CORRESPONDENCE. PREPOSTEROUS RESTRICTIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 August 1919, Page 5

CORRESPONDENCE.

PREPOSTEROUS RESTRICTIONS.

(To the Editor.) Sit',—l own to feeling some astonishment that a people that assumes itself to be free and has proved itself to be Imive has put up, hitherto without protest, with the recent preposterous restrictions in railway travelling. Even those who believe that tlie shortage ot con I is the sale' reason for these curtailments cannot imagine tliat carrying a few passengers more or loss can economise coal to any 1 appreciable extent. If this be democracy, give me a good, sound autocra't. for a change! I have never lien nl that even the Hermans imposed such a test, on Belgians travelling by rail, so long as they had the price of (lie ticket in their pockets. If, however, our demo-autocrats have their way, as seems only too likely, I have a few propositions that should be given effect to primarily. For instance, every stationmaster and guard should be issued with a .Bible (at the Department's expense) and first b" sworn on it himself to an inviolable' secrecy, after which he can swear in intending passengers to the truth of their "serious" reason for travelling. This measure will be found: to save a great volume of unneoa|sary lying, to which even the most upright might be tempted in the circumstances. Only imagine a pale-faced "cocky" retiring with' tlie guard to the confessional (a convenience which, of course, will have to be railed oil' in every station and. guard's' Van—as before, at the cost of. the, Depar.fjncn.t.), and whispering, with' bated breath, "I've been ear-marking my neighbor's _ shepjv and must ; get in to arrange'fctr ,my defence. .Here's the summops, manf' Dozens of other eases will• present ithomselves where the serious! reason' \v6uld be- 'equally,grave to .war-, rant a' jovirftey'ah'd' equally indiscreet to reveal.' No-,' highly as '.{appreciate the value Of'oiir present, railway staff, I am not af all mire that they are one and all:fit to be entrusted with the duties of a trained priest,' combined with those of a CoirimiSAioiter of Oaths. But if the same (Seople 'who recently mide such a gallant struggle agains the "wheel tax" will no't' tfriW, or iii the near future, put up an equally brave fight for their elementary rights, I fear that any protest I can make is of little use.—l am, etc., [ VACUUS VIATOR. Pohokura, July 30,11)19.