Reduction in Railway Fares.

Manawatu Herald, 31 May 1900, Page 2

Reduction in Railway Fares.

On Monday night the Hon. J. G. Ward, Acting-Premier, delivered a political address at Riverton, in which he entered very fully into the important changes it had been decided to make in the Railways, whioh are to come into operation on the 28th June. . REDUCTION OF FABXS. / Encouraged by the increasing returns from our railways during the past four years, the Government has determined to cheapen the cost of transit, and it has therefore been decided to carry out the following alterations : —

Workers' tickets, available by all trains arriving before 8 a.m. at Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Dunedin, and for retain -by any train after 9 o'clock, at a nominal charge of 2s per week. Additional trains where required will be put on to enable workmen to reach the centres at the hour named from Avondale, Onehunga, Otahuhu, Lower Hutt, tyTtelton, Mosgiel and Port Chalmers.

The ordinary season ticket rates will also be materially reduced. .

Return tickets, 'which in the past have been found to be very troublesome, in consequence of the^tinie restrictions, will be coi&pietely changed under the system. Return tickets, though available if the public desire to use them, -will to all intents^ and purposes be unnecessary, as return fares will be the rates of two single fares to any station in the colony. It is still proposed to give the public an .opportunity of taWng out return tickets if they so desire at the rate of double the new single fares. With a view to fostering the breeding of horses, a concession will be granted in the case of racehorses returning from race meetings and' hunting horses and polo ponies returning from matches and meet- «, ings. The concessions, which will *" be given for these purposes will take the form of carrying the animals back free of chaige, subject to reasonable conditions. ' v Special facilities are to be provided for reporters to move about the country. It has been decided that ordinary season tickets, single journey tickets and return tickets, are to be issued to the Press at quartet rates, and that annual tickets, available over the Government lines for the whole colony, shall be issued at per annum, ) TELEGRAPH HOUBS TO^ BE EXTENDED. The principal telegraph offices throughout the colony are to be kept [ open day and night. In the first instance this will be done at Auckland, Napier, Wanganui, Wellington, Qhristehurch, Timaru, Oamaru,J)tinedin and Inverca*gill. • . > .