RAILWAY FACILITIES.

Shannon News, 29 November 1929, Page 4

RAILWAY FACILITIES.

HOW THE PUBLIC IS CATERED FOR.

PUBLICITY WORK AND MODERN DEVELOPMENTS DESCRIBED.

A revival of the claims of railway transport, both of freight and passengers, was an indirect result of the competition set up by motor services, and to stimulate public interest and support the Railway Department has, in the last year or two, adopted scientific methods of publicity and given much attention to means of increasing the comfort and convenience of its patrons. A very instructive survey of its activities in this direction was given in an address delivered before the Levin Chamber of Commerce .Lunch Club on Friday, by Mr J. W. Fergie, of the railways publicity department. A point of considerable importance which he brought out was that last year the gross revenue showed an increase of nearly a-quarter of a million over that of the preceding year. The gathering, which was attended by about twenty-five business and professional men, was held in Williams’s Tea-rooms, and the walls were very colourful by reason of an exhibition of railway posters and maps which ' the lecturer had brought with'him. Some first-class commercial art was shown in the designs; and there were contour maps, which the Department sells at a moderate price, and index maps which it gives free to applicants. Mr J. D. O'Connor, who presided, welcomed two new guests, Messrs J. C. Moodie and A. C. Kennerley, and suitably introduced the speaker for the occasion. Mr Fergie was accompanied by Mr S. R. Stedman, stationmaster at Levin, and Mr McKain, of the Railway staff at Te Arolia, a former Levin, boy, now spending his leave here. “SAFETY, ECONOMY, COMFORT." A publicity branch, having for its main objective the promotion and maintenance of a sympathetic contact between the Department raid its customers, was established in October, 1927, Mr Fergie stated. sSince its inception the branch had,' by an energetic application of publicity methods, kept the activities of the Department prominently before the public. The Railway Department realised to the full that, no matter how good the services might be, unless the public had the opportunity to learn easily the facts regarding those services, it would not be possible for them to take full advantage of them. It llad also been truly said that in all forms of publicity the advertiser must be careful to be truthful and convey a right impression. The Department had adopted as. its business motto “Safety, Economy, Comfort," and it was believed these three words actually described what the Department could give the public.

NO FATALITY IN THREE YEARS.

In regard to safety, it was interesting tt> note that, during the last three years, over 80 million passengers had been carried safely by rail without a single fatality. This achievement' was a remarkable one and a striking testimonial to the vigilance of the staff and the efficiency of the safety appliances in use.

As showing the extent of the railways’ business, Mr Fergie stated that last year they carried 26 million passengers, and seven million tons of freight and collected over ££,000,000 of revenue. Economy was well illustrated in the issues of holiday excursion fares at different periods throughout the year. These tickets showed a reduction of 6s in the £on ordinary rates. In addition there were farmers’ excursions, week-end and other excursions at very reduced rates, and day excursion rates, in some instances, cheaper than tram fares. FURTHER IMPROVEMENTS COMING.

The speaker contended that the comfort provided on the trains of New Zealand was of a high quality, and said it was interesting to note that there were numerous improvements in hand for supplying better service to the users of the railways. Amongst these, a comprehensive programme is now proceeding for the replacement of the present seating accommodation in secondclass carriages by r a better type of seat. The interiors of cars were also receiving attention to make their ap* pcarance better. By well-directed publicity the Department was endeavouring to create a hunger for travel. The educational value of travel was surely proved from the records of farmers’ trains, commerce (trains, and special holiday touring trains.

REMOVAL OF MISUNDERSTAND INGS.

Extended scope had been given to the operations of the publicity branch during the past year. The main objective had been to make more generally and easily available any information likely to bo helpful in letting the pub-' lie understand the range and quality of services which the Department had available for its patrons. Allied to this had been such action as would tend to remove those misunderstandings which arose from uninformed criticism of the Department. A further application of railway publicity had been in the direction of creating and stimulating interest in travel within the Dominion.

The publicity campaign had included regular weekly features in the principal newspapers, and in each issue of several magazines, dealing with special phases of railway operations. This had been supported by a liberal use of hoardings and other effective means of reaching the public. A VARIETY OF PUBLICATIONS. Interest was added to Mr Fcrgie’s remarks by a display of a number of the Department’s publications, among which were the following:—“The In-ter-sports Booklet,” featuring the attractions of Mount Cook and Tongariro National Park; the illustrated “Souvenior of the Commerce Train,” in

which-are incorporated daily bulletins issued on the Dominion’s iirst commerce” tour arranged by rail; “The State Railways of New Zealand,” a brochure prepared for the purpose of stating in concise terms the present state of development of the national railway service of New Zealand; “Freight by Rail,” an illustrated booklet explaining briefly advantages obtainable by the people of the Dominion in the use of their own railways; an illustrated souvenir issued to commemorate the electrification of the Lyt-telton-Cliristchurch railway; “Top Dressing for Top Prices” (a publication issued to assist primary producand the “Cruising by Rail” booklet, featuring the special cruising car ayailable for -private parties. Mr Fergie said that “The State Railways of New Zealand,” giving a short history of the system from its commencement, had been in keen demand all over the world. The Department was rightly proud of its magazine, published every month; it had met with a very fine response overseas, even from the Chamber of Commerce of Brussels. He advised any of his hearers who wouldlike a coj)y of it to communicate with the Le\*in statiomnaster (Mr S. It. Stedman), who would also be pleased to arrange for the supply of North v. South Island maps to those desiring them.

SOME TOURS OUTLINED. A description which must have appealed to the holiday Instincts of all present was given by 'the lecturer of various tours that could be undertaken, either by rail alone or in conjunction with motor transit. A few examples will show' what attractions and convenience lie in these itineraries. Mr Fergie stated that the traveller could leave Levin on an afternoon, and, travelling by night express, with comfortable sleeping quarters? arrive in Auckland and then proceed by express arriving at the Bay of Islands on the following evening. Launches would convey him ,to Russell or direct to the rendezvous alongside the finest fishing-grounds to be found in the £even Seas. Either going or coining, the traveller could do a round trip by linking up with a motor car via Kirikopuni, Dargavillc and Kaikohe, in the summer months. It was possible to travel by -train from the Main Trunk to Tauranga, and the passenger need not come back'thc same way, but could connect with a fine motor

service to Rotorua. From the Hangatiki station, on the Main Trunk, transport was obtainable either to the Waitomo Caves or to the Tongariro National Bark. In the South Island the tourist would find a combination of wonderful scenery such as was not to be found in a similar area in any other part of the world. After crossing to tlok-itika, the traveller would find himself on the following night at the Franz Josef glacier; or he could proceed from Nelson through the Bullcr Gorge. Regarding the Hokitika-Franz Josef trip, Mr Fergie said he could imagine nothing to equal the wonderful combination of bush, lake and other scenery that existed on that short rUn. An extensively travelled lady, the other day, said that nobody could have any real conception of it until they saw it. The glacier was only a few hundred feet above sea-level. The Fox Glacier was also very fine. From Timaru one could go up rail and motor to Mt. Cook. For the traveller leaving Dunedin and proceeding through Central Otago, there were the attraction of the Southern Lakes, on which steamers were -run. On Lake Wakatipu the steamer sen-ice connected with the rail at Kingston, whence the passenger could either go lo Invercargill or, branching off at Lumsden, make the wonderful overland trip to Milford Sound. Tourists arriving at Invercargill should not miss Stewart Island, one of the finest scenic resorts in the Dominion.

BLAZED THE TRAIL. Mr Fergie mentioned that the gross earnings of the railways amounted to £223,000 more last year than in the previous year; there v r as an increase of 200,000 in passenger journeys and an increase of 255,00 tons in goods. “The railways of ■ this country,” he said, in conclusion, “have blazed the trail. The greater part of New Zealand has been opened up and developed by- the transport arrangements that the railways have been able to offer. People prayed for the day when the Main Trunk line would be put through, and it made what was almost inaccessible country a fine, productive area. Someone may ask, ‘Can you do away with the railways?’ Levin is a very fine inland town.’ What would it mean if

you attempted to bring in its vast amount of commerce by road?” To illustrate his point, the lecturer stated that during the previous year, it wan shown by statistics, the cost of hand-

ling goods by rail averaged twopence and a fraction per ton-mile, but to carry the same quantity of goods bv road would cost at least four hundred per cent. more. In soliciting continued support for the railways, he claimed that they had had a good deal to do with the development of the town iu which his hearers lived. A hearty vote of thanks to Mr Fergie for liis address was passed by acclamation, on the motion of Mr K. Aitlcen, who stated that all present had been very pleased and interested by wliat the lecturer had said, and that the publicity methods undertaken by the Department had undoubtedly been of benefit.