THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1909. TO-DAY'S CONFERENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9657, 23 November 1909, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1909. TO-DAY'S CONFERENCE.

The conference arranged by the I Masterton Chamber of Commerce in I regard to the proposed alterations to i the Wairarapa railway timetable, will meet in Masterton to-day. The object of the conference, which is a thoroughly representative one, consisting of delegates from local bodies and Chambers of Commerce in the Wairarapa and Forty Mile Bush dis tricts is to discuss proposals with a 1 view to their being submitted to the Minister of Railways for his favourable consideration. It is to be hoped that some valuable suggestions will be forthcoming, and that the conference will show a united front when asking for modifications and alterations of the Wairarapa railway service. It stands to reason that residents of the district have a clearer idea than anyone else as to how their convenience will be best suited, and the progress of the district maintained. There will, undoubtedly, be fewer trains than formerly, at the same time, as we have previously emphasised it is advisable that the speed should be accelerated. An early train from the Bush districts to Masterton does not seem to be provided for in the new timetable. This, we venture to say, is a grave mistake, and an oversight that the Minister would be prepared to remedy if the fact wer« brought under his notice by the conference. It has been arranged that the last train from Wellington will arrive at Masterton at 8 o'clock in the evening, and that the local station will be the terminus. If, however, this train were to run on to Fahiatua, or Woodville ard leave either of the places mentioned at an early hour in the morning, connecting with the first train for Wellington from Masterton at 7.30 am., a very useful addition would be made to the Masterton—Bush district railway service. It may, of course, be said that the suggestion put forward would not pay if given effect to, but the convenience of it is obvious, and in the interests of the districts mentioned we think it should be give a trial. Another mitter that is worthy of consideration is the lateness of the hour at which the evening train for the Bush will leave Masterton. It is scheduled f n 6 o'clock, but it should leave at 1 ;ast half-an-hour to an hour earlier. There would be ver / few of those desiring to travel by it who would

not be ready to do so by 5 o'clock in the afternoon, and if they co'ttld leave at that hour they would tfe<m be enabled to return home, in rtost cases at a convenient time, it seerfe, however, that there is iiezd i(tr » later train to the districts north of Masterton than one at either 5 orfi o'clock, and if the 8 p.m. frain from Wellington were continued, as suggested, a convenient service would be arranged. A further fact that is worth observing in the timetable under review is that no train will arrive from the Bush districts to this town until 11.45 a.m. This is too latf, and pome alteration in the respect mentioned is very badly required. The foregoing remarks are macie chiefly with a visw to promoting discussion, and sn order to erripbasise thaf the new timetable is not in keeping with the interests of the district, or with that degree of convenience that the publfe of the Wairarapa and the Bush difctri'cts have a right to claim.