THE RAILWAY CUT.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 September 1919, Page 3

THE RAILWAY CUT.

SOLDIERS' KilL PRIVILEGES.

ARRANGEMENTS FOR RESUMPTION.

Wellington, Sept. 25. During th c restricted railway services ' soldiers were advised by the Defence authorities not to take out their lour weeds' railway privilege ticket, as they could not obtain the usual advantages. . majority of the wen accepted this advice, mid as there, was an unusually large number of arrivals during the period oi the "cut," no lower than 30,000 orders lor the four weeks' free travelling are outstanding. This presents a sen" ous problem to the authorities, because the hallway 'Department is not altogether clear of its difficulties, and is consequently only able to deal with live thousand of these privilege orders per month. , 1 ■Thus to avoid serious congestion on the railways, and to reduce the inconiuuence to the soldier to a minimum, , JJoi'iiioe Department has extended tlie period during which outstanding privilege orders may be exchanged fur the ran ticket to June 1, iU i,l has picpaivd a detailed scheme under which the number of tickets to be accepted each ,„ 01I th by the Railway Department ill be wiremlly allocated to the various military districts i n strict, proportion to the relative numbers of returned men in those districts who are waiting to travel The soldier who holds an order for the four weeks rail privilege will not be *° cxcimnKe it for the ticket (a, was the case before the railway restriction) at a Defence Office, but'lie must first make sure that the order will be accepted Jor the particular month .iii which he desires to travel, by notifying the Delenee Department'* local rem-,.' sentative in writing, as early as possible '•vliich month lie desires to use the railway ticket, giving at least a month's notice. Group officers Will keep one "list for each month U p to June. 11)20 (inclusive), and will alter each application and date 01 receipt on one of these luts, according to the month required. Should the applications for any particular month be m excess of the number of tickets which the Group Officer is authorised to issue, lie will inform the applicant that a pass cannot lie issued for that particular month, and will ask which month tlie applicant now desires, and when the re- ! F'y IS , will enter the application ju order oi date of original application. Jiius a soldier applying for, say .\ 0 - ■ vember, if informed that the November Ist JS full, and who then replies that he wishes to travel in, say, Jamiarv, would have Ins application entered .in the January list according to the days or ins application for November All applications niust be disposed of in order of date of application. Any soldier when notifying the Department of the month in which he wisl.es to travel on the-four .weeks privilege ticket should not forward order | <°: K - 20 " 2 -' for "n' ticket, at the Defence office at which application for 1 icket wa* lodged when the soldier is ready to travel, providing, of course, application has been approved. The Group Officer will inform each applicant by letter whether the application has been approved or transferred 10 a subsequent month. Those soldiers who have bad three weeks railway privilege ticket deferred i'lSt,' ™ not is3 " o<l witl » another (BJI. -02) for a four weeks privilege ticket will apply to the nearest Defence Ulliee as in the case of men who have not exchanged tlieir order for the rail ticket. The system of allocation has been earefn ly devised so that the full nuinlfr of tiekttts will l>o issued oaclfttanonfh ' the military districts having hcon inMtruoted to keep in telegraphic touch With Rase Records at particular periods, so that, any deficiency in the number of ! applications from om> district for the coming month will enable a larger jium- ! her of tickets to be authorised in other districts. Soldiers will recognise the great_ difficulties which have been occasioned through the. coal shortage, and the Defence Department relies upon them to assist in carrying out this scheme, which is the fairest method the needs of the returned men to'the limited facilities available on the-railways.