PRIVILEGE RAILWAY TICKETS.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 April 1920, Page 3

PRIVILEGE RAILWAY TICKETS.

PERIOD EXTENDED. It will be remembered (hat for reasons over which the Defence Department had no control, the issue of priviege rail tickets to returned soldiers was greatly curtailed some months ago and as a consequence it was decided to extend the period of availability to the Ist of June next, the Railway Department stipulating that the issue should not exceed 5000 per month. The position on the 31st of March last was that'approxi- ' matelly 17,000 tickets had still to be issued despite the fact 'that the actual tickets disposed of averaged in the neighborhood of 3000 per month. It may safely be assumed that the failure to make full use of the privilege tickets during the holiday months was due to the soldiers having resumed their civil occupations and the difficulty in obtaining leave from their employers so soon after the resumption of employment. The .Defence Department announces that by special arrangements with the Railway Department privilege rail tickets are now to be extended to the 30th of November next, which is -the final date. This means that all orders must be exchanged for railway tickets not later than the 2nd . of November next. Owing to the heavy call that will be made upon the railways during the visit- of the Prince, returned soldiers eligible for the issue of privilegerail tickets are requested to delay exchanging their orders until the departure" of the Prince from New Zealand.