Cheap Railway Travelling.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 29, 17 July 1902, Page 18

Cheap Railway Travelling.

A few weeks ago we advocated in this place a sliding scale of railway passenger fares and goods rates for freight, and we cannot feel otherwise than gratified to see the principle introduced by the Acting-Premier in the Financial Statement delivered last week. In this innovation, which, so far as we know, is peculiar to New Zealand, it is easy to recognise the progressive spirit that moved Sir Joseph Ward to put into execution his long -cherished scheme of penny postage, which has proved successful to an unexpected degree, and has placed the Colony at the head of the list of all civilised communities in the matter of the number of letters posted per head annually. Such a position indicates a high degree of social and oommeroial intercourse, and the new railway fares will have an effect no less marked. It has hitherto been the custom in compnting railway fares to charge the person who travels 100 miles a hundred times the Bum charged for travelling one mile. It is now proposed to adopt a soale whereby the passenger who travels over 60 miles will be charged one farthing a mile leas. After 100 miles hare been travelled, theoharge is further reduced by one half -penny • mile. In effect, the second class passenger who travels from Ghrfetohuroh to Dunedin, or vice versa, will now be accommodated at three farthings a mile for the first 50 miles, and one half penny • mile for the balance of the journey. This makes the charge for the 230 miles the small sum of eleven shillings and eight pence. At«uoh a figure few persons will now travel by steamer unless under special conditions as to hours that the trains will not meet . And it has to be remembered that these rates will prevail over all the lines, so that when the trunk lines are completed railway travelling in New Zealand will be the cheapest in the world.