The Daily News TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30. THE TRAÍN SERVICE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 252, 30 November 1909, Page 2

The Daily News TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30. THE TRAÍN SERVICE.

The Tai'iinuki deputation that waited | upon the Minister fur Railways ycs'.erday in reference to the new time-table accomplished something in obtaining from tile .Minister a promise that the, train would be speeded up on the run from l'alinerston to New. Plymouth, so as to enable it to arrive at New Plymouth between 8.30 and 1) p.m., instead of Sit) as proposed. Even half-an-hour makes a substantial difference, particularly in regard to the working of the port, but there should not be tin: slightest difficulty-'in accelerating the service so as to enable the train to arrive here earlier than that, for the trains are lighter now and the stoppages excessive. The Hon. .Millar told Ihe depm.v lion that he had endeavored to give effect to the expressed wishes from tile Wellington, Taranaki, Wairarapa ajid hawkc's Bay districts, and stated that the complaints so far had been very few. Ho far as Taranaki is concerned, he certainly has not given effect to the wishes of the people, who were not eonsuited in any way, though a promise to that effect was made by the Minister himself, while, judging by the newspaper criticism, the new arrangements have not commended themselves to cither the Hawkc's Hay or Waii'ara ,ia districts. In fact, the feeling is decidedly in the opposite direction. The .Masterton papers complained that they were 'being punished bv the Government, and that .Mr. Hogg, the member, instead of doing his duty by the district, was galding about the country lampooning Ministers and making an ass of himself generally, while the Hawkc's Hay Heraid expressed the opinion of ils district in the following scathing terms:--" The general feeling after a <■iiiisiilcrati.ui of the proposed alterations in the railw.v time-table will be one of profound disgust. Jt looks as if the Ministry wee trying deliberately to injure this part of tlie country. . . . The new timetable treats us almost as a negligible district and the service provided is something such as might be provided for a side-track." Yet wo have Mr. Miil-ir complacently assuring Ihe deputation that, in ell'eet. theirs is the onlv discordant note thai has been sounded in <-onneetion with the new arrangements! The only distriols that seem to be satis, fied are AA'cllinglon and the Mnnawalu.j and tiley noiil.f be ungrateful were fliov j not. as the new time-table cnul.l harlfv suit tliem more. Mr. Millar franklv dr. clared that the new arrangements 'wore made in the interests of the Main Trunk service: that every other service.hail to be made subsidiary to it. This was obvious from Ihe first. And not only in regard to the new tinie-ta'ole. From the inauguration of the line, passenger fares were unpayably low (though under the new scale this will to a certain extent be righted), and freight charges ihe same. The Minister, in his desire to secure for the Main Trunk all the business possible, has inflicted serious injury on Taranaki. and more particularly' nn (he harbor, which it formerly found -u convenient and necessary. We bay,, no doubt at all that if the'.Minister desired to do his utmost for this narf of ih" Dominion he could very easily frame :r time-table that would be satisfactory ;., all parties, if in no other way than in ,the direction of speeding up ihe trains. We are sorry that the new time-table is to be adhered to for a time. The .M 1.,, ister said all arrangements had ben made for bringing it into operation en the Cth inst. If he intends to aceeleral.-. the service, we see no reason why it should not he done right' away. ' The holidays are almost upon us, and it is just the time when we can least do with lateness in the arrival of the train The Tarawa is about to make tri-wee'<ly trips to cope with the holiday Ira UK which, if the new arrangements are iroto be adhered to, only temporarily as it may be, will, we are afraid V less than it otherwise would. AA'o had hop,-* I hat the experiment of the steamer companies in inaugurating the tri-wecklv service would prove so successful as to lead them to continue it for a further period, till the summer was over at any rate, but this move of the Department; upsets all calculations.