NEW ZEALAND RAILWAYS.

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 17, 19 July 1929, Page 14

NEW ZEALAND RAILWAYS.

For those whose business takes them travelling the New Zealand Railways exhibit at the Wellington Winter Show will hold 'much to interest them: it will show them the advantage of travelling by railway in preference to making their journeys by other forms of transport. To those who do not travel constantly, but occasionally make a holiday trip, the exhibit cannot fail but to impress them with the convenience of travelling by rail for comfort's sake. For business men and holiday-makers alike the display made by the Railway Department must appeal. First and foremost, the appeal is made on the national basis. The railways pioueered many a route, and thus performed a service ef benefit to all sections of the community in opening up new land and making'it possible for settlers to make a home in places, where, but for the railway lino, there would be no settlement to-day. Surely, as a consequence, is it not only right that where preference can be given it should be given to a service which has already done much to aid the development of the country? The railway blazed the trail, leaving other forms of transport to follow. Having performed its initial service in the country's interests, it is only fitting that some return should be made by those for whom it set itself out to servo in the first place; and that return can be made by the public giving preference to the railways wherever possible. Not only has the railway opened up vast areas of land that otherwise would have remained undeveloped, but by its use the land has been developed, and still is being developed. Take one illustration. In 1926 farmers in New Zealand used 306,451 tons of artificial manures carried by the railways. Reduced rates of freight resulted in the quantity of manures jumping to the big figure of 712,741 tons in 1929. By the reduction of freights the farming community has been able to use a much bigger percentage of manures, and thus not only benefitted itself, but the country as a whole has received benefit. But it is not only to one particular branch of farming operations that the railways have reference. The carriage of goods and live stock by rail has increased vastly in the last two years, and the [ figures for the twelve months just closed showed a marked increase on those for the previous year. So much for the industrial aspect of the railways. The service that the public appreciates most and the one that comes most under the public's notice, is the passenger service, and here again the railways must appeal in a greater manner than any other form of transport. A fast, reliable, comfortable passenger service, such as there is in New Zealand, is not only a boon to the travelling public, but an asset to any country in which business men are' required to deal with their correspondence with dispatch. In the maintenance of a first-class mail service the railways aro helping the business of the country, and in assisting tliat they arc assisting in its development as they also do in relation to the development of the Dominion from the agricultural point of view. Moreover, the public appreciates a railway passouger service, as it is only when travel is done by rail that a passenger can relax throughout the journey and travel really in comfort. .One need not go past figures, which speak for themselves, in showing that the railways are most popular with the public. Last year the number of passenger trips exceeded by 200,000 those of the previous twelve mouths Moreover, that travel by rail is not only comfortable and the most convenient, but. safe, is shown by (lie fact

that during the last three years 78,000,----000 passengers have boon carried by rail in New Zealand, and there has not been one fatality.

Finally, there is tho service of Uio railways in relation to tourists. New Zealand is famed for its tourists resorts, all of which may be reached by safe, comfortable, and speedy journey by rail. Travelling is tiring at times, but by tho use of the New Zealand Uaihvays the holiday-maker is able to undertake his journey with the minimum amount of effort or bother. Comfortable carriages, in which the convenience of the passenger is studied first and last, make every jouruey a pleasure. Furthermore, the comforts apply to all, whether the passenger be making an extended tour of tho country or whether he be the average man on a small holiday bent.—Published by Arrangement.