The Hutt News THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1930. INCREASED RAIL FARES.

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 27, 27 November 1930, Page 7

The Hutt News THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1930. INCREASED RAIL FARES.

The deplorable condition of fin--ance into which the Government Railways have drifted during the past few years lias now culminated in a position making it abso- >/ lately imperative that drastic .steps should be taken to bring about a matei'ial amendment. While it can hardly be expected that in a young country such as New Zealand with its limited popu latioii the large and very expensively constructed railway system can be .so ran as to yield a profit, there must be • a limit to the amount of loss which has to be borne by the general taxpayer. 'And it is generally admitted that the time has now arrived when means must be_ devised to place *ur railways on a more sound financial and economic basis. To do this successfully it is obvious that increased revenue must be forthcoming. It becomes then a question of increasing the rates and charges in such a manner as will cause the least possible Hardship upon the users of the railways. And it would certainly ap : , pear that in this, those who have framed the amended and increased scale of charges, have shown a lack of a sense of proportion. There is a considerable difference between the percentage of increase demanded from the user of a worker's ticket and that payable by the general user of Mie passenger service. In the case of the worker who is compelled;-to use the train to convey him tor his •daily work the increase is between 40 and 50. per cent, while those who use the system for pleasure, holiday making or occasional business purpoises are only asked to pay an additional six per cent. This manifestly is a grave hardship on a class in many I^ses least able to pay it; In view of the extensive workers.' settlements which have been established upon Government land within the Hiitt Borough at Moera, this matter | bacomes one of considerable inif. pOTtance to local residents, and where an injustice is being done to any section of the community, it is certainly the duty of all classes to stand behind those to whom wrong and injustice is sought to be done. It must .be remembered that when the housing scheme was propounded an important and in- \ jk&ritial committee of local resi- / dents carefully considered the^acU vantages of the propoteal-wni^-would give better housing and conveniences to the working man, with such, railway facilities as would enable him to go and return from the scene of Ms daiiy wo>k at a reasonable cost, and afc convenient times. These ad/atttages were duly brought before tue class for whose benefit they were intended, and it was not long before, owing to the inducements and benefits offered, there were I far more applications for residoiices than could be entertained. And tho^e who secured houses con sidered themselves at that time, to be fortunate, for with reason they considered that the Government had made what was practically a contract with them that anyone., taking up a house by means of the State Advances loan would be entitled to be carried at a certain charge by means of a worker's iSeekly ticket to and from the city *in which their daily work is found Everything went well for a period but at a later date it was considered necessary by the authorities in charge of the railway service to I reduce the number of trains run, and long intervals elapsed between the times of trains by which the worker could return to his home. Now many of our new settlers at Moera follow the occupation or calling of water-side worker, af\d all too frequently there are days on which the two calls for labour dp not offer employment to anything like all the men .available. In suoh cases the

worker desires to be able to return promptly to the home where frequently he is able' usefully to fill in time. Since the emasculation of the train service on the Waterloo line (presumably for tne benflfit; of the bus service) our workers' ticket holder has either' to wait in some cases for hourte, or4:o part with a shilling he has not, on that day earned, to pay a bus fare home. And now comes the final straw which not unreasonably is considered to be the one that will break the camel's back. On applying fpr hils ticket the worker is now met with a demand for a heavily increased charge. A large proportion of the workers are careful and prudent men, who after making due provision for the periods when they mayJbe out of work, can forecast their annual income and expenditure. They have made up their annual household ''budget" and have planned just exactly lipw their income and expenditure can be made to correspond- And how they find that it is intended to repudiate what was a tacit or implied contract when they came to live in Moera. that they ishoukl be carried by rail to their work at a given rate. The position is a hard one, and in view of the fact that the working .classes are being charged a far higher rate of increase than are other classes— with, whom no such tacit or im.plied contract exists—it is little wonder that there is grave and isericms discontent amongst our fellow residents particularly those who have taken up* houses at Moera. The member for the district, Mr. Nash, is fully seized of the position, and has done whatever is possible to remedy this grave injustice, but we suggest that his hands wotild be materially strengthened if a public meeting were Called, the full .facts set forth, and properly worded resolutions, adopted, which would disclose to the Government what general public opinion is on the injustice done in this matter to a section of the community.