ILL-TREATED RAILWAY USERS!

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1193, 31 July 1911, Page 4

ILL-TREATED RAILWAY USERS!

Sir,—Tfour- correspondent, ''Passenger," writes td-day. complaining about ,tl\e treatment meted out to passengers by the 5.25 pm. train to Johnsonville. Ho states that very often many' of them havo to stand for most of the journey, and that oil one occasion last week this train took ■58. minutes to travel six miles. ' Whilo sympathising with "Passenger," let me tell him that his life is an easy ono compared to those who are unfortunate enough to live on this lino beyond Johnsonyille. Them is only one train to bring us in to business every morning. It leaves Paekakariki at 0.50 a:m. and reaches Wellington at 8.45 a.m. Every morning this train is delayed at least 20 minutes at Johnsonville. It- arrives there ten minutes before tho up mail train is due,-anti .waits 'at least ten minutes after tho mail train has passed i for what reason, everybody .wants to know. To returil to our homes in tho evening, wo havo tho celebrated and much-discussed 6.25 p.m. train. Last ■night it was 15 minutes or more laiS in leaving town, and as it was overburdened with trucks of goods, it had simply to crawl along. This is the only line out of ono of the main centres that has been refused the suburban area considerations as far as fares are concerned. At tho nthei end of this line, from Auckland to Papakura, you can travel twenty miles for 3s. 3d. return, but for tho same distance from the Wellington end you have to pay Is. lid. t Messrs Tiuka and Field, the present members of this district, will find it difficult to convince the electors that they have had fair treatment in Tailway management from tlie present Administration. The Hon. J. Millar has been, approached on numerous occasions regarding this uusatisfactorv service, but lie has done simply nothing to improve things. How would Mr. Millar like to have to come to business by a train which is stuck up every'morning when half-way through ite journey for at least twenty minutes—remember, not occasionally, but every morning in the vear this delay takes place— and then have to get homo again by a train that seldom runs.to time Mr. Millar's answer would probably be that he would go and live in another district, but this would bo no answer to thoso who arc forced to usa this service.—l am, etc., PAEKAKARIKI.