow nil) between and Hokitika.

'! Icy will spread l In- Hews of a -lew train etc., and cause others to ore minors. They will probably usually mil (rouble fi i change tot lie n.ot ore if a decent liaitl sc.viee through is previiled. The Tourist Der.n rt nun l. being suppo-cd In give people the best advi- e. i nub! baldly say the train should lie taken for the whole journey (’!; risl elm rehIJnkitikn at present." Air ( limie said it was a good idea to start it railway seivite well and make it popular. He nid mil want in do the multi? proprietors any barm, but they were a railway committee and were out lo make the railway- popular. Air Nieliolsoii said that the railway lares would always have to be cheaper in nrdm- In compete with Urn motor-, as peopb. preferred to travel in motels, especially on the We-t Coa-t. where the scenery was so beautiful. The chairman said that ihe matter was really one for the Greymnulh traffic manager in lip. first place. It was decided that Mi Ciimie. who is to visit tiio West Coast slmitly. -hould make inquiries regarding tlm i mining of the train between Greynuiuth and Hokitika and see if Air Striugleina n's suggest inn eouhl b,. earlied out. RAILWAY V. SHIRRING FREIGHTS

make such special rates as would secure to the railway the whole of the goods transport between the East and West Const via Otira tunnel. Ho said thiit n rate -to he charged on weight could not he made to meet all cases in competition with sea rates on measurement. There was, however, a precedent (in existing .special rates between other points to compete with sea carriage) for rates chargeable on measurement. Such could he made to meet the present instance. Air Mitchell said it was only ships’ goods that were earn’' d by measurement. Often the rate by meastiiemeu f was more than by weight. Air Nicholson said that Air Slringlcmnn’s suggestion was apparently to give the same treatment in the AYesfc Coast on ships’ goods front Lyttelton as on ships’ goods from Lyttelton to Timnitt. Dunedin and other places.

Air (.'limie said that in some eases tlq. railway freights to the West Coast were below those of the shipping rates and in some eases above them. He thought that the suggestion of the Chamber of Commerce that there should be a revision of the railway freights to the Const with the idea of nuiking them favourable as compared with the shipping freights was it good one. It would mean a reduction of railway rates in some cases and an increase in others. The Chairman.: Has anything been done with regard to a revision of freights ; Mr .Mitchell replied that he understood the General Alamiger of Railways had the matter under consideration. The Chamber of Commerce was keeping the matter alive.