"ESSENTIAL PASSENGERS ONLY."

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 7 August 1919, Page 3

"ESSENTIAL PASSENGERS ONLY."

When '* the railway cut " was made the railway people held out some hopes of the express train service being restored this month. But, so far from being the case, still further restrictions in regard to passenger traffic have come into force from August 1. From that date persons desirous of travelling beyond suburban areas are required to satisfy the local railway official that the journey they wish to take is for essential business purposes. So we may expect something like this to take place whenever anybody .desires to book say from Auckland to Wellington : Station master to applicant. "What d'ye want to go to Wellington for ?" Would-be passenger: " Private business." "What is the nature of the business?'" " I-I-I'd rather not say;" " But you must say, and if you wont you can't be allowed to travel." Here, perhaps, the applicant will whisper something in the official ear, and may, as the result, be granted a ticket or may not. It will depend a good deal upon the humour that the station-master happens to be in, and whether his liver is doing its" duty. It seems, by the way, that "a prominent railway official" regards, or regarded, from 40 to 50 per cent of the passengers who have been travelling since the "cut" was made as "non-essential passengers." How on earth could he tell ? Is he a mindreader ?