Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, NOV. 27, 1894. The Coach Service.

Manawatu Herald, 27 November 1894, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, NOV. 27, 1894. The Coach Service.

♦ — ■ — Thk. Postal Department has chosen to' do that which they deem best, and, it appear.-', they have exercised that right by first calling tenders for a mail service between Foxton and j Shannon, .and after refusing the 'tenders serif, almost privately invited tenders for a service the other way about, and accepted the only tender

pent. "Wo are at prtsent unaware how much money the Government gave by this wonderful change of front, hat it should be of some j moment seeing they have done it in j the face of a vnry powerful protest forwarded by the Mayor of Foxton to the Postmaster-General. The inhabitants of Foxton w;mt a prompt and reliable service such as they have had during the pa-t two ysars. They want tho con! motor to bo possessed of a sound and substantial plant, and they are certain that the tender sent in by the present contractor was a most reasonable one. The requisition^ therefore asked the Postmaster General to a! ay his hand until the matter could fairly bo discussed, but we are sorry to record, he has chosen to ignore the letter addressed to him, and has permitted a contract being granted which in no way is likely to be useful to the inhabitant?. We are not taking the new contractor into consideration in these remarks, he may have a good plant and he may bo a good coachman, there i-3 no reason that these he should not have or be, but he must be very much mistaken as to the trade ho is likely to dewlopo, and that, is just where the inhabitants differ wiih the Postal Department, in that they know \h?. proper carrying out' of tho contract li>>s in the measure of success attending the getting of pa.s>:cng.:-r.5. Tin present contractor a.slced only .-C7 o for th, 1 wok of a (Lilly mail by whevk-d -vehicle to Hhinnrn. Thi;; fiihiii.s tho labour of ano man i-n;l two horsos. from five o'clock in tia-; morning to ha-'f past Iwelve, and including the haul ago cf mails and •parcels post and th;; sum paid is not equal to five shii lings a day! Ve 1 , the ]) partmont refused the tender, becau-'o of tho g eat charge ! Evident')' the other contract')! 1 is going to do it for les.=, and what we, relying upon the service, have to consider, can he possibly do it prop -rl y ? The old route", though en;;ii';iiu r early li-iiiv.', not such a (Ireadful thing for country settlors, enabled the traveller to reach Wellington at midday, a convenience niueh appreciated and tak^n advan! ago of, as is shown by I lie numbers who travelled that way, to those who went by train on Thursday or Saturday af..ernoo!i.V. Simply because ladies found it extremely inconvenient to belauded in Wellington late at night. The new coach route will give no person now a chance of ever reaching Wellington except at night, and as the fares are the same in money, most of the fcralHe will for the future bj diverted to the railway. j Thj mailer should hardly bt ; considered as di.>po<ed of yet. the ' Mayor should get the P>tirgvs^o3 in I public meeting to him in | getting further explanation from the j Postmaster-General as if it is only ■ the que.-tion of a iVw pounds difference it might [>■?. possibio even to ; get a guarantee funl provided, as Iho dweller.-; in ih;> town have very : strongly shown their disapproval of I tho. .proposed route. In courlo-iy the Th'partm<-nt might haw held its j hand until tho Mayor had b^n : ommunicafc >d with. a:;>l. it it i-; a jmittor of pounds, shilling* and < 'pence t~> the D.'pavhniu, an oppor ! tunity had been given as to how even that diiricuh.y might not have been righted. The Department it 'would seem have been very much misguided or they have been considering tho actual m.;n.-y outlay without lvferrnci! to th) c nvonion.'jo of the g^nenil public, an iiom which must very materially affoet the contractor.