RESERVED SEATS.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 May 1921, Page 6

RESERVED SEATS.

ON THE RAILWAYS. STATEMENT BY MR. McVILLY. Referring to remarks made by some members of a Hawera deputation on Tuesday on the question of reserved seats, Mr. McVilly said the position was that although a passenger may purchase a ticket for a journey he was not entitled to go "Oil any particular train. The Railway Department made definite reservations that a passenger was booked conditionally on there being room on the train for him or her. Notwithstanding the fact that a person may have purchased a ticket, if in the opinion of the Department the train was overcrowded they may inform that person that he must wait till the next train. That was the legal position, and by-laws to that effect had been posted up at all stations for many years. Fortunately they had not yet arrived at the position that obtained in Australia and older countries, where the passenger stations were fenced in, and although a person may there purchase a ticket he could not necessarily get on the platform. To fence in all our stations in New Zealand would cost from £300,000 to £400,000, and that amount could be utilised to better purposes at present. They had to make the best they could of the facilities they had to deal. with the railway business and to deal with it having due regard to local requirements, and endeavor at thessame time to do the best possible for the people. They adopted this principle in New Zealand. They ' said to a passenger: “We don’t want to put you off the train. It is optional ■ for you to elect to get on the train and take your chance of getting a seat, or if you prefer not to, you may wait for another train or get your money refunded.” In regard to reserving seats, any passenger travelling 100 miles could reserve a seat. If a person desired to reserve a seat at Marton for Auckland they could get the local stationmaster to send a telegram to the stationmaster at Wellington, and he would reserve a seat from Marton, provided all seats were not already hooked. If so the enquirer would be so informed. The same thing applied to sleeping berths. So far as the Main Trunk line Was concerned very few people now travelled on that without reserving their seats: some booked months ahead. This applied to second-class as well as first-class passengers.