'Rail Travel

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 123, 19 February 1944, Page 6

'Rail Travel

Sir, —Obviously the curtailed railway timetable is a necessary evil brought about by force of circumstances. But the regulation regarding permission to travel must be interpreted democratically, not despotically. The railways management are directly responsible to the people (not to the State) to give the widest possible . service within the framework of the restricted timetable. Express trains are filled to capacity, but, after a fortnight of restrictions, it should be known which of the slow trains are running partially filled, and modifications should be made, in the public interest, to the permit sys-i tem, to enable, these trains to be used to capacity. This is not only a matter' of convenience—it is had business to run. a train only partially filled if there are people willing to pay for the remaining seats (irrespective of whether their journey is for business or pleasure, or is for more than 50 miles). This travel business reveals two splendid examples of the unsatisfactory system in the civil service by which, a highup person at a desk in the capital city can make a regulation which has to be carried out strictly to the letter throughout the Dominion. Responsible Government officers should have discretionary power to interpret regulations to suit the particular circumstances of any particular district, and to meet any unforeseen situation. For instance, many people have found that their rail ticket has expired before they can get a seat for the return journey (specially is this so with servicemen with 7-day tickets). Stationmasters have no discretionary power m the matter (in spite of the unforeseen situation), and a fresh fare has had to be paid, (imagine the indignation in Government circles if any privately-owned company adopted such'a dog in the manger attitude over any matter!). And surely a man holding as responsible a. Position as stationmaster at Christchurch should, be able to use his discretion, without having to refer to Wellington, as to whether the journey from Christchurch to Ashburton (53 miles) was reasonable” under the “50-mile no-permit regulation. (By the same token, who decided that Tp Horo, 44 miles south of Palmerston North. should be the ‘no permit” limit on the Palmerston North-Wel-lington line!). —I am, etc.—TAXPAYER. Palmerston N„ February 10. »