NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 761, 9 March 1910, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

. Some very extraordinary facts, respecting the railway fares in Canterbury were presented to In. Buddo in Ohristchureh on by a deputation of Papanui residents. We should explain thaj; Papanui is the nlost northerly suburb of Christchurch, and is the fourth station from Ohristchureh on the way to •Eahgibfa, which is 20 miles from the city. The city's electric trams run out to Papanui along_ a three-mile route. By rail the distance is between four, and iiveimilcs. "What : the .deputation complained bf.was that while the fare from Eangiora to Ohristchureh (20 miles), is the fare from llangiora to Papanui_ (16 miles) is 2s. lOd. Of course it. might lie pointed out that all a .Eangiora man need do is to take a ticket to Ohristchureh, and step off the train at Papanui. Unfortunately this is just what he is not permitted to do. The deputation spoke of "forcibly compelling passengers to go right through to Ohristchureh," and - of three men being employed at'Papav nili "whose duty it is to inspect all tickets and compel passengers booked to Ohristchureh to resume their seats in the train." There must be a reason for even the maddest thing imaginable, and there is a reason for tlio Eailway Department's .anxiety to present llangiora people with tenpence, in addition to free carriage, if .they will go right on to Christchurcn and not alight at the suburban station; and for its simultaneous determination to maintain three lusty porters to- push the, holders of Ohristchureh tickets back into their seats if. they ...wish to alight nui. The reason is simply this: that the Department, unable to compete, either in tariffs or in speed, with the tramway from .-Papanui to Christchurch, will go to any length - to discourage or prevent country visitors itom alighting at the.suburban station. That this is the explanation of the mystcry_ is clear t frbin some othef eccentricities mentioned by a Ohristchureh journal. It appears that a return ticket between Culverden and Papanui costs more than a return ticket between Culverden and Christchurchj a four miles longer journey. If the passenger gets. 6ff at Addington (two miles from the city) and thus saves the, Eailway Department his carriage to Christchurch, he must pay ninepence more than if he kept his seat to. Christchurch. The' reason is that there is a good, cheap, and expeditious tram from Addington to the Square, and if the fare on the railway was_ less for the shorter distance than it is right through to Ohristchureh ,nkny. people would prefer to use the trams. So the Eailwajr Department penalises all travellers who wish to alight at these intermediate stations, or carries them for less money over' a ■'longer distance which they do not wisn'to travel/ Arid this' is how the railways are popularised. '; .

The plain-speaking of a local solicitor at a meeting, of creditors yes-, terday. will be noted with satisfaction by most peopie who have been brought into touch with the_ Official Assignee's office. It was quite time that someone showed a proper resentment of the extraordinary attitude frequently adopted by the fieial Assignee at these meetings: His conception of the duty imposed and powers bestowed on him by virtue of his official position have at times occasioned, personal offence and aroused strong indignation. "However admirable his motives may be, his manner ordinarily is rather that of an overbearing despot than that of a public servant of responsible, but not exalted, station. We have been so 'accustomed to geniality and politeness from the occupants of the office, that the attitude of the present holder of the position may perhaps be accentuated by force of contrast. But.making i every allowance for this, it is manifestly unreasonable to expect solicitors and business men who are forced to attend these, meetings to endure without protest the varying moods of thevery autocratic getitlemah whose duty it is to preside.

The Minister for Railways appears (x) have had a very pleasant time at Feildibg) and to have completely succumbed to the attractions of that Very flourishing district. The Press Association roport of his speech leads one to picture Mr. MILLAR in a particularly happy frame of mind, but there is no doubt that his eulogies of Fcilding and the surrounding country were well desorved. The Minister, in the course •of his speech, uiade some interesting disclosures concerning tho railways. He has .had, as wc. already knew, a very good year. The reveDue has shown a handsome increase, and there has been a substantial .saving in the cost of working. This is very satisfactory. In order to make it completely so, however we trust that when tho Minister at the end of the financial year publishes the full figures ho will take the public into his confidence as tb how the saving in c'ost of working was made. We should like to know, for instance, how much of it is duo to cutting down expenditure'- oh. ''maintenance," Saving on .. maintenance merely means postponing the eyil

day. Indeed, it is worse than mere postponement, for on the principle that a stitch in time saves nine, money spent on maintenance this year may save a great many times the amount that would bo required on the same work the year following. However, Mr. Millar is so cheerful over the matter that we really hope to sec some marked improvement in the railway accounts for the current year.