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Manawatu Times, Volume III, Issue 65, 25 May 1878, Page 2

The trains' have now been a week running on the Wan^anui line, and certainly the results, have not been at all cheering^ for instead of improving upon the pace, and settling down to something like regularity with regard to the arrival of the. northern mails, each succeeding day is a retrograde motion, as far as time is concerned. We are quite prepared to admit that the "section of the line from Marton northwards is a dangerous and difficult one to travel, necessarily involving a slow rate of pace, but when it is taken iuto consideration that- the ti me-table allows five hours and forty minutes for performing eighty ..six miles, or at:*the rate of something less than fifteen miles for the whole journey, it must be admitted that ample provision has been made for the bad piece of of road between Bony GM en and Matawara. ■' That portion of the line is,; no doubt, one over which it would not be safe to travel quickly, but then taken altogether it only amounts to just twenty miles, and to balance that there are over sixty miles of road which could not be improved upon. Qn. Thursday night the train was exactly one hour behind time, and yesterday morning again it was fully forty minutes late, and although we endeavored to ascertain the reason, we could obtain none beyond the bare fact that it was late. ; We believe it is the 'intention of Mr ORotherani to have the stations, along the line connected by wire; r . so that station masters will be acquainted with the* causes of delay. We would, hosyever, point out to that gentleman the necessity of taking measured at the present to let the public know when departures from tho time-table have to be made. For instance, W9 beliavo it is thocuntom now to wire to the various podt and t telegiuph o Sices the fact when trains are late m starting from any ■■pa/tieula/r place, Th^t iufgrwa-

tion, however, would appear to be sent privately to the officials, and as they do not feel empowered to make the circumstances public, intending passengers are kept pacing the platform for fully an hour, not knowing when thejtrain may arrive after her due time, Vhen if the information were pasted up at the station there would be no necessity for shivering there m the cold. If the department be not able to keep up to the published time-table, we think that the least it should do would be to prevent inconvenience to those with whom it breaks faith, and by the step proposed a great deal of annoyance may be avoided.