GETTING INTO TOWN.

Auckland Star, Volume 55, Issue 95, 22 April 1924, Page 6

GETTING INTO TOWN.

JOURNEY FROM THE SUBURBS. MOTOR VEHICLES RUBY. MEETING STRIKE CONDITIONS. " Here's a go," was the thought in the minds of hundreds of suburban travellers who turned out to catch the train for work this morning, when they saw themselves faced with the difficulty of finding some new means of getting into the city. Three days of holiday had not improved the spirit for work, and those who saw the two alternatives of paying heavily for motor transport or going back home must have been strongly tempted by the latter course. j But the working public that are ; catered for by tins suburban train services were generally disposed to put up with a good deal of inconvenience to meet the strike trouble. So far as it concerned them the strike meant complete cessation of all suburban passenger trains, but the first impression that things were "all anyhow" soon gave way to more serious thoughts about getting into work. Carriers with ton trucks or delivery vans converted these into temporary "taxis" to oblige the workers. Hammers and saws were requisitioned, and a few seats hastily nailed together to provide accommodation for which many of the waiters appeared thankful. The question everywhere was how to get into town. No one seemed to think very much about getting out again, and no one asked how much the fare would be. Numbers of such improvised motorbuses were seen speeding along the hard, smooth Mangere roads to the Onehunga terminus. Arrived there they quickly discharged their loads of human freight and speeded away off back again to get a "cargo" of the office workers who were not due at work so early, and were not very particular when they got there on an occasion like this. Not a few private motor cars were brought into commission, and the owners of these had no trouble in filling them up with friends who were grateful for the comfort of such a luxury; and in these cases the passengers were able to be on the job close to the usual hour. Some, without motor cars, harnessed up the neddy in the backyard and got into the two-wheeler that had practically outlived its days of usefulness, and set off to town in the good old way of twenty years ago. Many were not above accepting a "lift" in such an unpretentious vehicle as this, and, as one old fellow said, as lie clambered up, he "had tq get to the ship somehow," and for him" it wasn't a case of thinking about getting home again. Large numbers of those who were averse to putting up with the discomforts of a drive of an hour or so to the nearest tram terminus.were seen to be carrying kit bags or, portmanteaux, apparently with the intention of boarding in tiie city until the trains are running again. Others had arrangements for getting back home at night, and they were, not too particular about the hour, while others still had left to-night's arrangements to look after themselves until 'they saw what turned up during the day. Seme who had push-bikes undertook a ride .of more than ten qiiles, in cases, and the owners of motor-bikes appeared to enter-' "fully tbe humour "of the situation as they' speed_4" away to'tovi'n in the freshness of the morning, with cap stuck away in a back pocket and a good overcoat for protection against the threatening weather. Stationmasters at the suburban stations were on duty early this morning when the expresses came through, but their doors- were closed for the usual business of selling weekly tickets to the workers. No one bothered to waste any time about tbe stations, as soon as it was obvious that nothing could be done, and everything left little doubt that a strike was in progress. j