SCHOOL RAIL TICKETS

Grey River Argus, 30 April 1932, Page 4

SCHOOL RAIL TICKETS

“Week-enders” Cut Out COST TOO GREAT (Per Pres? Association). WELLINGTON, April 29. According to a decision" given by lion. Mr Masters, Minister of Education, the free school season tickets will not be issued for weekly or less frequent travel in future. This does not mean that the Government have decided to adopt, the recommendation of the National Expenditure Commit tee that free conveyance by rail should be discontinued. In the past, the issue of free school season tickets to the qualified pupils of post primary schools has not been restricted to those who need them for daily travel between their home and the school. Free tickets have been also issued to hose who were qualified to receive them for daily travel, Iffit who preferred to board at a school centre and to return home for the -week-ends. It is known that the pupils in some cases have received the free tickets which they use only for tho purpose o! visiting their homes during their holiday periods, the railway timetable being unsuitable (for daily travel. Under an agreemnt with th Railway De’’nrtnient. by which free tickets are available for a single journey not exceeding sixty miles, they are paid for at a fiat rate per child. The cost to the Education Department in each ot these eases is 45s and 90s per annum, according to the age of the pupil; whereas the saving to the parents, even reckoning the cost of travel at return rates, might be considerably

less than this. It is considered tfhfc if the parents can afford to board their ( children at the school centre then there will not be any hardship in ex* pecting them to pay for their children’s occasional journeys to and from .. home.