STOCK TRAIN FACILITIES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 48, 25 February 1918, Page 3

STOCK TRAIN FACILITIES.

TEMPORARY PROVISION. i The Farmers' Union has for come ■ time been endeavouring to ameliorate the conditions under which the farmers in the Waikato and King Country have i been suffering in con»equcii>.-c of the de- ' pleted train service for the carriage of live stock, and a deputation from the union was sent to the District Traffic Manager of Railways about a month aj;o. urgently requesting that come relief be given if it were found impracticable to resume last season's service. The provincial secretary has this morning received a letter from the Minister of Railways (the Hon. W. H. Herrits) stating that his Department was quite in sympathy with the request, but owing to the heavy depletion of the staff for military purposes the train services have necessarily had to be curtailed. Prom the railway returns th<» need for special provision for stock traffic appeare to be limited to one day-of the week, i.e., Tuesday, and on that day, as a temporary measure, and during the height of the summer season, the Department will arrange to run a night train from Frankton Junction to Auckland to take on the stock. The Micister~adds that as during the next two months a. further heavy call will be made on the railway staff, it, i= questionable whether it will be possible to run the night train for more than a few weeks, as it entails a number of men being xpeeiallv called out at stations en route for night duty.