THE CHRISTCHURCH SERVICE.

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 February 1911, Page 4

THE CHRISTCHURCH SERVICE.

Some fresh light, even though it affords very little satisfaction to the residents of tire West Coast who desire to see the service accelerated as much as possible, was thrown on the Christchurch time-table complication by the General Manager of the New Zealand Railways (Mr. T. Ronayne) in the course of an interview which he gave a . representative of this journal on Tuesday last. Dealing first with the complaint regarding the late arrival of the Otira express, Mr. Ronayne, who recognised the hardship it in flicted on the business people of Greymouth, placed the whole blame on the Postal Department, which had maintained that haif-an-hour’s stoppage at the Bealey was insufficient to permit of the mails being sorted. Therefore, the length of the stoppage at the Bealey has been increased rather than have the coach 1 run late. This, of course, opens up the old proposition that Greymouth, being the commercial centre of this part of the dominion, should be regarded as the West Cast terminus of th service. If this were recognised, the whole trouble would be averted both from Hie railway and postal points of view. It is surely absurd for Hie Postal Department to sort the mail for every little township at the Bealey —a work which should he performed at the chief office in Greymouth, where it would he accomplished more expeditiously and effectively than can be expected under the existing arrangement. This alteration would, of course, remove the objection to an accelerated service as far as the Postal Department is concerned and, remembering the paramount claims of Greymouth, we have a right to expect that the Department will so alter its arrangemens as to no longer be the cause of the delay at Bealey. Agitation should now be directed with that object in view. The second point touched upon by Mr. Ronayne was in regard to the greatly-desired one-day journey to Wellington. “It is utterly impossible to grant the through service, ’ ’ uncompromisingly declared the General Manager, who, however, was hardly convincing in the arguments lie employed to justify such an assertion. The greatest obstacle to the new service is represented to he the time-table for the ferry steamers. On no account, we are told, can that be interfered with, and therefore the accelerated service is an impossibility. But the point overlooked is that the train service can easily he made to fit in with the steamer connection at Lyttelton. There can be no denying that fact and that it is overlooked is most astounding. “The people of the West Coast,” ‘so the interview runs, “must not think that they are being, neglected.” Yet per contra we are faced with the proposition that the service could he easily improved by a simple re-adjustment of the existing time-table. If then we are so favored, why is the reform not inaugurated? It is all very well to be advised to be patient for eighteen months till another section of the railway is opened, but if we are to judge by the disadvantages —he that emphasised—following on the opening of the line to the Cass we will not be much further ahead. When the trains ran only as far as Broken River, Greymouth was reached half an hour earlier than at present. It is | somewhat difficult to see what has i been gained by opening the new sec-j tion of railway at all. Of course, j this is caused by the “express” on the, Christchurch—Cass section being run I as an ordinary passenger slow train, j That is how we are catered for ; yet “the Railway Department is always j willing and anxious to grant facilities'] in the way of quick and comfortable 1 travelling.” The hope of the future,C of an acceleration of the existing ser-, • vice and of the through connection ! with Wellington, lies in the recon- ! sideration of its action by the Railway Department. Only agitation, per,- J sistent and constant, will bring that . about —and with it the much needed ‘ improvement to the service.