WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 January 1921, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION. AUCKLAND’S NEEDS. (Special Correspondent.) Wellington, Jan. 14. The Minister of Public Works, who is contemplating an early tour of the South Island, with a view to the inspection of railway and hydro-electric works in that part of the Dominion, holds firmly to his opinion that Auckland has first claim to immediate expenditure upon railway construction. At New Plymouth the other day, in reply to a deputation that waited upon him to urge the resumption of work on the Taranaki end of the Stratford Main Trunk connection, he stated quite plainly that he saw no reason to Revise the proposals he had submitted to Parliament during the recent session, and warmly denied the suggestion that his personal interests lay in the direction of his proposals. His policy, he now reiterates, is to concentrate expenditure on lines that promise to be immediately reproductive, and to let other lines wait their turn. SHIPPING FREIGHTS. Neither the Government nor the producers are greatly elated by the result of the High Commissioner’s efforts to obtain a reduction in the freight rates on frozen meat and other produce between the Domi ion and Great Britain announced some weeks ago. The revised rates represent a reduction of 5 per cent, on those originally fixed, but they still amount to a very large increase ou pre-war rates, out of all proportion, the local authorities say, to the increased cost of running ships. The Government has again communicated with the High Commissioner on the subject, and a further reduction may be obtained, but the Prime Minister is not very sanguine on the subject, and it looks fairly certain that the producers will have to face substantially higher freights in addition to other disadvantages they are suffering just now. RAILWAY TRAVELLING. The Prime Minister’s congratulations to the members of the railway service upon the manner in which they handled the holiday traffic have not stayed the flood of complaints the condition and equipment of many of the carriages have provoked. The main protests are against the insufficiency of the seating accommodation, many travellers, it is said, being compelled to stand or sit on the arms of occupied seats; and against the filthy, state of the lavatories, which, according to one indignant passenger, are a menace to public health and an offence to common decency. Refreshment rooms and lighting arrangements als'o are roundly denounced, and the only redeeming feature anyone mentions is the general courtesy of the guards and attendants, who admittedly do what they can to make “the best of a bad job”.