Railway Methods

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 51, 24 November 1930, Page 13

Railway Methods

Sir, —We are to-day hearing a great deal about our railways not paying, and I wonder whether a recent experience of mine is one of the causes. I booked by telegraph, from a South Island town, a sleener from Palmerston North to Auckland, and found on calling into Wellington on my way north that, my name had been put on the waiting list 'with about six others as the one carriage running was full, and we were to have the berths of any that fell out. On boarding the train at Palmerston North I inquired if a berth had been allotted to me. but as no one had fallen out I could not get one. Imagine my disgust and that of my fellow travellers when on the back of the train we found a carriage for one of our Ministers. This means that the railway lost six sleeping berth fares and six members of the travelling public were inconvenienced because one of those in authority who do not pay for their travelling would not travel with the public. Why the railway should have to drag about this special carriage I do not know, but there is no doubt it is the policy of looking after the traffic that does not pay instead of doing everything for those who use and nav for using t*-~ railways that is causing some of the big losses that are being made. —I am. etc.. ONLOOKEB.