The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1889. RAILWAY TIME-TABLE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1893, 18 May 1889, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1889. RAILWAY TIME-TABLE.

So that our readers may fully understand the changes which have been made we herewith give the old and new time-tables. The old time-table was: — Noethwabds. Time at Temuku. Orari. Christchurch. Ist Train 8.13 a.m. 8.47 a.m. 2.10 p.m, 2nd „ 3.49 p.m. 4.10 p.m. 8.50 p.m. 3rd „ 6.3 p.m. 6.35 p.m. This was the daily northwards service, which gave two trains from Timaru to Christchurch, morning and evening, carrying mails and passengers. The other train ran in the evening out to Orari, which, being the station of the town of Geraldine, is an important centre. SOTOHWABDS. Time at Oran Temuka. Ist Train ... 8.45 a.m. ... 9.14a.m. 2nd „ ... 11.42 a.m. ... 12.6 p.m. 3rd „ ... 6.49 p.m. ... 7.24 p.m. Here again we tad two trains, morning and evening, bringing mails and passengers from Christchurch daily, with the third ruining in each morning from Orari to Timaru. How this arrangement was splendid, and we have never heard any one complaining about it. Let us now see what we have got in its stead, under the new timetable Nobtiwabds. Time at Temttka. Orari. Christchurch. Ist Train 8.8 a.m, 842 a.m. 2nd „ 5.32 p.m. If required. 8.50 p.m. 3rd „ 6.8 p.m. 6.35 p.m. This is the daily service northward, and mark that two trains run from Timaru to Orari within half-an-hour of each other. Mark also that the first train from here remains at Ashburton from about 10 a.m. till 4 p.m., when it goes on to Christchurch. The object of keeping passengers sitting on the kerb-stone at Ashburton for six hours is to teach them to bear affliction philosophically, so as to train them to accept official insolence, arrogance, and abruptness, with proper humility. There is therefore only one daily mail and one train to Christchurch under the new arrangement. People living between Orari and Ashburton who want to go to Christchurch must proceed by the early train, and sit down on the kerbstone at Ashburton studying philosophy for six or seven hours until the train goes. It is good enough for people who will put up with being kicked about like this.

SOUTHWABDS. Time at Orari. Temuka. Ist Train ... 8.40 a.m. ... 9-9 “•». 2nd „ 1.8 p.m. ... 1.41 p.m. 3rd „ ... if required ... 2,13 p.m. Now mark there are two trains from Christchurch daily, but aa arrive here within a few minutes of each other they are practically one. Now

let us come to the carrying of mails. The express does not stop at Oran if not required, consequently no mails are to be taken, and the letters posted during the day in Geraldine cannot go until 7.30 next morning. Only one daily mail at 7.80 a.m. between Geraldine and Christchurch ! Mails for the south close at Geraldine at 11.55 a.m., and a letter cannot be sent to Timaru later than that hour, while Temuka people cannot send a letter after 1.30 p.ra. With regard to the afternoon mails, there is none from the north, and the mail from the south comes after the postoffice is closed, and cannot be got until next morning. Thus the arrangement is a fearful mess, and puts everybody to the greatest inconvenience possible. We wish to direct attention now to this one fact: Three trains run to the north, and three trains run to the south, just as before, so that one penny cannot be saved by the new arrangement. But there is something yet to be considered. In addition to the usual three daily trains as heretofore, a tri-weekly service has been instituted. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays trains will run from Christchurch to Timaru, and Timaru to Christchurch, stopping at all stations. The time-table for these days is as follows: Noethwabd. Time at Temuka. Orari. 12.37 p.n. ... 1.13 p.m. SOUTFWAHD. Time at Orari. Temuka. 6.48 p.m. .., 7.18 p.m*

People cannot understand why these trains should be run on these days. They ask: Why should they he run three days a week only P Is it not a disgrace to say that in the most thickly populated district in New Zealand there is a tri-weekly train service? We can only explain it in this way; In ancient times dwellers in cities were mostly freemen, while those who lived in the country were mostly serfs. This was in the days of absolutism and feudalism, and the SurveyorGeneral of Railways, being now as absolute as the Grand Turk, hit upon the happy plan of introducing harmonious management by giving citizens three hours more sleep, and putting the country serfs off with three trains a week. Now these three trains run from Christchurch to Timaru, and vice versa, in addition to the three daily trains as heretofore, and we believe that in the same way three trains run from Oamaru to Dunedin. What is the cost of running a train from Christchurch to Timaru and back three times a week? If we knew that we could tell how much the new arrangement costs more than the old one. Taking everything into consideration we do not think a tram can be run from Christchurch to Timaru for less than £IOO, and as there are three trains a week the extra cost of the new arrangement between Christchurch and Timaru alone is £3OO per week. What is gained by this ? Simply that the express may start from Christchurch three hours later, and thus if our calculation is correct we pay £IOO for every hour of these. If we are wrong it is only as regards the amount. If the three trains can be run for half the amount it means that we pay £SO an hour to give three additional hours’ sleep to half-a-dozen or a dozen through passengers. Of course we have not exact data as to the cost of trains, but we expect to he able to inform our readers of it in the course of time. Meantime we can safely say it is an increase of 12£ per cent on the working expenses. If the train ran the six days the cost of the fourth train would, of course, be one fourth, or 25 per cant. The tram runs only three days, and the cost may therefore be only per cent. Dancy an increase of 12£ per cent on the cost of working the railway from Dunedin to Christchurch! No amount of sophistry can get over this fact. The fourth train put on three days a week makes it as plain as a pike staff. No doubt it is exactly the same as regards the Dunedin end. Thus the new arrangement not only inflicts great and serious hardships on all the people living along the line, but also increases the working expenses immensely. Who will have to pay for this ? The poor country serfs who have to be satisfied with three trains a week, who will have to sit on the kerbstone at Ashburton studying philosophy, and who will get snubbed if they complain. To sum up our objections to the first step taken under the new arrangement, we assert: — Ist—That absolute incapacity is disclosed by the fact that no man living could understand the time-table advertised in the papers. 2nd—That for the sake of starting the express three hours later, in compliance with the wishes of a few wirepullers, the interests of the vast majority of the real patrons of the railways have been basely and disgracefully sacrificed. 3rd—That in showing such readiness to comply with the wishes of a few wire-pullers the board has laid itself open to a suspicion of being too pliable, and thus too easily made the tool of corrupting influences. 4th —That the cost of working the railway has been increased by per cent.

5 fcli—That the time-table has been arranged so as to produce the greatest possible amount of inconvenience to the greatest number of people. Gth —That the postal arrangements have been disorganised, and rendered inconvenient.

7th—That any three men capable o* reducing 'order into chaos in such a wav ought not to be entrusted with the management of such an enormous enterprise as our railways. We therefore think Parliament ought to take immediate steps to remove the present board. If they cannot draw up a sensible time-table to suit the requirements of the district, and if instead of practising economy they increase working expenses by 12| per cent., they show absolute incompetency, and ought to be immediately got rid of. Let any one study the facts we have here placed before our readers, and say what he thinks of three men who are paid £B2OO a year, and whose first step is so disgracefully foolish. Gulliver got so disgusted with his own species—the Taboos—that he was never afterwards able to reconcile himself even to his own family. We feel much as Gulliver did. We almost feel ashamed that we belong to the same species as this Board of Commissioners, and so disgusted are we with their first action that nothing can reconcile us to the new management.