CHEAP FARES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 6714, 5 June 1900, Page 2

CHEAP FARES.

Although we were almost alone in pointing out that the concessions in railway fares were very trifling to the majority of our residents who use the railways—those who take return tickets —we notice that the paens of praise are beginning to moderate, as the facts are making themselves felt. This is shown by the fact that while in 1899 only 121,479 first-class single tickets were issued, in the same year theie were 701,926 return tickets ; while 627,222 second-class tickets were issed as against 3,504,926 return tickets. It is the universal custom in connection with all dej scriptions of conveyance almost all over I the world to make concessions for a return journey, and it is not at all likely that residents of this colony are going to remain satisfied with concessions which are confined almost entirely to one class of travellers. Then the restrictions which hedge round the new system of weekly two - shilling tickets for workmen, viz., that they should only be available for one week or part of a week, arc already found irksome and in favor of the man in regular employment, as against the unfortunate who can only get work intermittently. If these tickets were made available for six days, either consecutive or intermittent, they would be much more in accord with the spirit in which they are supposed to be issued, ' and something in that direction will have to be done, as well as extending their benefits beyond che four large centres of population in the colony.