The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, October 18, 1913. CHILDREN AND THE RAILWAYS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1160, 18 October 1913, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Saturday, October 18, 1913. CHILDREN AND THE RAILWAYS.

IT is the function ot the Minister to decide what the policy of the Railways is to be and the function of the General Manager to carry it out, and it should rest with the Minister and not with the officer to say whether the railways are to be administered on progressive or conservative lines. Such is the opinion of the Lyttelton Times, which is moved to make the observation by the very obvious departmental tone ot the reply given by Mr Herries to Mr Veilch’s question concerning the desirability of reducing the passenger rates on the railways to children. Mr Herries says that to raise the age at which children are carried free would involve the loss of “a very considerable amount” of revenue. It does not appear to have occurred to him to ascertain approximately what the loss would be, but clearly that won 11 be the sensible course. The question is bound to be asked again and again, and for his own guidance the Times thinks the Minister ought to know just what the concession would mean, assuming that it lead to uo in crease of business. There are two grounds on which this reform is to be urged, and our contemporary is sure that if Mr Herries gives them his personal consideration he will see that the case is a strong one. The present rates not only bear hardly on the fathers of families who have to travel, but they also prevent scores ot families trom travelling at all. The Times is probably not exaggerating when it says that the Department is losing more business by its conservatism than would compensate it for any direct loss of revenue. Family holidays are at present quite beyond the means of the great mass of the people, aud the average family simply fritters away the money available for holidays in trips to the seaside, visits to the pictures, and so forth. A generous policy iu this instance would be a sound business policy It would encourage the people to travel, would benefit the parents and children, and would involve, ultimately, not one penny of loss of revenue. If the railways [were used to the fullest capacity now the Minister might have some reason lor being conservative, but if he looks into the question he will surely come to the conclusion that a graceful and liberal concession would be absolutely good business.