RAILWAY SERVICES

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 545, 2 July 1920, Page 3

RAILWAY SERVICES

SCHOLARS' TRAIN.

VERY UNSATISFACTORY,

DEPUTATIONS AT AUCKLAND. (Own Reporter.) l! Public men of Pukekohe were bus l! in Auckland on Wednesday in cor nexion with" the sitting of the Roy? Commission on the in ait} road, Ho] S ensviile Lu Hamilton, anj| wilii coir ■ plaints about railway s#vices. "> A deputation waitcdjfcn the Dis ■ trict Engineer (Mr. Dire Mcintosh) .■ U'il -I'onsisted of th|F' if■llowmyr:--h Messrs. X*. K* Lawrie Or. A I'w y>j»h, flp. J. £& Deane, towi \ J ijpf Mr .1)1-W. Mrffrthur, borougl ? \ (msulting eiginee® Cr. I'. W. Woods '• member FranldinMCounty Council ■ F. 1 Yi 1 1| j nvpepresenting Puke kshe Chambe**# Commerce. *The. Mayor Wanted to know vha' ? ! , jeing done in resjiect to thi 1 jjSndeni.g of the present hall'-chaii 54 joad to the railway station, whiel ftie Minister for Railways had pro » Hjjjiseel to widen to one chain. 1 j[Mr. McliitOih replied ii at h.-> ' ljld no 1 wboi.t it,jOTit l.e noped, in r t ,r. ■'• 1 1 thi.jpf.ytiers of the prup.-rl) I vhich jSr-: i .'Ouiici |'i,i Ihe imli'-ch di J of \.<m i!'- tied in \vid"il the roa< \\'i>i, giv<• 1 lii.s land in the Departmejfit.' It would pay theni, as theii i regit would then become sho| sites. H" advised the deputation to jpmimuiiieate with the Ministei again, .fls they had previously bee.i de iling with Wellington. r Mr. Mcintosh said the goodsshed \erandah was being constructed, ar.d the subway was authorised. The next deputation, consisting of the same members, waited on the District Traffic Manager (Mr. Dancan), r.sking for a better morning service from Pukekohe to Auckland. '! he Mayor explained th it after the 7.2u a.m. train l'roin Pukekohe to Auckland there was no other until ]2.-10 p.m., which conditions were most inconvenient for. people living far from the railway station. The first train was too early fe-.r such peonle, and the second did not allow sultlci'Mit time to do business in the cily. What, was needed was either that the Papakura morning train should come on to Pukekohe, or that a carriage should be attached to the goods train leaving Pukekohe at about 9 or 9.30 a.m., and that this train should run to time. Mr. Duncan replied that it was quite impracticable to continue the Papakura train to Pukekohe, but that he would endeavour to make the goods train serve. Hut the goods train's first duty was to serve the settlers, and convey their goods to and fro. Passengers must take second place to goods on goods trains. However, the services were shortly to be reviewed, and he would then do what he could for Pukekohe. Mr. F. Perkins, as chairman of the Pukekohe School Committee, put before Air. Duncan the unsatisfactory running of the school train from Pukekohe to Mercer, stating the defects which have been frequently chronicled in the "Times" lately. Mr. Perkins strongly advocated that this should leave Pukekohe at a definite time every afternoon, thereby avoiding the hours of waiting by the scholars, some of whom, now left their homes at » and 7 in the morning, and did not get back until (3 or 7 at night, making a total of 12 hours away. Mr. Perkins stressed ;he fact that the unsatisfactory train services would greatly prejudice 1 lie chances of securing a large number of scholars from the various district centres to the t9oi)f) Franklin Technical High School now being built. He also enlarged on seve-al phases of the-matter in a very forcible manner. Mr. Duncan promised to endeavour to introduce regulaiity into the system, but hero, again, tlie goods service to the seniors had to Jv considered.