THE ONE HUNG A BRANCH RAILWAY AND THE COACHES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6934, 7 February 1884, Page 6

THE ONE HUNG A BRANCH RAILWAY AND THE COACHES.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, —With your kind permission I will present a few facts rotative to the above lice of coaches which, 1 presume, is not known to the overtaxed public or to the District and General Managers. I shall, first of ail, inform them that the Onehunga line of coaches, seven in number, make 28 trips to and from Auckland daily, which is equal to fourteen round trips. The fares are single each way Is, return Is 6d, or one dozen tickets can be purchased from the proprietor for 7s. These the purchaser can use on the day he bought them or three monthß afterwards if he so chooses. Should he not be able to use them himself, he can dispose of them to some one else, so that they are at all times as good as ready money. Another advantage in travelling by the coaches is that they pick the passengers up opposite their doors and land them in tho middle of Queen-street in Auckland and vice versa, thus saving a walk at each end of half a mile or better, as against going by train. About 40 (horses are employed doing the work. Now, supposing that oach of the seven coaches earns 30s daily, that would be £63 for the six days, and say £7 for Sunday ; this would make the gross earnings £70 for the week. In the face of this our branch railway is running five or six trains of empty carriages to and from Auckland each day, and those who travel by the coaches have got to help to pay the piper. The present rail fare between Onehunga and Auckland (with the disadvantage of a walk at each end) is fully as much as the coach fare—being first-slaes, single, Is ; return, Ib Cd ; second class, single, 9d ; return, Is 2d. The privilege extended to the travelling public some twelve months ago, in the shape of single fares for the return journey on Saturdays, has been discontinued, with the result that that day's passenger traffic cannot be half what it was ther.. Now, Mr. Editor, my impression is that the Railway Department should endeavour to remedy this state of things. The Onehunga line is a special line, constructed some two or three miles out of its proper course to suit the Government ; therefore it should have special fares. Until the fares are roduced the coaches will still continue running overcrowded, as they are now doing. The latter the authorities should see to, otherwise an accident is sure to occur sooner or later—Saturday night especially. It is said that many are madetodismount at the foot of Upper Queen-street, and walk to the top of the hill, and get on again. If tlie coaches owned by a private individual can carry passengers at a penny per mile, surely the railway, backed by tho New Zealand Government, the representatives of half a million of people, can do it for less. I would suggest that the department should

issue single tickets only between Auckland and Onebunga at 4d second class, and 6d first-class, and try it for six or twelvo months. - • They could not. loso 'much, 'more than they are doing at present. They could also try .for a like period thff issue of-weekly tickets at" 3a each to bona fide working men. This would enable many of the latter who are said to be how living, - two families in one house, in some of the thickly populated parts of Auckland, and paying a weekly rental of ten or twelve shillings each, to live out in the country, and have a house and piece of land for less money.—l am, <fcc., A Party by the Name of Johsstone.