The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 1889. PROPOSED ALTERATIONS IN THE RAILWAY TIME-TABLE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1879, 16 April 1889, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 1889. PROPOSED ALTERATIONS IN THE RAILWAY TIME-TABLE.

We commend the Peel Forest people for their action with regard to the proposed alteration in the railway time-table. They have set an example which might well bo followed by other districts before it is too late. The density of the official brain is proverbial ; it takes a good deal to make things clear to it, and the sooner steps are taken to give it an idea of the trend of public opinion on this question the better. It is quite plain that is exactly what the Commissioners want. They have thrown out a feeler to see how the people would take the alterations, and if the people do not object it is more than probable the changes will be made. This throwing out of feelers when anything is wanted to be done is being reduced to a science in this colony. When the Government of the day wish to introduce something new they invariably whisper something about it to some newspaper friend, who gives it out to the world, and then if it is found that public opinion is opposed to it the Government deny all responsibility, and no more is heard of it. This is exactly what the Commissioners have done, and a very stupid piece of business it is so far as they are concerned. It is most extraordinary that any three men could be found to act so foolishly as to expose their own inefficiency so glaringly. They have practically admitted their incompetency. They have made themselves appear in the eyes of all men as noodles, who cannot frame a timecable for the railway without consulting public opinion on the subject. There is no use for them to deny responsibility for what has appeared in the papers. Who supplied the papers with the information P Then they must stand convicted of incompeteney or else carry out their proposals. We have been informed since, through the Press agency, from Wellington, that the Commissioners have determined on making some alterations, and are asking the advice of the officers along the line. This is further evidence of weakness and incapacity. The Commissioners, surely, hayo all data before them, two of them have been long enough connected with the line to know everything about it, and why, therefore, should they have to ask the advice of their subordinates ? Taking the stupidity of the proposed alterations, together with the lack of confidence in themselves which the Commissioners show, no sane man can come to any conclusion other than that they show great incompetency, and certainly if they are so weak in the matter of framing a time-table they are not to be trusted in larger matters. In a previous article we have shown that if the proposals as placed before the public at present are carried out we shall practically have no train service at all. We again urge on the local bodies the necessity of taking some steps to protest against the change, and we again warn them to do so btfore it is too late, The present train service acts admirably ; it suits the districts as well as * possible, and it is simply madness to alter it just to please the few through passengers from Dunedin to Christchurch.

There ia another matter connected with the railways to which we desire to draw attention. Retrenchment is pretty well gone mad there, and a large number of men have been dismissed. Now, the result of all this will be that officers will be overworked, and that consequently we shall have railway accidents as numerous as we had jail breakers last year. The retrenchment mania will

become a very serious matter, if a few hundred lives are lost in accidents. The Commissioners have in this respect great responsibility on their shoulders, and above all things they ought not to reduce the staff below working capacity.