PORT TRAIN SERVICE.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 15929, 16 June 1917, Page 13

PORT TRAIN SERVICE.

CO-NCESssiOKS GfeiNTEb. MINISTER OUTLINES DEPARTMENT'S ATTITrDE. • v Mr L. .M. Isitt, M .V.. has received the followmg letter from the Hon. W. H. Herries. Minister ol llailways. regarding the Port train services:— I have the honour to inform yon that your telegram velatina to the train service on the Chrir-tcluircli-I ytteHon line win nhired l).?i'o,'o CiViiiiet. v.iiivh decided that "the pmeiu urrangcrhents wcie to stand. 1 note that the resolution conveyed in your telegram is as follows: —"We. the members of Parliament, for Canterbury, demaiul that th'o decision oi the .National Kfiicirney Hoard in respect to the -train service between Chhstchurcb and its port be given cltfcct to. Our special knowledge of the necessities of the working of tne import and export trade of Canterbury c-o.iviiice> us tnat the evening train :;<sked 1 v'r is an p.eso.i-.te necessity.''

Ino l'ailwiiy Uopai tatc-nt is equally anxious with >on to fiteiiitate the woikmg ot the jioi t. I.Vi;n ue.ore the deputauon ironi C'h.iitteiuneh waited oil n"' on .May ;jist n sehein:; had bsen prepared by u'hicli train iutilities would be provided for wateisicle worKeis working ui tiie norr wi:-:an;; to return to tn'oir tiohife aiter worki.iy iivet'Linie. Iwo prepGi>U!o!:& we;e, huwever. betore me at that (lenutatic.i- ti,v iirst hy Hi; Worship the .Mayor of (.l.nstehure:), Way tliat i.ie 1.'.10 p.m. to tA-ttntoii.aiiil tnv V.30 J-ytte.ta.'i to iMriMchtireh. should be reinstated j:s ordinaly tiirie-trib.e tir.nss.. ninmnff as siibui'i>an traiDs, :>s taey d:.d beii>re_. o'aii'voying v.atersiaem and the general public. piekiri£ up and setting down passengers at iiic stations', ami run Mint; wlVether there was shipping; in tl:e harbour or hnt. 1 Itf otiier nropo.-iiion was that late train bo run to convey- ivatp'side workers baeU to their 'alter working overtime. lT.nl I lUKieistand id be tile proposal by tlie MBieieiiey iioard, whose representative, Mr J'rostiek, said that ail that was wanted was an engine uiid a seeor.d-t/lass ee.rrir-ge to take the workeis on the ships _ to their homes. '1 e.e main eoht<>nt.ioh of tlie members oi t'.ie i-fTieieiit-v Boaril ajipenretl to toe to be that, tile special train arrangements should apply- to intoreo'.onial and coastal boats., as well as to the overseas boats arranged for in the original, sciieme. 1' at onee agreed to put this pliase of tSie ipief-tion beloro Cabinet, which consented to lmvo the alteration 1 elaim that the •schcmp. as now instituted will amply meet the shinning requirements of the pOl t bf as well as l'ort Chalmers, to which the schoiiie applies. tlift tnaih proposals of the scheme are as follows:—Aiiy sliiyowuer waiitiiig to work overtime at liigbt oh his ship, whether overseas, .inter colonial, or coastal; nild requiring a train to take the ivSikbrs td thfeii-. liohiea along th'o ]'Vtt«Hbn;Christt;hiu-ch line, mtist make application to the Collector of Custonis, Christcßurch, as representing!; the >finister of Munitions and Supplies, before 12 tiobn. if possible, biit if that- is _ ndt jiossible, tip to 4 p.m. The requisition w:'U state the tiine when the traiii will ho tVahteii lo leave, mid tho number of men likely to travel by train. The Collector of Custofiis "ri'ill notify tho rhiliray traffic manager, Christchureh, whose, diity it will be to provide the train at the hotir specified. If through rain coining on, or from any other bails? the overtime is not,, to bo the tritifi can be cancelled by i4je shipping fbreittlih or agent, at Lyttdjtbn giving iietict? to the statibiirnastef there. EttcS bf the woi'kers fo'i- whotii the trhift is provided -will bo «iven a printed' pass aa he leaves the ship, him to travel by tlie train. He will also have his trdrkef's railway ticket. The o?ly cflnditidns affe that the Coilectoi 1 of Cn»t6ms ihiist be satisfied that.it is, in the interests of the Dominion tli at th.e ship ehonld have quick dispatch and that the. sfiippiilg cbinpfiiiy shall pay the Railil'jiy, DSlJaftrflfeflt for the special; for ■which the mihimufli rate is &5 8s 4d. I iinderstatid that thdre is no objectioif to this on .the part of the companies. . If more than one ship is ivffrkifig then each cbinpany. ftffected -would pay its pt-oportioli of the cost of the train. As to the time of the staftiiig of the train, if 9.45 is the best tiir.«, .then Siireiy that coiild be a matter of arbetween tlie Companies and the waterside workers. The Department will supply the traiii at any tiine required. If more than orio snip is working, a timo suitable to both can, I am sure, Be arranged without difficulty.

It scehis to n'lc that, as far as working tlio port is concerned, a special train has great advantages over a timetable, train in that its time of * tart can fee filtered to sitit tlifc i'eqiiiremcnts of the men working the port, and, as . far as the Department 1? concerned, it Ims this great advantage, that it will require a smaller staff than a time-table train, and will run only when required for shipping, and ; will, therefore, not require a permanent staff. , . I rthd iiiy Department claim that a fair trial should be given to * this scheme, in which every endeavour has been made to meet the desires, of the Ufiicieficy Board. I claim also that tlie scheme will be found to hieot the doniand mode for an evening train in your ieleferdnl of April 6th. The larger proposition brought forward by ilr Holland, Mayor of cliuroli,. at thd deputation iffts . a tjetriftrid for the feiiistatehieht bt tne 0.15 tfaitt from Christchuicli tri Lj"t-1 tdltofi and tlio 9.45 froin Ly ttelttin ,to Cllristchurch as an ordinary time-table suburban train service. . Now, frhile I quite admit that Lttteltoll has., diffitiilties with regard to the facilities fif working the shipping that retjnu'e social consideration, it cannot be aaid that, as far as ft suburban , train service is coneertied, tlie Sefvice oli the ljVtteltoh-Cliristchufch line diners sd hiaidrifilly from services 'oft other suburban lines as to demand distinctive treatment. . The shipping, howofef, does demand special treatment, arid the Railway Ijcpartihent is preptifed t6 give that ihdustry special treatmerit, but as a suburban 6etVice the . tolfcott - .tteafchcote - tV'dttlfiton - Opav'ft service for others thai! Workers 6fl tne ships ib lhticli ort the eanie footing fis ofehey subiirbatt servkeg throHghout the Dt>siiinioti. The Samo complairitg, such as the iitipossibility, owing fo tljtf strictions, of attending night sch<Jcls or teehflical schools, are cofniiion to all the other suburban lines.

I quite reebgiiise the incdnvSrtierice caused throughout the Dtiiiiiilion bV tliife arid ill othef fesirictioite of failway services, but it is the pdliey o<i tie Government, and. I venture to Saf, a policy approved by the people of the ItetfiiOitnl, that thefe sfiotild. restrictions of railway services in order to release railway men for the frontIf these trains are restored <Jn tho Chris tehtirch-Lytt«lton lifltf, gitnilar night trains thdit are ashed ./of at Abckhind, Wellington, and Stinedin would har© to b© restored. 1 could not in fairtiesS fesist thei defil&ild. A second staff -Would be required on ali suburban lines, and. one of tlie fihief meails by ivhich the Railway "Def«ftfiiertt> can relfeoee ifteh for the front -would have to be abandoned. This neither Cabinet nor the Railway Departftetit &te prepared to do. The tVar at present lodks as if it ivoijld continue for a consideraoly longer period than was anticipated. The supreme need of the Empire appears to be for men: men aro required even before foodstuffs. It seems to me that men

n-ill have to br> sent- v.hntevcr the sacrifice and whatever the cost, and beforo the end of the trar the phrase "the list, man and . the last may heco'me a living reality.. Many industries, and the Railway Department nirfonj; them, may be ca IJed Upon still further to reduce their services, in order to allow . iurther drafts to go to the front, and even "though those industries may be. crippled l>y . the process and their sphere of usefulness much impaired, still it the demands are ipade thcr have to be, met. The Railway Department has already sent over 0000 oi" its cni-, plbyees,. perrhrvnent and casual, to the front. It is by th'o scheme adopted releasing; loO.uicn this month. These will be followed at. iTitorvnls of not more than a month by drafts of as many men as possible to clenv off those who have bceu aid will bo drawn in the ballots, and u any tiling like the number mentioned above is maintained as the continuance o f ' the war may require. still further curtailments oT services wiil have to be made.

Tlie Mayor is calling a meeting at the City Council C'iaml>ers on Monday morninji to consider what turtlier stops can be taken in connexion with the matter.