PLEA FOR RACE TRAINS.

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 12, 13 July 1918, Page 7

PLEA FOR RACE TRAINS.

THE MINISTER'S ATTITUDE

NO HOPE OF CHANGE.

In a letter' to the Minister for Railways (the Hon. W. H. Herries) .recently, Mr. W. H. Field, M.P., complained that the Railway Department's attitude in regard.to racing was unfair to the Otaki Club and to the people who wished to attend races at Otaki. " ;'

In reply, the Minister adheres to the policy adopted by his Department last year.

"The supreme need of the Empire since the commencement of the war has been adequate man-power," he states. "That supreme need is more than, ever emphasised at the present time. This Dominion, in recognition of this axiom, passed the Military Service Act. In order to provide, as far as possible, that all the fit unmarried men in the railway service should be released for military service when drawn in^Jie ballot, it was imperative that the services should be reduced. The greater part of this reduction naturally fell upon the passenger traffic, since the goods traffic, carrying as it did Imperial, supplies, could not be touched. _ The reduction in passenger traffic necessitated tho abolition of all special facilties for non-essential services, sucn as races, sports, regattas, etc. ■ ; ■

"Another point to be observed is that the abolition of special facilities: for races, sports, regattas, etc., must 1 be universal in its application. It is impossible to run special trains for one meeting and refuse them for another. Besides the question, of 1 man-power, the extreme shortage of coal, which has obtained for the. last, twelve months'; owing to the difficulty of getting; bottoms, to carry coal from Newcastle, would have necessitated a largo reduction .«f traffic, or else the supply to the public would have had to be still further decreased. Owing to. the shortage of coal supplies, traffic for non-essential purposes would certainly have had to be abolished six months ago,.,and it is still on the cards that even the present reduced service may have to be still further reduced if the coal shortage continues to increase."

Referring to the argument that the stopping of race trains simply means a diversion of traffic by motor to the roads, causing much wear and tear of surface, a large consumption of benzine, and the employment of plenty of man-power, the Minister remarks:—"The consumption of benzine is, of course, another matter, and one that does not affect the question of replacing men irom tho railway to serve at the front. It does not require a. fit man to run a motor-car, and if benzine is being unduly used on nonessential work, it is quite within the province of the Government, if it thinks fit, to restrict the use of it to purely essential work. It appeal's, however, that the shortage is not so pronounced as to render that course necesssry at present." • „....... ...