The Daily News MONDAY, APRIL 26. RAILWAY ARRANGEMENTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 76, 26 April 1909, Page 2

The Daily News MONDAY, APRIL 26. RAILWAY ARRANGEMENTS.

The Main Trunk time-table and the necessary adjustments on the others lines have now been in operation lor some time, bul as yet nothing has been heard of the proposal that a'Saturday night train should be run from town as far as Wialford, It was promised same 1 time ago that this ijiiestiun should have 1 attention as soon as ine more .pressing time-table rearrangements had been disposed of, and it is now opportune that the proposal should be revived. We are convinced that a Saturday night train from Now Plymouth' would be a great public convenience, especially so if the fares were brought into conformity with those now ruling within a tifty-mile radius of the principal cities. ;dosl people are, no doubt, of opinion that uniform rates rule over the railway systems «>f the Dominion, but that is h delusion. People resident within a considerable radius of the four principal cities 'have not Oiily (and properly) better facilities for travel and expeditious despatch of business, but they enjoy special facilities with regard to railway fares. The following comparisons, taken from the official railway time-table, show at a glance the unfair disparity that exists:—

Single lletnrn Ist 2nd Ist 2nd Dimedin to -Milton 4/0 2/10 7/0 4/10 Auckland tu Ohirangi 4/7 2/11 7/» .*>/- To Aro—Summit -1/U 2/H) 7/0 4/11 Xew Plymouth to Kitham 4/7 ;i/l [\/i (i/2 'We entirely fail to see why this district should be penalised and travellers the facilities afforded residents near the cities. If it is good business to make a considerable allowance on ordinary return tickets to the people of Ohirangi, it surely is equally good business to grant a concession iro,u j£lthani to New Plymouth, or vice versa. The principle is entirely wrong, and om» ; that the local Chamber of Commerce should enquire into. With regard to the request for a Saturday night train, however, we would suggest that th,' matter i be again brought under the notice ol the Minister for Kail ways, who is,

there is every reason to believe, not averse to instituting additional trains wherever it can be shown there is n reasonable prospect of their paying. Another matter that should also engage the attention of Ihe Chamber of Commerce is the question of urging the government to issue week-end tickets from the inland towns to Xew Plymouth during the summer months. The llawera Chamber of Commerce has already niDVi'd in this direction, a.id we have no doubt such n concession would be cxtensivelv availed of.