LIMITED EXPRESS

Evening Star, Issue 19050, 19 September 1925, Page 11

LIMITED EXPRESS

“SAFE AS A CHURCH" PREMIER LAUGHS AT CRITICS [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, September 18. “ Safe as a church ” was the reassuring statement about the Auck-land-Wellington Limited Express made by the Prime Minister to-day in the House. Mr Bertram (Grey Lynn) put the urgent question to the Minister on tho subject, being careful to point out that lie was not expressing his own opinion as to the safety of the Limited, but simply putting points which hud been mentioned to him. He wished to'know whether tho Minister of Railways realised that it was common talk' among vailwaymen that the Limited is not sate, and that the Prime Minister would not make use of the train—laughter—and that Mr M'Viliy’s resignation was due, in part at least, to his unwillingness to accept responsibility for this train under the now schedule. “ Quite trivial,” declared the Prime Minister; He realised they were not tho member’s questions, but possibly from some railwaymon. Mr Parry: No, they are not railwaymen. The Prime Minister: Not drivers, or firemen, or guards, but just someone looking to iind fault with the Minister’s policy. It is just possible some of the gentlemen may find it is running a bit faster than it used to run. 1 want them to speed up, and do not see much use in dallying over a job if you can do it in less time. (Laughter.) I am quite sure the late Gone.ral Manager will back mo up in saying that his resignation had nothing to do with it. The Hon. J. A. Hanan : He wanted a day Limited. Tho Prime Minister: We propose to ■put on a day Limited in November. Mr Nash: You enjoy travelling in it? Tho Prjme. Minister replied that ho had had three or four trips, and on every possible occasion he travelled on the Limited, but as it was a limited train it was sometimes difficult to provide for a Minister’s' entourage, and he had to consider the welfare of other passengers. (Laughter.) Personally, he would prefer to travel faster, and know it could bo done. He would refute any suggestion that tho Limited was unsafe. When the train was proposed the traffic branch drafted a schedule. It was very carefully checked off by the locomotive branch, big alterations being made in tho speed at certain points. They then reported it “ 0.K.,” and this was the train running to-day. ‘‘As a matter of fact.” added the Prime Minister, “ the Limited may have to be made even smaller,, and may even bo speeded up, but it is possible we may adjust the speed on certain sections of the line to give an even greater margin of safety, i may inform anyone who is anxious that the Limited is as safe as a church.” ((Laughter.)