THU FARES TO MELBOURNE,

Evening Star, Issue 6819, 5 February 1886, Page 4

THU FARES TO MELBOURNE,

TO THE EIHTOII. Sir., —At the present time, when there arc such a large number of people out of employment, with no prospect of improvement in the coming winter, would it not he well fur the Union Steam Ship Company to reduce the second-cabin fares ray to 1/2 10s ! In doing this they would only ho charging the proportion of the highest fare in the Australian colonics, viz., between Adelaide and Melbourne. The distance is about half from Melbourne to I’.lulf, and the charge is 2ds. Again, Melbourne to Sydney, second cabin is oidy Ids, for about the same distance as from Adelaide to Melbourne. \\ ere the fares from Dunedin to Melbourne reduced to 1/2 10s a great many respectable people at present out of employment would find it much easier to get the above amount than the larger and present rate of charge—vi/., Ld. In doing this it would be of great advantage to" the country, not oidy in relieving the labor market, but there would be an interchange of ideas, as many of those people would return again, and strangers would also be induced to come over here; in fact, looking at Xew Zealand as a whole, we arc too much isolated, which can only be removed by acting on the above suggestion. Those wiio prefer the saloon arc generally well able to pay the faro charged. Instead of L 9, charge them LI2, which would help to balance any reduction in the rate for poorer people.—l am, etc,, Jonx Johnston. Dunedin, February 5.