THE PORT LINE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17702, 31 January 1918, Page 4

THE PORT LINE.

Until the alterations to the timetables aro announced wo shall not be able to judge tho extent of the “concession” that Cabinet has authorised in the matter of suburban late trains, but in the meantime wo can express satisfaction that the long agitation on the subject has at length produced some result. It is commonly believed that every member of the Ministry with the solitary exception of tho Minister of Railways was in favour of restoring the night trains on tho Lyttelton line, and we suppose that Mr Hprries knows less of the Lyttelton-Christchurch conditions from personal observation than does any one of his colleagues, so that his singularity is not inexplicable. Ho seems to have instructed his departmental officers to make a clean cut, and if ho ever realised the magnitude of tho blunder that had. been committed in regard to the Lyttelton line the Minister gave no indication of tho fact. Even now it is not proposed to recognise the peculiar conditions of the Lyttelton lino, and the concession to this part of the country is made as part of a general partial restoration of night services on all suburban lines. Perhaps wo,,should be grateful for small mercies anti confine our comments on the decision of Cabinet to an expression of humble thanks, but the subject is not one on. which we can afford to bo silent. The injury inflicted on • Canterbury has been too serious for complaisance. Hie conditions that brought about tho general curtailment of railway services were never such as to justify the grave dislocation of traffic between Christchurch and its port, and if the curtailment of the service on the port lino enabled the Railway Department to release any men at all for service in the army the price that had to be paid for the modest addition to tho military forces was unwarrantable. Wo need bo under no misapprehension as to the reasons for the restoration of night trains. The decision of Cabinet is obviously a recognition of the justice of Canterbury’s demands, and we hope to find, when the new schedule is published, that tho question has been handled broadly and sensibly. Tlie whole episode has been an unfortunate example of administrative incapacity, and now that tho authorities have had to retreat from the absurd position they occupied they ought to make the movement comprehensively.