BUNGLING THE RAILWAYS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10036, 9 July 1910, Page 4

BUNGLING THE RAILWAYS.

So many complaints are being made in so many quarters of the Dominion about the administration of the New Zealand railways, that the subject calls for the serious attention of thoughtful men and women. An acci dent which occurred near Levin the other day is attributed indirectly to the retrenchment policy of the Department. A. big slip occurred on Wednesday at Mangawtka, and as only three or four men were available to remove it, the Main Trunk express was delayed so long that the passengers had to stay the night in Marlon. Added to theie happedinga it

is worth while mentioning incidentally that Mr F. W. Lang, in Parliament yesterday, complained of the want of a good suburban train service in Auckland. Be said the Minister had been approached time and again, but nothing would persuade Mr Millar. This seems to be the true attitude of the Minister in quee- ' tion all through. He refused to be persuaded in regard to Masterton, and its train requirements, and from all accounts other parts of the Dom- j inion are being treated likewise. It I is asserted that owing to the "cut ting" of the staff on the Manawatu and Wanganui sections, men do not get enough sleep, and are liable on this account to forget tablets, points and signals. A big accident is freely prophesied, on the Manawatu line, and commercial travellers have been heard to say that it is a poor look-out for New Zealand if nothing short of the removal of the Minister would improve matters.