RAILWAY DISLOCATIONS

Evening Star, Issue 17959, 4 May 1922, Page 9

RAILWAY DISLOCATIONS

EFFECTS OF THE COT. REPORT OP COMMITTEE. VEXATIOUS DELAYS. The Railways Committee of the Otago Expansion League presented tho following report to the executive last evening: _ Gonipl abuts db to tho carriage of _ mails being delayed owing to tho dislocation of tho railway service como from Baloliitba, whose mall communication with the south is practically limited to three days a week, Tho dairy factory there has to wait till 3.45 p.m. for butter orders from Dunedin, and their sales sent by rail to Dunedin daily average ono ton. _ All places on tho Waipahi-Kdiovalo line Buffer severely by delays in mail delivery, hor example, on Mondays raid Saturdays it takes ninn hours to reach Dunedin; on Tuesdays and Thursdays ton and aJuilf hours; and on Wednesdays and hrkwiys five hours. Going scrawl tho journey taken; Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, nine and a-half hours; Tuesdays and Thursdays, neither mails or newspapers | nnd on Saturday neither mail or hows paper till 9.55 p.m. Baldufiha reports that ifcho children attending the District High iydhool have to leave Clinton at 6.15 a.m, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and Ta.panui District High School can' only bo kept open by the pupils from tho other townships in tho district boarding in Tlupanui, as the train service is too erratic, the running o.f the trains on this sector also cut.;; off ail fruit .traffic from (fib* Tevkt district to Southland. Tho irregular run--1 iiing of the trains from H.eriot downwawls makes the removal of live stock difficult and costly. Farmers and stock agents will not send stock on unsuitable davs, find on the other days tho team is overloaded and, either the goons and ekAli are hung up, or special twins have to be ran at sn extra cod to the dopartI mcat. A similar complaint comes from j Ov.-aka. Delays of five to ton days in the delivery of goods arc too common role, and particularly notorious waa tho waste of tiiue o.rti.'Mxl by tno lateness o. delivery of manure during tho turnip sowing season and the time lost in tho early 'harvest this year ( while tho weather wns good) waiting' for supplies of binder twine. Port 'Chalmers also ontere a protest _on the delay and expense of sending moderate weight parcels of good)? to stations on the suburban line, and they are now utilising motor lorries for the despatch of materials which should under reasonable conditions be carried by the railways. M KMAiNAGEMENT" OH ARCED. REINSTATEMENT BTJGGT’.BTIONB. Stock sales are suffering, an the. atten--4; n ice of buy on: is limited owing to trains arriving either after the sates are well started, or being cut out altogether. With wonderful unanimity tho reasons given for tho railways not paying all como round to tho one point—mismanagement. Overstaffing, unburiness-liko methods, and excessive chaws arc I lie points stressed. Suggested improvements a.ro many and varied. Tho reinstatement of tho daily morning express from Dunedin to Invercargill "and the afternoon express from Invercargill is essential. Branch trains, arranged so that the minimum waste, of time shall ho rondo at tho junctions, _ and tho elimination of unnecessary overtime; betiev facilities for the handling of mails, especially those from overseas; a reconsideration and reclassification of fates and freights, thus sweeping away the many anomalies at present existing; and a more effective method of meeting local needs and requirements. In this connection tho policy_ of a manager for the .South Island lures is advocated, and more power to bo g , ]' T^, ii to local traffic managers to meet tho wants of their districts without the eternal application to Wellington. The creation of a zone system or some other method of dealing with suburban faxes should also receive early attention, as at tho presnot a number of subterfuges arc resorted to to avoid tho. gross overcharging which in practised upon passengers from intermediates stations. Port Chalmers especially desires tho stopping of the through express at the upper Elation in the interests of chipping. The' report was adopted, and tho committee thanked.