THE MANAWATU LINE.

NZ Truth, Issue 198, 3 April 1909, Page 4

THE MANAWATU LINE.

; Suburban residents m the late Manawatu line were expectant of great things •when the- Government took over that particular bit of railway, m those bad old days when a .beastly company of iaividchd-seeking sharks controlled things, the suburban traveller used to say, "Things will be different when the Government takes over the line,", and hope eternal bpuyed him up to buy another season ticket and wait for the glorious change. Eventually, the long looked-for Change came, and, sure enough, "things were different" all right. The Government run trains proved very independent sort of beasts — they started when it pleased them and arrived at any old time. A train timed to start at 5.15 got into the habit of making a move at 5.30 or a quarter to six, until passengers thought the 'time-table had . been altered, and instead of arriving at the S station at five o'clock to secure a good seat, thfey rolled up at 5.15, the alleged starting time. But a shock was m store. For two days running the engine, without any Visible provocation, got amove on, , and started to haul off the carriages at 5.12, and quite a pile of people ing oh the platform at the' last moment; made the atmosphere a pucie kind of sky blue when they were informed that there would be another' train m a couple of hours or so* The down trains at the smaller stations are even more weird.; Twenty minutes late is the usual thing, but a few minutes before time is trotted, out occasionally as a side show to break the monotony. On Monday morning last the train timed to leave Paremata at 11.28 left at" 11.40, and instead of picking up the lost 12 minutes between there and Wellington, lost an . additional 15 for luck. The 6.Z0 out . at night left the station at 10 to 7, and arrived at Paremata between half and three-quarters of an hour behind i time. Some time back, the 11 p.m. from Wellington on Saturday got away thirty minutes late, broke down two or three times, and landed its Paekakarilci passengers m time; tp get home with the milk. But possibly, the best performances are put up at John sonville, where the engines display a marvellous spo'Ftiveness. Whether it is the fresh air, or the snake-juice, or just natural conditions produced by nothing m : particular this paper knoweth not, but ( they run amok m a very sad manner. I The drivers roar, the guards curse, whiio the passengers sit still and weep greatsalt tears as they think of the bad old days when a wicked company ran the show, and trains were only late sometimes. Company trains used to hang round Johnsonvillc a trifle on occasions, but Government trains dwell there ir definitely. The public are truly cursing the day when the Government took over this line. They own the trains themselves now and are treated with contempt. Sir Joseph Ward is too busy buyiig a Baronetcy with a public sabmdbed Dreadnought to pay attention to such trivial matters as the public cen v en» ience m their own railways. It is high time" Sir Joe took a^pull at attempting big things and turned his attention to the public, who keep him m office. The public are full and Ward will know it at the next election and so will some of liis pals.