THE MAIN TRUNK.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 404, 13 January 1909, Page 11

THE MAIN TRUNK.

MORE ;STATEMENT3; ! : : ,;'. (BI TKLEUUAI'U—SI'KIiIM, CIJIiUKSI'DniISNT.) - ■:>:-' :',-.:'■: ; Auckland, January. -11. ':■■ \ ..In spite of 'the.assurance made by: ; .the. Prime , Minister: that any inconvenience-aris-, ing. in';:connection^with the stop-over night ;of.-tlie Main,Trunk,train: at:Ohakuno: would be immediately rbmediedj.and notwithstanding the report of,the Public Health Officers, ;that the •accommodation , at'that township is ■inadequate,:.travellers continued to: complain bitterly of their experiences at the half-way station; .The accommodation: at Ohakune.ono. uight is said to-have been totally "inadequate for the number'of .people, who; werevset'Qowi at'the station; """--;*--".-..■;>""."-■;".= '.?■';■;..'.-.- »:',:.•:■'-■:,■;.•■■

-.;;; One-; of the .trayellers states that there must have . been over, 200 /passengers■ on: tho train,. a number : of "lyhbrii elected: to' sleep in the:carriages.-The coaches were, running passengers from the station to the.township over; a road full of. holes and lumps 'at a good pace; for ono.and a/-Ualf-'-hours after the train arrived. :At the hotel,where:this passenger/put' up a total .of 74. passengers found necommodatiou.. -; His.', party:, had writ-; ten a month previous to secure rooms; but •were informed on arrival that,, owing to the largo number of lady travellers, they .would have, to take -"shakedowns."-- Tho party numbered twelve; and wore put on stretchers m tho. passages (with-screens in front of them). Other shelters 1 were erected alongside the hotel, these including a marquee, which . the inmates facetiously dubbed : ■ tho "summer housQ." -The ;party were roused at four..a;m., -'and.' from then 'onwards there was a desperate rush to get, breakfast:and catch , the train.:- ': .-.'■■.. ■'. •-.' ;.: , : .: ...The travellers who know .the. road v well adrise people to sleep inthetrain in' .preference;: to/the jolting -over' the rough road between .the station;and .the township,- with the chance of ; indifferent-. beds at the i cori- ■ elusion of.the drive.-.,-'ln order to meet this contingency an enterprising Ohakiine settler lias arranged for a supply of meals close to the.station;;;: It,is stated that, do fewer, than 42. persons :slept::in. the train last Tuesday night,: . ■:.;■■■■;■•"•■