The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, JULY 24th, 1924. RAILWAY CONVEENCES.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 July 1924, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. THURSDAY, JULY 24th, 1924. RAILWAY CONVEENCES.

Ofii good friends in Christchurch continue to take a close' interest ill railway matters affecting this side of the range. It is well that it is so for a.s time goes on there aid lie mutual a'dvantagOK in trade and intercourse East and West which will well repay the attention. In Christchurch, established primarily for provincial benefits, there is a District Railway Committee. This was established in the first instance to see that some measure of justice was done the province in the running of the railways due to the fact'that there wore coni) hunts on all sides in regard to hot-h passenger and goods traffic. The Committee must have done good work for we notice ut its latest meeting the btisinosss recorded referred almost entiiely to railway convcnicncos affecting the Coast. Canterbury has evidently reacted 11 lia'.cn of satLsiaction in regard to its railway service. If this ho so. the Committee deserves congratulations on its well directed efforts, and we can only hope that now that it has turned its influential support to the West, it will meet with equal success. Quo special aid to its success, we notice, is the fact that the District Traffic Manager of Christchurch attends the meetings and takes part in the deliberations. That seems nil excellent arrangement, as it enables the official view to lie gleaned first hand, and afforded the opportunity of discussing departmental details on the spot, without the delay and incompleteness of correspondence carried on at long range. If the Westland Branch of the Canterbury Progress League could induce the District Traffic Manager at Greymouth to attend its meetings.

oven quarterly and discuss railway ioquirements and conveniences, the close intercourse would be all to the advantage of everybody concerned. There would be less heartburnings and a

clearer understanding of the views of the ollicial.s which cannot he stated in complete detail very often by letter. The local Branch here which is just now dealing with some, railway subjects. might take up this suggestion as a means to reach its objective by n. shorter cut than correspondence, which, necessarily, must lie more or less protracted. That brings us to the local desire to have a Hokitika-Christ-chureli express train service tried out on tin- Saturday day of running. It seems a little thing to ask for. seeing that there arc throe other ordinary trains running that day to deal with goods and waysii le tin Hie, 1 >ut the departmental view is in opposition. The District Traffic Manager at Christchurch appeared to lie speaking hardly by the book when lie spoke of 200 passengers travelling by the train in question. However lie that as it may all that was asked was a trial of the service, and it is difficult to realise why every request for improvements from this cud is opposed regularly bv the controlling officials. If it wore not for the agitation here from time to time we do not know wluit sort of a railway service the people would be putting up with. Every desired concession lias to be louglit for. A\ hen the Minister and General Manager were here upwards of a year ago. there was some plain speaking at the Town Hall, and a measure of reform ratin' to pass. It would appear that the time is at hand to talk plainly again, and the Progress League which has the matter in hand could perhaps not do hettei than convene a public meeting to ventilate local grievances, and invite the District Traffic Manager and district Railway Engineer to attend and bear local complaints and rc<|nests. A round-tlie-table talk with the officials indicated would be helpful in assisting to focus matters as leading up to that consideration of improved railway conveniences travellers bv the trains are always discussing while on route.