THE RAILWAY SERVICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13484, 10 May 1907, Page 3

THE RAILWAY SERVICE.

—"With reference to " Commercial'® " letter in your issue of to-day under the above heading, I consider that ho casts nn egregious and uncalled-for slander on as fine a body of public servants as can bo claimed by any public service in tho world,' 'when ho refers to ; our railway moil as "jaded, overworked . officials, subjeefc to momenta of mental aberration.'' . From my knowledge* of railway officials, which is rot inconsiderable, I know. tbem ho generally « clearheaded, as mentally alert, and as keenly alivo to the sense of their duty and to'-tho responsibilities of their position as could be desired by even the most captious critio of ■ men's capabilities. To cast such a stignw . on a body of men whoso work, as reflected in our almost' total immunity from any kind of accident on our railways throughout the colony, which can be attributed to incom- v >, fi petency, mental inefficiency, or neglect of . duty on tho part of. our railway men, is, ') to say tho least of it, tho bsseat of ingrati- > tude, and can only bo stigmatised na a v-<-? 5 slander as untrue as it is undeserved. Thank, ,' f ing you in anticipation for your kind in- . sertion. "M. P. K. Sir,' Owing to tho great laok of civility and courtesy shown to the travelling publio v by some of the officials or. the AuoklandThamos section of tho Government rail- ' , ways, 1, think that it is high time it was jJ.y j brought before . tho notice .of the Railway Jla' Department, bo that something' ."may. bo done to remedy this sfato of,affairs. Quite ; recently,- on a wet, dirty night,; I? had oc- & casion to travel by a train which was then 1 waiting, and seeing tho tickefc-offico open, and wishing to get into a ear out of tho rain, I front to purchase a ticket. Ono of the station officials was sitting in the room • having, a comfortable ' chat with ; another •gentleman, at tho same time quite ignoring' the passengers who wero waiting for tickets. . Tired of waiting, I rapped, and he (this official) turned round sharply to me, and , said, "Oh, shut up 1" and toned round again to continue his yarn". This, sir, is a '' very mild insult compared, with some that have been related to me by some friends, but as that is their business, and not mine, I will not attempt to describe them. Some 1 of these railway servants seem to have the notion that the public travel specially for their (tho servants') convenience, instead of it being the reverse. A Pabsekoeb.