SUNDAY TRAINS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20114, 27 November 1928, Page 12

SUNDAY TRAINS.

Sir, —The protest against the running of Sunday trains and week-end excursions l>v the Hail way Department, which has heen made by the South Auckland District Methodist Synod, is based upon some st ranee ideas. According to the report in tho Herald the synod stated that this policy of running Sunday trains is opposed to all the best traditions of the British people, in that it helps to destroy the necessary quiet of the Christian Sabbath, so essential in the best interests, of the true national character." It would be interesting to learn what the running of Sunday trains has to do with moral welfare; and also how this Railway Department policy is opposed to tho best traditions of the British people. All citizens .who are opposed to Sunday travelling are free to follow the dictates of their own consciences : therefore these Sunday trains in no way affect their moral welfare. Those who desire to enjoy their Sunday's rest by a trip to the mountains or the sea are convenienccd by the department's policy; therefore it, is evident- that, the moral welfare of this latter class is not affected either. Were the facilities for Sunday travelling abolished bv the Bailway Department tjie moral welfare of the communitv would not be affected in the least. Those who now go to church on Sunday would cuntinue their custom, while those, who go (n (lie mountains or the seaside would find some other mode of travel in order to continue their custom. Moralitv is not measured by the running of Sunday trains or otherwise; that must be self-evident to anvone who will give the ijiicstion a moment's consideration. What are those "traditions of the British people" to which the Methodic Synod alludes in its resolution? 1 riasmnch as the policy of running Sunday trains is followed not onlv in Britain ifself, but throughout the British Empire, it would be interesting to learn how this policy of the Yew Zealand railways is opposed !o British traditions. Since facilities for travelling have been available British people have always travelled on Sunday. Tf is true, of course, that nianv people refrain from travelling for conscientious reasons, but the facilities for travelling are there if thev want them, l.otig before the advert of railways the stage coaches ran on Sundays; and even fo-dav. if a visit were paid to a staid old city like Edinburgh, crowds of people would be seen on Sundav morning patronising all kinds of public facilities for travelling to various resorts. I nder these circumstances it is difficult to understand what is meant bv saving that this pobev of running Sundav trains " is opposed to all the best traditions of tho British people." for British people who desired to travel on Sunday have always enjoved tho right to do so. Therefore to rtviv them fft" freedom of travelling on Sundav would be a violation of true British libertv. Amongst the ancient •Tews there was a tradition that a Sabbath dnv's ionrncy should not exceed a distance of from one to three miles, but *h->rr< is no sti'-h tradition among the British people Because il was customary io ancient times for strict Jews to abstain from travelling a greater distance than three miles on Saturday is surelv not a sufficient reason for New Zealanders to be prohibited from riding a few miles by railway on Sunday. Liberty.