EXPEESS TRAIN SERVICE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17634, 26 May 1919, Page 2

EXPEESS TRAIN SERVICE

a gore defdtateon.

THROUGH TRAIN TO CHRISTCHURCH XJEGED.

COAX. POSITION AC7UTE. A deputation, representing tho Goro Borough Council and tho -Goro Chamber of Cominoroe, introduced by Mr G. J. Anders®l. _ M.P., waited on Sir James Allcu (Acting Prime Minister) at Gore on Saturday to urgio tho reinstatement of tho through express train to Christchurch. Tha Mayor (Mr A. Martin), who spoko on bohalf of the Goro Borough Council, aaid that as far as tho Goro people wero concerned they -willingly fell m with the curtailment of tho aarvicea -which war conditions had made necessary. They thought, however, that the tuno had arrived when normal conuitions, as far aa tho railway servico was concerned, should prevail They would bo content with a modified servioo of, sa.y, three through traijia per week. Tho progress of Southland "wag being ssriously retarded as tho result of inadequate railway facilities, and the inooirvenieiieo of- Southland business people having to stay ovtai--mght in Doiiedin was serious. The point had been raised that in any alteration in tho tram services tho Western District had to be considered. Ho maintained that no rearrangement would give tho residents of Western District a better Eervico than that which they had prior to tho outbreak of war

Ttornbafl (chairman of the Gore Chamber of Commerce) also 6poke in support of tho proposal to reinstate tho through express train service. Ho also urged a reversion to the time-table which existed on the Waikaka branch lin« prior to the war. He stated that tho train on tins branch at present ran only three days a week, as compared with a daily service previously. The guard, engine-driver, .->nd fireman were idle on threo days of each week, so that all that was required was a little extra coal.

Lite Mayor said tho same remarks applied to the Waikaia branch line. Sir James Allen replied in similar terms to thoso which ho used when replying to a deputationat InveixsargilL Ho coild assure tho department that the Government was very anxious to restore tho railway services rHH;^ Tar but the principal difficulty was the shortage of coal, which had almost reached an acute Tho Whole position had been fully discussed by Cabinet on several occasions, and he oould assure them it was only the exigencies P r6vcate d the wishes of tue deputation being given effect to. Tho suggestion regarding a three days a week sarvics) had been gone into by Cabinet also, if T a A UCd J - to be ai rt would lead to disorganisation as far as the branch hnes were concerned. Ho asked Mr Or. J Anderson to state his views regarding the position. t id , ho was ono of a deputation, which included Mr John Stead (Mayo^ M Villy (Assistant General Manager of Radwayß} m Wellington Mr Md tinV +1 deputation to secrecy, and took the members of it into hia confidence. Mr M Villy'a explanation of tho a sa-a miMisiTOnibta He wtis oonTOjced, however