“COMMERCE TRAIN.”

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10724, 23 October 1928, Page 3

“COMMERCE TRAIN.”

FIRST IN WORLD TO RUN DAILY; NEWSPAPER.

TO TOUR AUCKLAND PROVINCE BUSINESS MEN S TOUR.

(Special To The Times). WELLINGTON, October 22. On Friday next the first tram in the world to own a daily newspaper .will leave Auckland for the South, .v;.. The'Wain iS the “Commerce TrtflV'' for. which-.the Railway Department has been preparing for months' and : which' will provide unheard of things' for its passengers. A bath-room car, a 'special shop for the sale. Of travellers’ requisites, telephones! telegraph service, an information bureau, a secretary for the use of passengers—these are ?som# of the things which have Cecil planned for the comfort of the‘travellers who are also getting a nine-day sight-seeing trip at a rail charge of £lO .each. ■ Sixty leading business men of Auckland! (wilt be the passengers, and they are making an extensive tour of the province in order to become acquainted with she industrial and commercial possibilities of the whole of Auckland. With them will be officers of the Railway, Agriculture, Public Works, -and Industries and .Commerce Departments, and of the State Forest Service, while the General Manager of Railways (Mr. H. H. Sterling is expected to accompany the party at feast portion of the way. • ! Much piatient arrangement has been necessary by the Department to make possible -this novel Tour. The train will consist of two main trunk first-class day-cars, a specially fitted luncheon-ear, a kitchen car, four sleeping cars, each of 20' berths, a lounge-car, a bath-room' car, and tho usual guard’s yan. At each o,f tile main stations visited the train will be connected with the telephone, morning and afternoon tea will be served for the passengers and arrangements have been made with the Post Office for. the delivery of the mail matter simply addressed “Commerce Tram.” The daily newspaper, produced by the Publicity Department- of the Railways, will be of tour sheets and illustrated. The programme of travel takes the train from Auckland on the evening of Friday next for Frankton, thence to Hamilton, Rotorua, Tauranga, Whakatane, Momnsville, tho War temo Caves, Ta Awamutu, Huntly, Kirikopuni, Okaihu, the most northern point of Railway in New Zealand, Horeko, Koliukohu, Otiri, thence by launch to Russell, Whangarei and district and finally back to Auckland at 7.45 p.m. on November 4th. The total cost of the travelling done outside tho train will not be more than £3 per head. Everywhere the travellers are being entertained, though they sleep on the train, and. ire/ quently they are being taken motor trips by local organisations. A full programme of inspection of factories, wonjfs, mines and farms,' also has baph mapped out. Jr The Railway Department confidently expects that as a result of this successful tour there will be a demand for such trains all over the Dominion. The present enterprise has been arranged m order to allow prominent citizens associated with industry and commerce in town and country to learn more of their own land and so increase their interest in their country and its resources. It is possible that the train will assist materially in demonstrating the possibilities" and development of the country, will foster settlement and promote understanding between town and countrv.