The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, MAY 11, 1889. THE RAILWAY TIME-TABLE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1890, 11 May 1889, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, MAY 11, 1889. THE RAILWAY TIME-TABLE.

Deait Swift tells a funny story concerning the way a tailor took the measure of Gulliver when he visited the Island of Laputa, where everything was done on scientific principles. The tailor came, and with a quadrant took Gulliver’s altitude. Then with rule and compass he described his dimensions, spent six days in calculating matters out, and made an error in calculation, with the result that the clothes misfitted. It appears to us that the Surveyor-General of

Railways—[We refuse to acknowledge him as Commissioner] —acted on the same principles as the scientific tailor of Laputa, He must have got out his theodolite, made a geodesical survey of the line, and then made his calculations, and the fact that no one living could make out the time-table he drafted indicates the confused state his mind was in. We refuse to believe that Messrs Maxwell and Hannay are responsible for this fearful mess. They drew up the previous time-table; it has been in use for years; it has given the greatest satisfaction, and we do not believe they could, with their knowledge of the country and its wants, make a change so disgustingly foolish. The Surveyor-General can act independently of them, and we believe he has done it.

Let us look at the matter now calmly. In 5 hours, that is between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., three trains pass into Timaru, and there is not another chance of sending in a letter or of going in by train during the remaining 19 hours. The three trains run in 5 hours. During the other 19 hours there is no train at all. On the very face of that there is muddle written in very large letters. One of these trains will leave Orari at 40 minutes past 8 a.m,, aud reach Timaru at 10 minutes to 10 a.m. The next train will leave Christchurch at 8 a.m., and reach Timaru at 25 minutes past 2 p.m. A quarter of an hour later the express arrives. Now here is where the fun comes in: two trains run from Christchurch to Timaru within a quarter of an hour of each other. The early slow train has been put on purposely, so as to allow the express to start from

Christchurch about 3 hours later than at present. For the sake of starting this train 3 hours later everything has been disorganised. There is the expense of running another train, there is no evening train, and every person along the whole line is inconvenienced so that lazy carpet-baggers, globetrotters, and so forth, may soak in bed in Christchurch 3 hours later in the morning. We have heard it said that it would be beneficial to business people who could go to Christchurch by the evening express, do their business, and return by the next express at 11 o’clock the following morning. This is nonsense. Men seldom or never go from here to Christchurch on business that they can do in the time. Very few business men can be seen in Christchurch before 10 a.m., and as the train leaves at 11 it does not allow of sufficient time. At present a man can go to Christchurch by the express, remain till 2 p.m. the following day, and return by the evening train. That gives four or five hours to do business, while the present gives only an hour. It is not in the interest of business people the alteration has been made. Itiainthe interest of the through passengers, and it is a shame and a disgrace that the whole of the people along the line should be sacrificed in this way to the comfort of a few. The people ought to rise in rebellion against it, and insist on their convenience being studied. Let us take G-eraldine, for instance. The post will close there about 12 noon, and there will be no chance of sending a letter to Timaru or Dunedin after that hour. After 1.39 p.m, no one can send a letter from Terauka to Timaru or Dunedin. Then take that very large and important centre, Winchester. If a Winchester man wants to go to Christchurch or Dunedin he must go to Orari or Temuka to get into the express. Then, how will the Peel Forest and Eangitata district people get to Christchurch or Dunedin at all ? We really think that it would be impossible to frame a programme more inconvenient, more foolish, more wasteful, more extavagant, and mere antagonistic to the public interests. Eecently we were told by a gentleman that he made a handsome offer to cne of these commissioners for a special train to bring sheep to Ashburton from beyond Christchurch. The offer was refused, yet here they are now running every day in the week a train from Christchurch to Timaru, and from Dunedin to Oamaru, to give the through passengers a few more hours’ sleep. Thus not only are they putting the people to inconvenience, but they are absolutely wasting and destroying State property by running these trains, when there is not the least necessity for it. We have before urged on the public bodies to take steps iu this matter, but they are so apathetic that unless it touches their own pockets they will not stir. The best thing that can bo done now is to call upon our members of Parliament along the line to use their best influence to abolish the commissioners altogether.