RAILWAY DINING-ROOM

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 17, 21 January 1939, Page 12

RAILWAY DINING-ROOM

Sir—One Friday afternoon a party of three men arrived in Wellington on the axpress. from Napier. We were tired- and hungry. Two of the party intended to proceed south, and when necessary arrangements were made it was 5 o'clock. At five, minutes past that hour we entered the^ railway < din-ing-room, where four men and a lady were waiting their turn for a Beat in the crowded room. Spying several unoccupied tables in the far lefthand end of the room, we counted ourselves fortunate; but on reaching them we found on each a placard, Reserved." A waitress was regretful, but could offer no suggestions, and we had to return to the entrance door, where the queue had increased to eight. The Department lost 4s 6d in our case, for we dined elsewhere. Now, I protest against this practice of reserving seats in a publicly-owned dining-room. It is a fact that such a practice is; prohibited in the very popular dining-room in the Wynyard Street railway station in Syd-ney.-I am. etc., .^^^

The practice of reserving seats in the Wellington station dining-room was adopted to suit the convenience of patrons, replies the Department, which says: "It is, of course, an established practice in -restaurants and hotels, and is consistent with the Railway Department's policy in other matters of public convenience, such as the reservation of seats and sleeping berths on trains, which are also, like the Department's dining-room, publicly owned. Experience has shown that the advantages accruing to the travelling public from the system of. reserving seats m the dining-room of the Wellington station easily outweigh the disadvantages. Families, in particular, frequently avail themselves of the opportunity to reserve tables which, however, are not retained beyond the appointed times. An extension of the station refreshment facilities in hand will make the accommodation more elastic; but it is suggested to 'Traveller' and others who wish to avoid delay that they avair themselves of the opportunity afforded by the reservation system. Not only is the reservation of tables permitted in the Wynyard Street station, Sydney, but the practice is general there, approximately 200 out of 300 seats being held daily, according to advice just received from the Commissioner/ of the New South Wales Railways, Sydney," ,