CURRENT TOPICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7850, 12 July 1911, Page 6

CURRENT TOPICS

WAIRARAPA TRAIN SERVICE. Tho vexed question of the Wairarapa train service was discussed with the Hon. T. Mackenzie, Minister of Agriculture, by a deputation which waited upon him at Carterton yesterday afternoon. Mr W. C. Buchanan, M.P., who introduced tho deputation, said that, putting party politics aside, there was no feeling so strong in the distinct as that of injury by all classes concerning Hie adminstration of the railway services affecting the Valley. The Wairarapa line had always been a paying oue, and the people were now asking for a service for which they were quite ready to pay. The Mayor, Mr Feist, said that the deputation was not asking for extra trains, but to be conveyed between Carterton and Wellington in a reasonable time. One day last week be noted that in the fourhour journey from Wellington to Masterfon tho train was standing absolutely They asked that tho stops si ion Id be decreased as much as possible, stock-still for one bonir and five minutes. Fully an hour could be saved witlxrat adding to tho running cost. Mr Perry, chairman of tho Wairarapa County Council, said the goods traffic was a regular by-word through out the district. Mr Hornsby said that the n»f of tho whole tremble was that the Wairarapa district train service was merely an appanage of the Wellington suburban traffic. The Minister, in reply, said that tho matter was really one for his colleague in charge of the Railway Deportment, to whom the matter would be referred without delay. He quite agreed that tho question ■was not. one of party politics. Tho Hon. Mr Millar had had a pretty heavy tame with tho railways of late. There had been a demand on the part of some people that the railways should he made to pay. and Mr Millar had brought this about. CORINTHIC’S WIRELESS. The Shaw, Savill and Albion liner Corinthic, which arrived at Wellington yesterday from London, was fitted at Home with tho latest type of wireless telegraphic equipment. Tho operator’s room is situated forward, and contains a Marconi standard ship set. working at about 300 miles average distance, with about li kilowatt power. Tho total equipment costs about JSSSO. The operator, Mr Chas. Masters, late of tho Marconi Company’s London office, bas had extensive experience as wireless operas tor on vessels in the North Atlantic service. His last boats wore the- Mosaba and Antony. During the voyage from London tho Corinthic exchanged wireless messages with eight vessels. No vessels, however, were communicated with between Capetown and Wellington. Durban was spoken at a distance of 850 miles, which was the record distance during the passage. About twenty messages' were sent by passengers from the vessel to England, ten messages to Capetown, and two to Wellington. The cost per word for wireless transmission is fourpemee, in addition to land charges. A feature of the Corinthic’s equipment is the sound-proof room in which the electric motor and eound-producing spark is enclosed. In .the event of a disaster, which would stop the ship’s dynamo, the operator on the CorintESo would still bo able for several hours to call for help by using electric energy bottled up in a storage battery located in his room.