DEPARTMENT'S REPLY

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 134, 4 December 1930, Page 11

DEPARTMENT'S REPLY

■ Commenting on the above telegram to a "Post" representative, Mr. D. Bodie, commercial manager of the Bailways Department, said that it must not be thought that tho charges were applicable only to tourists; they applied to all travellers on the railways. The Department allowed passengers to take with them, free of charge, 1121b weight each of their own bona lide personal luggage, or tourists', sportsmen's, or artists' goar. Children travelling on half-tickets were allowed to take, free of charge, 561b weight of luggage. Any weight of luggage over the allowance /was charged for at the rate of Sd for each 281b for each 50 miles. "It should not be overlooked," said Mr. Bodie, "that this charge is very low indeed for the service performed when it is borne in mind that the speediest transport is given, generally by express trains or fast passenger trains on which the spaeo is limited. Passengers have the opportunity of consigning their excess luggage in the- ordinary jway through the goods department, but, while this is charged for at a lower rate, it does not give the passenger the benefit of fa_f>t transport, or tho benefit of having his luggago convoyed with him." Mr. Rodie said that the excess luggage charges in New Zealand were lower than many of those on the Australian and South African railways, and compared favourably with those of any other railway department in the world.