The Daily News MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13. THE TRAIN-SERVICES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 188, 13 September 1909, Page 2

The Daily News MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13. THE TRAIN-SERVICES.

Tile local Chamber of CaminiM'ce ho. icted wisely in changing its mind ove die proposed change in the raihviv .iuie-titble. At a previous meeting, i vill be remembered, the Chamber di ided to co-operate with the Palmcrsto: forth Chamber in trying to iirxajij: aily throue.li eonnmmitation betu'ce: r»)>ipr and New I'lyniouUi, provided tli nival of the mail train at New l'ly loutli was not la Lev than S.JiO, or liali n-liour later than at present. At ; peeial meeting of the Chamber las 'riday afternoon, the form of the mo ion was altered, the preponderance o pinion being decidedly against an id elation that meant any delay in th irivul of the'mail train. As we h.n e.fore pointed out, through commup.i ation with the other coast is desirabl nough, but it is possible to pay toi ig a price for it, and this Turtuuik ,'ould be doing were .it to support Lb, .clay suggested by the Palmerston am <apier people. We see little force i: he argument of those favoring th hange that the establishing of th hrough communication would make a pprcciablc difference in the. passcnge xaflic and trade between the tw ilaees. Jt is unlikely that people froi hu East Coast desirous of reaclun; he North would choose this route who, he Main Trunk line route would b horter and more convenient; while i: egard to facilitating trade, does th xtra half-day 'that it takes for good o be forwarded to points beyond Dai: icvirke on the one side and Masterto m the other count for much? W icarccly think it docs. No mention wa mule at either of the meetings of th oeal Chamber of Commerce of the pre )osed service, from New Plymouth t \'api/T, attention being entirely focus scd on the (imposed service from S'apicr to Now Plymouth. We do no enow what the proposals of the Napic icoplc are in this respect. As far a ,ve can see, it would be no easy matte ,o arrange the time-table to perini )f the connection. The Now Plyinou'. irain now arrives at 1 alinerston Non it 3.M. The Wellington-Napier mail tra.' leaves Woodvillc at 2.'29. In ordvx t insure connection, the Napier tiai ivould have to leave Wellington tw hours and a-quarter later than at pr> sent, the present time of departure hi ing 7.2 a.m. Either that or th service from New Plymouth I'almerston and from Wellington t Napier be accelerated, a thing tha the Railway Department in th past has flatly refused to do. The pos: lion, of course, is now different to whit t was in regard to the service on thi 20ast. As was pointed out at las Friday's meeting,, the trains, owing i .hc opening of the Main Trunk, are am :nueh lighter, and it should not be ditli ;ult to save from lialf-an-hour to ai tour between here and Palnierston. Tin Rimutaka incline is a drawback to tli ipeeding up of the other service. Stii nuch time could lie saved if the stop >agcs at minor places were done awaj vith and some of the others reduced The same applies to this coast, only ii i greater degree, and in this eotmcctior vc ought to bring all the pressure wo an to bear upon the Department ami he Ciorerninent to accelerate the ser'ice, and if this were done, as \e feel sure it can be withnit difficulty, the desired contection "between the two coasts could ie brought about without delaying the rrival of the train at New Plymouth. Ve would like to see the Chambers of 'omnierce of both coasts take up ,th's natter and endeavor to get the 'mrovemeul carried out by the Railway )epartmcnt with as little delay a 6 poiible.