RAILWAY FREE PASSES IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5278, 23 February 1878, Page 1 (Supplement)

RAILWAY FREE PASSES IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

(From the Queenslander.)

. r The. railway free pass question is a subject of . considerable interest at present in New' South Wales as well as in this colony. Returns , affording a variety of information;.concerning the granting of free passes have,been laid before Parliament, and tromi them it appears that during: 1876 there;were 7847 free passes issued in New South Wales, exclusive of those granted to volunteers, officers of her Majesty’s ships in Port Jackson, and members of Parliament. ;It is explained, however, that this number is not nearly as great as the number of persons travelling free, as many of the passes covered,the travel of, several persons and, were filled in, for instance, as for “ Mr. —■ — and . family.” This was certainly, a very generous, if not very just,, system of x’ailway management,, though from what we csnheaf it will be found, should anyone take the trouble to, call for the statistics of our free pass system, that in proportion to: the total of our railway travellers in Qucens'and, the department here has been quite as liberal, and quite as much imposed; on as in New- South Wales. , The reaction has however set in in both colonies, and in its severity even missionary enterprise receives no consideration. A clerical deputation waited a few days ago on Mr. Sutherland, Minister for Railways, willing to compromise matters by paying £5 a year each for the right to travel on the railways ; and the inducement was -held out that* these: rev. gentlemen would , travel, as of morality, and by their pious conversation with their fellow travellers and others would do good. • Mr. Sutherland was however as inexorable as Mr; Miles, and could not be brought to admit that: a good case for special railway travelling privileges had been made ■ out on behalf of the class represented by the deputa- , tion., Both gentlemen are no doubt disposed to do all, that they fairly may do_ to “ promote morality,” but the manner in which the freepass system has been abused leaves them no option but to apply. the : same rule to all, and recognise no distinction between travellers Inland travellers clerical.