SUBURBAN RAILWAY MATTERS

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 90, 13 October 1920, Page 7

SUBURBAN RAILWAY MATTERS

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Certainly you deserve the thanks of all suburbanites in championing their cause regarding railway matters. I was anxiously waiting to see the Departmental statement, but apparently they are unable to reply effectively, unless it is that they are now working up a special pleading. I was astonished, when looking into the matter after reading your article, to find that the return suburban fares have practically increased 60 per oent. as against other travel of an increase of 25 per cent., as the following figures show :—

In order that the Department may be able to give, a straight-out answer, I would like to ask what, would bs the position if, say, six or seven residents of Trentham wished the merchants in town to sehd us out five or six hundredweight, of goods each ? Would we be treated the same as the residents of Silverstream? The answer is "No." It is just as well to let the'answer be known without waiting for officialdom to answer —I am, etc., TWENTY YEABS SUBURBS. 9th October. TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—l substantiate the remarks made by your correspondent, "Wake Up," congratulating the Evening Post on the stand it takes re the above. I also agree with most of "Wake_ U;p's" remarks, but would'like to point out that in America there are electrically controlled stamp-vending machines which sell stamps of many different prices, and give change also. Therefore, if such a system was installed for issuing- tickets on the stations, each machine could issue tickets at many different values. There is no doubt that the present system of checking; or collecting tickets is >bsolete. Why not check or collect tickets from passengers on entering or leaving the station, as in Australia, America, England, and most other parts.of the world, thereby reducing the expense of .running trains, which, in turn, should reduce fares?—l am, etc.,

GEORGE BRADLEY.

11th October.

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