AILWAY MISMANAGEMENT.

Waikato Times, Volume VIII, Issue 486, 1 July 1875, Page 3

AILWAY MISMANAGEMENT.

To the Editor of the^f\jhn6 T^bcsl^ •* - Sir, — I have perused wilh feelings of suspicion the condemnatory letters on the railway management with which the newspapers have lately teemed. Having no personal knowledge of the facts I attached little importance to the charges of anonymous correspondents. I attributed them to a spirit of captious fault-finding, and impatience of necessary "l^strictions and rules. But I have lately heard that which, in the interest of the public, I feel constrained to publish througl^vo^\riumos, jn the hope that the attention of^!^a^itJhNy.ties wfy* be j attracted to what is nothin<f^^s v4haiK]^oss^|ns- j management of an important pV>Kc service^pesulting in inconvenience and annoyance to the com munity, and in reckless extravagance and waste of the public funds. My informant is a gentleman of unimpreachable veracity, who is prepared, if necessary, to substaniai-e his charges, and to produce proofs of the truth of his statements. This gentleman informs me that he has travelled frequently by the Auckland and Mercer railway, without having his ticket demanded of him. In proof of this he showed me six return tickets,^vhich he had not been asked to surrender, either during the journeys for they were issued at various times, or on arrival at his destination. Finding that this laxity existed, he, on an another occasion, by way of testing the matter, got into a train without having furnished himself with a ticket, reached his journey's end without having had either a ticket or money de-, manded of him, and departed withont paying anything. Mentioning the matter to an acquaintance, he was informed that the practice of using the train without paying was quite common. Indeed the person boasted that he had often travelled in that manner, and meant to do so. anotheroccasion, about three weeks ago,rt!ij^rfirnVnt ing to Auckland by the**evWteg tfeaiW & Penjose junction, as usual, there^wa^d sftopp^e *hose persons who had come "fey the other Hfce were moving out of one set of carriages into another. When the removal was effected the carriages were crowded to excess. Many persons were unable to obtain seats, and were therefore compelled to stand. There were ladies in the carriage in which my informant travelled, and they suffered much inconvenience from its crowded condition and suffocating 1 atmosphere. Soon darkness came on, but no lamps I were lighted. Some of the men were roughs, de- | void of common decency, or a particle of manly consideration for the feelings of the unfortunate females who were obliged to endure" their degrading and odious Company. I shall not attempt to repeat my informant's description of" the behaviour of these coarse blackguards. In the darkness, they used the foulest and filthiest expressions, and were «ailty of the most disgusting acts in the.hearing of unfortunate females. J^ou^mil^ ima^e. sir, how painful must have bee^^e^)feelitiiS^Jf raose delicate ladies, thus foully assajjea 1 %juricK^ntaininating influences, and helplessly* compelled to%iffer in silence that from which their natures must have revolted. Happily their sufferings were terminated by the arrival of the train at one of the intermediate stations. Here there was a rush to get out, and, in the darkness, a general jostling and confusion. the midst of all this, one of the railway officials Tsatruek vestas, and attempted to collect tickets, calling out " have you all paid V Many eluded his vain attempts to cheek the tickets, and g>t away without paying, and some replied in a bantering tone, as they disappeared in the gloom. Another informant ha 1 occasion to convey his dog by train. * He obtained a ticket, but upon inquiring for the dog-van, was directed to take the animal into the passenger carriage, which he did. On reaching the next station, however, another^ railway official called out in a surly tone f^je HP* "V 6 y er * jfcjjjj' w * tn that there dorgf Imv^^tojax^ki^m^Tbe man imperatively ordered theMog*^Qjie lerefrfcecfiifr**' But I have a ticket for the dog," urged the p|ssenger. "filarst yer ticket," roargd the official, savagely seizing the unfortunate animal, 9,nd violently throwing it out on the line. Again, sir, the approach to the railway station at Auckland was recently in a condition almost impassable. A few days' rain flooded the entire roadway, Suad ladies and young children were oblige^o wgdo^hrou§fcC\jisli and water for some distarf^\mijjO siV lifciroug&out the t journey with wet feet, ex&esl|Ke freights, they amount to a poaitiveVjestncfcidn uporr^usiness. For instance take the case of the Waikato Coal Mines, The present tariff is so exhorbitant as to amount to an absolute prohibition. Were the freight upon coal lowered to ev^n a reasonable rate, av ast amount of coal^uliNe sltopl^e*&*gi those mines at a cheap rate tlk A^o^anaSi^uirfters. and while an impetus would Be gi\tak*to rke^^ofperity of the Province, nnd "labour be remunVatively employed, capital would be retained in the eouutry, instead of, as now, being sent away in tens of thousands to enrich Australian traders and collierowners. Sir, I make no^omi^eiibeunoii^ the above facts. lam content tow!lwtsh^n sye^^br them selves. I merely state tlifem-m\Ehe hopaTTnat they may come under the obserVationof the authorities who are responsible for the conduct of the railways, and that they may be roused to the necessity of speedy and effectual reforms. But I repeat that, if a proper official enauir^Jje instituted, I am prepared to substantia£eNjflCi staNenVents contained xn this letter. I encld^ g^caraVaHd rejoin,— Yours, &c., " *"*•*' • A Waikato Settler.