WEEK-END TICKETS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 590, 19 August 1909, Page 6

WEEK-END TICKETS.

■MINISTER TOR RAILWAYS'. STATEMENT. . The.secretary, of the New Zealand Chambers (Mr., S. Carroll) has received the-followihg--reply from.the Hon.. J.; 'A.' Millar- to'- the resolution of the recent con-'forencS"i,egardiils"iveek-end railway tickets:—' "With reference to the resolution, passed at' the' Conference ol' Chambers of . Commerce regarding the issue: of week-end tickets on the New,, Zealand railways, I have the honour to. ihform'.yoU thatthis'inatter has been considered in".all- its ■'various '-aspects on several different occasions, and.'.experiments were'' made, some years, ago in 'Connection with the half-holiday movement.'-of 'issuing' cheap tickets, from the various large centres .to.places of interest within reasonable, distance at very low rates.; Unfortunately the experiments did not turn' out afinancial , success; arid after one or two excur-' sidns had,':'been'run the business fell very flat,; and did n'otvpay'.fbr the cost of advertising the arrangements. .:'ThiS experience was not confined to one particular'centre, but was found to obtain in every'centre.'in which the experiment was tried. The .'circumstances of. the people of New Zealand, are,,altogether different to those in European' countries, • where there is - a large, population, .with the wealth and leisure to. take week-end trips -should they feel so' disposed. The bulk !o'f •the'jjeople of New' Zealand travel only;fb¥'business-'purposes, and cannot afford iol'.lbse ,".th'© UjEime/.pr!; ; to incur the expenditure incidental to the/week-ond trips. This has received i .practical-', demonstration during the last five 'years"in ; Which week-end excursions have .ben-run : to various resorts. The ordinary rates "for ,;travel ,"in 'this country- are. so low thfit thejyjform -no, bjyr whatever to those members, of the'community who have, the time or ;desi^eito'make -journeys by rail.' In addition to the low rates' df 'travel• ruling' daily' on 'our ■'* -railways 'we issue ,at frequent /intervals, .;thr,obghout the year holiday excursion and'day' excursion tickets at rates that are much, lower'.than the ordinary tariff. These rates ' are however, only availed of to; any great extent in cases whero sports, shows, or, rac'e 'meetings form' the attraction. Ordinary pleasure' parties,'- sports bodies, and school 'children'arc, catered,for at very low rates, and. the tickets' can be,',obtained at practically any time*tlironghout-'thei year. When the facilities afforded by these cheap-rates and the holidaj excursions are taken -into consideration in conjunctibn',vwith',''.the'> - exceedingly low rates for ' ordinary travel; it'-will bo apparent_that the neooie of this Dominion enjoy very great facilities in .the matter of railway travel, and have no cause for complaint in regard to the ratesithey pay: ' In these circumstances, I re-gret-that- after giving the representations very careful, consideration I cannot see my .way to comply with the'request."