RAILWAY EXCURSIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20235, 20 April 1929, Page 15

RAILWAY EXCURSIONS.

CHRISTMAS AND EASTER.

MEN WHO HAVE TO WORK.

PLEA MADE FOR CONCESSIONS. [ny TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. 1 DUNEDIN, Friday. While thousands of members of the general public are making use of excursion rates on trains during the recognised holiday periods of Christmas and Easter thero are others who, in the pursuit of their duties in a public service (such as the tramways), have to work to cope with extra traffic and are unable to take their holidays until some other period of the year. Should these men be accorded the same advantages of the cheap excursion rates of travelling by train at different periods of the year as are accorded the general public at Christmas and Easter ?

The Minister of Railways, Hon. W. B. Taverner, will have that question to decide as the result of a proposal by a deputation representing the local tramway employees, fire brigade, and electric power house employees. Mr. Taverner said the request was not a new one. Representations of a similar nature had been made to the department before. The Post and Telegraph Department, for instance, had made a similar application, and in that case some 10,000 employees were affected. The dairymen and other organisations had also made applications. If anything of a comprehensive nature were done in the matter it would mean making the excursion fares available right through the year. That made it a big problem, and lie would have to get the advice of his technical advisers on it. On the other hand, the railway was out to achieve all the commercial success circumstances would permit and to provide the limit of service to the travelling public. There were no regulations under which one section of the community as apart from other sections could be granted concessions. Whether it were possible to look at the question from the point of view of employees of local bodies he was not prepared to say at the moment, but he would see if the department could approach the matter on those lines. if it were possible to meet the wishes of the deputation he would be very happy to do so.

The department wanted to get all the revenue it possibly could. It was a pity to see trains sometimes travelling with only partly-filled carriages. Personally, he was sympathetic with the request, lie realised that, many men and women had to take their holidays throughout (he winter months and could not under present conditions avail themselves of cheap fares. He would look fully into Ihe matter as soon as he returned lo Wellington.