RAILWAY TICKET-SELLING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16097, 10 December 1915, Page 6

RAILWAY TICKET-SELLING.

There does not appear to be any serious difficulty to prevent the sale by the Railway Department of tickets to be used within a given time and not solely on a specified date. The convenience of such sales is particularly obvious during holiday seasons, when travellers and

excursionists are put to great discomfort and considerable loss of time by the unavoidable inability of the various ticket-sellers to deal quickly with the crowds that block the ticket-windows before the departure of trains. In Wellington, the opening of a town office has been accompanied by a relaxation of the red-tape that governs ,ticketselling and it will be possible during the Christmas holiday season—from December 17 to January 3 — buy tickets at this office for use when required. It is stated by the local railway officials that this Wellington town-office has proved a success and that only the war delays a similar establishment in Auckland, but why need Auckland or any other large centre wait for a special office in order to obtain a very simple convenience There can surely be nothing to prevent tickets available during the holidays being sold at the Auckland railway station if no more central place can now be afforded. Intending passengers pay cash, so that the Department gains if tickets are lost or not used ; the cost to the Department would be limited to the wages of the ticketclerk and this ought to be fully counterbalanced by the ticket--1 selling work done. The convenience to the public would be so great that such a system would certainly become popular as it became known. Regard for public convenience and readiness to provide inexpensive facilities help to conciliate the public and the departments and to increase confidence in the busi-ness-like management of the public services.