CORRESPONDENCE. SUBURBAN RAILWAY SERVICE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 24, 29 January 1908, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE. SUBURBAN RAILWAY SERVICE.

TO THE EDITOB. Sir, — Notwithstanding the fact that the 7.18 woikmon's train from Petonc iy now hauled by two engines, and tho running time of this 'train considerably improved, discontent si ill exiets at its late arrival at Wellington, which is brought about by a weakness in another portion of tho Wclhngton-Hutt sen ice-. j.xt the present time the workmen's tiam is of such unwieldy length that the siding at Ngahuranga is not long enough to hold it and leave the lino clear for the up train. Hence 1 tho workmen's train has to pull up before .reaching Ngahauranga and wait until the up tram has arrived and pulled up. This delay has at times been as much as three minutes and as a matter of fact only once during the past fortnight has the P&tone train been allowed to reach Ngahauranga in. ono run — on Fridoy last. The result was that by tho Wellington plaf orm clock ' the train was four and a half minutes lato , — a serious matter for those who have still to catch trains, and more bo for irknding passengers by the Manawatu train at 7.fcO. Another cause of complaint in the overcrowding of tha rear ■snd of the train, brought about by two causes : (1) The train overrunning its ■mark at Pelone, and (2) the desire of tnosa -who have to catch trains to savo as much giound p& possible on arrival' at Wellington. On a recent morning thers were no les3 than nineteen . men on ono part of tho platforms, a fact which I called the guard's attention to at the time. While in line weather this, though extremely dangerous, can bo put up 'with, it is easy to sno that in winter time- it would be unbearable. J would suggest: — (1) That the present train should be made into two, each supplied with a sufficiently' powerful locomotive, (2) That one of these trains should be despatched from the Lower Hutt five to six minutes earlier, stopping only at ii J ctone and Kaiwarra, wbcro tho 7.16 uptrain could pass. Tho other train would leave at the usual time, stopping only at Petono and Ngahauranga. If there should bs a departmental objection to trains running so close together, that can easily bo overcome by starting the first train a little earlier and the second a littlo later, making the first stop at all stations and the second run direct from Petone to Wellington. Another suggestion is, that it would pay Mr. Wilford, number for the district, far better to look into the matter than trouble about train speeds on 'unfinished lines. — I am, etc., CONSTANT TRAVELLER. Pot-one, 27th January, 1908. "LANCASHIRE LAD'S" FIGURES TO THE EDITOB i Sir, — In c lettor local in to-night's Post "Lancashire Lad" states that he is a laboiuer, and he has saved enough to send Home for his wife and daughter ; ho albo sent £25 to them to purchase what they might require, and he has been only nine months in New Zealand. Now, sir, I wish to know if there are many labourers who average £2 10s ,per week. I doubt it. Allowing £2 10e — a very frigh overage — that is £10 per month, or ££0 'hi nine months. Board and lodging at, say, £1 per week would be £36. ll would take at the least £30 to bring his if e and daughter out. Then he lays he sent Home £25, and spent ,£2 bs in two days wailing for them, not lo mention his fare from the country, as he docs not livo in Wellington, but was only waiting for their arrival here. I will buininarise his earnings and expenses, and I think 1 can show you that "Lancashire Lad" is far from being a truthful man, or else I am afraid that he has left v few : Wages at £2 10s per week, or £10 per month — £90; less £1 per week board (£26), leaves £54. Deducting from this the £25 sont Ilonie, he has £29 left towards paying £30 for his wife and daughter's passage, leaving him £1 to the bad, and a& he spent £2 5s in waiting he must be £3 5s in debt. And this without allowing ono penny to be spent in any other way whatever. Will he kindly oxplain? — I am, etc., COLONIAL. . Wellington, 27th January. PRIVATE SCHOOLS. •rO THE EDITOR. Sir, — I se'o that boiiie ono at Island Bay wants a private scliool in their district. For his own sake I should like him to think \\ ell of what he asks for. Private schools rro so easily a mistake. My business frequently ' bring*, me into contest v. ith young- persons — and some not so \cry young — who, applying for emplqyiiiont, show credentials got at private schools. In eight, cases in ton these credentials aro valueless ; and the candidate is forced, in order to meet regulations., which aro framed strictly in the interests of tho employer, to undergo an examination in tho curriculum of tho national public schools, which, not unnaturally, they look on as a hardship and gonerally as also a degradation — and rightly. In the larger number of cases the applicants have been long enough away from school of any sort to make the resumption of study a hardship. But the employer in this particular caco knows what ho wants, and ho knows, too, that private schools largely put nice gilt lettering and elaborate fcrolh and borders in Uio placo of exaci. scholarship. The omploycr would sooner have one plain dry-as-dust card certifying that tho holder has passed the proficiency teat of the Government schools than a dozen of the other. And naturally ho send 3 the applicant, back to get just such a card beforo ho w ill even record tho application. Undoubtedly private bchools have their uses. Delicate children, nervous children, get n. chanco in them which there is some ganger of them missing in tho diffuso teaching and more general management of classes in a public school. But then certificates should bo countersigned by Government inspectors. What ■ employers aro looking for is the certificate of a cerfea.in height of intellectual outlook, not for warrants which testify that their holders may have reached that hoighr, but then again may not. — I am, SELF-INTEREST. Karori, 27th January.