RAILWAY CHANGES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 436, 19 February 1909, Page 6

RAILWAY CHANGES.

AN ACCELERATED EXPRESS SERVICE. AND THE MANAWATU EMPLOYEES. . HON J. A. MILLAR'S VIEWS.-; ■'(M TELEGKArn—PRESS ASSOCIATION.) : ■ Christchurch, February 18 •The. Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister-for'-Rail-ways, .-leaves',to-morrow ; far the;. south to commence a flying inspection of the rail-" K > ftl i°l th - In an. interview he stated that ho purposed going on to'.'tnverpargill at an early date, an'd >after doing ;the lines,in Otago and Southfand, he intends to return.to Christchurch- in the first week.in March He will go over the,whoe fiv« fXTT h lmC 1 ? h ? re . and, after that, leave for Greymouth via. Otira, visitiV the Y. 1 -.^-'"fPeoted and a'run oyer,the lines of. the Nelson, and Pictoh-Blenheim secohs wi 1 complete the tour.. .The Sster ™- %t J 1 - 6 e "? a e cd >r: three weeks on his make hi^^l 011 '-^ 6 ob Jl ot <* whi * »*> make.himself, familiar, with the lines and their, requirements. •■ ' : ■ gaged.in arrangmg-the-new express- timeto 'fit in \ i S a difficult matter. ■™~-,* v i hou J s '=t<> suitVerything, The : mam object,.was to.be able-to get tEe mail S?^ rOU f, h from ODe «d fe.NewZeaSw' be otb «', a s rapidly; as possible. In order to accomplish th s the ferry boat must arr.ve.in- t Welh„gton at-7 a.m. or 7.30 am! at.the- latest and even - then to enable the fw'w " ■ Catch b , oth .:tn« New-Plymouth: and h^,i? * P? T V}} trams "light require some adjustment of the t.me-tables on those lines. 'hK ' r6ga / d *? tte sou th«n service, the !w mUst - awa y "' from Christchurch aDout Bam. if passengers were to land in inveroargill a fr-a reasonable hour.-' The Department would have toconsider the shortening of the; time between the: respective termini as far ■as mail, drains were concerned . To get.all'the branch trains to fit in with the accelerated service and the altered, hours,, was a.matter that took some he hoped to get the noTr nme-table out in a week or two,, and it wpuld.be put into'operation very quickly after if.was .finally settled. - ' ■ -- • -«, J? , he i , Mlnlst el- stated that he had no-fear tnat there would be any serious trouble in the' classification of the.employees ot the-Manawatu line, which had been taken ?™\.l>y the Government. The Act stated that- the staff of the Manawatu line • had to dp taken' over in the same positions which they had occupied and -it was: somewhat' difftcult, when doing: away with .practically. a. duplicate staff, to. carry out the provisions of the Act,' and, at the same, time." prevent any; injustices being ■ done' tb. ; the' old hands, but. he ' thought. that, wheh ; the classification came out, the system adopted by t'hV Uepartment would commend : itself to' both the. Government employees • and the- men' of the Manawatu line. The old classification list.'holds good until April 1,: a'nd'-tho-new classification 'which."would, be; presented- to rarimment. would operate as'from that date