TOO MUCH SPEEDING?

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 146, 21 June 1923, Page 7

TOO MUCH SPEEDING?

THE XEW PLYMOUTH EXPBESS.

■ Recently, m compliance with-a general request, the New Plymouth mail train was speeded up, and a number of stops in the Taranaki Province were eliminated in _ the process. To-day a. deputation waited upon the Prime Minister and Minister of Ita.ilwa.ys to ask till at the train should stop "at Waitotara, Ball road, and Mokoia. The depuration urged that, to stop the train would require only six minutes in all. District traffic, in passengers and parcels, was being carvied by motor-cars, ih competition with' the railway. The only other train serving these districts was a luggage train,' with one cawiage. which, travelled at about ten miles an. hour.. Producers were being penalised for the sake of commercial travellers and chambers •of- commerce. _ Mails are delivered twelve hours later since these stops were cut out. The General Manager of Railways (Mr. K. VV. M'Villy) said that the stops were cut out at the request of a conference ot chambers of commerce for a gen»ral speeding-up of express trains. The decision had not been come to in a moment, .the Department was given to understand that the change was universally desired jt the svops were restored, -there would be requests from other centres for like treatment. Speeding-up had resulted in saving fifty minutes on th c Wel-lington-New. Plymouth run. The Minister of Railways. fth e Hon. 3. Cr. Goates) sal d that he would look into the matter and furnish the deputation with a decision later. When be was if. the laranaki district recently Tequest* were made that the train shoiild stop at two centres other than those mentioned by ths deputatiou-