A RAILWAY CHAOS

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8293, 23 September 1903, Page 1

A RAILWAY CHAOS

Although much of "Darkest Africa" is now lost to the explorer as a. field for his enterprise, the man who is anxious for adventure and is not afraid to take his lift* in his hands might do worse than make trip over the Central South African Kailways, and annexed Dutch lines, which are. now controlled by the (tovcrmnent. According to the Johannesburg Cliamber of Trade this line is run in au absolute ly chaotic manner. The passengers generally arrive' at their destination within a day or two of the expected time, if they manage to sui vivo the discomforts of the journey and the insolence of the o!IW ials, but with goods H is quite different. A six-ton crane would stem to be a difficult tiling to lose, but the South African railway officials have made light of a problem of t hi-- sort. The crane in question was sent to Ka/.erne, «yid so far as llie Department wan concerned was absolutely lost. The. officials were entirely b,-idled: when th 3 empty trucks arrived without tho crane. In. another ease a box of castings lay for weeks at Johannesburg without lia« consignees being informed of their arrival. A truck containing 8-400lbs of goods, which; left D-elagoa Bay for Johannesbui't:, was lost for thirty days, and eventually the truck: turned up, minus the good*, at Pretoria. A box of picks sent to Johannesburg shop. .afterwards took three months to travel 11 : 8 miles. Indictments against (he tinilway Department by other departments are a« common ap hips and haws in autiftnn. The pout office complains that the mails are badly handled. The Repatriation Depart merit has a shortage of goods amounting to £24,000 to recover. Tho .Public Works Department reports that the clerical work and the nocounts are badly arranged. The Nat-he Affairs -Department staten that tho officiate lack all knowledge of the regulations. The .Mines Department irates a cliarae ii: i- Uk> rules for the carriage of explosiv,« am ignored. The Land Department adds its little quota bv reporting, tlwt. a scale platform sent sixty miles arrived in thirteen weeks, and that two trucks of donkt ys wrro lost altogether. It is alleged that file general disorganisation-of t.he railways is due to the li?lpless amateure- having been pitched into the service-by influential friends.